Nrl Pre-Season Trials 2008 *ALL TRIAL RESULTS ~ First Post*

Match reports!
Titans to smart by halves
February 23, 2008

GOLD Coast halves combination Scott Prince and Mat Rogers led the Titans to a 30-22 win against North Queensland in their opening NRL pre-season trial.

The Prince-Rogers combination, playing together for the first time, took the Titans to a 24-0 first-half lead with the Cowboys having no answer to their superior kicking game and ability to link with other players.

The Cowboys, conversely, showed they could struggle in the opening rounds without Johnathan Thurston as Travis Burns and Anthony Watts failed to mesh in the opening stages.

Burns limped off shortly before half-time with a knee injury but is likely to line up against Canberra in Mackay next week, with coach Graham Murray saying after the match his five-eighth's problem was not serious.

The Titans were outstanding in the first 40 minutes, running in four converted tries as Rogers and Prince toyed with the opposition.

They opened their account in the fifth minute through Anthony Laffranchi, who barged over next to the uprights.

The Cowboys cruelled their chances with sloppy ball work early and their errors deep in attack led to the Titans' second try.

Luke O'Dwyer swooped on a loose pass before drawing his man and finding winger Ben Jeffery inside.

Jeffery stepped inside Ty Williams, leaving the State of Origin winger sprawled on the turf as he motored 70m to score under the posts.

Jeffery proved his worth in defence minutes later, wrapping Travis Burns up on his own tryline to prevent a Cowboys' four-pointer.

The 20-year-old former Tiger was one of the Titans' best and with winger Matt Petersen sidelined by injury, put his hand up for a starting spot in the opening premiership round against the Cowboys next month.

AAP
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Rabbitohs thump toothless Sharks
February 23, 2008

SOUTH Sydney belted an under-strength Cronulla side 44-0 in an NRL trial match at Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium.

The Rabbitohs took full advantage of the weakened Sharks outfit, their small men running riot and recruit Craig Wing one of the stars after coming on in the second half.

Souths ran in eight tries to nil to claim a confidence-boosting victory heading into the new season and next week's Charity Shield clash against St George Illawarra.

Half-back Wing, hooker Issac Luke and five-eighth Eddie Paea were all outstanding in the lopsided contest, while the Rabbitohs forwards dominated the battle up the middle.

The Rabbitohs led 20-0 at half-time thanks to a double from second-rower Ben Lowe while Luke and winger Sam Huihahau also crossed.

Prop Michael Greenfield, Beau Falloon, Beau Champion and Wing all scored four-pointers in the second half to complete the drubbing.

It was Wing's first try for the Rabbitohs since 1999 and the overall performance of the Bunnies leaves coach Jason Taylor with several selection headaches heading into next week's clash with the Dragons.

"It was a really good performance," Taylor said.

"We came here with some things we wanted to work on and commit ourselves to and we did that tonight.

"We wanted to practice them for the full 80 minutes and we did that because the scoreboard kept ticking over.

"In years gone by players didn't necessarily have to earn their first grade spots here but that was something we changed last year and it is continuing into 2008.

"A lot of guys put in some strong performances tonight. It is a great place to be in for the club."

The Rabbitohs were without skippers David Kidwell and Roy Asotasi while the Sharks rested several star players including Paul Gallen, Greg Bird, Reece Williams, Luke Douglas, Ben Ross and Lance Thompson.

Capping a disastrous night for the Sharks, forward Jacob Selmes was heavily concussed and full-back Brett Kearney suffered a badly bruised hip.

AAP
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Raiders overhaul Broncos
February 23, 2008

CANBERRA came home with a wet sail to beat a near full strength Brisbane side 32-16 in their NRL trial in Orange.

The Raiders scored four tries in the final 11 minutes to win the match, Marshall Chalk and Brisbane's Darius Boyd each scoring hat-tricks in a match played under the unusual time conditions of three 30-minute periods.

