Innholdsfortegnelse for 2019 - Round 20 i Big League Weekly Edition

THEY weren’t able to send club great Johnathan Thurston out in style last year, so the Cowboys are desperate to make sure they play finals footy before Matt Scott retires at the end of the season. The veteran prop caught his team-mates by surprise when he announced 2019 would be his last in the NRL, with injuries finally catching up with the former representative star. The Cowboys are three points outside the top eight but can roar back into contention when they take on the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday. “It was an emotional meeting because none of us really expected it,” young prop Shane Wright told Big League. “We thought he’d keep playing next year once he got over his injuries, so the decision caught us by…

You moved to Australia from the English Super League. How have you settled in? It’s been brilliant. Obviously the first big change is the climate, but over in Leeds it’s pretty grim, so it’s pretty easy to settle in here. Coming over with the family, they’re pretty happy to spend days in the sunshine so it’s easy to settle into that side of things. Introducing myself to the boys and integrating into the team would have been easier if I wasn’t recovering from a knee injury when I came over, but they’re all great lads and were willing to accept me as I am. Has anyone imitated your accent yet? Everyone does on a daily basis. They all try it, but I feel bad because they’re all terrible at it.…

RUMOURS had abounded about his sexuality for years when 13-Test front-rower Ian Roberts ‘came out’ in 1995, becoming the first high-profile sportsperson in Australia to make the revelation about his sexuality. While playing at Manly the previous year, after he had gained a reputation as the best young prop in the game during his three seasons with South Sydney, Roberts elected to be interviewed for a cover story for the gay magazine Blue’s first issue, with a nude photo appearing. Yet the story never equivocally said he was gay because, as he explained years later, the interviewer wasn’t game to directly ask him – just like any journalist before him. The powerful prop finally declared his relationship with then-boyfriend Shane in late 1995 in an ‘exclusive’ in the News Limited…

Young Jack Williams is proving his worth in the Cronulla pack. A id in Cooma, was it tough playing footy on frosty grounds? The worst part was when you played on cricket pitches – they might’ve had a game on it the day before and put divots in it. Overnight it’d freeze over and be rock-hard! The wind makes everything 10 times colder too. How’s it been moving to Cronulla? Good! I thought moving from Cooma to Canberra was the big smoke. Coming up here it was a different ball-game. The traffic was crazy and I didn’t know where I was. Now I love it and all the boys have been really welcoming. If you live close to training and the beach, you probably don’t have to drive in too…

Form: Wests Tigers bounced back from three successive losses to record one of their grittiest wins when they outlasted the Knights last Friday. The Tigers recovered from an early 12-0 deficit to defy the Knights in front of a vocal home crowd and keep alive their hopes of playing finals football. Although they sit only one point outside the eight, their points differential (minus 66) adds another layer of difficulty to the challenge. The Cowboys are in even worse shape, with a differential of minus 71 and a three-point gap between themselves and eighth-placed Brisbane. Injuries decimated their backline against the Sharks last weekend and a display of outstanding determination counted for nothing when they went down by two. History: Wests Tigers’ remarkable grand final victory of 2005 is invariably…

Form: Manly have entered the frame for a top-four finish after five wins from their past six games culminated in last Saturday’s golden point victory over the Storm. Although they rode their luck, the Sea Eagles’ ability to hang tough for 90 minutes will stand them in good stead in the weeks ahead. The Knights find themselves in a completely different place after a run of four losses has left their finals aspirations on life support. After holding a place in the top four midway through the season, they’re now ninth and rapidly fading from the finals picture. Unless they can pull out of their nose dive, all of their hard work from earlier in the season will count for nothing. History: The Knights may have won little more than…

Form: Injuries and suspensions may be providing a short-term distraction for the Roosters but there is a sense that coach Trent Robinson has his team exactly where he wants them with six games to play before the finals. Those concerns are unlikely to impact the team this week as they confront the Titans. Craig Bellamy spelled half of his squad against the Titans a fortnight ago and it made no difference to the final outcome. The Titans have some certainty now that Justin Holbrook is firming as coach for 2020, but it’s hard to see the team pulling out of a five-game nosedive in the immediate future. In five consecutive losses, the Titans have given up 150 points. History: The Titans caused headaches for the Roosters in their first decade…

Paul Green will become the longest-serving Cowboys coach in club history this week. Raiders hooker Josh Hodgson will play his 100th NRL game. The Broncos haven’t beaten Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium since 2009. Rabbitohs winger Dane Gagai has scored four tries in his past three games. Penrith have won four of their past five games against the Bulldogs. Manly hooker Api Koroisau will play his 100th NRL game. Sharks winger Josh Dugan has scored six tries in his past six games. Roosters winger Brett Morris requires one more try to become the 12th player to score 150 NRL tries.…

