Innholdsfortegnelse for 2019 - Round 2 i Big League Weekly Edition

PARRAMATTA halfback Mitch Moses has called on the club to immediately re-sign five-eighth Dylan Brown on a long-term deal. Brown starred on debut in the Eels’ 20-12 victory against Penrith last Sunday, prompting the club to lock down the 18-year-old for the future. Contracted until the end of 2020, Brown was upgraded to the club’s top 30 after originally being named as a development player, but now the Eels want to extend his contract. “Parra’s first thing needs to be to go wrap him up,” Moses told Big League. “He’s a player we want at the club for a while because he’s going to be a star, 100 per cent.” Playing alongside Corey Norman in the halves, Moses struggled with form in 2018, but after just one game with Brown…

RECORD TV ratings, upset results and the emergence of talented rookies highlighted an outstanding start to the new season. But on the flipside, the spotlight has been turned on tackling techniques after two players were charged for making dangerous contact with kickers. Brisbane’s Matt Lodge will miss two games after he speared into the legs of Storm five-eighth CameronMunster(pictured), while Manly’s Addin Fonua-Blake will miss a week after he was charged for two offences, including a dangerous hit on Benji Marshall as he put up a first-half bomb. The incidents sparked debate among former players, with some calling for lengthy bans or offending players being sent from the field. However, NRL 360 host Ben Ikin believes the game’s governing body got the decisions spot on, arguing that over-enthusiasm rather than…

How have you found the move from Wigan to Canberra? It’s been quite an easy transition. Canberra is very similar to where I’m from; even though it’s a city it’s a mall one and that makes me feel at home. The club has made it easy for me – they’re always asking me how my family is doing and making sure I’m OK. It’s been a really good move and I’m excited for the year ahead. We hear you love your English Premier League… Yeah I do. I’m a Manchester United fan, which is good because a few of the boys in the team are too. Some of the lads here at the Raiders go for Liverpool though, which makes it fun. Liverpool are doing well this season but I…

BRISBANE legend Corey Parker admits the loss of Josh McGuire will leave an enormous dent in the Broncos’ forward pack, but is excited for the new breed of young props at the club. Parker knows what it takes to fill the Broncos’ No.13 jersey, having worn it on 161 occasions before handing it to McGuire. Returning from a serious neck injury, Matt Gillett had the first shot at lock in 2019, and he’ll team up with middle forwards Matt Lodge and Joe Ofahengaue – who Parker is backing to lead the way. “The loss of McGuire is obviously big – he’s played Origin and Test football – but there are some exciting forwards who are going to rise to the occasion,” Parker tells Big League. “It’s going to open the…

HALFBACK Mitch Moses praised his team after their drought-breaking triumph over rivals Penrith last Sunday The result was the Eels’ first away win in 570 days, giving them a positive for-and-against for the first time since 2017. Halves Moses and Dylan Brown were exceptional, but the playmaker labelled the performance a team effort. “It was a real team performance against Penrith, and now we’ve got to back it up against the Bulldogs,” Moses told Big League. “It’s a good feeling to win, especially against Penrith because they’re such a good side. “We knew if we could control the ball we could control the game. Our forward pack was massive and our back three were impressive. It was a real team performance.”…

REP star Dane Gagai admits he prefers playing in the centres but says he’s more than happy in his current role outside Greg Inglis on the right wing after the pair combined to shut down Latrell Mitchell in Round 1 While he’s played the majority of his career in the three-quarter line, Gagai has been a standout for the Maroons and Kangaroos on the wing and looks set to remain in the role for South Sydney, with Inglis and Braidon Burns impressing in the centres. “I prefer playing in the centres, but I know I can do a job on the wing so it doesn’t faze me. I’ll play wherever the coach wants me and I’ll do my best to help the team,” he told Big League. Gagai’s move to…

AFTER a disappointing loss to open their season, the Sea Eagles have a chance to bounce back against reigning premiers the Roosters on Saturday Boom centre Moses Suli is looking forward to the challenge and more specifically facing off against State of Origin and Test star Latrell Mitchell “It’s going to be a tough one for me. He’s really big and he’s a strong player as well. I’ll just try and match him and do my job for the team,” he said. “I played against him twice last year. He’s a massive bloke and he’s one of their main strike players so I’ve just got to get him.”…

