Innholdsfortegnelse for 2019 - Round 13 i Big League Weekly Edition

IF Eels coach Brad Arthur wanted an immediate reaction then he certainly got one after his new-look side snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over the high-flying Rabbitohs. While Mitch Moses and Clint Gutherson dominated in attack, Parramatta’s revamped forward pack set the tone after Arthur made a raft of changes leading into the contest. Experienced props Tim Mannah and Daniel Alvaro were dropped to reserve grade, while Marata Niukore was relegated to the bench in what proved to be a wake-up call for the rest of the squad. “He’s been after an energetic performance and a bit more channelled aggression. I thought we brought that 1-17 against the Rabbitohs,” forward David Gower said. “The boys who were left out are big names who have played a massive…

PLAYING State of Origin is one of the biggest honours in rugby league. When you’re selected to play for your state, Origin consumes your full attention – and rightfully so – but once the game ends, your attention needs to turn back to the NRL. For 34 players this weekend, along with their coaches, it’s time to make the tough decision about whether to back-up or have the weekend off. It’s special to be an Origin player at this time of the year. At the start of the season, you try and block out any distractions about being selected and perform for your club. You try to stay away from the hype, but when it gets closer and every newspaper, magazine and TV show starts talking about Origin, you start…

JASON Taumalolo may share the same initials as the great Johnathan Thurston, and the comparisons don’t end there – the hulking forward has more in common with the future Immortal than you think. North Queensland’s head physiotherapist, Steve Sartori has worked with some of the biggest names in rugby league over the past two decades during his time with the Cowboys and Australian Kangaroos. He knows what it takes to get injured players back onto the paddock – and often it comes down to attitude. Sartori worked alongside Thurston for years as the Cowboys great struggled with injuries, and after helping Taumalolo recover from a knee injury this season, he likens the two to each other. The Tongan international suffered a grade three medial ligament injury in Round 2 against…

ONE David Fifita is a 19-year-old Broncos prodigy who was picked for his first Origin game this year. The other, his older cousin with whom he shares the same name, is a Blacktown-born prop whose NRL career never reached such heights. Fifita struggled to make his mark at the Sharks, after years of reserve grade with Wests Tigers. The front-rower only made 19 appearances in two-and-a-half seasons, watching from the sidelines as Cronulla claimed its maiden premiership in 2016. While David was a bystander, twin Andrew was a star. A World Cup winner with the Kangaroos, as well as a NSW State of Origin representative for five years, he was a key factor in the Sharks’ grand final triumph, crossing for the winning try that finally ended the club’s 50-year…

The Karratha/Pilbara region in Western Australia has been a hub of rugby league activity, undertaking its first ever Sporting Schools programs, with 400 students participating this term. Students at Karratha and Roebourne High Schools have been participating in the LIFT program and are also enjoying exposure to a new sport. The students are loving rugby league so much that the schools have decided to come together at the conclusion of their respective programs and play some league tag games against each other! There are currently no rugby league teams in the Port Headland region, but now, with the Sporting Schools program held at St Cecilia’s School, students have registered to play in the State of Mind 9s Carnival this weekend, embracing another opportunity to play the game. Teachers at the…

Form: Wests Tigers welcomed last weekend’s bye after torrid encounters with the Storm and Rabbitohs; allowing them to reset for a tough program ahead. In coming weeks, they face the Raiders twice and line up against the Rabbitohs and Roosters for a second time in 2019. The Raiders broke a three-game losing run with their 12-10 defeat of Canterbury. It was a victory loaded with character following the absence of Origin players Jack Wighton, Nick Cotric and Josh Papalii and a growing injury list. History: The Raiders have dominated recent history between these clubs, winning six of the past eight clashes, however Wests Tigers remain ahead on the overall count, winning 19-15. It’s five years since the Tigers last defeated the Raiders at a Sydney venue. Danger sign: Raiders coach…

