2014 NRL Discussion

NRL Late Mail for Round 22: Paul Gallen’s comeback confirmed


  • TOM SANGSTER
  • NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA
  • AUGUST 07, 2014 5:00PM

FIRST the good news: Paul Gallen (bicep) is a certain starter and Shaun Johnson (groin) is improving.

Now the bad news: Sam Burgess (shoulder) appears increasingly unlikely to play on Friday night.
All the details in Late Mail.

Friday, Aug 8, Rabbitohs v Sea Eagles, SCG, 7.45pm

Sam Burgess (shoulder) is in considerable doubt for the Rabbitohs, with Joe Picker or Luke Burgess to come into the side if the rugby-bound superstar is left out.

The Rabbitohs have received positive news on John Sutton (knee), who is expected back within a fortnight.

No changes expected.

Anthony Watmough (knee) and Steve Matai (concussion) trained on Thursday and have been cleared.

Jorge Taufua (ankle) is in doubt, with Cheyse Blair on standby.

Jesse Sene-Lefao is free to play after taking an early guilty plea at the judiciary, while Justin Horo returns from a three-game ban.

Coach Geoff Toovey is confident Glenn Stewart (knee) will return before the finals, saying he is “a few weeks off”.

Friday, Aug 8, Broncos v Bulldogs, Suncorp Stadium, 7.45pm

The Broncos are set to be unchanged, with Justin Hodges (hamstring) not named.

The Bulldogs will be 1-17, with Josh Morris (knee), Mitch Brown (fractured hand) and Aiden Tolman (hamstring) travelling and cleared to return.

Moses Mbye made the trip as 18th man.

Saturday, Aug 9, Cowboys v Tigers, 1300 Smiles Stadium, 7.30pm

Expect James Tamou (neck) to be a late inclusion for the Cowboys in place of Sam Hoare.

Tamou was not named on Tuesday, but completed skills sessions earlier in the week and will play on Saturday if he gets through contact work.

The Tigers have Luke Brooks (shoulder) and Pat Richards (hamstring) in considerable doubt.

A decision on whether they travel will be made after Friday morning’s final session, with the team to board a plane in the afternoon.

Curtis Sironen would replace Brooks in the halves, although Richards’ replacement is unclear.

Bodene Thompson (suspension) is out, with Jack Buchanan added to the 17.

Saturday, Aug 9, Eels v Raiders, TIO Stadium, Darwin, 8.30pm

The Eels travelled to Darwin on Thursday and expect no changes, with Ken Edwards (shoulder) set to return.

The Raiders travelled on Wednesday with the 17 named, plus Mark Nicholls as 18th man.

They have two sessions to come, but expect to be unchanged, with Edrick Lee (foot) and Jack Wighton (thumb) cleared to return after long lay-offs.

Terry Campese (oblique), Reece Robinson (back), Sami Sauiluma (ankle) and Brenko Lee (hamstring) did not travel and are all hopeful for next week.

Sunday, Aug 10, Warriors v Sharks, Mt Smart Stadium, 2pm

The Warriors say they will take a cautious approach with Shaun Johnson (groin), although the star halfback ran on Thursday (see above pic).

Konrad Hurrell (hamstring) is unlikely to be risked.

Paul Gallen (bicep) has trained and is certain to return from injury.

Sosaia Feki (foot) is also fit to play after being a late withdrawal last week, with the Sharks set to be unchanged. They travel on Friday.

Sunday, Aug 10, Dragons v Panthers, WIN Stadium, 3pm

All 19 players named have trained this week, with two sessions still to come.

Tyson Frizell (ankle) trained on his own on Thursday and is considered a chance of being a late inclusion.

The Panthers have no injury concerns in the squad named, with all 20 players training this week.

Coach Ivan Cleary will cull his squad after Saturday’s captain’s run.

SuperCoach revelation Bryce Cartwright (ankle) is out for the season, as is Elijah Taylor (ACL).

But Brent Kite (pectoral) is set to return for the finals.

Monday, Aug 11, Roosters v Titans, Allianz Stadium, 7pm

The Roosters will finalise their squad after Sunday’s captain’s run, but expect no changes at this early stage.

Mitch Aubusson (ankle) is looking good for a return, while two players still need to be cut from the bench.

Aiden Sezer (pectoral) is set to be a late inclusion for the Titans. He will complete contact on Friday, with a final decision to be made after Sunday’s last session.

William Zillman (hamstring) and Kalifa Faifai Loa (knee) are sweet to return.

David Mead (hamstring) and Brad Tighe (groin) won’t be late inclusions.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...injury-confirmed/story-fni3fs14-1227017050790
 
Former Manly and Rabbitohs champions to converge at the SCG for game of the season


  • DEAN RITCHIE
  • THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
  • AUGUST 08, 2014 12:00AM

973184-a9cd4576-1de2-11e4-8adb-938012f29f27.jpg

Ray Branighan scores try during Souths v Manly 1970 first grade Grand Final at SCG in Sydney


THE old SCG Members Stand, built in 1878, will come alive when rugby league legends converge for the game of the season.

Former champions from when the Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs ruled rugby league will attend the top-of-the-table match between two clubs with a long and shared history.

Former Rabbitohs champions to grace the famous old ground will include Gary Stevens, Bob McCarthy, Mike Cleary, Ron Coote, Craig Coleman and Eric Simms.

Not to be outdone, Manly will be represented by Bob Fulton, Max Krilich, Cliff Lyons and Ray Brown.

Clive Churchill’s widow, Joyce, and son, Rod, will also be at the game.

Clive, one of the game’s original Immortals, passed away 29 years ago on Saturday.


973210-ae8c51ce-1de2-11e4-8adb-938012f29f27.jpg

Coach Clive Churchill with captain John Sattler after Souths defeated Manly in 1970


“The SCG gives me goose bumps,” said Brown, who played at the ground for Manly, Wests and NSW.

“All the grand finals used to be played there, State of Origin, Test matches.

“In our era, it was the ultimate to play there. The ground has so much tradition and history.

“ And this will be a great game of footy — one v two on the competition table.

“There is something special about the SCG.”Fenech loved playing on the great old ground during his wonderful career and expects a wonderful atmosphere tonight.

“It is an amazing complex,” Fenech said.

“You just have to look at the history in rugby league and cricket and the great games been played there.

“It was an honour to play there.”


972724-966dcf50-1de2-11e4-8adb-938012f29f27.jpg

Scene from South v Manly first grade RL Grand Final at the SCG in Sydney in 1970.


Manly and Souths finalised preparations yesterday in what shapes as a clash of styles between the Sea Eagles’ class backline and the Rabbitohs’ forward power.

Manly back-rower Glenn Stewart is expected to start running early next week after an ankle injury and may be only a few weeks away from returning.

His anticipated comeback will give Manly a boost on the eve of the finals.

Asked if Stewart would return this year, Manly skipper Jamie Lyon said yesterday: “Yeah, I hope so.

“I hope we can get him back out there.

“He’s a great player and has really done some great things for the club, so we’d love to play with him again.


972750-b6aa615c-1de2-11e4-8adb-938012f29f27.jpg

Captain John Sattler is chaired from the field with a broken jaw by Bob McCarthy with aid of teammates Mike Cleary and John O'Neill (R) after Souths defeated Manly in 1970


“It’s just an injury that’s hard to get on top of. He tried to come back and might have come back a little bit too hard too early he thinks.

“He’s just got to play it week by week and hopefully the pain settles down for him.”

Stewart is desperate to return to chase a possible fairytale end to his Manly career.

“I think he wants to pull the jersey on again and play alongside his mates that have been together for a while now,” Lyon said.

“We’re hoping he can get out there — and I’m sure he is as well.”

Manly coach Geoff Toovey added: “He had a setback a few weeks back, but, other than that, he is travelling fine.

“We’re hoping he will be back before semi-finals.”


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...me-of-the-season/story-fni3gnk1-1227016973288
 
Updated: NRL Late Mail for Round 22


  • TOM SANGSTER
  • NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA
  • AUGUST 07, 2014 5:00PM

FIRST the good news: Paul Gallen (bicep) is a certain starter and Shaun Johnson (groin) is improving.

Now the bad news: Sam Burgess (shoulder) appears increasingly unlikely to play on Friday night.
All the details in Late Mail.

