2013 NRL Discussion

Dragon Dugan throws weight behind Price

By Ben Horne
AAP
2:50pm Wed 04th December, 2013

Bulked-up St George Illawarra fullback Josh Dugan wants to carry more weight into next NRL season, and he's throwing all of it behind under-pressure coach Steve Price.

Dugan said Price had the full support of a revamped Dragons squad, arguing the coach wouldn't still be in charge if the players weren't on board.

Price survived a coaching review at the end of the season after the proud Dragons club missed out on the finals, but he'll want a fast start to 2014.

Emerging from Wayne Bennett's shadow has proven difficult for Price, but he now believes he has the team he wants, with a number of quality recruits joining the side for next year.

St George Illawarra also welcome back Gerard Beale and Kyle Stanley from long-term injuries and have Dugan tipping the scales at 101.5kg, nearly five kilograms more than he weighed last season.

The NSW No.1 is a collision player and believes the heavier frame can help him avoid injury and gain a physical edge over his opposition.

Dugan says to a man, the Dragons are looking to get off to a fast start and keep the heat off their coach.

"Definitely. I don't really think he'd be there if he didn't have the support of the players," Dugan said.

"He's got every player behind him backing him 100 per cent and he's changed a few things up this year and I think it'll be for the better."

Beale, who is aiming for a centre berth in his comeback from an ACL tear in 2013, said the players wanted to show Price he was loved.

"We really love him and we're keen to go hard for him and especially for the Dragons as well," Beale said.

"It's a really proud club and we want to make sure we have a really good result."

Beale, Stanley and Dugan all attended Arncliffe Public School on Wednesday to promote the Jump Rope for Heart program.

Dugan predicted a jump for the Dragons - a return to the top eight - and promised a more consistent year from himself after last season where he was sacked by Canberra.

"I missed 10-11 weeks last year and it was a bit disruptive and took me a few weeks to get my match fitness back," he said.


http://www.nrl.com/dragon-dugan-throws-weight-behind-price/tabid/10874/newsid/75667/default.aspx
 
Soward just needs to run the damn ball, like he was back in 08-10. He could still be great. I don't rate Wallace however.
 
cameron said:
Soward just needs to run the damn ball, like he was back in 08-10. He could still be great. I don't rate Wallace however.
Click to expand...

Wallace was great back in 08-09. Has really lost confidence after the 2013 disaster and I hope he can cement a spot next year but I can't see it happening.
 
Rollercoaster ride for NRL's Gallen

By Adrian Warren
AAP
5:46pm Wed 04th December, 2013

Still bubbling over the Kangaroos' rugby league World Cup win, forward Paul Gallen has revealed the successful campaign still didn't banish thoughts of the doping investigation into the NRL and his Cronulla club.

Gallen described 2013 as a rollercoaster year after he and several other players returned from England on Wednesday following their crushing 34-2 win over New Zealand in last weekend's final.

Having endured season-long scrutiny at Cronulla over the Australian Sports Anti-doping Authority's investigation, another NSW Origin series loss and a finals campaign with Cronulla, Gallen reflected on a year of contrasts.

"It's been a real rollercoaster to be honest, I don't know how else to describe it," Gallen said.

"I've had ups and downs and highs and lows, but to finish the year as a world champion - that's great."

His exuberance was tempered by questions about the ASADA investigation, which he declined to comment on.

However, the inspirational forward admitted the World Cup campaign didn't provide an escape from that issue.

"It doesn't make a difference, you can run away from things, but it's still there, isn't it?," Gallen said.

"It wasn't anything new to me, I've been going through it all year.

"I was glad to be over there and getting the win, that's all that matters."

Holding aloft the trophy at Sydney Airport, Gallen had no qualms about the length of a season which almost extended into December.

"I've just had the time of my life, so I'm not whingeing one bit," Gallen said.

He said he was nervous going into Saturday's final, but wasn't surprised by the easy win over New Zealand.

"We played ruthless rugby league for 80 minutes. We did that for the last four of five games that we played in," Gallen said.

"When you work hard good things come your way and that's what happened to us.

"I think we brought our A game to the last few games."

The Sharks skipper will box All Blacks forward Liam Messam on the Fight For Life promotion in Auckland on Saturday week and doesn't expect to resume league training until mid-January.


http://www.nrl.com/rollercoaster-ride-for-nrls-gallen/tabid/10874/newsid/75670/default.aspx
 
White's battle from within

By Tony Webeck, Chief Queensland Correspondent
NRL.com
1:30pm Thu 05th December, 2013

Gold Coast Titans coach John Cartwright has given returning front-rower Matthew White some sobering news: Your best may still be 12 months away.

White returned to full training with the Titans for the first time on Monday having torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a trial game against the Warriors last February, forcing him to miss the entire 2013 season.

While thrilled to have him back as part of his front-row rotation, Cartwright insists that the recovery process from a knee reconstruction won't be complete until the mental battle is won.

"It is harder than what it looks. You are 100 per cent fit and the knee's as strong as the other one but it becomes a bit of a mental thing and he's going to need a fair bit of football before he'll consistently play NRL," Cartwright told NRL.com.

"It can take another 12 months to get fully over it, your confidence and strength back in it, but he'll be right to go first game and looking forward to getting on the field I'm sure.

"You'd have to go through one to know what it's like. You sometimes feel that you're never going to get it right and get out of the injured squad or get out of the long hard training that you're doing, but he's as level-headed as any guy around. He's handled it probably as good as any guy I've ever seen."