Form: The Cowboys have recovered impressively after a disappointing start to their season and three-straight wins has them pushing for a place in the top eight. They displayed outstanding character to hold off the Titans last Sunday after injuries and rep selections had left them ripe for defeat. The Sea Eagles will be sweating on the return of rep stars Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic this week after back-to-back losses. A run of six wins in the space of eight games had lifted the Sea Eagles high into the top eight, but they’ve been running on empty in recent weeks. History: The Cowboys have won six of their past seven games against the Sea Eagles to claim the ascendancy in this fixture, however Manly continue to lead the overall head-to-head…

Form: Playing at home against a depleted Canberra Raiders, the Bulldogs had an ideal opportunity to climb off the bottom of the competition ladder last Saturday, but they were unable to conjure the breakthrough play. The 12-10 loss left the Dogs with three wins from their opening 12 games. The bye came at the right time for the Dragons, who fell to their fifth consecutive loss when they went down to Cronulla in Round 11. Coach Paul McGregor will be hoping the circuit-breaker effect of the bye allows his team to reset for the second half of their campaign. History: The Dragons claimed a record-breaking 40-4 victory when these teams met at Kogarah in Round 5, reversing a recent history of Canterbury dominance. Leading into that game, the Bulldogs had…

BY the time you have a hold of this magazine, State of Origin 1 will be done and dusted and we’ll be back to the regular programming of the NRL. Big League goes to print late on Tuesday night so current me doesn’t know the result, but I can only hope every player came through unscathed and rugby league, as always, was the winner. There were plenty of murmurings over the bye weekend about the quality of games and the state of the ladder, which I honestly don’t think is that important. There was desperation and hunger in every performance during Round 12, even if some finesse was missed. And as far as the ladder goes, it will all be evened out in just over a month’s time. Premierships aren’t…

PENRITH fullback Dylan Edwards says he still has plenty of improvement left in him after a spike in form over the past few weeks. Edwards struggled with consistency earlier this season, resulting in a month in reserve grade, but he proved he was nearly back to his best last Thursday against Manly, scoring the game’s opening try and running for 216 metres. He’s been back in the NRL side for three weeks and is slowing regaining his confidence. “I’m getting there, but I know I’m not back to 100 per cent yet. There’s definitely stuff to work on,” Edwards told Big League. “My poor form was a bit of a mental thing. I had a couple of rough games but hopefully that’s behind me now.” Edwards started the season in…

What goals have you set yourself for 2019? I had a couple at the beginning of the year. My main one is to play consistent footy and try to lead in the middle. I’m young for the middle and I’m smaller compared to other forwards, but I don’t really mind. Do you have a big family and, most importantly, are they Warriors supporters? I’ve got nine brothers and one sister – our own footy team. I’m Samoan, and a lot of Polynesians have big families. I’m the middle child so I always get picked on – but they support the Warriors. A lot of people say I’m a daddy’s boy, but I’m really a mummy’s boy. They try to get to home games. Even if it’s raining, they’ll still come…

PAUL Hayward, a pugnacious five-eighth/lock who’d played 76 games for Newtown, had been picked for a Combined Sydney team to tour New Zealand in in 1976. He was also a professional boxer who was once in contention to fight at the Olympics. The 23-year-old was highly respected for how he played above his weight, despite never surpassing 70kg. In October, 1978, Hayward headed to Bangkok with drug courier Warren Fellows as a virtual ‘minder’ to ensure the deal to bring heroin to Australia went without a hitch. Mastermind of the trip was notorious criminal Arthur ‘Neddy’ Smith, who was in a de facto relationship with the sister of Hayward’s wife, Gail. Hayward was spotted one morning by the Parramatta team who were on their end of season trip, and was…