LUKE Keary says his side’s trip to the UK for the World Club Challenge had nothing to do with their error-riddled season-opening loss to the Rabbitohs, and has backed the Tri-colours to respond against the Sea Eagles this weekend The Roosters completed just 64 per cent of their sets in miserable conditions at the SCG, but as Keary pointed out, they were just as bad in Round 1 last year and managed to turn it around to win the competition. “We didn’t go to England last year and we started against the Wests Tigers in a similar fashion,” he told Big League. “If you look back at the history books over the past few years, that performance was pretty normal compared to other Round 1 games. “We’ve got those errors,…

HE may have retired at the end of last season, but Johnathan Thurston is still kicking goals for the North Queensland region The champion halfback spent the half-time break of the Round 1 win over the Dragons slotting conversions in the rain to raise money for flood relief in the area. A combined $10,000 from Toyota, North Queensland Toyota dealers and the Cowboys was matched by Cowboys corporate member Karrie Webb following JT’s on field efforts. Thurston’s efforts helped raise $20,000 for the GIVIT flood appeal, something Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel was immensely proud of. “We had a goal when we started this initiative which has been well and truly exceeded,” he said.…

BACK ROW (L-R): Reece Robson, Jonus Pearson, Steven Marsters, Lachlan Timm, Jackson Ford, Jai Field, Lachlan Maranta, Darren Nicholls, Hayden Lomax, Tristan Sailor, Joe Lovodua. MIDDLE ROW: Luciano Leilua, Mikaele Ravalawa, Zac Lomax, Jason Saab, Josh Kerr, Paul Vaughan, Jeremy Latimore, Eddie Blacker, Mitchell Allgood, Jack de Belin, Jacob Host, Blake Lawrie. FRONT ROW: Matt Dufty, Korbin Sims, Tim Lafai, Ben Hunt, Tyson Frizell, Gareth Widdop (captain), Paul McGregor (coach), Cameron McInnes, James Graham, Tariq Sims, Euan Aitken, Corey Norman, Jordan Pereira.…

Form: The Raiders introduced four new players to the NRL last Sunday and had a newcomer at fullback, but their performance was confident and assured as they knocked over the Titans. Admittedly, they were aided by injury to the Titans’ halves but the victory will do wonders for the team’s confidence heading into Friday’s high-level meeting with the Storm. Englishman John Bateman was one of the Raiders’ brightest performers, while Bailey Simonsson celebrated his debut with a second-half try – though he has been picked on an extended bench this week. Melbourne played with outstanding control to extend their remarkable Round 1 record when they downed the Broncos last Thursday but their performance was anything but conservative. They chanced their arm with offloads and kicked more often than any team…

Form: The Knights displayed impressive tenacity to finish over the top of Cronulla last Friday but they left themselves plenty of room for improvement. There were seven players new to the club against the Sharks so there’s little question they will be a better team the longer they’re together. The Panthers turned on one of the more disappointing performances of Round 1 when they went down to Parramatta at home. Despite the return of Ivan Cleary and a ranking among the premiership favourites, the Panthers displayed the same tendencies of last season when they fell behind 14-0. They rallied but it wasn’t enough. History: Until they slumped to a shock 20-12 defeat at home last season, the Panthers had strung together five straight wins against the Knights, including three in…

Form: In conditions that grew worse as the match progressed, Wests Tigers were guilty of playing too much ‘Benji-ball’ and not enough ‘Robbie League’ last Saturday, but once they adjusted at half-time they finished well on top. Farah’s work was pivotal to the win and his two tries a just reward for his efforts. The Warriors were one of the best teams of the opening round and even though they’ll encounter tougher opponents than the Bulldogs, their teamwork and cohesion was outstanding. Blake Green took all of the pressure off rookie Adam Keighran and the 21-year-old responded with an unforgettable debut performance that included a try and six goals. History: The ledger is almost square between these teams. In fact, if the Warriors get the result this Sunday, it will…

ANTHONY Don responded to his demotion to reserve grade by scoring a double to help steer Burleigh to a huge win over Ipswich. The Bears laid on 22 points in the first half and didn’t ease up in the second. Last year’s premiers Redcliffe suffered another loss to start the season after going down to an improved Sunshine Coast outfit. Sam Lavea scored a double for Easts as they raced in five tries in 21 minutes to beat rivals Norths Devils in slippery conditions who last both of their halves early through injury. Mackay took an early lead over Souths Logan, but it was the Magpies that bagged a close win. Wynnum Manly got a well-deserved two points after a convincing win led by lock Patrick Carrigan and winger Richie…

