Moves, Rumours,Judiciary, Injuries ...

[Graham]

Six wins and nine losses in 15 Origin games.

5 years is enough. Time for a change.

 

Edited August 25, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Looks like Semi Radradra is regretting his move to Union before he's even left RL.

His words, I just want to try something different before coming back to League speaks volumes.

Quote

Semi Radradra has shown himself to be the ultimate romantic, after asking the Eels to wait for him to return from rugby union.

According to SMH, Radradra has requested that the club keep space in their 2018 salary cap for him, in the biggest indicator yet that he plans an immediate return to rugby league next year.

Asked after the Eels victory over the Broncos, if he was planning a return for next season, Radradra said “I just want to try something different and then come back to NRL.”

This plan had been widely discussed earlier in the season, and after his four-try effort on Thursday night, no doubt Eels fans will be praying it comes to fruition.

 

[Graham]

 Wade Graham

Sharks star Wade Graham was assisted from the field in the 20th minute of the match against the Roosters, then later seen with a moon boot protecting his right calf and lower leg.

With a crucial last round match in Newcastle and the finals series ahead, Sharks coaching staff and fans hoped for the best.

Graham underwent scans yesterday and in what was a positive result, there is every chance he will be back on deck as soon as this week.

The scans revealed a bad cork and significant bruising, but no bone damage, with a fracture to Graham’s lower leg an outcome that was a possibility given the pain he was in from the blow he took to the calf during the match.

Graham will now undergo treatment, with his status for the game against the Knights on Sunday to become clearer during the week.

[Graham]

Tyrone Roberts is hoping to sign a new deal with the Gold Coast Titans in the next few weeks and has expressed his desire to keep wearing the No. 6 jersey in 2018.

Roberts has been one of the stars for the Gold Coast club in 2017 in what can only be called a disappointing season.

[Farmduck]

I don't see how Tyrone Roberts will get the 6 jumper with Taylor and Elgey there. He might be better off trying somewhere else.

[Graham]

It's not that long aga that he said Titans had 'stuffed him around' as he felt he was in limbo at the club FD.

He is, or has been treated as, a utility player. (Can play hooker, halves, centre, fullback)

[Irish Saint]

Will the Dragons play Dugan this Sunday.   Rumoured he missed the bus as more interested in the Mayweather  McGregor fight. Why have Cronulla  signed this clown?

[Graham]

Josh Dugan

 

He's probably worse than a clown, Irish Saint. Certainly lacks judgement.

According to one report I read, he missed the team bus ' through a misunderstanding' and drove himself to the game, but his coach and senior team mates had already decided he wouldn't be allowed to play.

According to the coach the one match would be sufficient punishment and he would be in the mix for this weekend.

Edited August 28, 2017 by Graham

[Irish Saint]

From Nrl.com

Milford to miss World Cup

Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett says Anthony Milford is no chance of playing for either Australia or Samoa in this year's Rugby League World Cup. 

‌Eligible for both countries, Milford will instead be forced to have surgery on his injured shoulder after dislocating it during Brisbane's six-point win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Round 14. 

He returned to the Broncos side in Round 19 and has played injured since, battling through the pain to try and end Brisbane's 11-year premiership drought. 

The 23-year-old was prepared to continue playing in discomfort after the NRL season had finished, desperate to represent his country on the world stage. 

But Bennett has quashed any such thought, saying his star five-eighth will be in for surgery as soon the Broncos' season finishes. 

 

"[Playing] at the World Cup? Yeah that's Milford's idea of getting out of surgery. He's no chance," Bennett said. 

"I'm happy for him to play but he knows what has to happen and I know what has to happen. 

"Our intentions are for him to have surgery when the season is over. There is no alternative to that. There's no grey area."

Milford will instead have to settle for finals football, with his Broncos team well placed to go deep into September.

Brisbane will play the North Queensland Cowboys on Thursday night and a victory would mean the Broncos would finish the regular season in no lower than third position. 

Although Brisbane have lost prop Korbin Sims for the season with a fractured arm, they have been bolstered by the return of two young enforcers who shape as key figures in the local derby. 

Tevita Pangai Junior and Joe Ofahengaue are back and ready to take it to hulking Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo, and Bennett has full faith that these two will step up in Sims's absence and match it with North Queensland's pack.  

"We have Joe back and Tevita back. They have been playing well for us and we have a pretty good bench there," he said.

"Jai Arrow has been really good for us and he's 18th man. We have a bit of coverage. We are in good shape."

In a first for the year, Brisbane utility Ben Hunt will start the match at hooker, with Bennett hoping the crafty playmaker can play out the 80 minutes. 

"It is ideal for me because Ben is the best player we have to play hooker. I'd rather have him out there for 80 minutes than 60 minutes," he said. 

"We had to work him into the position. I want the best players on the field to start the game and he is the best player in that position. That's why he's there now. We just had to take our time with it."

Second-row forward Alex Glenn failed to train on Wednesday because of groin soreness but he is expected to play.  

 

Wayne Bennett is now off to the Melbourne Storm to tell them the spine of their team should go on holiday for the month of November.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Irish Saint

[Graham]

Presumably Wayne will use all his charm and eloquence to persuade Storm of this course of action, Irish Saint?

[Graham]

The investigation into salary cap breaches at Manly could drag on until after this year’s upcoming finals series, according to Sea Eagles chairman Scott Penn.

The NRL integrity unit have been looking at Manly’s books for almost two months after the NSW Organised Crime Commission was believed to have uncovered secret player payments.

Penn is adamant the club will soon be cleared of match-fixing by NSW police.

“We’ve engaged with the authorities recently to understand where it’s at. Our understanding is that in the near future the match-fixing investigation will be closed,” Penn said on Wednesday.