DRAGONS STAR recruit Corey Norman (right) is set to make his return from a fractured cheekbone in St George Illawarra’s crunch clash against the Bulldogs on the Queen’s Birthday public holiday The Dragons haven’t won a game since Norman suffered the facial injury in Round 8, with their attack struggling to fire like it did earlier in the year. His return will be a huge boost for a team counting the costs of a crippling casualty ward, but his inclusion alone won’t automatically result in two points. “It definitely won’t be like last time, we’ve got to go into the game knowing that,” Norman said when referencing their 40-4 win over the Bulldogs back in April. “That was six weeks ago, they’re a different team. They’re a real effort side…

WHILE most head-to-head coaches were putting their feet up and overall coaches were doing well to field half a side last week, this week we all have to worry about which players may or may not back up from Origin. The Dragons and Sea Eagles have mostly named their Origin players in the reserves, so if you’re sweating on the likes of Jake Trbojevic or Paul Vaughan playing then you’ll need to keep an eye on late mail. Fantasy guns at teams like the Bunnies and Broncos – e.g. Damien Cook, Cam Murray and Payne Haas – have been named to start, but also have cover in the reserves, so you’ll still need to watch late mail there too. Most will be playing it safe with captaincy choices this week…

Form: Wins over the Dragons and Panthers appeared to have reignited the Warriors’ campaign after a lacklustre opening eight rounds, but they went backwards at their last start when they were kept tryless by the Broncos at home. The Storm have strung together successive wins over the Eels, Tigers and Bulldogs, and the two points from last weekend’s bye was enough to lift them to the top of the competition pile. History: These teams meet for the second time in 2019 following the Storm’s 13-12 escape at AAMI Park on Anzac Day. The win extended Melbourne’s recent run of success over the Warriors to seven-straight games and a handy 25-16 lead in the overall record between the clubs since 1998. The Storm have won on their past three visits to…

Form: The Broncos had begun to mount a strong recovery after a dismal start to their campaign and coach Anthony Seibold will be hoping the interruption of last weekend’s bye hasn’t halted their impetus. Leading into the bye the Broncos had strung together wins over the Sea Eagles, Roosters and Warriors to climb to the edge of the top eight. The Titans were unable to build on their Round 11 victory over the Sea Eagles at Lottoland, falling to the Cowboys last Sunday. History: The Titans have rarely had a look-in during their contests with the Broncos and have claimed only one victory from the past nine encounters. Ironically, that one win came at Suncorp Stadium last year. Previously, they hadn’t recorded a victory over the Broncos in Brisbane since…

MOUNTIES have coughed up top spot on the table after falling North Sydney. It was a tight arm wrestle, before two late tries saw the Bears claim victory. The Panthers overcame a brave Blacktown to move into first after four tries in the final 20 minutes saw them run away with the win. Late drama saw two matches end in draws. Newtown snatched a point from the Warriors thanks to Braydon Trindall’s clutch sideline conversion. Meanwhile, Western Suburbs bounced back from a three-try deficit to share the spoils with he Dragons. Watson Heleta scored the Magpies’ third-straight try in the 76th-minute, and Kauri Aupouri added the extras The Rabbitohs hung on for a hard-fought win over Wentworthville, while, the Bulldogs held their nerve to edge Newcastle. NEWTOWN 20 (R Mulitalo,…

THE Sunshine Coast continue to roll on after breezing past second-placed Burleigh. Wynnum Manly had never beaten Townsville before, but broke the hoodoo to make it six in a row. Tweed also continued their winning streak against Souths Logan. Norths Devils whacked the Capras away from home to return to winning ways. Sean O’Sullivan scored a hat-trick and Herbie Farnsworth kicked eight goals to keep the Capras winless since Round 1. Redcliffe scored ran in six tries in the second-half to demolish PNG, while Scott Drinkwater made an impressive return from injury as the Tigers rallied to defeat Northern Pride. The Pride led with 15 minutes to play, before the Tigers scored four tries in the space of 10 minutes to win big. Lastly, Ipswich came from behind twice to…