HOW good is tipping? Every year without fail I start the season with so many hopes and expectations. I mean, I study the game. It’s my job. I’ve spent the whole pre-season editing player profiles for the NRL Season Guide, looking at squads and thinking about how they’ll line-up and perform during the year. Surely I’ll get it right and the start to 2019 will defy expectation? Like the teams who didn’t quite put their best performances forward on the field, I tipped a measly three correct games. I’m giving myself a buffer of the first five rounds to get it right, but this hurts. Of all the results I didn’t see coming, Parramatta’s win over Penrith was the most surprising. It was nice to see their fans have a…

8 Cooper Cronk ‘Quality over quantity’ has been Cronk’s field goal motto. Seven of his 21 field goals across a 350-game NRL career were the difference in one-point victories, including three in golden point. But the champion No.7’s most famous field goal was his 40-metre effort in the 75th minute of the 2012 State of Origin decider, securing a 21-20 victory for Queensland. 7 Jamie Soward One of the keenest purveyors of the field goal in the NRL era, Soward provided an early indication of his prowess with a pair of one-pointers – including the extra-time match-winner – in the Roosters’ 2004 Jersey Flegg Grand Final. Soward racked up 25 in 140 games for St George Illawarra, none more important than his deadlock-breaker against the Wests Tigers in the 2010…

A class act Shout-out to Eels hooker Reed Mahoney who just hours after scoring his first NRL try and helping steer the Eels to a Round 1 win, rushed to the aid of a car crash victim on his way home from the game The 20-year-old was one of the first to jump out of his car when another vehicle lost control on the M4 in St Clair on Sunday night, smashing into the barrier and sliding into the middle of the road Mahoney then stayed with the driver until help arrived Sam nears bingo Sam Burgess inched closer to another in a long list of milestones when he touched down against the Roosters in Round 1. His first-half four-pointer was his first try against the Tricolours, and means he’s…

NEWCASTLE and Philadelphia are separated by 15,783 kilometres, but in spite of their geographical differences, the two cities share a mantra that defines their sporting ethos. Listen to any NRL mid-week press conference and you’re sure to hear a coach or player talk about “sticking to the processes”. It’s a throwaway line that often means very little. Often – but not always. WHAT IS THE PROCESS? The 76ers may be in the hunt to challenge for the 2018/19 NBA title, but success hasn’t always come easily for the pride of Philadelphia. After years of middling results, new General Manager, Sam Hinkie, joined the organisation on the eve of the 2013/14 season with a vision, opting to aggressively rebuild the team in a bid to one day turn them into a…

THE NRL is rife with siblings – the Morris twins, the Burgess brood and the Trbojevics just to name a few – but last weekend a new duo took centre stage and are ready to set the rugby league world alight. They’re the Brailey brothers, Jayden and Blayke, who both play hooker for the Sharks. Jayden claimed the starting dummy-half role in 2017, and Blayke made his NRL debut against the Knights off the bench last Friday. It was a memorable moment for the boys who had long-dreamed of playing alongside each other in the NRL. It was also a special day for their dad, Glenn, the Sharks’ Academy and Talent Identification Manager, who has a real understanding of what it takes to make first grade. “It was an extremely…

ANDREW Fifita has urged fans to be patient and warns it could take time for the Sharks to click in 2019 after suffering a loss to Newcastle in the opening round With a new coach and fresh spine of Matt Moylan, Shaun Johnson and Chad Townsend, Fifita is eager to see the potential of the side once they start gelling “We’ve changed our whole spine, so give it a few weeks,” Fifita told Big League. “Once ‘Moyza’ [Moylan], Shaun [Johnson] and ‘Towny’ [Townsend] start clicking, it’s going to be scary. All three of them are great players in their own right, so I can’t wait until they’re humming together.” The Tongan international admitted the Sharks are traditionally slow starters, but he’s far from concerned. “It’s only early days. Over the…