Friday, Aug 8, Rabbitohs v Sea Eagles, SCG, 7.45pm

Sam Burgess (shoulder) is in considerable doubt for the Rabbitohs, with Joe Picker or Luke Burgess to come into the side if the rugby-bound superstar is left out.

The Rabbitohs have received positive news on John Sutton (knee), who is expected back within a fortnight.

No changes expected.

Anthony Watmough (knee) and Steve Matai (concussion) trained on Thursday and have been cleared.

Jorge Taufua (ankle) is in doubt, with Cheyse Blair on standby.

Jesse Sene-Lefao is free to play after taking an early guilty plea at the judiciary, while Justin Horo returns from a three-game ban.

Coach Geoff Toovey is confident Glenn Stewart (knee) will return before the finals, saying he is “a few weeks off”.

Friday, Aug 8, Broncos v Bulldogs, Suncorp Stadium, 7.45pm

The Broncos are set to be unchanged, with Justin Hodges (hamstring) not named.

The Bulldogs will be 1-17, with Josh Morris (knee), Mitch Brown (fractured hand) and Aiden Tolman (hamstring) travelling and cleared to return.

Moses Mbye made the trip as 18th man.

UPDATE 1.10pm:

Todd Lowrie won’t make the final cut for the Broncos, with Martin Kennedy to come into the 17.

Saturday, Aug 9, Cowboys v Tigers, 1300 Smiles Stadium, 7.30pm

Expect James Tamou (neck) to be a late inclusion for the Cowboys in place of Sam Hoare.

Tamou was not named on Tuesday, but completed skills sessions earlier in the week and will play on Saturday if he gets through contact work.

The Tigers have Luke Brooks (shoulder) and Pat Richards (hamstring) in considerable doubt.

A decision on whether they travel will be made after Friday morning’s final session, with the team to board a plane in the afternoon.

Curtis Sironen would replace Brooks in the halves, although Richards’ replacement is unclear.

Bodene Thompson (suspension) is out, with Jack Buchanan added to the 17.

UPDATE 1.10pm :

Luke Brooks (shoulder), Pat Richards (hamstring) and Bodene Thompson (suspension) are out.

Curtis Sironen will play in the halves in place of Brooks, with Cory Paterson (hand) to return early from injury in the pack.

Kurtis Rowe comes onto the wing for Richards.

Chris Lawrence (ankle) will return early from injury at centre in place of Thompson, with Jack Buchanan added to the squad.

Saturday, Aug 9, Eels v Raiders, TIO Stadium, Darwin, 8.30pm

The Eels travelled to Darwin on Thursday and expect no changes, with Ken Edwards (shoulder) set to return.

The Raiders travelled on Wednesday with the 17 named, plus Mark Nicholls as 18th man.

They have two sessions to come, but expect to be unchanged, with Edrick Lee (foot) and Jack Wighton (thumb) cleared to return after long lay-offs.

Terry Campese (oblique), Reece Robinson (back), Sami Sauiluma (ankle) and Brenko Lee (hamstring) did not travel and are all hopeful for next week.

Sunday, Aug 10, Warriors v Sharks, Mt Smart Stadium, 2pm

The Warriors say they will take a cautious approach with Shaun Johnson (groin), although the star halfback ran on Thursday (see above pic).

Konrad Hurrell (hamstring) is unlikely to be risked.

Paul Gallen (bicep) has trained and is certain to return from injury.

Sosaia Feki (foot) is also fit to play after being a late withdrawal last week, with the Sharks set to be unchanged. They travel on Friday.

Sunday, Aug 10, Dragons v Panthers, WIN Stadium, 3pm

All 19 players named have trained this week, with two sessions still to come.

Tyson Frizell (ankle) trained on his own on Thursday and is considered a chance of being a late inclusion.

The Panthers have no injury concerns in the squad named, with all 20 players training this week.

Coach Ivan Cleary will cull his squad after Saturday’s captain’s run.

SuperCoach revelation Bryce Cartwright (ankle) is out for the season, as is Elijah Taylor (ACL).

But Brent Kite (pectoral) is set to return for the finals.

Monday, Aug 11, Roosters v Titans, Allianz Stadium, 7pm

The Roosters will finalise their squad after Sunday’s captain’s run, but expect no changes at this early stage.

Mitch Aubusson (ankle) is looking good for a return, while two players still need to be cut from the bench.

Aiden Sezer (pectoral) is set to be a late inclusion for the Titans. He will complete contact on Friday, with a final decision to be made after Sunday’s last session.

William Zillman (hamstring) and Kalifa Faifai Loa (knee) are sweet to return.

David Mead (hamstring) and Brad Tighe (groin) won’t be late inclusions.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...injury-confirmed/story-fni3fs14-1227017050790
 
Rabbitohs topple ladder leaders

By Chris Kennedy, National Correspondent
NRL.com
9:50pm Fri 08th August, 2014

Manly stayed with the red-hot Rabbitohs for 65 minutes but eventually crumbled under the weight of huge pressure in attack and defence to go down 23-4 in front of more than 27,000 fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The final score didn't do justice to the highly physical and entertaining clash, which was a close arm-wrestle for 65 minutes.

An early match-ending shoulder injury to Manly centre Steve Matai crippled their usually devastating left-edge attack, while young Souths half Luke Keary had the ball on a string throughout the night with a probing array of kicks.

The match also featured the return of Sam Burgess, who overcame a shoulder injury to put in a powerful man of the match performance, scoring a try and making 202 run metres, 31 tackles, and two line breaks.

Although the final scoreline didn't look pretty for Manly, they repelled a huge number of attacking raids from Souths with defensive determination that showed why they will remain a force throughout September.

The ladder leaders made the early statement on the back of some poor discipline from the Rabbitohs.

An early Ben Te'o knock on was followed by a penalty to hand Manly a full set in the South Sydney half and a well-rehearsed right-side shift from Daly Cherry-Evans, past decoy runner Tom Symonds, found Jamie Lyon.

Lyon's dangerous draw and pass provided just enough space for Peta Hiku to push his way into the corner and draw level with Parramatta's Semi Radradra as the season's top try scorer with his 16th four-pointer of 2014 in just the sixth minute of play.

While Lyon was lining up the conversion, which was unsuccessful, centre Steve Matai left the field holding his left shoulder and did not return, forcing Tom Symonds to left centre.

From that point the Rabbitohs were by far the more dominant side for the rest of the half and were unlucky not to be up by more than their eventual 12-4 advantage, largely due to some resolute Manly defence.

The Manly halves struggled to pull up the ball in the in-goals on the hard Sydney Cricket Ground pitch, handing their opponents too many seven-tackle sets and failing to build pressure.

Their traditionally lethal left-side shift, which has been so effective this year, also produced a number of turnovers rather than points.

The Rabbitohs hit the lead in the 13th minute after Issac Luke drew a marker penalty, with Adam Reynolds firing a pinpoint flat ball at the chest of impressive youngster Kyle Turner, who bounced over next to the posts.

They stretched their advantage with an incredible passage of play on the back of a breakdown from Manly on that left side play, when Jamie Buhrer fumbled a Foran short ball and it was picked up by Lote Tuqiri, with the 34-year-old winger showing a surprising turn of pace to race 70 metres and keep his distance from opposing winger Jorge Taufua in pursuit.

He was eventually reined in by Cherry-Evans but with Manly very short on their right with players still chasing the play up field, a spread from Souths found Kirisome Auva'a who pushed his way over in the left corner, Reynolds sniping the tricky conversion for an eight-point advantage.

With all the momentum they threatened to go in again off the very next set when a Sam Burgess offload put Greg Inglis into space, but a brilliant covering tackle from Brett Stewart brought him down short of the line and Auva'a, in a rush of blood, went himself on the last and was tackled just short as Manly held on.

The second half resumed at full pace, with some furious defensive sets from South Sydney in particular, while Manly continued to be troubled by the absence of Matai on the left edge and lacked fluidity in attack, with several passes hitting the ground.

A brutal defensive set from Souths 15 minutes into the half piled massive pressure on Manly before Cherry-Evans produced a top drawer 40/20 to hand his side a chance but again they weren't able to capitalise.

Moments later Manly were again defending their own line, before a line break down the left from Taufua and Symonds threatened to get Manly back in it but Symonds' pass to a supporting Buhrer floated forward.

The first points of the half finally came after 65 minutes on the back of a dubious crusher tackle penalty against Josh Starling after Luke Keary stayed down.