“That’s up to them to come up with that, but we don’t believe there’ll be anything come of that from a club perspective.”

However the Sea Eagles owner admits the dark cloud of cheating the cap is likely to hover over the game and club until October because of the league’s ongoing pay talks with the players.

“I spoke to (NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg) last week and said, ‘We’ve given you everything we possibly can, where are we at?’

[Graham]

Ben Hunt will start at hooker for Broncos this weekend

[Graham]

Aaron Woods reckons Todd Carney would have to eat humble pie to geta comeback in the NRL, saying he's have to accept a lower tier salary.

Carney has been playing in the Super League for the past three seasons.

He was reportedly seeking close to $2.4 million in damages after being axed by the Sharks in 2014 after a lewd photo emerged of Carney on social media.

But with the drama all but wrapped up, with the two parties close to agreeing on a six-figure settlement, the 31-year-old’s path to return to Australia is almost clear.

Canterbury captain James Graham said the NRL should embrace a Carney comeback.

[Graham]

It's Canberra who've sneaked in and signed Charlie Gibbs from Warriors while the Cowboys were presumably looking away.

[Graham]

Parramatta half Jeff Robson will retire at the end of the year.

The 35-year-old finish his career with more than 170 first grade games across four clubs.

He had his greatest success at the Eels where he helped guide the team to the 2009 grand final.

[Farmduck]

Robson should have gone to SL. He would have been a perfect game-manager type to pair with a young half who's still learning. Excellent low-budget player.

[Graham]

As if SL is a place for old nrl players

[Graham]

 Beau Scott

 

Parramatta are set to welcome Beau Scott and Kaysa Pritchard back from what were originally feared to be season-ending injuries against the Rabbitohs on Friday night.

Both players have been named on the Eels extended bench as the club pushes for a top four finish, and coach Brad Arthur says the pair are a good chance of getting game time this week for the first time since June.

[Graham]

Melbourne's plans for life after the Big Three continue to gather steam, with star speedsters Suliasi Vunivalu and Josh Addo-Carr completing a round dozen of Storm players now signed up through 2020 or beyond.

The club officially announced the retentions of Vunivalu (until the end of 2020) and Addo-Carr (2021) on Thursday, with both players understood to have earned healthy salary upgrades in the process.

[Graham]

 

Matt Moylan’s future at Penrith has been thrown under a cloud.

Fox Sports’ chief NRL reporter James Hooper told NRL Tonight the Panthers captain is disgruntled with the club and is being sounded out by a number of rivals.

Channel Nine is reporting Phil Gould will meet with Moylan early next week to discuss the situation.

Edited September 1, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

No pommie international players in the teams that have made the finals - am I right?

 

Hang on, just found this from Vossy:

Quote

 

English absence in the finals

This one here on behalf of all my league friends in the north of England. No Burgess boys. No Graham. No Hodgson. All the NRL English internationals with the exception of Chris Heighington can take a break before the World Cup.

 

 

[Graham]

Finals Schedule:

Qualifying Final: Friday, September 8, 7.55pm, Allianz Stadium

NRL: Sydney Roosters (2) v Brisbane Broncos (3)

Holden Cup: Brisbane Broncos (6) v Newcastle Knights (7); 5.15pm

Qualifying Final: Saturday, September 9, 4.10pm, AAMI Park

NRL: Melbourne Storm (1) v Parramatta Eels (4)

Elimination Final: Saturday, September 9, 7.40pm, Allianz Stadium

NRL: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (6) v Penrith Panthers (7)

Holden Cup: Penrith Panthers (2) v St George Illawarra Dragons (3); 5.00pm

Elimination Final: Sunday, September 10, 4.10pm, Allianz Stadium

NRL: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (5) v North Queensland Cowboys (8)

Holden Cup: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (1) v Parramatta Eels (4); 1.30pm

Holden Cup: Nth Qld Cowboys (5) V Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (8); 11.15am

All times local

Edited September 3, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

 

As expected, the Tigers have announced the signing of Storm back-rower Robbie Rochow for the next two years.

The new deal will see Rochow join the Tigers until the end of 2019.

Rochow opened the season as a Rabbitoh, before joining the Storm on a short-term deal mid-season.

News of the Rochow’s expected signing first surfaced in July, before finally being confirmed yesterday.

Rochow has played 82 first grade games for the Rabbitohs, Knights and Storm.

[Farmduck]

Quote

Des Hasler and Michael Maguire could both find themselves jobless by the end of the week.

News Corp journalist Phil Rothfield told NRL 360 he expects Canterbury to announce Hasler’s axing within days, while Paul Kent revealed Maguire will be cut loose by South Sydney.

“My tip is by the end of this week - and I’ve made a lot of phone calls today to Canterbury - Des Hasler will be (sacked),” Rothfield said.

“They want to do it nicely, quietly. They want to have their Mad Monday today, they want to have their presentation night on Thursday, then they’ll get down and finalise their review.

“Des will be gone by the weekend.”

Kent reported Maguire is likely to leave South Sydney and head back to the Super League to coach Warrington.

But NRL 360 co-host Ben Ikin revealed he’s heard whispers Maguire is in contention for the vacant Gold Coast coaching job.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/media-watch-the-2016-blowup-that-could-push-matt-moylan-to-cronulla-sharks/news-story/aed358162dcfa7270217a13f12f4faa5

[Farmduck]

South Sydney Rabbitohs part ways with Michael McGuire as NRL coach

Michael Maguire's reign as South Sydney NRL coach has ended with immediate effect.

The Rabbitohs issued a statement after a board meeting today, saying Souths and the 2014 premiership-winning coach had agreed to part company.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-05/south-sydney-rabbitohs-part-company-with-coach-michael-maguire/8875744