Since joining the Titans from the Knights in 2009, White had established himself as a key member of the forward rotation.

The 29-year-old had played 88 games in four seasons at the Titans before he was struck down by injury but has no qualms about lining up in the trials next year, targeting the Titans' first trial as his return match.

"The trials are part of the game, if you get injured you get injured, just like a normal comp game I suppose," White said.

"It was hard at the start but that's footy I suppose. I just had to get my head around it and spend a year on the sidelines which gave me a bit of a freshen-up and I'll be ready to go next year.

"Probably last season was the fittest I've been so just doing the hard yards at the moment to get back to that fitness."

With the injury to White, Cartwright's front-row rotation this year was limited to Luke Bailey, Luke Douglas, Nate Myles, Ryan James and Mark Ioane so bringing another big body into the squad is a welcome addition.

"To go a year without one of your first-string front-rowers was tough at times so we'll welcome him back; we're basically picking up a player we didn't have last year. It's a real positive for us," Cartwright said.

"History has shown that you need six or seven front-rowers so they'll all get game-time as the year unfolds.

"He's a big frame, he runs hard, he's very tough and aggressive and in a front-rower, that's all you can ask."


http://www.nrl.com/whites-battle-from-within/tabid/10874/newsid/75682/default.aspx
 
Dragons set to unveil monster halfback

By Ben Horne
AAP
5:34pm Thu 05th December, 2013

The Big Red V is set to go up a size in 2014, with Kyle Stanley preparing to become the NRL's biggest halfback.

Having turned sizeable five-eighth Trent Barrett into a halfback for the joint-venture's inaugural campaign in 1999, St George Illawarra will go even bigger in the No.7 next season in the form of 188cm and 96kg Stanley.

Traditionally the domain of the smaller, crafty playmaker, Stanley is big enough to play in the back row.

It's safe to say there will be no easy targets in the Dragons defensive line next season, as Wollongong begins to resemble the land of the giants.

Josh Dugan has added to his frame at fullback, while Gerard Beale is looking to add bulk in his comeback from a ruptured knee, as he aims for a centre position.

Last season, Roosters' premiership winner Mitchell Pearce at 91kg was comfortably the biggest regular No.7 in the competition, with Newcastle playmaker Jarrod Mullen (93kg), most commonly lining up at five-eighth.

But 22-year-old Stanley, formerly a centre at NRL level, says he's primed for the challenge of taking charge of the Dragons side, having successfully emerged from the darkest place of his career - recovery from a fourth knee reconstruction.

"My body is in good shape and it's the strongest I've been since I came into grade," Stanley told AAP.

"I definitely want to cement myself in the halves position. I just love getting my hands on the ball and I'm a ball runner as well.

"I've played mostly five-eighth (as a junior) so halfback is not a foreign position to me. I definitely know what's expected of me and (that I need to) steer the team around."

Stanley is in competition with youngster Josh Drinkwater and Canberra recruit Sam Williams for the halfback role, with Melbourne signing Gareth Widdop almost certain of starting at five-eighth.

Having been ruled out for another full season in 2013, Stanley has provided a revealing insight into the pressures faced by injured young players who can struggle to cope with the heightened sense of responsibility in trying to provide for their families.

"I can't tell you how tough it was. It was the darkest place I've ever been," Stanley said.

"But I've come out the other side and I beat it.

"My fiance Niketa helped me through. I'm playing the game of rugby league for my son Koah ... and also the club, they've stuck by me through the tough times."


http://www.nrl.com/dragons-set-to-unveil-monster-halfback/tabid/10874/newsid/75688/default.aspx


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Canterbury-Bankstown forward Aiden Tolman says: We've moved on from Ben Barba



CANTERBURY forward Aiden Tolman says the Bulldogs have moved on since losing Ben Barba to Brisbane and focused on their 2014 preparations and not facing the former Dally M Medallist in round one.

The NRL draw for next season was released this week with Canterbury playing host to Brisbane at ANZ Stadium on Friday March 7, setting up an exciting showdown between Barba and his former club.

"He's a special talent and he always has been, everyone knows that," Tolman said of Barba.

"He's moved on now and he's moved on with his life as have we here so whoever is in that 17 come round one will want to win it no matter who is on the field.

"Barba left the kennel in dramatic fashion following a year which saw him enter a rehabilitation centre and seek a release from the club to move north so he could be with his young family.

While Barba's exit is far from as controversial to that of Sonny Bill Williams, who walked out of the club in 2008, Barba's return is sure to be met with some hostility from the fans.

Asked whether facing Barba in the opening round was a fitting way to kick-off the season, Tolman said; "You've got to play that game sooner or later.

"For us it's a long way away yet but you want to get your season away to a good start. I wouldn't care who we were playing… it just so happens Benny is there.

"We're not really looking to that at this stage… the draws out but for us we're not even looking at it."

Having left Melbourne to join the Bulldogs in 2011, Tolman knows all too well what it is like to come up against his former teammates but stopped short of labelling it a grudge match.

"You've got some mates who are at that club and you always love playing against them and I'm guessing that's going to be no different for Benny," he said.

"That's just the way the game is these days. People move on.

"They've got to do what's best for themselves and their family. In some cases the club doesn't want them either."

After making the grand final in 2012 on the back of an effective front row rotation, 2013 was a much more difficult season which saw them finish in sixth place.

Thanks to suspension to James Graham and ongoing injuries to Sam Kasiano and Frank Pritchard the Bulldogs front row depth was tested.