LIVING a balanced life isn’t always easy. And like life, being a rugby league fan sometimes requires patience, calm and a step back from the situation to gain perspective. Unfortunately, the desire to lash out is strong in sport and let me tell you, this is something I also struggle with. There was plenty of outcry from all sides of the internet, talkback radio and panel shows following what was a wild round of NRL – with many exciting and close games – but the emphasis was with refereeing. I feel like I get stuck in a hamster wheel with rugby league sometimes. We get to the time of the year when the higher stakes mean every single decision is open to criticism, and honestly, it can be exhausting. But…

AFTER copping it from all sections of the media in recent weeks, the Sharks breathed new life into their finals hopes with a gritty come-from-behind win over the Cowboys led by two of their most important players. Skipper Paul Gallen has been on reduced minutes this season but wound back the clock with a season-high 236 metres to lead his side to victory when they needed it most. “He was a lot more vocal during the week trying to rev the boys up,” prop Matt Prior told Big League. “Given how passionate he is, coupled with everything we’ve been copping the past few weeks about our performances, I think he took it all personally and led from the front.” The win ended a run of five-straight losses, four of which…

8. Luke Lewis Lewis was one of many breakout youngsters to star in Penrith’s 2003 premiership triumph, subsequently debuting for NSW in 2004. He made a successful switch to the halves, but in 2009 – as the only remaining member of the Panthers’ grand final-winning squad – Lewis made an even bigger impact in the back-row, earning a NSW recall and a Test debut. Dally M Lock and Penrith’s Player of the Year in 2010, Lewis started 10 of his 16 Tests in the second row and won the Clive Churchill Medal after Cronulla’s 2016 Grand Final victory. 7. John Ribot A Queensland rep at lock in 1977, Ribot joined Newtown the following season and scored 12 tries – equalling the record for most tries by a forward in a…

Titans coach incoming At time of print, the Gold Coast Titans hadn’t officially appointed a new head coach but all signs are pointing to Justin Holbrook. Holbrook is a former Dragons, Bulldogs and Roosters assistant coach and has been plying his trade in the UK as the coach of St Helens, who are currently sitting at the top of the Super League table. Super League exodus It’s been a busy week for player movement overseas, with several NRL stars penning deals with English Super League clubs. James Maloney is the biggest name on the move, with the Panthers five-eighth set to link up with French side Catalans. Speaking of the French, Eels winger Bevan French has been released from his contract to link up with Wigan for the rest of…

ROUND 20 Aug 1-4 Wests Tigers v Cowboys Thu, 7.50pm, Leichhardt Warriors v Raiders Fri, 6pm, Mt Smart Broncos v Storm Fri, 7.55pm, Suncorp Sea Eagles v Knights Sat, 3pm, Lottoland Bulldogs v Panthers Sat, 5.30pm, Bankwest Sharks v Rabbitohs Sat, 7.35pm, PointsBet Roosters v Titans Sun, 2pm, SCG Dragons v Eels Sun, 4.05pm, Netstrata ROUND 21 Aug 8-11 Cowboys v Broncos Thu, 7.50pm, 1300SMILES Warriors v Sea Eagles Fri, 6pm, Mt Smart Panthers v Sharks Fri, 7.55pm, Panthers Dragons v Titans Sat, 3pm, Netstrata Eels v Knights Sat, 5.30pm, Bankwest Bulldogs v Wests Tigers Sat, 7.35pm, ANZ Raiders v Roosters Sun, 2pm, GIO Rabbitohs v Storm Sun, 4.05pm, Central Coast ROUND 22 Aug 15-18 Sea Eagles v Wests Tigers Thu, 7.50pm, Lottoland Titans v Eels Fri, 6pm, Cbus Super…

6 GOLDEN POINT FIELD GOALS Manly captain and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans pulled out the clutch play in the club’s thoroughly entertaining game against the Storm last weekend with his field goal in the dying seconds of golden point. It’s the sixth time Cherry-Evans has earned his side the two points with a field goal in extra-time. Following him is Johnathan Thurston with four and Cooper Cronk, Mitchell Pearce and Clinton Schifcofske with three.…

Form: The Warriors have been confronted with their toughest psychological challenge of 2019 this week as they dealt with the fall-out from last Saturday’s narrow loss to Parramatta. Their frustration at a 9-2 savaging in the penalties and a series of crucial calls that went against them was compounded when the NRL admitted that match officials had got it wrong. Instead of sharing eighth-place on the ladder, the Warriors now sit 12th and will need to win at least four of their remaining six games to reach the finals. It’s a different mindset for the Raiders, who continued their build-up for the finals with a decisive win over Penrith. Their sixth win from their past seven games shored up their position in the top four and despite a tough run…