The weight of possession finally told via a regulation left side shift as an Inglis offload put Walker into space before prolific youngster Alex Johnston was on hand to cross in the corner for his 15th try in his 11th career game.

Sam Burgess charged through a gap from the next set and flattened Stewart who bravely put himself in front of the rampaging Englishman and stave off another Rabbitohs raid.

But when the highly physical South Sydney defence bundled Cherry-Evans into touch shortly after, Burgess was again on hand to burst onto an Issac Luke flat ball and score the try that put the match officially out of reach of the Sea Eagles.

Reynolds took the chance for some field goal practice as the clock wound down to make the final margin 19 points.


South Sydney Rabbitohs - 23 (Turner, Auva'a, Johnston, S Burgess tries, Reynolds 3 goals)

Defeated

Manly Sea Eagles - 4 (Hiku try)


Crowd: 27,062


http://www.nrl.com/rabbitohs-topple-ladder-leaders/tabid/10874/newsid/80872/default.aspx


- - - Updated - - -

Broncos thump disappointing Bulldogs

By Matt Harris, Queensland Correspondent
NRL.com
9:55pm Fri 08th August, 2014

The Broncos have galloped back into finals contention with a 41-10 mauling of a disappointing Bulldogs side in front of over 28,000 at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

Leading 20-6 at the break, Brisbane piled on three tries to one in the second half to propel them into ninth on the ladder with the 'Dogs dropping to sixth as a result of their fourth-straight loss.

The Bulldogs also look set to be without Josh Reynolds again after the five-eighth was put on report twice for kicking and tripping incidents, and eventually had his night cut short eight minutes from time after being sent to the sin-bin for repeated infringements.

The Broncos enjoyed 25 minutes of possession inside the Bulldogs' half during the first forty which helped lay the foundation for their 14-point lead half-time lead.

Canterbury's chances of a comeback weren't aided by their poor ball control and lack of discipline, with the visitors only completing 64 percent and conceding five penalties in the second half despite starting the second stanza in strong fashion.

The Bulldogs began to claw away at their half-time deficit in the 47th minute when Josh Jackson muscled his way over the try line after good lead-up run by Tim Lafai. The score remained at 20-10 after Trent Hodkinson couldn’t direct his conversion on target.

The 'Dogs steamrolled their way downfield in the next set to keep the pressure on the Broncos, but let the hosts off the hook when Reynolds kicked out at Sam Thaiday in the play-the-ball.

The incident released the pressure on the home side who had looked slightly shell-shocked by the aggressive Bulldogs approach during the opening exchanges of the second half.

Just as the Bulldogs appeared to be back in the contest, a lost ball close to their line resulted in another Broncos attacking opportunity.

Matt Gillett drifted across the field in the next set to position himself for a ball to youngster Corey Oates, who strolled through a hole to cross for Brisbane's fifth try of the night.

Parker converted to take his side out to a 26-10 lead with 22 minutes remaining.

Ill-discipline and errors kept creeping into Canterbury's game with the end result being a further two points to Brisbane's score as Parker landed a penalty taking the score to 28-10.

Andrew McCullough added further misery to the Bulldogs with a field goal 12 minutes from time.

Brisbane was unrelenting in their pursuit of victory and crossed the line again through Sam Thaiday with eight minutes to go to add even further gloss to their performance.

Hunt's conversion took the score out to 41-10, handing Brisbane a much-needed victory and a boost to their for-and-against in the process.

For the fifth-straight game Brisbane conceded the first try of the match after a cross-field kick led to a scramble for the ball, and a subsequent grubber kick behind Brisbane's line resulted in a scrappy try for Reynolds.

Hodkinson's boot took the score to 6-0 in the 15th minute.

A string of penalties to the Broncos handed the home side some much needed field position and that pressure almost paid off as Josh McGuire appeared to have storm over the line for a try.

The on-field referee awarded a try but replays revealed the Broncos prop had dropped the ball while attempting to ground it for a try.

Brisbane didn’t need to wait for long to make up for McGuire's butter fingers after Dale Copley crossed in the corner in the 25th minute.

In an exquisite exchange of passes, Parker swivelled 360 degrees to dish a pass off to Gillett who in turn delivered an equally stunning and borderline-forward pass to Copley who snuck over in the corner.

Parker's conversion was expertly drilled in between the posts to lock the scores up at 6-6.

Another lovely backline move by Brisbane led to Jack Reed putting Daniel Vidot over in the corner but there were doubts over whether the hulking winger grounded the ball and upon referral to the video referee, there was insufficient evidence to overturn the original try decision.

The score remained at 10-6 after Parker's effort to add the extras was waved away.

With five minutes left until half-time an error by Bulldogs interchange forward Dale Finucane 10 metres out from the line gifted the Broncos a four-pointer from the resulting set.

Subdued in recent weeks, Hunt took the line on himself and darted over for Brisbane's third try. Hunt completed his solo effort with a successful conversion to take the score out to 16-6.

Brisbane received a penalty with 30 seconds left in the half and immediately went on the attack.

Targeting the left side of the field, they spread the ball through their hands to eventually find Vidot who scooted down the wing and flicked the ball back on the inside for Reed before he hit the ground with the English centre then booting the ball back in the direction of Barba who collected the ball and snuck over in the corner for another remarkable try.

Hunt couldn’t land the conversion after the half-time siren keeping the scoreboard at 20-6 in favour of the Broncos.


Brisbane Broncos - 41 (Ben Hunt 2, Dale Copley, Daniel Vidot, Ben Barba, Corey Oates, Sam Thaiday tries; Ben Hunt 1, Corey Parker 3 goals; Andrew McCullough field goal)

Defeated

Canterbury Bulldogs - 10 (Josh Reynolds, Josh Jackson, tries; Trent Hodkinson 1 goals)


Crowd: 28,344


http://www.nrl.com/broncos-thump-disappointing-bulldogs/tabid/10874/newsid/80873/default.aspx
 
Sydney an NRL ghost town as the A-League All Stars take on Italian football giants Juventus


  • DAVID RICCIO
  • THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
  • AUGUST 09, 2014 12:00AM

IN a huge free kick for the A-League, Sydney will become a rugby league ghost town on Sunday when 65,000 football fans take over the Harbour City.

For the second Sunday in a row, NRL fans in Sydney will be without a rugby league match to attend and it’s the NRL’s greatest threat, the A-League, that is planning to cash in on rugby league’s scheduling black hole.

Italian soccer giants Juventus arrived in Sydney on Friday in readiness for their friendly with the A-League All Stars on Sunday night at ANZ Stadium, a match that will also act as the farewell to former Sydney FC champion Alessandro Del Piero.

The NRL risk losing their fans who, instead of travelling to Kogarah Oval, Parramatta Stadium or Allianz Stadium, have the choice of joining the thousands of football fans who have travelled from across the country to catch a glimpse of 11 members of the recent World Cup who will pull on the famous Juventus strip, including football gods Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo.

The arrival of Juventus, following on from Manchester United last year, underlines football’s growth in Australia and indeed Sydney, where the ANZ Stadium attendance will be three-times that of Friday night’s top of the table match-up between South Sydney and Manly at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The decision by Parramatta to take their ‘home’ match against Canberra and former coach Ricky Stuart to Darwin has thwarted a marketer’s dream.

The only NRL match in NSW on Saturday is in Wollongong, between St George Illawarra and Penrith.

Interestingly, the Sydney Roosters host the Gold Coast Titans on Monday night at Allianz Stadium.

The combination of the Monday night timeslot and the prospect of trying to lure fans of an out-of-town team, could result in one of the smallest crowds of the weekend.

Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop admitted, he was quietly surprised that the All-Stars match would go ahead without major competition from the NRL.

“Sydney is probably the most competitive sports market in the world and it’s rare to have a Sunday like this one,” Gallop said.

“It’s mainly a coincidence that the Foxtel A-League All Stars v Juventus match falls on a day when there’s no other major sport in Sydney.

“You can’t always plan to get this clear air, but we’ll take it.

“The event would have a big share of the media and public attention whenever it was played and whatever else was on, but with Juventus in town and two FFA Cup rounds either side of the All Stars it’s another huge moment in a huge year for football.”

The NRL aren’t entirely to blame for the absence of any Sunday afternoon footy.

Under the terms of the current TV broadcast rights, Channel Nine and Fox Sports determine when they want a match televised.

NRL head of commercial Paul Kind claimed it was unrealistic to expect an NRL match to be played in Sydney every Sunday.