Despite being unable to reach the heights of 2012 which saw them crowned minor premiers, Tolman says the emergence of forwards Tim Browne and David Klemmer have them placed well for the New Year.

"There were probably a few things that didn't go quite as well last year as what did in 2012 but that's footy," he said.

"We had a lot of injuries and suspensions in key areas. Personally I thought a lot of the guys who came up with little experience in first grade did a great job.

"Our consistency in a lot of areas let us down last year and that's what we'll be trying to improve on this year."


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...n-from-ben-barba/story-fni3fbgz-1226776283378
 
**** Johnsons speaks to South Sydney Rabbitohs about rock bottom



**** Johnson hit his rock, and consequently his rock bottom, 10 years before Adam Reynolds was born.

Which is why, right now, here in a private room on the second floor of Souths Juniors, the greying V8 legend is providing the gun Rabbitohs halfback with some Bathurst 1000 background.

Explaining not only to Reynolds but the entire Souths squad how that rock, that moment on Mount Panorama way back in 1980, was something like his equivalent of twice being rolled one game short of an NRL Grand Final.

"We mortgaged the house, sacrificed everything to run that car,'' Johnson explains of a moment that has come to define him.


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V8 legend **** Johnson pictured with Nathan Merrit, Adam Reynolds and coach Michael Macguire.Source: News Limited


"It's why that crash, it should've been the end of me."

And continuing, Johnson walks this mob of tattooed tyros through the years of debt, the years of repairing cars in his own garage that were behind him not just competing on that particular Bathurst 1000 weekend, but leading it.

The battling Queenslander suddenly ready to collect on all those years of sacrifice when, coming up through The Cutting with a white flag waving and tow truck on track, he swerved . . . only to hit a rock whose mysterious presence is up there with the JFK assassination.

"It should've ruined him,'' explains Souths coach Michael Maquire, the self-confessed petrol head who approached Johnson about speaking after reading his recently-released biography.

"But that's the thing about ****, he's spent a lifetime fighting back."


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V8 legend **** Johnson pictured with Nathan Merrit, Adam Reynolds and coach Michael Macguire.Source: News Limited


Indeed, with Johnson in town for the Sydney 500, Maguire knew there was no better man to help ready the Bunnies for 2014.

Understanding that be it a boulder, bankruptcy or that brutal Bathurst treeline smash, time and again this legendary Ford driver has overcome.

A truth recognised even by that halfback born 10 years too late to see it.

"Past couple of years, yeah, we've come close to a Grand Final, had some broken hearts,'' Reynolds shrugs.

"But nothing in life needs to be a negative if you take something from it."


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...bout-rock-bottom/story-fni3gki8-1226776490983
 
Kangaroos trio shortlisted for Golden Boot

AAP
9:20am Fri 06th December, 2013

Australian World Cup winners Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston are among six rugby league stars shortlisted for the Golden Boot award.

Melbourne teammates Smith and Cronk and North Queensland's Thurston are joined by the Sydney Roosters' Kiwi star Sonny Bill Williams, South Sydney's England ace Sam Burgess and Scotland's Danny Brough as nominees.

The 2012 winner, Kevin Sinfield, missed out on the shortlist for the annual award for the world's best player as judged by international media.

Cronk won the Dally M as the NRL's best performer this year, Brough took out the Super League equivalent Man of Steel, and Williams was the Rugby League International Federation man of 2013.

"We feel that the shortlist accurately reflects the players that have made the biggest impact in 2013, primarily on the international scene, which is what the Golden Boot judges are asked to consider first and foremost," Rugby League World editor Gareth Walker said.

"Each of those six players had outstanding World Cup campaigns and were vital in their side's respective performances during the tournament.

"Further than that, each made a significant impact at domestic level during 2013, which will also be considered by the panel of judges."

Thurston previously won the award in 2011 and Smith in 2007.

Judges, chosen from international media representatives, are asked to vote for the Golden Boot and positional awards on a five-points, three-points, one-point basis.


http://www.nrl.com/kangaroos-trio-shortlisted-for-golden-boot/tabid/10874/newsid/75690/default.aspx


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Heat is on for Cowboys' rivals: Green

By Tony Webeck, Chief Queensland Correspondent
NRL.com
9:47am Fri 06th December, 2013

New Cowboys coach Paul Green is hoping to turn up the heat on visiting teams to North Queensland with confirmation his side will play six of their first 10 games at home in 2014.

Reaction to the 2014 NRL draw released on Wednesday was largely positive out of Townsville with both Green and club CEO Peter Jourdain welcoming a strong presence at home to start the season.

While Jourdain pointed to a pre-season schedule that will take the Cowboys to Auckland, Toowoomba and Redcliffe, Green was more focused on the 30-degree average temperature in Townsville in March and making life as uncomfortable for opposition teams as possible.

"Absolutely, the hotter the better for us earlier in the year," Green said. "I know teams don't particularly like coming up here because of the weather – they're different conditions to play in – so we'll be looking to take advantage of that if we can.

"It's good to be at home early given that we are away with our trial matches. Hopefully we can get off to a good start, like everyone's hoping to do, and build a bit of momentum.

"You always want to get off to a good start and bank some points early, particularly when you've got a squad such as ours with a high number of players involved in Origin. It's important to bank those points early."

New Cowboys assistant coach David Furner will be particularly valuable in Round 1 as his former club, the Raiders, comes to town.

With Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott, James Tamou and Brent Tate all but certainties to figure in the 2014 State of Origin Series, Green conceded that the period between their trip to Canberra in Round 11 and home game against the Titans in Round 20 will be particularly challenging.