Canberra hit the lead with 20 minutes remaining when Chalk went over under the posts for an 18-16 advantage before a double from Joel Monaghan and another to Chalk sealed the win.

Former Penrith half Peter Wallace had an eventful debut for the Broncos after receiving a nasty cut to his eyebrow in the opening minutes.

Darius Boyd gave the Broncos the best possible start when he leapt for a Shane Perry bomb in the fifth minute before backing up for a second try when he latched onto a clever grubber from Michael Ennis to make it 8-0.

The Raiders hit back when Michael Weyman charged onto a short pass and crashed over the line with Michael Dobson's conversion cutting the deficit to just two points.

Canberra sneaked in when Chalk ran onto a good pass and burst through from 30 metres out but the Broncos reply was immediate and spectacular, Boyd finishing off a 95 metre movement which featured some good work from David Taylor, David Stagg, Justin Hodges and Karmichael Hunt.

The Broncos were in front after 55 minutes when Denan Kemp strolled over off a Hunt ball to make it 16-12 going into the final period of the game.

AAP
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Tigers fume over heavy shots
February 23, 2008

WESTS Tigers will investigate two contentious tackles from their 34-28 pre-season trial loss to the Sydney Roosters that left Todd Payten heavily concussed and Ryan O'Hara with a badly broken jaw.

Prop Payten was KO'd by a gang tackle in the 58th minute for which new Roosters recruit Willie Mason has claimed credit, while fellow forward O'Hara was rushed to hospital with a broken jaw that will rule him out for up to two months.

The Roosters didn't emerge unscathed either as prop Shane Shackleton ruptured his bicep and captain Craig Fitzgibbon was also concussed, but is expected to be fit to play next week.

Payten had no recollection of the tackle which ended his night at the Sydney Football Stadium, but Tigers coach Tim Sheens said that incident and the unknown events which led to O'Hara's injury would be scrutinised by the club early this week.

"It was a heavy clash from the kick off, lots of bodies in it," said Sheens of Payten's tackle.

"I'm not here to make any claims, but it looked like it had an element of shoulder in it.

"That's one of those things we'll look at on the DVD and if there's any issue we will follow up on it.

"No-one seemed to know what happened (to O'Hara). He went to the hospital pretty much straight away so I haven't had the chance to speak to him either."

Mason claimed responsibility for the shot on Payten.

The tackle, which also involved Anthony Tupou and Nate Myles, wasn't penalised by referee Sean Hampstead and Mason has no concerns the NRL match review committee would cite him over it.

"My shoulder and head hit his head. It was a big collision," said Mason.

"I nearly knocked myself out.

"There was nothing in it at all."

The heavy injury toll took the gloss off an otherwise entertaining trial match that went down to the wire.

The Roosters led 28-18 on the hour before two late tries to Peni Tagive and Benji Marshall levelled scores for the Tigers with just seven minutes to go.

But Roosters half-back Mitchell Pearce produced a classy 40-20 kick to cap a superb game and then put Tupou across in the corner in the 77th minute to claim the win and retain the Foundation Cup.

Roosters winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall had earlier scored a hat-trick while two of the NRL's biggest names both scored and starred in their first games since surgery.

Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello was outstanding in his first game since back surgery midway through last year, scoring a try seconds before halftime and setting up Kenny-Dowall's third before being replaced after 50 minutes.

Tigers star Marshall was back to his exciting best in his first game since his fourth shoulder reconstruction, sparking his side's attack and defending strong in the left centres after coming on in the second half.

Marshall made an almost immediate impact in the game, with his second touch he helped set up a Chris Lawrence 65m try in the 43rd minute and later added his own stunning try in the 73rd minute to level scores 28-all.

AAP
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Morris gets Dragons home
February 23, 2008

A JOSH Morris hat-trick powered St George Illawarra to a 40-30 win over the Bulldogs in an entertaining NRL trial at WIN Stadium.