DESPITE an impressive offseason recruitment drive, the Titans failed to fire in their opening game Though they were hampered by injury to their starting halves, captain Ryan James says it’s no excuse “We’ll go back to running and tackling hard. It doesn’t help when your main ball-player gets injured early and Ash Taylor wasn’t playing, but Tyrone Peachey and AJ Brimson can do more than fill those shoes,” James said. “We can’t blame losing a player, we’ve got enough depth in our squad. I’m extremely disappointed, I know we’re a lot better than that and we can’t keep dishing that up because if we do it’s going to be a long season.”…

THINGS don’t get any easier for the Red V as they search for their first win of 2019 after losing their season opener to the Cowboys in Townsville The Dragons host the Rabbitohs on Thursday before they travel to Brisbane and Newcastle to round out a brutal opening month. South Sydney knocked St George Illawarra out of last year’s finals series and look to be in superb form after they took down the defending premiers in Round 1. Back-rower Jacob Host (pictured) hopes home ground advantage will prove telling as they look to avenge their Charity Shield defeat earlier this month. “Having a home game this week is massive, and I’m sure we’ll get plenty of support from our fans. We love playing at Kogarah, and I’m sure the fans…

CANTERBURY sit last on the NRL ladder following their 40-6 loss to the Warriors – and critics are already predicting that is where they’ll finish 2019 Coach Dean Pay believes his side’s dismal showing in Auckland stemmed from being outmuscled. “Physically they were just too good for us,” Pay said. “It’s an attitude thing. We’ve got to change it and change it quick.” Winger Reimis Smith predicted an improved performance against Parramatta. “We shot ourselves in the foot, it was a tough day. The Warriors got over the top of us but we’ll bounce back,” he said.…

SWITCHING positions has been the norm for Connor Watson over the past few seasons From fullback, to five-eighth and back to the bench, the utility has never seen out a full season in the same position But in 2019, Watson (pictured) expects the hold the No.1 jersey for the entirety after a full pre-season at the back. “It was a big help knowing where I was going to play in pre-season. It was good training and doing both the trials there,” Watson told Big League. “I love playing at fullback because it allows me to run the ball and support, which are my strengths.” Watson admits his Round 1 performance against Cronulla wasn’t perfect, but he’s ready to improve as the season progresses and is excited to link up with…

ENGLISH International John Bateman (above) had a brilliant NRL debut for the Raiders and his addition to the squad has been welcomed with open arms – especially by Aidan Sezer – who complimented Bateman’s competitiveness “He competes for everything. If he loses he’s not happy. They’re the type of blokes you want to play with,” Sezer told NRL.com. The half even likened Bateman to a former team-mate. “When I was at the Titans ‘Birdy’ [former Test and Origin star Greg Bird] was the same. John and Birdy are probably the two most competitive blokes I’ve come across.”…

Cash cow bonanza Some of the most popular cheap players put on some serious scores in Round 1 – even if they were inflated by tries. Adam Keighran (68) and Luke Garner (55) are still close to must-haves, but even more appealing are cheapies who scored well without bagging a try – Briton Nikora (61) is the must-have player right now, while Mikaele Ravalawa (38), Jack Bird (48), Thomas Mikaele (36) and Dylan Brown (30) are showing good signs. Jacob Host (40) scored well, and while he was a risky proposition last week with Korbin Sims likely to return and take his place in the starting side, an injury to Tyson Frizell has boosted Host’s prospects hugely. A few cheapies struggled – Thomas Flegler (10) showed a great work rate…

Form: The Broncos were up for the contest against the Storm last Thursday and worked hard to fight their way back from a 16-0 deficit but a huge defensive workload told by the latter period of the game. The suspension of prop Matt Lodge is a significant blow for the Broncos as they prepare to lock horns with derby rivals North Queensland. If Cowboys supporters harboured concerns about how the team would perform following the retirement of Johnathan Thurston, their worries would have been eased considerably last Saturday night. A forward pack bulging with representative talent led the charge and Michael Morgan guided the attack superbly in his first game as captain. History: There is good reason why this is one of the most anticipated clashes on the NRL calendar…

Form: The Sea Eagles stayed in the contest for 40 minutes against Wests Tigers last Saturday and should have led by more than the 2-0 half-time score after they butchered a certain four-pointer just before the break. But as conditions deteriorated Manly surrendered control to the Tigers and it took them until the closing seconds of the game to come up with their only try. The Roosters were outplayed by the Rabbitohs at the SCG but there was a lot to like about their effort. It took an exceptional kicking game from Adam Reynolds to get the better of them and three of their five tries conceded came from either his or Damien Cook’s boot. History: The Sea Eagles were a long-term bogey team for the Roosters and they continue…