"If you look at that middle period of the year... Origin's always a challenge for us, just given the players that are involved, but I think we've got the Storm at home and then the only other home game between then and Round 20 is the Rabbitohs. So that's a bit of a challenge for us there," Green said.

The Cowboys will be without their Origin stars for the Round 17 clash with the Dragons and their inclusion for games against the Storm (Round 12) and Knights (Round 15) will depend on how they back up after Origin.

Despite the disrupted period, Jourdain is pleased that the three-week gap between Origin games has been retained.

"We took feedback from [the players] and from a player welfare perspective and the amount of mental and physical preparation that's required for Origin, we thought it was better long-term player welfare that the length of the Origin period stays as it was," Jourdain said.

"We're generally pretty happy with our draw. Very happy that the first 20 games have been scheduled, that's great for our members, corporates and fans. We're very happy that we've got six Channel Nine games in the first 20 rounds, both home and away.

"We've also got nine Saturday night Fox [Sports] games and given that Fox have said publicly that's their No.1 pick of the round now, that's a good sign for us, that we're up there in their thoughts."

Jourdain expects that Suncorp Stadium will be close to a sell-out for their Round 2 clash with the Broncos in Brisbane and said that the club will work closely with the local Australian Defence Force fraternity to make their clash with the Eels on April 26 a memorable occasion.


http://www.nrl.com/heat-is-on-for-cowboys-rivals-green/tabid/10874/newsid/75691/default.aspx
 
Panthers will be number one: Gould

By Matt Encarnacion
NRL.com
4:13pm Fri 06th December, 2013

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Penrith can be the biggest sporting brand in Australia in 10 years, according to Phil Gould.


Two years ago they were on the brink of insolvency, today they're possibly the most valuable sporting commodity in the country.

Brand consulting firm Landor Associates this week valued the Panthers at a whopping $46.2 million, making them the most valuable sporting brand in Australia.

And Panthers general manager Phil Gould envisions that one day his club would be the number one sporting organisation in the nation as well.

"Over the next 10 years, I think we will become the number one sporting club in the country. I don't have any real doubts about that," Gould told NRL.com.

However the Panthers' brand rating – based on the strength of the club's image – copped an AA- ranking from Landor Associates, well below the AA+ rankings of the NRL's leading brands the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters.

But Gould said the research showed not only how far they could go, but how far the Panthers Group had come.

Declining food revenues, high poker machine taxes, smoking bans and previous mismanagement had reportedly cruelled the club at the end of 2011, leaving them with over $80 million in debt and just days away from being liquidated.

The Panthers Group hired former TAB boss Warren Wilson in a last-ditch attempt to save the club and within a year the former first grader reportedly slashed costs, lifted trade revenue by 48 per cent and the Panthers' vast portfolio of licensed clubs underwent a complete overhaul.

"Warren's been able to make good use of the property portfolio the Panthers held," Gould continued.

"They were in a rather precarious position financially two and a half years ago but now, we're looking very strong. We're still only in the embryo stage of the overall master plan.

"We're going to look significantly different in the next two to 10 years as the master plan is executed. But right at this stage, it's wonderful to know that our brand has taken on this significant rating.

"Being brutally honest though, we're nowhere near as good, or as big, as we're going to be over the next five years."

Within the next half-decade, the Panthers' primary residence on Mulgoa Road will undergo an $850 million redevelopment, complete with an NRL academy and Western Sydney Community and Sport Centre.

"We're just about ready to starting putting shovels in the dirt now. It's pretty much all ready, finances are ready," Gould said.

"We expect completion of the NRL academy by October 2014. We expect construction on the Western Sydney Sporting and Community Centre to commence late 2014 for completion early 2016.

"With that, there are associated construction works going on around our property, totalling around about $80 million over the next two years.

"We're just in the first stage of an overall master plan that might take 10 years to execute, but it'll be good to get this out of the way early."

It's all with the aim of making the Panthers the number one sporting organisation in the country, which has all of a sudden become a realistic aim after Thursday's report.

"Given the facilities we're going to build and what we're creating at Panthers and the strength of Panthers, what it will become commercially as well as sporting-wise and community-wise, we can be number one," Gould said.

"That's our aim.

"We think western Sydney deserves it and we want to be the biggest and most recognisable sporting franchise, certainly in that part of the world.

"And if you're the biggest there, you're probably going to be the biggest anywhere."


http://www.nrl.com/panthers-will-be-number-one-gould/tabid/10874/newsid/75695/default.aspx
 
World Cup to benefit Kasiano in 2014

By Ben Horne
AAP
1:43pm Sat 07th December, 2013

Canterbury are hoping Sam Kasiano's World Cup-extended season will mean Dogzilla can hit the ground running in 2014.

Tipping the scales at 138kg when at his peak, Kasiano is considered the heaviest forward to ever play in the NRL.

But at that weight, it's a fine line between too strong and too slow.

Kasiano's monster status was compromised last season by a lingering leg-injury which made it difficult for the frontrower to find match-fitness.

The prop rotation of Kasiano, James Graham and Aiden Tolman was the catalyst for the Bulldogs' surge to the grand final in 2012, but last season the dominance wasn't there.

But Kasiano and Graham starred for New Zealand and England respectively in the World Cup, and the signs are good for the Bulldogs' engine room.

The pair won't return to training until the new year, but Tolman believes playing through to the start of December will make the transition into round one of next season an easier one for key man Kasiano.