“The draw process can never guarantee that we can lock in every available Sydney date on a Sunday,’’ Kind said.

“If other codes have found opportunity when we don’t have a game in our published schedule, there’s not a lot that we can do.

“As we do every weekend, we’ve got matches in Sydney, played across the city and we’ve got loads of Sydney verse Sydney games in the last five rounds.’’


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...-giants-juventus/story-fni3fbgz-1227018372650
 
Warriors hold on to limp past Sharks

By Corey Rosser, NZ Correspondent
NRL.com
4:09pm Sun 10th August, 2014

The Warriors have survived a scare from a resilient Cronulla Sharks side to claim a 16-12 victory which keeps their finals plans right on track.

After dominating the first 40 minutes at Mount Smart Stadium the Warriors spluttered their way through the second stanza to sneak home against the team sitting dead last in the competition.

The New Zealanders have made a living off prolific attack this season, and in their last five games had averaged over 30 points.

But against a Sharks side riddled with injuries, including the late withdrawal of captain Paul Gallen due to a virus, the Warriors managed just 16 points in total and failed to get over the line at all in the second period.

Things started according to coach Andrew McFadden's plans, as the home side came out firing in fashion typical of their 2014 form.

The home side forced back-to-back dropouts and enjoyed a free ride downfield on several occasions in the opening exchanges, thanks largely to poor discipline from Cronulla.

It wasn't long before the pressure told and for the sixth-straight game the Warriors got over the tryline inside the opening 10 minutes, with right centre Ngani Laumape putting on some footwork to roll through two would-be tacklers out wide.

Five-eighth Chad Townsend, taking over the goal-kicking duties in the absence of Shaun Johnson, booted from the sideline to give his side a 6-0 lead after seven minutes.

The Sharks battled through the entire first 10 minutes with a single use of the football, but made their next couple of possessions count when Tinirau Arona, who started in the place of Gallen, pounced on a loose ball in goal to score.

Michael Gordon slotted the extras to tie it up.

The Warriors continued to completely dominate time on the ball, but without key strike weapons Johnson and Konrad Hurrell looked lost for answers on several attacking chances.

With 68 per cent of possession the Kiwis were camped inside the opposition half, and on 24 minutes they found success when Laumape broke through for a second, before Dane Nielsen produced a quality offload for Manu Vatuvei to go over on the opposite flank minutes later.

Statistics by now suggested the Sharks should be behind by 20 or more, yet their stubborn defence continued to deny the NRL's best attacking unit and saw them trailing by just 16-6 at the break.

The Warriors started the second period in sloppy fashion, producing a glut of errors and surpassing Cronulla in both mistakes and missed tackles.

The patient Sharks finally got some reward with 20 to go, as Jeff Robson put in a pinpoint cross-field kick to find unmarked former Junior Warrior Sosaia Feki.

A Gordon conversion from the touchline pulled the visitors back to a deficit of just 16-12, and with momentum on their side an upset was in the making.

After Chad Townsend inexplicably missed a penalty from in front with two minutes remaining, the Warriors did just enough to limp home and secure two competitions points which most in stadium had viewed as a sure thing prior to kick-off.

In winning the Warriors ended a five-game losing streak against the Sharks, and banked their fifth victory at Mount Smart Stadium for 2014.


Warriors - 16 (Laumape 2, Vatuvei tries; Townsend 2 goals)

Defeated

Sharks - 12 (Arona, Feki tries; Gordon 2 goals)


Crowd: 13,939


http://www.nrl.com/warriors-hold-on-to-limp-past-sharks/tabid/10874/newsid/80908/default.aspx
 
Panthers consolidate top four spot

By Matt Encarnacion, Western Sydney Correspondent
NRL.com
5:00pm Sun 10th August, 2014

Penrith have used a second half shutout of the Dragons to consolidate their spot in the top four with a 16-4 victory in Wollongong on Sunday afternoon.

In his first visit to WIN Stadium since leaving midway through last season, Panthers halfback Jamie Soward steered his side superbly, and left his former club on 11th spot, four points adrift of the top eight with a month to go in the season.

Dragons winger Brett Morris opened the scoring when he finished off a slick left side shift that had opposite wingman David Simmons, who failed to come out of the sheds at halftime with concussion, turning inside and out in the 7th minute.

Morris' ninth try of the season was also the 196th between him and Bulldogs brother Josh, eclipsing the premiership record 195 tries between Mortimer brothers Steve, Peter, Chris and Glenn.

Widdop's sideline attempt into the wind failed to even go the distance as home side took an early 4-0 lead.

With the wind behind them however, as well as Soward's pinpoint kicking game, the Panthers slowly turned momentum and spent the majority of the first half camped on the northern goal-line.

The visitors had more than a dozen sets in perfect territory but an organised Dragons defence turned the laterally-inclined attack time and again, prompting Channel Nine commentator Ray Warren to sigh, "This is the hardest I've worked for 50 years, only for some bloke to kick it dead."

So after the first 40 minutes, Segeyaro's 15th minute slam down under the posts from a play that went from centre field to right wing and back again meant the Panthers had just a narrow 6-4 lead to show for their territorial dominance at the halftime break.

In fact the only times Penrith looked likely were when the lively hooker straightened the attack, evidenced by the 43rd minute bullet pass he threw to a hard-running Adam Docker that stretched their advantage beyond a converted try.

In an exact replica of the first half, the side running to the northern end dominated both possession and field position. But, like the first stanza, the defence was up to the task with the Panthers at one stage defending three consecutive sets on their line against the kick-happy Dragons attack.

The difference was that on the rare occasion the action got close enough for the fans in the southern grandstand to put away their binoculars, the Panthers took their shot, with Idris stepping his way past Benji Marshall to seal victory in the 72nd minute.

Returning Dragons prop Dan Hunt, who was celebrating his 150th first grade game, was put on report in the 14th minute for a high shot on Simmons.


Penrith Panthers - 16 (Segeyaro, Docker, Idris tries; Soward 2 goals)

Defeated

St George Illawarra Dragons - 4 (Morris try)


Crowd: 13,107


http://www.nrl.com/panthers-consolidate-top-four-spot/tabid/10874/newsid/80912/default.aspx
 
Roosters rain on Cartwright's parade

By Dan Walsh
NRL.com
9:10pm Mon 11th August, 2014

The Roosters, Titans and fickle Sydney weather have conspired to rain all over John Cartwright's parade, handing the departing Gold Coast coach a 26-18 defeat in his final game in charge at Allianz Stadium.

As both sides slipped into the Monday night malaise that has been customary throughout 2014, the Titans’ slim finals hopes were also buried in the five-tries-to-three loss in front of 6,345 hardy spectators.

The Titans fumbled, bumbled and kicked the ball into their opposition slightly more than the Roosters in a contest that contained 26 errors, though remained in the contest as late as the 78th minute, when a James Maloney penalty goal finally sealed the result.

The win pushes the Roosters back into the top four, while visiting skipper Greg Bird could also have a case to answer at the match review committee, after being accused of a bizarre head butt from the second row of a scrum late in the match.

A dropped ball from Boyd Cordner inside the first 40 seconds set the tone for a sloppy showing from both sides and gifted prime field position to the Titans early, and Gold Coast winger Anthony Don obliged within minutes, pouncing on an errant ball from Maloney to go in for one of the easier tries the 26-year-old will ever score.

Five-eighth Aidan Sezer, returning from a torn pectoral for his first game since mid-May, converted for a 6-0 lead after just three minutes.

As the contest swung from end to end like a Wimbledon five-setter, the Roosters struck back immediately through Anthony Minichiello – the recipient of a cut-out ball from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to touch down in the right corner – then hit the front when Maloney scythed past three defenders from 15 metres out at the 20 minute mark.

Just as the Chooks went tit, the visitors went tat.

Dave Taylor playing the part of super sub in the 28th minute, dummying past the defence with his first touch of the ball for his seventh try of the year after former Rooster Daniel Mortimer broke through into the backfield on the previous play, pushing the Titans back out in front 12-10.

Maloney ensured the scorers were kept busy, bulleting a superb cut out ball to 20-year-old winger Nene MacDonald, who hit and spun through opposite number Don from close range to again wrestle the lead back for the premiers.

With half time looming and the home side pressing, only desperate defence from Mortimer could deny Cordner from stretching their advantage as the back-rower bustled his way over.