NEWCASTLE opened the season with a comprehensive win against Newtown at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday afternoon, before Mounties and the Dragons fought out a thrilling 28-all draw. Defending Champions Canterbury opened their campaign with a gutsy five-point win against the Warriors in New Zealand, while Kauri Aupouri-Puketapu scored a double in Western Suburbs’ win over Blacktown at a soaked Leichhardt Oval. South Sydney returned to reserve grade in style, claiming an 18-14 win against former feeder team North Sydney, before2018 minor premiers Penrith secured a hard-fought 22-12 triumph against local rivals Wentworthville at Panthers Stadium. NEWCASTLE 24 (B Fermor, S Toa, T Hoy, P Crossland, K Cooper tries; Z Woolford 2 goals) D. NEWTOWN 4 (J Ferris try). MOUNTIES 28 (H Young 2, E Guler, B O’Hagan, T Satini…

BURLEIGH opened Round 2 with a thrashing of last year’s wooden-spooners Ipswich. Powerhouse lock Kai O’Donnell had a brilliant game scoring a double and fullback Jayden Campbell didn’t miss a beat nailing all seven conversions. Mackay bounced back from a loss in the opening round to earn a convincing win over Souths Logan who couldn’t seem to fire, while only four points separated Sunshine Coast and Redcliffe at half-time before the Falcons ran away with it. Northern Pride absolutely towelled up Western Mustangs with a huge six-try effort in the second half. Beau Berg bagged a hat-trick and Jai Doherty had a stellar day on the boot converting all nine tries. Last year’s premiers Norths Devils scraped through with a four-point win over Easts and Wynnum Manly remain undefeated after…

THEY finished last season with one of the best packs in the competition, but injuries and suspension mean the Dragons will head into Round 2 minus several big-name forwards as they prepare to take on South Sydney’s formidable engine room. With Jack de Belin (welfare) and recruit Korbin Sims (suspension) already missing, rep star Tyson Frizell(pictured) was meant to be the man to stand up for the Red V in the opening month of the season, but those plans have gone out the window after he suffered a lacerated testicle during last week’s loss in Townsville. Frizell is set to miss up to six weeks after undergoing emergency surgery on Saturday, forcing coach Paul McGregor to reshuffle his pack. While veterans Paul Vaughan, James Graham and Tariq Sims are there…

THE horrifying Christchurch mosque shootings, which claimed the lives of 50 people, provided a poignant and emotion-charged backdrop to the opening round of the NRL premiership. A minute’s silence was observed before every game in Round 1 from Friday onwards in a touching show of unity, while the Warriors offered a ray of light for a nation coming to grips with unimaginable tragedy. The club announced all available tickets for Saturday’s clash with the Bulldogs would be free and the team channelled their emotion into an emphatic 40-6 victory. “For the club to do what they did today shows what kind of values (are) here,” said Christchurch-born former Warrior Lewis Brown, who was at the game for the club’s Old Boys’ Day. “To be able to play today and give…

WE launched a new segment on Fox League’s ‘The Fan’ this week that showed the NRL coaches like you have never seen or heard them before. We call it the NRL Coaches Secrets. I had the opportunity pre-season to sit down with them individually and throw a range of questions their way, like their approach to half-time addresses; how they drop a player; dealing with injuries during a game; how they handle heavy defeats; and a big one we asked for this week’s show – how much impact do they believe they have on their side from the coaches box during the game? I’ll get back to the answers on that one in a moment. No matter what the topic, the first impression you’ll get is how relaxed and talkative…

Dragons v Rabbitohs Raiders v Storm Broncos v Cowboys Sharks v Titans Knights v Panthers Sea Eagles v Roosters Bulldogs v Eels Wests Tigers v Warriors Michael Carayannis The Sunday Telegraph Rabbitohs Storm Broncos Sharks Knights Roosters Eels Wests Tigers David Middleton League Historian Rabbitohs Storm Cowboys Sharks Panthers Roosters Eels Warriors Footyhead Little League Dragons Storm Cowboys Sharks Panthers Roosters Bulldogs Wests Tigers Michael Chammas NRL.com Dragons Storm Cowboys Sharks Knights Roosters Eels Wests Tigers Rebekka Wake Reader Tipster Rabbitohs Storm Cowboys Sharks Panthers Roosters Bulldogs Wests Tigers Maria Tsialis Big League Rabbitohs Storm Cowboys Sharks Knights Roosters Eels Warriors…