"I don't think Sammy's weight was an issue, more so bad luck than anything. But he has had a longer year which I think will help, he'll get his match fitness there," said Tolman.

"The lighter you are and the fitter you are when you come back the more it helps.

"When those two players (Kasiano and Graham) are playing well they're very hard to stop so we need to get them both fit and firing.

"They'll have a very limited time to come back in and train well, but they're both professional athletes and know what they need to do to get right."


http://www.nrl.com/world-cup-to-benefit-kasiano-in-2014/tabid/10874/newsid/75698/default.aspx
 
The Canberra Raiders get lean and mean in NRL pre-season training



CANBERRA Raiders centre Jarrod Croker has declared the club's pre-season the toughest he has encountered since joining the side in 2009.

Croker, who has played 116 games for the Raiders, says everyone at the club is working hard to ensure they're in the best shape ahead of their round one clash against the Cowboys.

"You can see the determination amongst the players to put the disappointment of last season behind us," Croker said.

"Last year is the past, we have to focus on what's in front of us and what we can control."

Croker says the fight for first grade spots would again be hotly contested, especially in the centres where the departure of Blake Ferguson has left a vacancy.

"There are a host of young players determined to force their way into the centres," he said.

"Jack Wighton and Edrick Lee are back from injury and you have Brenko Lee, Jeremy Hawkins, Matt Allwood and Jack Ahearn all keen to make the step up."

"No one is guaranteed a spot in the centres, we all know positions will be determined by form."

Meanwhile, the Raiders have confirmed their two pre-season trials against the Storm in Melbourne on February 8th and Newcastle in Tamworth on Feb 22nd.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...eseason-training/story-fni3gmmu-1226777868882

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What's the Buzz: Rugby League versus Rugby Union in code clash next year




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Sam Burgess of England in action during the Rugby League World Cup. Source: Getty Images


THE Wallabies have agreed to play the Great Britain rugby league team in a $10 million hybrid-game spectacular at Wembley Stadium next year.

London's most famous football venue has been booked for December 6, a week after the Wallabies' last game on their 2014 spring tour.

The game will pit the likes of Israel Folau and Quade Cooper against the Burgess brothers, Gareth Widdop and Sam Tomkins in front of an anticipated full house of 92,000 fans.

All up, organisers are expecting to raise $20 million through gates, corporate sales, TV, sponsorship and merchandise.

An agreement was reached between the two football codes at a secret meeting in London last month.

The codes will be paid $5million each and the players will earn around $50,000 each for a one-off appearance.

On November 11, English Rugby League boss and World Cup tournament director Nigel Wood secretly met with Wallaby supremo Bill Pulver at London's swish Grange Holborn Hotel.

They both agreed to the game, subject to commercial terms, which will be finalised by the new year.


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Australia's Quade Cooper in action kicking a penalty. Source: AP


Wood was desperate for the opportunity to promote rugby league in London on the back of the recent World Cup.

The London Broncos are struggling to stay afloat in the Super League because of lack of interest.

A global media company is in the process of selling world-wide television rights and major sponsorships.

A consortium of Australian businessmen and rugby legends Bob Dwyer and Mark Ella were involved in the talks in London that secured the historic agreement.

One half will be played with 15 players with rugby union rules and the other half with 13 players with NRL rules.

The plan was to originally stage a Wallabies v Kangaroos game at ANZ Stadium in December.

NRL chief executive Dave Smith met with Pulver and the promoters but, after showing initial interest, knocked it back.So the promoters took their $10 million proposal to England.

London based promoter Steve Berrick has been hired to oversee the game.

He has previously been in charge of Barbarians games and major events in the UK.

This will be the first of what organisers believe will become a regular showpiece on the football calendars.

The All Blacks have also been approached and showed initial interest in a game against the Kangaroos.

Previously, Wigan played Bath in a hybrid game in the UK and two Australian school teams played in a trial game at Brookvale Oval.

SAINT

THE NRL's appointment of Sandy Olsen as communications manager - hopefully she will deliver a far more positive message than her predecessor.

SINNER

THE 2014 NRL season draw that leaves fans with only one live free-to-air game each weekend.

SHOOSH

DISTURBING rumours of a serious rort by a senior NRL club official and a player manager are doing the rounds.

Their scam apparently involved shaving thousands of dollars off a player's contract and then sharing the ''profits''.

The player found out and sacked the manager. The official remains in his job.

TIGER TAMED

STOP the presses. Benji Marshall is back in Tigers territory.

Sadly for Wests Tigers fans it's just a stopover for the wedding of his great mate Keith Galloway. Big Keith tied the knot last night with his long-time partner Serena.

Benji and his stunning wife Zoe flew across from New Zealand for the wedding.

DYNAMIC DUO

MANLY halves Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans have lots in common. Foran's partner is about to give birth to their first child. They already know it's a girl.

It fits in well because Cherry-Evans also has a baby girl.

READY TO GO

SHARKS prop Bryce Gibbs retired from NRL two months ago because of an achilles injury that wouldn't heal.

Last Monday, he marched back into Sharks training and declared he'd give it another go.

Coach Shane Flanagan says it's a massive boost for player morale to have him back.



http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...-clash-next-year/story-fni3fbgz-1226777891743
 
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St George Illawarra Dragons plunge the depths of pain at Wanda sand dunes in Cronulla



SOMETIME over the pre-season, every NRL player will be taken to a dark place.

At St George Illawarra that place lies at the southern end of Wanda Beach car park.