Mortimer was again in the thick of it on the final play of the half, bombing for a flying Kevin Gordon, who offloaded a miracle ball for skipper Greg Bird to dive over and pinch an 18-16 lead at the break.

The Titans failed to set foot in Roosters territory for 14 minutes upon the resumption, during which Tuivasa-Sheck bagged a try by grubbering through from a Cordner bat-down, though were able to force three repeat sets in a row through Sezer's short kicking game once they finally did.

The Bondi wall held strong throughout the assault, and it was again Maloney pulling the strings with a sharp pass to send Jennings across after they weathered the storm, extending the lead to a converted try with 10 minutes remaining.

The visitors finished the contest with all the momentum, spending the final minutes camped in Roosters territory, only for centre James Roberts to inexcusably grubber on the first tackle of a set and cough up possession.

The home side then marched downfield and a penalty in the ruck directly in front saw Maloney slot the matchwinner.


Sydney Roosters - 26 (A Minichiello, J Maloney, N MacDonald, R Tuivasa-Sheck, M Jennings tries; J Maloney 3 goals)

Defeated

Gold Coast Titans - 18 (A Don, D Taylor, G Bird tries; A Sezer 3 goals)


Crowd: 6,345


http://www.nrl.com/roosters-rain-on-cartwrights-parade/tabid/10874/newsid/80938/default.aspx
 
Taylor in doubt for rest of NRL season

By Ed Jackson
AAP
10:25am Tue 12th August, 2014


Gold Coast forward Dave Taylor may not play again this NRL season due to an ongoing neck injury.

The Queensland State of Origin representative defied medical advice to play in Monday night's 26-18 loss to the Sydney Roosters, foundation coach John Cartwright's last in charge of the club.

With the defeat to the Roosters all but ending any hopes of the Titans making the finals, it's believed the 26-year-old could sit out the club's final four fixtures.

"He shouldn't have played," Cartwright told Brisbane's Triple M Grill Team.

"He's got quite a bad bulging disc in his neck. I don't know whether he'll play for the rest of the year."

Cartwright said Taylor's desire to play through the pain barrier for his final game in charge was humbling, as was a speech by co-captain Greg Bird in the dressing room following the match.

"They were really good actually, the whole week," he said.


http://www.nrl.com/taylor-in-doubt-for-rest-of-nrl-season/tabid/10874/newsid/80949/default.aspx
 
Official Team Lists Round 23

NRL.com
6:00pm Tue 12th August, 2014


RABBITOHS V BRONCOS - THURS 14 AUG, 7:45PM (LOCAL), ANZ STADIUM

Rabbitohs

1. Greg Inglis (c)
2. Alex Johnston
3. Dylan Walker
4. Kirisome Auva'a
5. Lote Tuqiri
6. Luke Keary
7. Adam Reynolds
8. Thomas Burgess
9. Issac Luke
10. Dave Tyrrell
11. Kyle Turner
12. Ben Te'o
13. Sam Burgess

14. Jason Clark
15. Ben Lowe
16. Chris McQueen
17. Luke Burgess
18. Joe Picker
19. Bryson Goodwin

Coach: Michael Maguire

Broncos

1. Josh Hoffman
2. Daniel Vidot
3. Dale Copley
4. Jack Reed
5. Lachlan Maranta
6. Ben Barba
7. Ben Hunt
8. Josh McGuire
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Corey Parker (c)
11. Alex Glenn
12. Matt Gillett
13. Sam Thaiday

14. Jake Granville
15. Martin Kennedy
16. Ben Hannant
17. Corey Oates
18. Jarrod Wallace

Coach: Anthony Griffin

EELS V BULLDOGS - FRI 15 AUG, 7:45PM (LOCAL), ANZ STADIUM

Eels

1. Jarryd Hayne (c)
2. Semi Radradra
3. Will Hopoate
4. Ryan Morgan
5. Vai Toutai
6. Corey Norman
7. Chris Sandow
8. Tim Mannah (c)
9. Issac De Gois
10. Fuifui Moimoi
11. Kenny Edwards
12. Tepai Moeroa
13. Joseph Paulo

14. Pauli Pauli
15. David Gower
16. Darcy Lussick
17. Ben Smith

Coach: Brad Arthur

Bulldogs

1. Sam Perrett
2. Corey Thompson
3. Josh Morris
4. Tim Lafai
5. Mitch Brown
6. Moses Mbye
7. Trent Hodkinson
8. Aiden Tolman
9. Michael Ennis (c)
10. James Graham
11. Josh Jackson
12. Tony Williams
13. Greg Eastwood

14. Reni Maitua
15. Dale Finucane
16. David Klemmer
17. Lloyd Perrett
22. Pat O'Hanlon

Coach: Des Hasler

RAIDERS V DRAGONS - SAT 16 AUG, 3:00PM (LOCAL), GIO STADIUM

Raiders

1. Jordan Rapana
2. Bill Tupou
3. Jarrod Croker
4. Jack Wighton
5. Edrick Lee
6. Anthony Milford
7. Josh McCrone
17. Shannon Boyd
9. Glen Buttriss
10. Brett White (c)
11. Josh Papalii
12. Jarrad Kennedy
13. Matt McIlwrick

14. Mitch Cornish
15. Joel Edwards
16. Dane Tilse
8. Paul Vaughan

Coach: Ricky Stuart

Dragons

1. Gerard Beale
2. Brett Morris
3. Josh Dugan
4. Peter Mata'utia
5. Jason Nightingale
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Benji Marshall
8. Ben Creagh (c)
9. Mitch Rein
10. Jack de Belin
11. Leeson Ah Mau
12. Joel Thompson
13. Trent Merrin

14. Mike Cooper
15. Tyson Frizell
16. Will Matthews
17. Jack Stockwell
19. Kyle Stanley
20. Bronson Harrison

Coach: Paul McGregor


STORM V SHARKS - SAT 16 AUG, 5:30PM (LOCAL), AAMI PARK

Storm

1. Billy Slater
2. Sisa Waqa
3. William Chambers
4. Mahe Fonua
5. Marika Koroibete
6. Ben Roberts
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Jesse Bromwich
9. Cameron Smith (c)
10. Bryan Norrie
11. Kevin Proctor
12. Ryan Hoffman
13. Ryan Hinchcliffe

14. Tim Glasby
15. Tohu Harris
16. Kenny Bromwich
17. Jordan McLean
18. Junior Moors

Coach: Craig Bellamy

Sharks

1. Michael Gordon
2. Sosaia Feki
3. Jonathan Wright
4. Ricky Leutele
5. Valentine Holmes
6. Fa'amanu Brown
7. Jeff Robson
8. Tim Robinson
9. Michael Lichaa
10. Matt Prior
11. Chris Heighington
12. Tupou Sopoaga
13. Paul Gallen (c)

14. Pat Politoni
15. Junior Roqica
16. Tinirau Arona
17. Blake Ayshford

Coach: James Shepherd

TIGERS V ROOSTERS - SAT 16 AUG, 7:30PM (LOCAL), LEICHHARDT OVAL

Wests Tigers

1. Mitchell Moses
2. Kurtis Rowe
3. Cory Paterson
4. Chris Lawrence
5. Keith Lulia
6. Curtis Sironen
7. Blake Austin
8. Aaron Woods
9. Robbie Farah (c)
10. Keith Galloway
11. Adam Blair
12. Dene Halatau
13. Sauaso Sue

14. Ava Seumanufagai
15. Martin Taupau
16. Sitaleki Akauola
17. James Gavet

Coach: Mick Potter

Roosters

1. Anthony Minichiello (c)
2. Nene Macdonald
3. Michael Jennings
4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6. James Maloney
7. Mitchell Pearce (vc)
8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (vc)
9. Heath L'Estrange
10. Sam Moa
11. Boyd Cordner (vc)
12. Aidan Guerra
13. Frank-Paul Nu'uausala

14. Mitchell Aubusson
15. Isaac Liu
16. Dylan Napa
17. Kane Evans

Coach: Trent Robinson

TITANS V SEA EAGLES - SUN 17 AUG, 3:00PM, CBUS SUPER STADIUM

Titans

1. William Zillman
2. Kevin Gordon
3. James Roberts
4. Brad Takairangi
5. Anthony Don
6. Aidan Sezer
7. Daniel Mortimer
8. Luke Bailey
9. Beau Falloon
10. Luke Douglas
11. Mark Minichiello
12. Nate Myles (c)
13. Greg Bird (c)