CANBERRA’S gun forward recruit John Bateman believes a mid-year break will give him the second wind required to keep him at his peak for the remainder of the season. The England international has been sensational for the Green Machine in 2019, and was sorely missed when he was ruled out for three weeks with a fractured eye socket. Although he was devastated to miss a few games – especially considering the Raiders lost all three – Bateman says the break was exactly what the doctor ordered as he was granted leave to return to the UK to visit his family for a fortnight. He picked up where he left off upon his return, scoring a try, running for 120 metres and making 32 tackles in Canberra’s 12-10 win over the…

LAST weekend NSW City defeated NSW Country 34-4 in the final of the Women’s National Championships to kick-off the representative season. After the dominance of the two NSW teams throughout the tournament, the Blues will hold the favourites tag ahead of this month’s Women’s State of Origin at North Sydney Oval. Both participating Queensland teams failed to reach the final, with Queensland Country and South East Queensland drawing 16-all in the third-place playoff. Player of the Tournament Tiana Penitani (pictured), who has recently converted from rugby sevens to rugby league, scored a hat-trick in the decider and has raced into selection contention for the Blues. Penitani has only played league for four months but managed to score six tries across three games last weekend. Women’s Origin will kick-off Representative Round…

8 Bronko Djura Newtown junior Djura represented Australian Schoolboys in rugby league and cricket, pulling on the boots alongside the likes of Paul Langmack and Scott Gale, and winning the wicket-keeping duties ahead of future Test great Ian Healey. A Sheffield Shield call-up for NSW proved elusive, but the goal-kicking fullback/ five-eighth scored 229 points in 96 first-grade games for South Sydney (1984-86 and ’88-89), St George (1987) and Wests (1991). 7 Jock Livingston Making the first of 18 top-grade appearances for South Sydney and his first-class cricket debut for NSW in 1941, goal-kicking fullback and keeper-batsman Livingston was unlucky not to don the whites for Australia. He gave up the opportunity to keep pushing for national selection after missing out on Australia’s 1948 touring squad, heading to England to…

Burgess set for surgery Rabbitohs forward Sam Burgess will voluntarily have surgery on his shoulder following the club’s game against the Knights on Friday. It’s described as a ‘flush out’ minor procedure but requires a five-week recovery time. With two byes approaching (including the representative round), he will only miss two NRL games and be raring to go for the back-end of the season. Wildcard weekend on ice The Australian Rugby League Commission has announced there’ll be no immediate changes to the finals system, ruling out the introduction of a wildcard weekend. The meeting also confirmed some promising figures relating to Magic Round, with TV numbers up on last year, while more than 135,000 fans attended the four days of competition. Also on the agenda was grand final day, with…

CANBERRA skipper Jarrod Croker has flourished against the Wests Tigers of late. In his past four clashes against the joint-venture, he’s bagged three tries and 27 goals for a total of 66 points, while the Green Machine have recorded an aggregate score of 206-34. Croker missed the last year’s loss at GIO Stadium due to a knee injury, but is ready and eager to face them again. The experienced centre has enjoyed facing the Tigers over the past few season, but is adamant previous encounters have no bearing on the future. “Every side is different every year and every week,” he says. “We’ve had some good wins against them recently, but we won’t be looking into that at all this week.” Croker is expecting a fired up Wests Tigers outfit…

Young halfback Lachlan Lewis l arning his trade at the Bulldogs and is currently playing in the Canterbury Cup You come from a famous footy family Was everyone into it? My dad definitely, he was a footballer. Dad watched football, so I watched too. I remember watching on the couch with dad, putting on my high football socks, getting my mini-football and running up and down our cork floor scoring tries. Friends, family, all watching football. I’m not going to ask about Uncle Wally, but how cool was your cousin growing up? Lincoln? I was just hitting high school when he started on Home and Away. It was funny, I copped more of that growing up– “Is your cousin Lincoln Lewis?” Not “is your uncle Wally Lewis?” It’s an incredible…