Shortly before 4am last Wednesday there's no sound apart from the sea breeze disturbing the reeds and the modest break rolling onto the sand.

Without warning, the sound of an approaching car disrupts the salty revery.

As headlights cut through the gloom, rubber crunches into gravel and the vehicle comes to a halt.

A horror script might demand a body bag and shovel, but instead a lone figure emerges with a sackful of boxing gloves and focus pads.

The unlikely arrival heralds a cavalcade of cars.

Within minutes a dozen 4WDs, sedans and hatchbacks are huddled together in unmarked spaces, each disgorging a cargo of large and bleary-eyed humans.

There's no light whatsoever to make out their faces but each is dressed in full training gear, including sand shoes.

Daybreak is still 90 minutes adrift, and for now the only light comes from a slither moon that sits among the astoundingly starry sky.

It's all the players have to rely upon to negotiate an undulating track, which leads to their dark place - two enormous sand hills that rise from the shrub and into the galaxy itself.

Thirty sets of hands are clasped together and the group charges up the first sandhill as one.

As eyes begin to adjust identities can be discerned, including head coach Steve Price and high performance manager Andrew Gray.

After two disappointing seasons, Price wants accountability to course through all levels of his club.

According to players, the 4am sandhill sessions are called whenever there's a disciplinary breach.

On the field the whole team suffers for lapse of player. It should be no different now.

The boxing gear is unpacked at the top of the first sandhill.

For 15 unbroken minutes the pads are pounded without respite.

Overs, unders, uppers. Deltoids are burning, elbows are creaking.

The oblique pall offers the chance to take a shortcut, but no one accepts it.

Apart from the rhythmic patter of leather, there's barely a sound to rival the reeds and the shore break.Suddenly it stops.

Orders are barked and, like a regiment, the players turn as one toward the second sandhill. Hands are linked and the arduous climb endured.

In a perfect line they race toward the east, now streaked with lighter hues.

Boxing partners swap equipment and the patter returns. It continues as a fire brews in the horizon beyond, from which plumes of pastel blue and purple billow.

Not long now until the dawn, but still not long enough.St George Illawarra Dragons players at Wanda sandhills.

Suddenly it's over.

The red and white millipede braces its quads and calves for descent, before whipping left to the car park.

Barley an hour has expired when they trudge back through the wooden poles. For many the long drive back to Wollongong awaits.

They laugh and make plans for breakfast, despite the fact no cafe will be open for at least an hour.

Some have an ocean dip, some do extras on the beach, some prepare for a school visit to raise awareness for heart disease.

Behind them the dark place is aglow with faint morning sun. It sits silently in wait for their return.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...unes-in-cronulla/story-fni3g9a3-1226778181712

- - - Updated - - -

NRL unconcerned by Sydney Swans star Buddy Franklin's invasion into Harbour City


  • DEAN RITCHIE
  • NEWS LIMITED NETWORK
  • DECEMBER 09, 2013 12:00AM

BUDDY Who? The NRL has shown scant interest in the Lance Franklin sideshow, and club bosses are unconcerned that no rugby league games will be staged in western Sydney on the day the AFL star travels to Homebush.

Franklin's Swans will play GWS at Giants Stadium in round one next year on March 15.

On the same day, the NRL will play three games in round two - in Melbourne, Auckland and Allianz Stadium.

The only game in western Sydney is a Monday night match between Canterbury and Cronulla at ANZ Stadium.Franklin essentially has a free run out west, but the NRL doesn't seem to care.

"I don't think Buddy was on the radar,'' Canterbury chief executive Raelene Castle said.

"We go about our business and that's the way it should be. We have a great product and we have to make the most if it.

"If you are always looking at other sports, things can go to custard.

"I think you have to be respectful of your opposition, but don't spend all your life worrying about them.'

'Another high-profile western Sydney NRL official said: "It's such a 'who cares' that it wasn't even on our radar when the draw was put together.

"He wouldn't have rated a mention. We might discuss another sport if there's a potential clash of venues but that's about it.

"I don't think we'll lose rugby league fans just because Buddy Franklin comes to Sydney. We can't afford to be complacent but we can't be looking over our shoulder at other sports."


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...nto-harbour-city/story-fni3fbgz-1226778174928
 
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rhugh89 said:
World Cup to benefit Kasiano in 2014

By Ben Horne
AAP
1:43pm Sat 07th December, 2013

Canterbury are hoping Sam Kasiano's World Cup-extended season will mean Dogzilla can hit the ground running in 2014.

Tipping the scales at 138kg when at his peak, Kasiano is considered the heaviest forward to ever play in the NRL.

But at that weight, it's a fine line between too strong and too slow.

Kasiano's monster status was compromised last season by a lingering leg-injury which made it difficult for the frontrower to find match-fitness.

The prop rotation of Kasiano, James Graham and Aiden Tolman was the catalyst for the Bulldogs' surge to the grand final in 2012, but last season the dominance wasn't there.

But Kasiano and Graham starred for New Zealand and England respectively in the World Cup, and the signs are good for the Bulldogs' engine room.

The pair won't return to training until the new year, but Tolman believes playing through to the start of December will make the transition into round one of next season an easier one for key man Kasiano.

"I don't think Sammy's weight was an issue, more so bad luck than anything. But he has had a longer year which I think will help, he'll get his match fitness there," said Tolman.

"The lighter you are and the fitter you are when you come back the more it helps.

"When those two players (Kasiano and Graham) are playing well they're very hard to stop so we need to get them both fit and firing.