The Dragons scored seven tries to the Bulldogs five, the only lowlight for the home side being a knee injury to back-up prop Alex Ranieri.

The Bulldogs were without a host of first choice players, Sonny Bill Williams, Reni Maitua, Willie Tonga, Daryl Millard and Nick Kouparitsas all sitting out the match with Dean Young the only absentee for the Dragons.

It allowed Dragons coach Nathan Brown to name 31 players for the trial, and he ran out a virtual reserve grade side for the opening quarter.

The Bulldogs took advantage to grab a 6-0 lead with Matt Utai getting on the end of a well worked set play which spread the width of the field.

The home side hit back with a try after the hooter to Morris, one of three tries he would score in the space of 11 minutes as the Dragons turned up the heat in the second 20 minutes with the likes of Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper and Jason Ryles finally getting on.

Having set up Morris for his third with one of his trademark flick passes, Gasnier did it all himself on the stroke of half-time as he danced around three defenders to go over out wide for a 28-6 lead, the Dragons skipper then calling it a night following his 20-minute cameo.

Not even a slight hold-up to apprehend a streaker could stop the Dragons as Jason Nightingale continued the rout before the Bulldogs hit back with a double of their own via Hazem El Masri and Gary Warburton in his first run in the top grade.

Both coaches cleared out their benches for the final period with the Bulldogs closing to within four points before Michael Lett scored on the buzzer to cap off the win.
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From that, i can see the Raiders arent wooden spoon favz and the Rabbits, wow what a win. Good on the Dragons too, with Brown under soo much pressure.
 
Wide World of Sports
World Club Challenge Rugby League

Leeds Rhinos V Melbourne Storm
6.25am – 8.30am Nine
Saturday 1 March 2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wide World of Sorts presents the 2008 Rugby Leauge World Club Challenge. Leeds Rhinos versus Melbourne Storm, live from Leeds, England. Join your hosts Andrew Voss, Phil Gould and Peter Sterling for all the action.

Genre: Sport/Rugby League
Other: Widescreen
LIVE
Duration: 125 mins
 
I'm contemplating whether to sleep, then wake up at 6:25, or just go the whole night and wait for it to start..

Still, should be a good match to watch.
 
That is strange that Canberra v broncos played 3 30 min halves

cause canberra scored 4 tries in the last 11 mins

maybe broncos are only 80 min players :lol:

anyway we play Canberra in Round 1

and to think they beat a close to full strength brocos outfit....i think that 1st game is going to be a close match
 
Untitled23 said:
I'm contemplating whether to sleep, then wake up at 6:25, or just go the whole night and wait for it to start..

Still, should be a good match to watch.
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Why don't you record it and watch it when you get up?
 
I'm not one for waking up early though. I'd be less tired staying up the whole night then going to bed then waking up.
 
Just get up and watch it, or don't get up and miss it.

I'll be getting up, it's gotta beat the Kiwi's tour of GB from last year!
 
this is a bit off topic but

Our 1st game against Canberra is listed in the foxtel book as 9:30pm sat night

glad I'm going to the game...

then I'll watch the replay when I get home

does anyone else do this ,lol ...(unless we get thrashed by 50 then I wouldn't bother)
 
Yeah did that last year with Manly v Newcastle. Got back from the game, had something to eat, then sat on the coach to watch it again. Haha.
 
~knights1~ said:
this is a bit off topic but

Our 1st game against Canberra is listed in the foxtel book as 9:30pm sat night

glad I'm going to the game...

then I'll watch the replay when I get home

does anyone else do this ,lol ...(unless we get thrashed by 50 then I wouldn't bother)
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I do this too every single time and most times throw a tape in even if we get thrashed, I usually don't intend on watching it but it comes on and I can't turn it off! :)
 
You're a sucker for punishment jekk :P

you mean you actually watched that broncos thrashing from us by 70 points

that i couldn't watch again #-o
 
Newton says Storm is up to World Club Challenge
London | February 27, 2008

HAVING faced the Leeds Rhinos earlier this month, Clint Newton is in a prime position to offer his former Melbourne Storm teammates some pointers ahead of their World Club Challenge clash.