Form: The Bulldogs proved again last Sunday that they won’t be defeated on effort with a wholehearted performance against the defending premiers. The Roosters needed to remain on their game for 80 minutes against Dean Pay’s men, who may have lacked the skill of their opponents but not their resolve. The Panthers dominated possession early against the Raiders but their inability to breach Canberra’s defence led to frustration. They fell to their first loss in eight games but with stiff competition for places in the top eight, they will need to refocus quickly. History: The Bulldogs established a healthy lead in the head-to-head tally with a run of victories in the early years of this fixture but the Panthers have made up significant ground over the past 20 years. Penrith…

Form: Mathematicians will say the Dragons are still in the race for the finals but reality suggests otherwise. Languishing in 14th position after losing 10 of their past 12 games, the Dragons have left themselves with far too much ground to make up on the top eight. They were out of sorts for much of their contest with the Rabbitohs last Friday before almost snatching an improbable victory, but in keeping with their season, their luck ran out on the final play of the game. The Eels have produced winning form on a more consistent basis and go into this clash on a run of four wins from their past five games. History: The recent history of this clash reads like a horror story for Dragons fans with only one…

CRONULLA’S grip on first place has slipped after they were held out by the Bulldogs. Canterbury scored the first 12 points of the game and managed to defend their way to victory. The Sharks have been usurped by the Roosters, who scored a crushing win over last-placed North Sydney after racing out to a 26-0 half-time lead. The Warriors are still in the hunt after a big win over Parramatta. Selestino Ravutaumada grabbed four first-half tries, and though the Eels recovered, two more late Warriors tries put the result beyond doubt. The Tigers got the jump on Newcastle thanks to a Liam Scolari double, while the Thunderbolts beat fellow strugglers Manly. The Raiders and Panthers played out a thrilling draw, and Souths beat the Dragons. WARRIORS 34 (S Ravutaumada 4,…

NORTHS DEVILS 48 (B Pakura 2, Z Jones, J James, T Sala, M McGrath, Z McGuire, D Atkinson, Z Brooks tries; Atkinson 5, James goals) D. IPSWICH JETS 10 (S Langbein, J Henderson tries; J McCarroll goal). SOUTHS LOGAN 30 (J Thompson-Barchard 2, C Evans, C Ten, J Trembath tries; H Ryan 5 goals) D. NORTHERN PRIDE 12 (D Lui, C Rothery tries; J Doherty 2 goals). MACKAY 16 (B Paskins, G Smith, H Pace tries; B White 2 goals) D. TWEED SEAGULLS 12 (J To’o, H Wood tries; C Boomer 2 goals).…

WITH the gap between finals footy and an early holiday razor-thin, the rub of the green over the past month has left Warriors fans emotionally raw. Their frustration reached an all-time low in Saturday’s controversial 24-22 loss to Parramatta. Caned 9-2 in the penalty count – highlighted by multiple incorrect stripping calls – the Warriors had their hearts broken by a contentious 77th-minute forward-pass decision that denied Gerard Beale (pictured)a match-winning try and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck one of the best assists of 2019. The NZ TAB took the extraordinary measure of refunding all head-to-head bets on the Warriors in what they dubbed a ‘justice payout’, while four officials were relegated for their handling of the match. But Warriors CEO Cameron George is calling for calm, urging supporters to focus on their…

ST GEORGE Illawarra hooker Cameron McInnes has put his hand up to captain the club next season following the departure of star five-eighth Gareth Widdop. McInnes was named a co-captain of the team while Widdop was out injured and is now one of the favourites to lead the side in 2020. The dummy-half has been one of the standouts over the past couple of seasons and has shown he’s more than capable in a leadership position. “If I get chosen, I’d love to do that but we’ll see what happens,” McInnes told Big League. “I enjoyed my time as captain in the middle there and it’s something I’d like to do more of in the future. I try to lead with my actions.” McInnes praised his current captain, Widdop, who…

My top eight 1. Storm 2. Roosters 3. Raiders 4. Rabbitohs 5. Sea Eagles 6. Eels 7. Sharks 8. Panthers I LOVE this time of the year. We’re through the Origin period, all clubs have had their byes and now we get a good look at the teams making their run to September. With how it stands at the moment, it’s hard to say Melbourne won’t finish first given what they’ve delivered throughout the year. South Sydney, the Roosters and Raiders have been inside the top four nearly all season and I imagine they’ll remain there until season’s end. History shows it’s important to be playing well defensively at this time of the year and that’s what the Raiders are doing. They’re ranked second in defence and have been exceptional…