RUNNING onto Suncorp Stadium is a sensation Josh McGuire is accustomed to, but when he takes the field for his 100th NRL game at ‘The Cauldron’ on Friday night, it’ll be a whole new experience for the man they call ‘Moose’. As he cracks a century of games at the famous venue, it’ll be the first time he’s been part of the travelling team. Instead of running out to the cheers of the Brisbane faithful, McGuire is bracing himself for thunderous boos following his off-season switch to heated rivals the North Queensland Cowboys. It’ll be the first time the former Bronco has been on the other end of the passionate derby crowd and he’s eager to embrace the experience. “I’ve copped a fair few boos in my time so that…

BULLDOGS prodigy Reimis Smith has the rugby league world at his feet. A glittering hat-trick against the Dragons late last year catapulted him to prominence and after an impressive pre-season he’s earned a starting spot on the wing for 2019. But it hasn’t been an easy rise for the 21-year-old, with a two-year drought between his first and second NRL games casting serious doubts that only the man himself could subdue. “I’d thought that maybe I wouldn’t get back [to the NRL] again. I made my debut and then waited so long. But I wanted that thought to stay at the back of my mind, so I kept my head down, kept working hard and backed myself,” Smith tells Big League. “I had a lot of support at home. That…

NEW Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has shut down talk of his side being distracted by the pre-season ‘sex tape’ scandal, despite Penrith struggling against Parramatta in the opening round Cleary said off-field controversy had nothing to do with the result, highlighting his side’s poor completion rate. “Our off-season has been really good,” the coach said. “We obviously had an issue for a period of about a week, but for the most part I’ve been really happy.” The Panthers completed at just 62 per cent, made 15 errors and were on the wrong end of a 10-2 penalty count “In the first half we had a lot of early tackle errors and some other big errors. We found ourselves defending a lot,” Cleary said. “Even when we made a comeback in…

CAMERON Munster earned all the plaudits following Melbourne’s Round 1 win over the Broncos, but Ben Ikin believes his man-of-the-match showing wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the entire squad buying into Craig Bellamy’s game plan With Billy Slater gone, Munster (pictured) had to step up in attack – and he did,setting up three tries. “If I was to choose any system where a player was most likely to step up and fill the void of someone who’s gone before them, it’d be Melbourne,” the NRL 360 host told Big League. “While they’ve had some great individuals, it’s a shared-load philosophy. Everyone buys into the plan, and if that happens, guys like Cameron Munster can shine.”…

THERE were few bigger positives from the Warriors’ win over Canterbury than Nathaniel Roache’s successful return A torn Achilles ended Roache’s (pictured) 2017 campaign early, while he missed all of last year with a back problem. With Issac Luke sidelined, the 22-year-old was called upon to start at hooker for just the fourth time in his NRL career. He responded with 35 tackles and 81 metres in 56 minutes, alsobacking up to finish off a long-range try. “I was hoping to get a few minutes under my belt in (Canterbury) Cup and work my way back in. “I’m thankful they trusted me to get the job done.”…

GUN forward Tevita Pangai says the Broncos need to forget about their Round 1 loss to Melbourne and focus on this week’s blockbuster against North Queensland Pangai admitted it was a disappointing start to the season, but is eager to turn things around against the Cowboys. “We’ve got to get over Round 1 and get on with it,” Pangai told Broncos TV. “It’s always a good game, the Queensland derby. I’m looking forward to it.” After a hamstring injury hampered his 2018 season, Pangai said he’s feeling fresh this year. “I had a good pre-season, even though it was interrupted with my hamstring injury, which is a credit to the strength and conditioning staff who helped me.”…

FOOTY HEAD AO BRODIE CROFT FROM THE STORM  Brodie Croft had to fill some of the biggest boots in the game when Cooper Cronk left the Storm – and then they wound up playing each other in the Grand Final! Where did you start playing footy? When I was five we moved to a town called Highfields. They’d just started a rugby league club. That’s west of Brisbane Were you a Broncos fan? No, everyone else went for them, so I wanted to pick my own team! I went for the Bulldogs. So 2004 was the first year I really watched league and I jumped on the bandwagon as a kid. How did you go moving all the way to Melbourne? The people here welcomed me with open arms. I’d…