14. Matthew White
15. Dave Taylor
16. Mark Ioane
17. Paul Carter

Coach: Neil Henry

Sea Eagles

1. Brett Stewart
2. Jorge Taufua
3. Jamie Lyon (c)
4. Steve Matai
5. Peta Hiku
6. Kieran Foran
7. Daly Cherry-Evans
8. Josh Starling
9. Matt Ballin
10. Brenton Lawrence
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Tom Symonds
13. Jamie Buhrer

14. Jesse Sene-Lefao
15. Justin Horo
16. James Hasson
17. Jason King

Coach: Geoff Toovey

PANTHERS V COWBOYS - MON 18 AUG, 7:00PM (LOCAL), SPORTINGBET STADIUM

Panthers

1. Matt Moylan
2. Josh Mansour
3. Dean Whare
4. Jamal Idris
5. David Simmons
6. Will Smith
7. Jamie Soward
8. Nigel Plum
9. James Segeyaro
10. Sam McKendry
11. Sika Manu
12. Isaah Yeo
13. Adam Docker

14. Lewis Brown
15. Jeremy Latimore
16. Matt Robinson
17. Tim Grant

Coach: Ivan Cleary

Cowboys

1. Michael Morgan
2. Tautau Moga
3. Matthew Wright
4. Kane Linnett
5. Antonio Winterstein
6. Robert Lui
7. Johnathan Thurston (c)
8. Matt Scott (c)
9. Rory Kostjasyn
10. Ashton Sims
11. Tariq Sims
12. Jason Taumalolo
13. Glenn Hall

14. Ray Thompson
15. Scott Bolton
16. Gavin Cooper
17. Sam Hoare

Coach: Paul Green


http://www.nrl.com/News/WeeklyFeatures/OfficialTeamLists/tabid/10998/Default.aspx


 
NRL Late Mail for Round 23: Paul Gallen a certain starter after recovering from virus


  • TOM SANGSTER
  • NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA NETWORK
  • AUGUST 14, 2014 1:02PM

SUPERCOACHES rejoice. Paul Gallen is a certain starter for the Sharks after overcoming a virus.

The Cronulla captain missed last week’s game due to the illness, but has trained this week and is fit to take on Melbourne on Saturday.Get all the last-minute injury news below.

Thursday, Aug 14, Rabbitohs v Broncos, ANZ Stadium, 7.45pm

Kyle Turner (eye) is in doubt for the Rabbitohs, with Joe Picker set to come into the 17.

John Sutton (knee) is still in a brace and remains a few weeks off.

Justin Hodges (hamstring) trained on Wednesday and has travelled with the team.

He is expected to be a late inclusion in the centres, with Dale Copley to move to the wing and Lachlan Maranta to drop out.

Friday, Aug 15, Eels v Bulldogs, ANZ Stadium, 7.45pm

The Eels had their captain’s run on Thursday morning, with all 17 players fit.

Popular SuperCoach cheapie Bureta Faraimo (PCL tear) is out for four weeks.

The Bulldogs also had their final run on Thursday morning.

They will be 1-17, with Pat O’Hanlon to drop off an extended bench.

Dale Finucane (concussion) passed testing on Tuesday and is a definite starter.

The Bulldogs are without Josh Reynolds (suspension, round 26) and Sam Kasiano (ankle, finals), who were not named on Tuesday.

Saturday, Aug 16, Raiders v Dragons, GIO Stadium, 3pm

The Raiders expect no changes. Terry Campese (oblique) and Brenko Lee (hamstring) have completed limited training, but won’t be considered until next week.

Reece Robinson (back) and Sami Sauiluma (ankle) will return through NSW Cup.

The Dragons had the day off on Thursday and have a final session on Friday.

They are yet to decide on a final 17, but expect no major changes.

Tyson Frizell (ankle) has completed some training this week and is hopeful of a long-awaited return.

Saturday, Aug 16, Storm v Sharks, AAMI Park, 5.30pm

The Storm expect no changes, with Jordan McLean (hamstring soreness) set to return after being a late withdrawal last week.

The Sharks are set to be 1-17, despite a virus sweeping through camp.

Paul Gallen, who missed last week’s game due to the illness, trained on Wednesday and will play.

Nu Brown, Junior Roqica and coach James Shepherd were also among those affected, but all have now recovered.

Anthony Tupou (hamstring) completed some training on Wednesday, but he is more likely for next week.

Saturday, Aug 16, Tigers v Roosters, Leichhardt Oval, 7.30pm

Luke Brooks (shoulder) faces a fitness test and could be a late inclusion.

Keith Galloway (shoulder) was named on Tuesday, but also faces a test.

Pat Richards (hamstring) is no chance of being a late inclusion and is aiming for next week.

The Roosters are set to be unchanged, with Jake Friend (hamstring, round 24) and Sonny Bill Williams (broken thumb, round 25) still on the sidelines.

Sunday, Aug 17, Titans v Sea Eagles, Cbus Super Stadium, 3pm

The Titans expect to lose Dave Taylor (neck), potentially for the season.

David Mead (hamstring) will also be assessed later in the week and could be a late inclusion at the expense of Anthony Don.

Albert Kelly (leg) has again been named in Queensland Cup as he continues his comeback from a succession of leg injuries.

Steve Matai (shoulder) is the only injury worry for the Sea Eagles.

He will be given until game day to prove his fitness.

Josh Starling will take his place in the side after being cleared at the judiciary on Wednesday night.

Monday, Aug 18, Panthers v Cowboys, Sportingbet Stadium, 7pm

The Panthers are set to be unchanged, with David Simmons (concussion) tipped to recover.

Tariq Sims (suspension) is out, with a replacement yet to be confirmed.

James Tamou (neck) has trained strongly this week and looms as a late inclusion.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ering-from-virus/story-fni3fs14-1227024220613
 
Inglis stars in Rabbitohs victory

By Dan Walsh
NRL.com
10:00pm Thu 14th August, 2014

A rampant Greg Inglis has bagged a hat-trick, cranked the Rabbitohs juggernaut into warp speed, and obliterated the Broncos’ finals hopes all in the course of a 42-16 demolition at ANZ Stadium.

Inglis has already stung the Broncos in 2014 after scoring that try – the 90-metre rampage that people will be telling other people's grandchildren about for years to come – against Brisbane on Anzac Day.

With a treble of tries, to which he could quite easily have added a fourth, and one of the most dominant individual performances of the year, Inglis put in a compelling audition for a recurring role.

The coup de grace of a scarcely believable performance came with the game hanging in the balance at 6-all after 27 minutes, as Inglis reached up and plucked another four-pointer from the very top shelf.

Having already barged his way over from close range to bag the Bunnies first try, Inglis took off in pursuit of a chip-kick lobbed over the defence by halfback Adam Reynolds.

The Kangaroos superstar first gathered the pill, then absorbed a collision with Brisbane fullback Josh Hoffman that would've sunk the Titanic before offloading for Sam Burgess. And that should have been the end of it for him.

But with Burgess's legs stuck in the desperate Broncos cover defence and the big man waving the ball about in the air like he just didn't care, it was Inglis again belting through in support to cross for his second try of the night in a phenomenal display of athletic brilliance.

The Broncos’ night had earlier started with so much promise, with skipper Justin Hodges making a welcome return from a hamstring injury to gather up a Ben Hunt grubber and give the visitors a surprise 6-0 lead after 11 minutes.

Once Hurricane Inglis struck however, a stunned Brisbane outfit then conceded a follow-up four-pointer to second-rower Chris McQueen eight minutes later, blowing the Bunnies’ advantage out to 12.

When Dylan Walker galloped 60 metres downfield from the ensuing kickoff the Broncos’ night looked uglier than a room full of ex-girlfriends.

And when 34-year-old winger Lote Tuqiri touched down within two minutes, scooping up a dropped bomb by opposite number Daniel Vidot, it somehow got uglier.

A penalty against Kirisome Auva'a for taking out a kick chaser in the shadows of halftime gave the visitors a sliver of hope, only for Inglis to prove just as adept at stopping tries as scoring them, holding up a desperate Ben Barba to close out a scarcely believable first 40 minutes.

The Broncos had to be the first to score after the break, and Sam Thaiday's fourth try of the year after a handy outside-inside play from Ben Hunt and Matt Gillett drew them back to a 24-12 deficit at the 50 minute mark.

Having been on the receiving end of the blowtorch for the best part of an hour, the Broncos revelled in a run of possession in the Rabbitohs’ half as the Bunnies took their foot off the pedal in attack.