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

MOST 24-year-olds would be content with getting a gift voucher, some new clothes or even cash for their birthday. But when Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad celebrates his 24th birthday this Friday, he’ll receive the best present of all – the chance to face his former club for the first time. As soon as Nicoll-Klokstad signed with Raiders, he opened up the diary to see when they’d clash with the Warriors. Turns out it was on his birthday. “I circled it in the calendar the moment I signed,” says Nicoll-Klokstad, who joined the Raiders earlier this year after a lack of opportunities in the NRL with the Warriors. “I was like ‘man I really hope I get to play against the Warriors’. I was thinking 20 rounds should be enough to get in…

LUKE Patten is arguably the greatest modern player to don the No.1 jumper for the Bulldogs. He played 282 NRL matches across 13 seasons in the top grade and became a fan favourite at Belmore. He scored exactly 100 tries and was always reliable at the back for the Dogs. Since his retirement in 2010, there’s been a void in that position at the club. Ben Barba starred in the No.1 jersey and even won a Dally M Medal in 2012, however off-field dramas and positional and club changes unsettled the side. The Bulldogs have had a number of players fill the role over the past decade but no players has made it their own. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak wants to change that. “I’ve always been vocal about playing fullback. I’ve played…

WARRIORS POWERFUL winger Ken Maumalo has sent a scary warning to the rest of the competition, declaring he’s still looking to improve parts of his game in what has easily been his best season in the NRL. Once dubbed the ‘Mini Beast’ as the Warriors looked to replace club great Manu Vatuvei, it took a while for Maumalo to find his feet in the NRL, with the outside back managing just 14 tries in his first four seasons. However, he’s found a new lease on footy in 2019 and has already matched his career tally in just 17 matches, including a double against the Eels last week. Fittingly, he and Parramatta star Maika Sivo are joint-leaders in the try stakes. While he’s been scoring for fun, Maumalo has also upped…

HOW are those trades going Fantasy coaches? We’re on the home stretch now and most of us are flying by the seat of our pants when it comes to those precious, precious trades. With Fantasy squads being whittled down from 21 serviceable players and/or cash cows to a gun 17 or 18, most of us can ill-afford any bad news on the injury or suspension front. Fortunately for the second-straight weekend it was mostly smooth sailing in that regard, and again most of the key Fantasy players scored solidly. The main issues from Round 19 were Roosters prop Siosiua Taukeiaho, who went off with a calf issue after scoring 30 and is set to miss a couple of games, and in-form Warriors lock Jazz Tevaga, who scored 58 but didn’t…

Form: The Broncos’ form has improved dramatically over the past month and after sitting 14th on the ladder a few weeks ago, they’ve climbed to eighth after claiming three wins and a draw from their past four games. There is little question that their intensity and urgency has improved on their inert efforts earlier in the season and even though they still look short of a finals certainty, confidence is returning. The Storm’s nine-game winning streak came to a halt at AAMI Park last Saturday but it was not for lack of effort in their golden point loss to the Sea Eagles. History: No team causes greater anguish for the Broncos than Melbourne, who have established an imposing record of dominance in this fixture that stretches back to 1998. In…

Form: The Sharks will be hoping that an unconvincing win over the Cowboys last Thursday will restore confidence after a run of five-straight defeats. Realistically, it was far from a polished effort against a Cowboys side that was cut to pieces through injury and the Sharks left much room for improvement. The Rabbitohs left it until the final play to achieve their victory over the Dragons last Friday after blowing several opportunities to lock up the result. It was not the first time in 2019 that Souths have had the chance to ice a victory but have made matters difficult for themselves. History: The rivalry between these clubs dates back over 50 years but only once have they confronted each other in a finals match. That was in 2015, when…

SOUTH Sydney have leapt to the top of the Canterbury Cup table after beating the Dragons by three. A one-point lead ensured a tight finish, before a 79th minute penalty goal put the Rabbitohs’ minds at ease. A capacity crowd filed in to Henson Park as Newtown celebrated their Beer, Footy, Food Festival with a crushing win against the Bulldogs, sparked by an 11-minute Sione Katoa hat-trick. The Warriors jumped into eighth place with a win over Wentworthville, led by Taane Milne, who finished the game with a personal tally of 18 points thanks to two tries and five goals. Western Suburbs have kept their own finals hopes alive with a come-from-behind win over Newcastle. The Knights shot out to an early lead before a Kane Bradley double helped the…