Form: The Dragons looked dangerous in attack until the clouds burst over 1300SMILES Stadium last Saturday but from that point they were unable to contain the rampaging charges of Cowboys forward Jason Taumalolo. The loss of Tyson Frizell to injury on top of the unavailability of Jack de Belin undermines the Dragons’ greatest strength and will add to coach Paul McGregor’s headaches. Thanks largely to the peerless short kicking game of halfback Adam Reynolds, the Rabbitohs mastered the wet conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground last Friday to emerge with a win of great merit over the Roosters. History: The Dragons lead the head-to-head record between these clubs but that is a legacy of a long period of dominance before and after the Rabbitohs’ exclusion from the competition. Recent history…

Form: The Sharks’ poor record in season openers continued when their mistake-riddled performance led to a 14-8 loss to the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium. Cronulla created a welter of chances but managed a single penalty try. New coach John Morris will be expecting far greater attention to detail this Saturday. The Titans were deal the toughest hand in Round 1 when they lost both starting halfbacks within 18 minutes of their opening game against the Raiders. Ash Taylor was unfit to play (quad strain), while Tyrone Roberts was forced from the field with an achilles injury. Few teams would have been able to brush off such a disruption and in driving rain the Titans were unable to muster a single point. History: Whether through complacency or casualness, the Sharks…

Form: The Bulldogs were never in the hunt against the Warriors last Saturday and after trailing 22-0 at half-time, their performance improved only marginally in the second term. The Warriors were too good in the air and easily broke the line with ball in hand. Dean Pay will be counting on a drastic surge in intensity and aggression or he’ll be forced into early changes to his line-up. Parramatta displayed the energy and commitment that was missing in the Bulldogs’ game when they did a number on Penrith. Despite the early setback of Nathan Brown’s injury, the Eels produced 80 minutes of effort to get the result, which will do wonders for their confidence levels. History: It’s doubtful if these teams have met over the past 30 years without some…

While the NRL is the pinnacle of our game, nothing would be possible without junior pathways programs that nurture young talent to get them ready for life in the senior grades. Fans would have been taken aback by the composure of Dylan Brown on debut for the Eels, while Sharks supporters are counting down the days until Bronson Xerri is unleashed in first grade. For some, these names mightn’t mean much. But for anyone who has followed Jersey Flegg, these are the players of the future. Following a bye in Round 1, the NSW under-20s competition returns this weekend, with 14 teams vying for supremacy. The Sharks capped off a dominant run in the junior ranks by taking out last year’s title with a dogged win over traditional powerhouse, the…

MOUNTIES 34 (D Roberts, M Kennedy, E Aiono, T Bartley, J Brackenhofer, S Duggan tries; Roberts 5 goals) D. HILLS DISTRICT 10 (N Masima, L Hills tries; H Siejka goal). WESTERN SUBURBS 38 (A El-Zakhem 2, J Leasi, M Rudolph, S Kimi-Ioane, J Drodrolagi tries; Rudolph 7 goals) D. BLACKTOWN 6 (M Li try; O Karwhin goal). WENTWORTHVILLE 22 (D Miller, C Schaafhausen, E Roberts, D Howard tries; B Henry 3 goals) D. CABRAMATTA 12 (J Butler-Fleming, E Alamoti tries; B Finnegan goal). ST MARYS 16 (A Iaria, A Fitzgibbon, K Falls tries; J Toby 2 goals) D. ASQUITH 8 (C Johnston, H Tuha tries). GUILDFORD 29 (J Petero 2, J Field 2, J Camroux tries; J Lewis 4 goals; Lewis field goal) D. BROTHERS 16 (M Tweedie, A Crichton,…

MADDIE Studdon is hoping a sea-change can reignite her form in 2019. The Mascot junior is as South Sydney as they come, but she realised she needed a change if she was to get back to the form that had her lead NSW to State of Origin victory last year. The halfback found herself faltering through the back-end of 2018 when her Rabbitohs went down to Mounties in the Harvey Norman Premiership final and she then found herself benched by the Roosters for the NRLW final. So Studdon has returned to Cronulla, where she hopes the coaching staff can help get her game back to where it was when she was leading the Jillaroos. “I was in the leadership group and helping the girls there (at Souths) and wasn’t really…