Form: Coming off a seven-game winning streak, the Rabbitohs were low on strike power without their Origin quartet last Friday and proved easy marks for an enthusiastic Parramatta. The Knights are enjoying an impressive streak of their own, having won their past five games, but after establishing powerful momentum, last weekend’s bye did not come at the best time. History: The Rabbitohs have been thoroughly dominant against the Knights since 2012, winning nine consecutive games, most of them by wide margins. Souths have topped 30 points in five of the past six encounters, including their 36-18 victory at McDonald Jones Stadium in last year’s only encounter. Despite the recent success, the Rabbitohs continue to trail the Knights in overall results since 1988. Newcastle have won 25 games to South Sydney’s…

Form: Last weekend’s bye offered another week of healing for injured Sharks’ stars Wade Graham and Shaun Johnson as they approach an imminent return. Matt Moylan made a welcome comeback in Round 11 as the Sharks handed rivals St George Illawarra a 22-9 defeat in Wollongong. The win was their third from their past four games and has them well-positioned heading into the second half of the season. Parramatta achieved a crucial win over a depleted South Sydney last Friday; the 26-14 result ending a three-game losing streak and raising hopes that Brad Arthur’s team can push for a top eight berth over the coming months. History: The Sharks had won five on the trot against the Eels until Parramatta claimed a 24-12 victory in their final home game at…

Form: The Panthers claimed back-to-back wins for the first time in 2019 last week when they held off Manly at home, but their form remains far from convincing as they attempt to recover from a woeful start to the season. Injuries have cut a swathe through the line-up but at the very least, the past fortnight has delivered positive results. The Roosters have had a fortnight to lick their wounds after they were thumped by the Knights in Newcastle and the break would have been welcomed by players after a high-intensity start to their premiership defence. History: The Roosters have claimed one-off victories over the Panthers over the past two seasons to extend an imposing record against their western rivals over the past half-century. From 88 encounters, the Roosters have…

THE Sharks hit the ground running after a two-week break, but the Warriors pushed them until the end, before a hat-trick by Sharks winger Josh Delailoa put the result beyond doubt. Penrith kept the pressure on by smashing Manly 44-10. Five-eighth Matt Burton scored two tries and assisted another. Parramatta scored three tries inside 20 minutes to stun South Sydney, and the Rabbitohs were unable to recover. The Raiders jumped into third position thanks to a convincing win against the Bulldogs, while the Tigers fell short against the Dragons at Leichhardt. The Roosters brushed aside North Sydney 44-12, while the Knights piled more misery on the winless Thunderbolts, winning 54-0 to close out the round. CRONULLA 18 (J Delailoa 3, T Caughlan tries; J Lualua goal) D. WARRIORS 16 (K…

A LAST-GASP field goal by Jayden Campbell saw Burleigh edge the Sunshine Coast in a thrilling clash. The Falcons scored late to set up a grandstand finish, but Burleigh won with the last kick of the game to remain on top of the competition ladder. Another top-of-the-table encounter produced a stunning result, as Wynnum Manly were mauled by Townsville. Wynnum were equal-first, but now trail by two points. In a low-scoring affair, a late penalty goal by Benn Campagnolo proved the difference as the Pride won 8-6. Redcliffe recorded their first win of the season in incredible fashion, recovering from a 16-0 deficit to stun the Mustangs. The Dolphins scored six-straight tries to finally get on the board in 2019. The Capras pulled off a huge upset to thrash Norths…

Newcastle haven’t beaten South Sydney at home since 2006. Wests Tigers half Benji Marshall has a career record of 18 wins from 19 games against Canberra. Cowboys coach Paul Green has a 5-0 record against teams coached by Des Hasler. Isaah Yeo will play his 50th game at Panthers Stadium. The Bulldogs require six more points to reach 5,000 points scored at ANZ Stadium. Roosters prop Siosiua Taukeiaho will play his 100th NRL game. Titans winger Dale Copley has scored seven tries in his past four games. The Sharks have won five of their past six games against Parramatta.…