But if Souths had shelved their attacking guns, the red and green wall that has proved the strongest in the league remained nigh on impenetrable, turning the Broncos away time and again from their line.

Putting the match beyond doubt in the 64th minute was who else but Inglis, flying high to collect his third of the night from an Adam Reynolds bomb to stretch the lead beyond three converted tries.

Adopting the 'if it aint broke don't fix it' mantra, eight minutes later Inglis again leapt through the air, and could well have had a fourth for the night only to unselfishly offload for Luke Keary trailing in support.

Late tries to Brisbane centre Jack Reed and Auva'a kept the final margin to 26, a hefty blow to the for and against the Broncos will now have to rely on along with three wins from their remaining three games if they're to jag what is now an unlikely finals spot.


South Sydney Rabbitohs - 42 (G Inglis 3, C McQueen, L Tuqiri, L Keary, K Auva'a tries; A Reynolds 6, B Lowe goals)

Defeated

Brisbane Broncos - 16 (J Hodges, S Thaiday, J Reed tries; C Parker 2 goals)


Crowd: 14, 092


http://www.nrl.com/inglis-stars-in-rabbitohs-victory/tabid/10874/newsid/81035/default.aspx
 
Gold Coast Titans close to deal with Chinese sponsor worth over $1 million


  • PETER BADEL
  • THE COURIER-MAIL
  • AUGUST 15, 2014 12:00AM

THE Titans are close to signing their biggest sponsorship deal, with a Chinese company mulling over a $1 million package.

Gold Coast chief executive Graham Annesley hopes to finalise a multi-year, seven-figure contract after a four-day trip to China.

Annesley is also in talks with a second Asian firm, with the proposed corporate backing to help revive the Titans as an NRL force after years of financial struggle.

Departed coach John Cartwright last week spoke of the Titans’ battle to compete with Sydney-based rivals bankrolled by leagues club funding and wealthy benefactors.

The Titans’ blueprint to hit back as a powerhouse suffered a further blow two weeks ago when major sponsor iSelect rescinded the final two years of its contract.Gold Coast’s move into Asia could deliver a significant capital injection.

Annesley was tight-lipped about the identity of the Chinese company, but he confirmed the Titans are within striking distance of a club-record sponsorship arrangement.

“What we’re looking for from either company is a seven-figure deal for a number of years,” Annesley said.

“We want it finalised as quickly as possible but because it involves big dollars they aren’t simple deals to get across the line.

“We are well advanced with both of these organisations and I’m hopeful we will get a result soon, but I can’t guarantee it until the ink is on the dotted line.’’

Despite former Super League boss John Ribot’s grand vision to sell rugby league to China, the country of 1.3 billion people is oblivious to the NRL.

Canberra currently have a sponsorship deal with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and Annesley said the Asian firms’ interest in the Titans is genuine.

“The head executive we met with in China could speak English and he said he was a big fan of rugby as he called it,’’ he said.

“He made the point he liked the speed of the game and the physical nature of the game. He was impressed by the presentation, we just have to see if we finish anything off.

“The trip was important because we have been negotiating with this company for a couple of months.

“We had to get in front of them and give a formal presentation and we are now in the process of following that up to see if we can get anything across the line.

“The other company has offices in Australia and while they are a multi-national company based in Asia, they have a big presence here.

“We have a few balls in the air and hopefully one or two will land in the not too distant future.’’


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...h-over-1-million/story-fni3grk4-1227024873843
 
Hayne reveals secret to his success

By Dan Walsh, Staff Writer
NRL.com
7:50pm Wed 13th August, 2014

From the moment Parramatta's 2009 fairytale run ended in heartbreak at the Big NRL Ball, the blue-and-golds have leant too heavily on their superstar custodian.

Too often they have looked to the mercurial 26-year-old and hoped for the switch to flick. That the richer than rich, Dally M-worthy vein of form would run thick yet again, sweeping the Eels up in its wake and delivering the club out of the doldrums and into the promised lands.


Funny thing is, according to the man of the moment, now that his performances are again scaling the dizzying heights that he reached in 2009, the Eels are relying on him less.

Which, Hayne says, is why the team is fighting for a first finals appearance in six years, rather than avoiding a third wooden spoon in three.

"I've always known how good I am, even when we weren't doing so well," Hayne says.

"If the whole team's not pulling together and working together then it doesn't matter how good any player is, they can't do much.

"This year I am pushing blokes not to get caught up in the hype, not read too many headlines.

"For me it's important to go out of my way and give the forwards raps, and give blokes who aren't in the media that attention and that credit for why I'm playing so well.

"I don't shy away from that, I'm a smart player and I know why I'm playing good."

While Hayne will be expected to produce the usual fireworks out the back this Friday night, the Eels' largely unheralded forwards face a massive battle up-front against a Bulldogs pack that ranks amongst the most feared in the competition.

Parramatta currently sit in ninth spot on the same number of points as their weekend opponents - 26 - but due to a points differential of -68 (a hefty 61 shy of the eighth-placed Dogs at -7), find themselves essentially playing a semi-final four weeks early.

Hayne says the whole scenario has the Eels raring to rip and tear against their blue and white counterparts.

"The Bulldogs test is going to be huge... it's a star-studded forward pack," says Hayne.

"Our forwards aren't the big names of the South Sydneys, Bulldogs and Manlys, so our boys always want to prove a point.

"The boys are up for a big test, they know that and I think [they] get excited too. They don't get seen as a star-studded forward pack and they want to show everyone how good they are."


http://www.nrl.com/hayne-reveals-secret-to-his-success/tabid/10874/newsid/81002/default.aspx
 
Updated: NRL Late Mail for Round 23


  • TOM SANGSTER
  • NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA NETWORK
  • AUGUST 14, 2014 1:02PM

ROBBIE Farah hasn’t trained all week for the Tigers due to the flu, but says he is a certain starter against the Roosters.

Farah sounded particularly crook in a press conference on Friday (watch it below), but the ailment won’t stop him taking to the hallowed Leichhardt Oval on Saturday.

“I’ll be out there tomorrow night and I’ll be giving it my all,” Farah said.

Farah also missed two sessions last week as he battled to overcome the storm surrounding Wests Tigers’ coaching position.

Friday, Aug 15, Eels v Bulldogs, ANZ Stadium, 7.45pm

The Eels had their captain’s run on Thursday morning, with all 17 players fit.

Popular SuperCoach cheapie Bureta Faraimo (PCL tear) is out for four weeks.

The Bulldogs also had their final run on Thursday morning.

They will be 1-17, with Pat O’Hanlon to drop off an extended bench.

Dale Finucane (concussion) passed testing on Tuesday and is a definite starter.

The Bulldogs are without Josh Reynolds (suspension, round 26) and Sam Kasiano (ankle, finals), who were not named on Tuesday.

Saturday, Aug 16, Raiders v Dragons, GIO Stadium, 3pm

The Raiders expect no changes. Terry Campese (oblique) and Brenko Lee (hamstring) have completed limited training, but won’t be considered until next week.

Reece Robinson (back) and Sami Sauiluma (ankle) will return through NSW Cup.

The Dragons had the day off on Thursday and have a final session on Friday.

They are yet to decide on a final 17, but expect no major changes.

Tyson Frizell (ankle) has completed some training this week and is hopeful of a long-awaited return.

Saturday, Aug 16, Storm v Sharks, AAMI Park, 5.30pm

The Storm expect no changes, with Jordan McLean (hamstring soreness) set to return after being a late withdrawal last week.

The Sharks are set to be 1-17, despite a virus sweeping through camp.

Paul Gallen, who missed last week’s game due to the illness, trained on Wednesday and will play.

Nu Brown, Junior Roqica and coach James Shepherd were also among those affected, but all have now recovered.

Anthony Tupou (hamstring) completed some training on Wednesday, but he is more likely for next week.

Saturday, Aug 16, Tigers v Roosters, Leichhardt Oval, 7.30pm

Luke Brooks (shoulder) faces a fitness test and could be a late inclusion.

Keith Galloway (shoulder) was named on Tuesday, but also faces a test.

Pat Richards (hamstring) is no chance of being a late inclusion and is aiming for next week.

The Roosters are set to be unchanged, with Jake Friend (hamstring, round 24) and Sonny Bill Williams (broken thumb, round 25) still on the sidelines.