But the 26-year-old second-rower, who left the Storm after its National Rugby League grand final victory to join Hull Kingston Rovers for salary-cap reasons, is unsure how much fresh information he has been able to give coach Craig Bellamy's well-drilled outfit.

"They're right on the ball anyway as far as what I would have told them," Newton said.

"I don't think there would have been a side that's probably going to be in as good a shape as Melbourne come Friday."

Rovers lost to Leeds 20-12 in the Super League season opener on February 2, the first of four straight wins for the 2007 champion.

With no game for Rovers this weekend, Newton will be cheering on the Storm.

"I could think of nothing better than seeing Melbourne beat Leeds and seeing an Australian team going home with the World Club Challenge trophy, considering there's not a lot of teams who have done it in the last 10 years or so," Newton said.

Before it left Australia, Bellamy's side thrashed grand final runner-up Manly 56-10 in a trial game.

Last weekend, it battled to a 26-10 win over Halifax.

Only two Australian teams have won in the past eight World Club Challenge games — the Storm in 2000 and the Sydney Roosters in 2003.

With another grand final player, Matt King, having moved to Warrington and prop Ben Cross to NRL side Newcastle, the Storm will field a depleted line-up against the Rhinos.

Add to that the absence of Cameron Smith, Michael Crocker and Greg Inglis and Melbourne's task is enormous.

AAP
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Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has named a 20-man squad for this Friday night’s Carnegie World Club Challenge against Leeds Rhinos at Elland Road.

Aitken, Russ
Blair, Adam
Chambers, Will
Cronk, Cooper
Folau, Israel
Geyer, Matt
Hoffman, Ryan
Johnson, Dallas
Kaufusi, Antonio
Lima, Jeff
MacDougall, Ben
Manu, Sika
Nielsen, Dane
Quinn, Anthony
Slater, Billy
Smith, Jeremy
Tagataese, Sam
Tolman, Aiden
Turner, Steve
White, Brett

Coach: Craig Bellamy
 
~knights1~ said:
You're a sucker for punishment jekk :P

you mean you actually watched that broncos thrashing from us by 70 points

that i couldn't watch again #-o
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OK Maybe I wouldn't have watched that one lol, I was on the other side of the world at the time and got the message in the middle of the early morning that we'd been slaughtered. It was a dark day lol.
 
this is a bit off topic but

Our 1st game against Canberra is listed in the foxtel book as 9:30pm sat night

glad I'm going to the game...

then I'll watch the replay when I get home
Click to expand...

Thats not a problem because you can choose which game you watch live now, well you have been able to for a while.
 
knights4premiers said:
this is a bit off topic but

Our 1st game against Canberra is listed in the foxtel book as 9:30pm sat night

glad I'm going to the game...

then I'll watch the replay when I get home
Click to expand...

Thats not a problem because you can choose which game you watch live now, well you have been able to for a while.
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oh yeah they did that last year didn't they :oops:

Sport on Foxtel is supposed to be going HD and theyr'e introducing a new foxtel IQ2 box

I have IQ now and it's brilliant....wouldn't mind the updated version either :)
 
Jekk said:
OK Maybe I wouldn't have watched that one lol, I was on the other side of the world at the time and got the message in the middle of the early morning that we'd been slaughtered. It was a dark day lol.
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Were you on this side of the world? On holiday?

Just to make things tasty for Friday. We've had the biggest earth tremor in England for over 20 years, it was centred in Lincolnshire (5.2 on the Richter ) - we felt it here so they'd have felt it in Leeds. Plus, we've already had strong winds (60-85mph gusts) and rain this week, and we're due some more tomorrow (or today as it is now for you).
 
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