"They'll have a very limited time to come back in and train well, but they're both professional athletes and know what they need to do to get right."


http://www.nrl.com/world-cup-to-benefit-kasiano-in-2014/tabid/10874/newsid/75698/default.aspx
Click to expand...

I thought Kas looked terrible in the World Cup, too slow and over weight.
 
Room for both me and Kevin Locke: Warriors prized signing Sam Tomkins


  • NATHAN RYAN
  • FOX SPORTS
  • DECEMBER 09, 2013 10:12AM

WARRIORS prized recruit Sam Tomkins believes there is room for both him and fellow fullback Kevin Locke in the NRL side.

Tomkins' arrival in New Zealand has been a major talking point with speculation rife that the incumbent Locke would request a release in a bid to play in his preferred position at another club.

Locke has been linked with Canterbury and Canberra but a move looks highly unlikely and according to Tomkins, who arrived in Auckland on Monday morning, the team is big enough for two Test fullbacks.

"Healthy competition is good in any team," Tomkins told television network 3 News.

"Kevin's certainly a standout player but I think there's room for both of us in the team."

At 24, Tomkins is one of the Warriors most high-profile signings but despite the pressure that comes along with being a marquee man, the English international is keeping a lid on expectations of his first season in the NRL.

"I'm going to focus firmly on doing my job on the field," he said.

"There will be expectation around me but I'm not going to let that affect me. I'm just going to keep my head down and get the job done.

Sure to feature as a vital cog in the Warriors machine, Tomkins leaves the Super League with two titles to his name and scored 144 tries in 151 appearances for Wigan.

Leaving the Warriors to join the New Zealand Warriors on a three-year-deal, Tomkins is excited by the challenge of playing the premier competition and believes the style of football his new team plays will help ease the transition.

"I'll certainly be out of my comfort zone," he said.

"It's something I'm massively looking forward to… it's a world away from Wigan but a challenge I am looking forward to.

"I saw massive similarities between the Wigan Warriors… On field and off field.

"On the field they have some big blokes who can offload and will suit my game and off the field I think they are a really family orientated club.

"Tomkins is expected to be in action for the Auckland Nines competition at Eden Park on February 15.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ning-sam-tomkins/story-fni3gs8m-1226778540894

- - - Updated - - -

No plans for hybrid Aust UK match

By Wayne Gardiner
AAP
1:27am Mon 09th December, 2013

Britain's Rugby Football League is not planning to participate in a hybrid-code fixture with the Australian rugby union team, Press Association Sport understands.

Reports on Saturday and Sunday said the governing body had agreed to a December 6, 2014 date with its Australian 15-a-side counterparts, which would pit the Wallabies against a Great Britain rugby league side at Wembley.

But the RFL is keen to distance itself from the stories.

Although the RFL had received correspondence about such a fixture, it said it had not met the organisers and was not looking to progress it any further.

Former Australia and Leicester union boss Bob Dwyer first mooted the hybrid idea in 2012 to a mixed reception.

It had been reported that this fixture, were it to go ahead, would see a half of 15-a-side and a half of 13-a-side.

There have been two cross-code experiments in England in the past.

Wigan faced Bath in 1996, winning a two-game series 101-50 after a fixture of each discipline, while Sale beat St Helens 41-39 in a game consisting of both codes in 2003.

As things stand, the Great Britain rugby league side is in storage, having been disbanded as an annual entity after a 2007 series against New Zealand.

It is expected to be reformed for a Lions tour in 2015 although no plans have been confirmed.


http://www.nrl.com/no-plans-for-hybrid-aust-uk-match/tabid/10874/newsid/75699/default.aspx
 
Raiders’ high performance priority

By NRL.com
NRL.com
5:20pm Mon 09th December, 2013

Canberra have appointed former Australian Institute of Sport director Dr Peter Fricker to conduct a high performance review of the club’s football operations aimed at gaining the Green Machine more of the game’s sought-after ‘one percenters’.

Raiders football manager John Bonasera said the appointment would be “a key component in ensuring we’re getting the best possible advice, and our players and our staff are working at an optimum level on a weekly basis”.

Bonasera said Dr Fricker would be looking at operational rather than cultural issues.

“It will be based more around sports medicine and the processes we have in relation to our strength and conditioning, our recovery, all those aspects that go to putting on our best performance.”

Bonasera lauded Dr Fricker’s experience, which includes 30 years at the AIS and work with Olympics and Commonwealth Games squads.

The club is also upgrading and restructuring its gym in the off-season to keep things fresh for the players and improving its video facilities, he said.

Dr Fricker said new Raiders coach Ricky Stuart had asked him to come in and take a fresh look at the club, and the science and medicine services providers to the players.

“Ricky said to try and take it to the next level – there’s always an opportunity to take what you’re doing up there, try and improve performances in different ways,” he said.

“It’s about maintenance of health for the athletes, the players themselves, to try and prevent injuries.”

Dr Fricker said he would also be tasked with ensuring the club is using technology appropriately, which can be a challenge or distraction for many clubs.

“That’s the challenge[trying to stay on top of technology],” he said.

“It doesn’t matter where you go in sport, that’s always the way. Everybody’s looking for the ‘one per cent’. There’s so much technology out there that can be used and the challenge is to be able to use it properly.

“I think you can waste an awful lot of money on technology, to be honest, and I think some of the difficulties clubs have is they’ve forgotten to do the basics because they keep thinking technology is going to solve their problem.

“So it gets back to getting the basics done really well, using the technology that’s available as sensibly as you possibly can.