UPDATE 2pm:

Robbie Farah (flu) hasn’t trained all week, but says he is a certain starter.

Luke Brooks (shoulder) trained on-and-off with the squad during Friday’s captain’s run.

He will undergo more testing on Saturday and be given until kick-off, with the Tigers “hopeful” he will take the field.

Keith Galloway (shoulder) passed his fitness test and will play.

Pat Richards (hamstring) failed his test and will aim for next week or the week after.

UPDATE 2pm:

Michael Jennings (back) is in doubt for the Roosters.

Sunday, Aug 17, Titans v Sea Eagles, Cbus Super Stadium, 3pm

The Titans expect to lose Dave Taylor (neck), potentially for the season.

David Mead (hamstring) will also be assessed later in the week and could be a late inclusion at the expense of Anthony Don.

Albert Kelly (leg) has again been named in Queensland Cup as he continues his comeback from a succession of leg injuries.

Steve Matai (shoulder) is the only injury worry for the Sea Eagles.

He will be given until game day to prove his fitness.

Josh Starling will take his place in the side after being cleared at the judiciary on Wednesday night.

UPDATE 2pm:

Dave Taylor (neck) is “50-50”, with a decision to be made following Saturday’s final training session. Kalifa Faifai Loa (knee) passed a fitness test on Friday.

He could be a late inclusion for Anthony Don, although the Titans say he will likely play Queensland Cup.

The comeback of David Mead (hamstring) has been aborted.

Monday, Aug 18, Panthers v Cowboys, Sportingbet Stadium, 7pm

The Panthers are set to be unchanged, with David Simmons (concussion) tipped to recover.

Tariq Sims (suspension) is out, with a replacement yet to be confirmed.

James Tamou (neck) has trained strongly this week and looms as a late inclusion.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ering-from-virus/story-fni3fs14-1227024220613
 
Dogs edge Eels in finals quality thriller

By Chris Kennedy, National Correspondent
NRL.com
10:00pm Fri 15th August, 2014

Canterbury have righted a very shaky 2014 campaign with a narrow and hard-fought win over bitter rivals Parramatta, triumphing 18-16 in a top quality match that had a strong semi-finals feel about it.

A crowd of 30,394 were at ANZ Stadium to see the Bulldogs run up a decent lead, a strong Eels fightback before a scoreless but deeply enthralling final 35 minutes of the game allowed Canterbury to hold on to a two-point lead and reassert their position in the top eight on 28 points and fifth place, while the Eels' season is now in grave danger, on 26 points and in ninth with chances running out.

The match had some obligatory Jarryd Hayne magic, but a strong all-round performance from the Bulldogs pack – headed by blond props James Graham and Aiden Tolman and a return to form of Origin back-rower Tony Williams – helped them graft out the exhausting win.

A see-sawing first half saw the Eels absorb a ton of pressure relatively unscarred before conceding a couple of soft tries only to claw one back on the stroke of half time to be down by just eight points at the turn despite seeming to have lost the half by a wide margin.

It started from the first of Canterbury's four straight penalties when Tepai Moeroa was pinged for offside, handing the Bulldogs the first real opportunity of the match, which they dutifully accepted.

A quick play the ball and some slick leadup from centre Tim Lafai handed Greg Eastwood a chance at a gap close to the line and he charged across with Hodkinson's conversion making it a six point lead after as many minutes.

An offside penalty from the first set after points handed the Dogs yet more field position but this time, despite several repeat sets, the Eels defence held firm – but some brutal Canterbury defence repeatedly forced them to take their kicks from as little as 20 metres out – when they weren't drop kicking it from their own goal line.

Despite all that the Eels were the next to score, and they did it from their very first foray into Bulldogs territory – and in a result that would have surprised precisely no-one, it was in-form fullback Jarryd Hayne doing the damage.

Showing great vision to get himself into position, Hayne outjumped several Bulldogs at the line to mark a precision Chris Sandow cross-field kick and come down with the prize.

The fact the Eels were level after 20 minutes was remarkable given the Bulldogs' dominance in the ruck but they then set about undoing all their good work.

The Bulldogs, minus the services of second-rower Josh Jackson who left the field concussed after coming off second best when attempting to tackle David Gower, were again marched upfield by a penalty.

Again Lafai was involved, stepping a rushing Ryan Morgan before handing the ball back to Mitch Brown who easily wrong-footed opposite winger Semi Radradra to score almost untouched, Hodkinson icing the touch sideline conversion.

The Dogs earned more territory on the back of a huge Tony Williams charge – one of several from the reinvigorated back-rower and former Eel – before earning one of the softest tries of the season.

Having shown a fair bit of determination at their own line, the blue and gold defence looked to be re-enacting the Red Sea to Aiden Tolman's Moses, the prop hardly able to believe his luck as he ran on to an Ennis double-pump at the line to find no-one in front of him as the defence parted in a most accommodating fashion.

When diminutive Eels hooker Isaac De Gois was penalised for a high tackle in the next set it was four penalties to nil but an earlier blow-up from Hayne, questioning why only one side was getting penalised in the ruck, may have triggered something with the officials.

Eels fans cheered ironically shortly after as Graham handed them their first penalty of the night for a slow tackle.

The next five minutes saw an avalanche of Parramatta possession and field position with several repeat sets, and it finally paid dividends right before the break – and it was a sublime touch from Hayne that did the damage.

With Ryan Morgan running the decoy play out the left, and ball to Hayne was batted on to Radradra so quickly it almost seemed to have floated straight past him – in fact even Channel Nine commentator Phil Gould remarked "that was so quick I doubt his fingerprints would be on it".

It gave Radradra an easy put down and although Sandow shanked the tough conversion chance the Eels would have been somewhat relieved to trail by only eight at the interval.

Radradra's first try kept him one behind his captain on the season try-scoring tally but he caught up to Hayne just three minutes after the resumption, his 18th try of 2014 coming from a brilliant Norman cut-out after the Dogs conceded a penalty in their own territory to hand the Eels a golden opportunity.

This time Sandow made no mistake with the sideline conversion chance to get his side back within two points.

It's not clear what Eels coach Brad Arthur said to his troops at half time but it seemed to work, with Parramatta absolutely full of running, launching a series of searing dummy half runs, bending back the line with almost every charge and spending much of the opening exchanges of the second half camped in Bulldogs territory.

Every time the Dogs got the ball in the next 10 minutes they were getting it at their own line and taking their kicks from inside their own half.

The trend was finally broken around the midpoint of the half when Pauli Pauli was dragged into touch despite a suggestion the tackle had already been completed.

With the game suddenly being played in the middle part of the field Canterbury began to regain ascendency in the armwrestle – that fact in itself a tribute to the low error and penalty count from both sides in a high quality passage of play.

Hodkinson earned his side a repeat set via a goal line drop out and a short quick restart did not pay off for Parramatta but their defence held firm – but shot themselves in the foot with a lost ball right after regaining possession.

In a play reminiscent of his Origin series-winning try, Hodkinson dummied and went at the line and it was only an immensely strong tug at the back of the jersey from towering young Eels back-rower Pauli Pauli that saved the try and earned his side a 20-metre restart in the process.

The set finished with a possible try to Radradra but the blockbusting Fijian was pushed into touch as he looked to barge over from dummy half.

When the same winger overran a last-play run from Hayne to hand the Bulldogs a set from halfway with five minutes remaining, the clock began to count against the Eels, and with virtually no points, penalties or errors in the half the relentless and non-stop stanza was also showing on the exhausted players.

But a miracle 40/20 from Sandow with virtually no angle to work with threatened to turn the game on its head – however his quick tap and try was called back because the ball boy didn't place the ball on the line, but rather tossed it to the player.

The Eels players and fans were irate but the rule has been in place all year, and when that set broke down when Will Hopoate and Vai Toutai flirted too close to the touch line, the Bulldogs were able to close it out from there.


Canterbury Bulldogs - 18 (Eastwood, Brown, Tolman tries; Hodkinson 3 goals)

Defeated

Parramatta Eels - 16 (Radradra 2, Hayne tries; Sandow 2 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Crowd: 30,394


http://www.nrl.com/dogs-edge-eels-in-finals-quality-thriller/tabid/10874/newsid/81057/default.aspx
 
Peter Mata'utia is having a good game today at centre. I just wish he got a permanent spot in first-grade, because it's not even like he's a bad player, he's actually a pretty decent player, just shadowed by the hype of his brothers.
 
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