"So that’s where the challenges are. And everyone keeps watching what everyone else is doing.

"You’ve got to sit back a bit and say ‘what’s working and why? [And] is that something we can use?’”.

The review will be conducted over the next few weeks, with recommendations to be presented to the Raiders in the early stages of 2014.


http://www.nrl.com/raiders’-high-performance-priority-/tabid/10874/newsid/75707/default.aspx


- - - Updated - - -

Furner races to join Cowboys

AAP
5:23pm Mon 09th December, 2013

Kangaroos assistant coach David Furner has wasted no time in joining North Queensland as he attempts to put his axing from Canberra behind him.

Fresh from Australia's victorious World Cup campaign in the UK, Furner arrived back in Canberra last Wednesday and jumped on a plane the next day to Townsville to take up his gig with the Cowboys.

Furner, who has made way for Ricky Stuart at the Raiders, will be a key ally to new rookie Cowboys coach Paul Green next year following Neil Henry's controversial axing.

And he said he was keen to get involved at the Cowboys as soon as he could.

"We finished off the campaign with Australia on Saturday I was back in Canberra on Wednesday and jumped on a plane on Thursday, I just wanted to get involved as soon as possible and move up here as quickly as possible," Furner told reporters on Monday.

"I was with the Australia side for a seven, eight week tour at the end of which we played a very good brand of football which was good to be part of. But the focus now is my job here and the support for Greeny, so I'm looking forward to it."

Cowboys stars Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott, James Tamou and Brent Tate were all part of the Kangaroos' successful campaign and they won't return to training until mid-January.

"There were very good all four were ... the contribution from the Cowboys guys was fantastic," he said.

"They have earnt a break, I am just looking forward to working with them."

Furner revealed he would take over the defensive coaching duties next season.

"At this stage I'll be working with the defensive side ... that's why I have come up here," he said.

"Obviously I've had that experience in that (head) position before but it is about what Greeny wants and what the team needs and that's why I'm here.

Meanwhile Furner's former club the Raiders have engaged the services of sports physician and administrator Dr Peter Fricker to conduct a high performance review of the club's football operations ahead of the 2014 season.

Dr Fricker said he would take a couple of weeks to speak to all of the club's football staff across all areas and provide a set of recommendations which could help improve certain aspects of the organisation.

The Raiders had a disappointing season, finishing 13th.

Their year was marred by a number of off-field distractions with State of Origin players Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson sacked at different stages in 2013.


http://www.nrl.com/furner-races-to-join-cowboys/tabid/10874/newsid/75708/default.aspx
 
Howls of protest as 'traditional' Canterbury Bulldogs cheerleaders are given the flick



245501-eed4e912-6091-11e3-be16-1445237cc09f.jpg

Bulldogs cheerleaders in action / Picture: Brett Costello Source: News Limited


TRADITIONAL cheerleaders - and their knee-high boots and short skirts - have been high-kicked out of Canterbury.

The Bulldogs last week ended their partnership with the dance studio responsible for choreographing match-day routines for the past 12 seasons.

Instead, from next year onwards, dancing will no longer be the priority of the squad

Pre-match and half-time performances are set to be abandoned in favour of off-field work, such as hospital visits, corporate entertainment and further education.

Different outfits will be designed to suit each occasion, but none will be anywhere near as revealing as last season's costume.

And, when auditions start over the next few weeks, aspirants will need more than just the right moves.

"They'll also go through an interview, because we want to take this through a more professional evolution," Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle said.


245555-e095aba0-6098-11e3-8bef-f68fbd62ade2.jpg

Canterbury Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle. Source: News Limited


"A big part of that is bringing the girls in-house and employing them directly through the club.

"We invest a lot in our cheerleaders and we want to maximise that investment by having them exposed to the same community and learning programs as everyone else in the club.''

Ms Castle, the former chief executive of Netball NZ, said she understood there would be "debate over the merits of keeping scantily-clad girls dancing''.


245582-b2b80a7e-608f-11e3-be16-1445237cc09f.jpg

A Bulldogs cheerleaders during one of the group’s routines / Picture: Brett Costello Source: News Limited


"We want to go in a more professional direction, where they do more than just dance in revealing outfits,'' she said.

"They'll still be doing cheerleading at the game, they will still have pompoms, but we're going to give them more opportunities as well.

"I can't see how that's a bad thing."

But several members of last year's squad - known as "the Belles'' - can.

Opponents have established an online petition to "Save the Belles'', which yesterday had attracted several hundred messages of support.

Ms Castle revealed "The Belles'' name was not assured to survive because the cheerleading would be reduced to a small component of their future role.

"We probably wouldn't call them cheerleaders in future," Castle said.

"We want them to be ambassadors and have a much greater role in promoting what this club stands for."


244755-b826baa0-608f-11e3-be16-1445237cc09f.jpg

No more ... the ‘traditional’ Cantebury cheerleader is going the way of the Dodo / Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Limited



http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...-given-the-flick/story-fni3g67w-1226779244784


 
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that's wat happens when u put a chub female CEO incharge of your club, she will think its sexist and undermining to women everywhere blah blah.. etc.. etc and she will think she is doing a big thing for the community, but you look at every major sporting code in the world NFL, NBA, Major league baseball, A league, Premier league soccer UK, English super league ! ...the bulldogs CEO has to be doing this as a personal agenda and not from fan polls.. those skimpy sexy outfits is part of the game I feel sorry for the bulldogs and their fans but not Mick Ennis he's a douche
 
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