Moves, Rumours,Judiciary, Injuries ...

[Irish Saint]

44 minutes ago, Graham said:

A little more progress on the Ethan Lowe move:

Cowboys forward Ethan Lowe is set to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, according to a report by the Daily Telegraph.

It is understood that the 27-year old is about to be released by North Queensland where he will then immediately sign with South Sydney.

A member of the Cowboys’ 2015 premiership side, Lowe struggled through form woes last season to play 15 first-grade games.

The backrower made his NRL debut for North Queensland in 201 and has totalled 108 games. Lowe would become Wayne Bennett’s first recruit since taking over the top job at South Sydney.

Lowe’s departure will help free up the necessary salary for the Cowboys to sign Bronco Jordan Kahu as Ben Barba’s replacement.

 

Will he still call himself Kahu  or will he be going by name of  Kahukauranui that he played under in the All Stars Game?

Good signing.

[DavidM]

2 minutes ago, Irish Saint said:

Will he still call himself Kahu  or will he be going by name of  Kahukauranui that he played under in the All Stars Game?

Good signing.

Commentators and pundits will be hoping it’s a one off ! They earn their money with the names now !

[Sticklebricks]

2 hours ago, Graham said:

A little more progress on the Ethan Lowe move:

Cowboys forward Ethan Lowe is set to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, according to a report by the Daily Telegraph.

It is understood that the 27-year old is about to be released by North Queensland where he will then immediately sign with South Sydney.

A member of the Cowboys’ 2015 premiership side, Lowe struggled through form woes last season to play 15 first-grade games.

The backrower made his NRL debut for North Queensland in 201 and has totalled 108 games. Lowe would become Wayne Bennett’s first recruit since taking over the top job at South Sydney.

Lowe’s departure will help free up the necessary salary for the Cowboys to sign Bronco Jordan Kahu as Ben Barba’s replacement.

 

Don’t know why they would need to free money up, you would have thought the coin that barba was due would have been a fair whack ??

[Graham]

The deed is done. Cowboys have signed Jordan Kahu.

He signed a one year deal and the thinking is he’ll replace Barba at full back

[DavidM]

Goalkicker without JT and Lowe 

[Graham]

He signed Monday afternoon, I heard about it Monday morning. 

Amazing eh? No.........

 

[DavidM]

Dufty signs new contract . Common sense prevails 

[Graham]

Update:

Quote

Dylan Walker’s pending domestic violence charges will not be a deciding factor in whether he plays in Manly’s first NRL trial against Cronulla on Saturday night.

The Sea Eagles say Walker is available for selection in the Shark Park match, which comes less than 72 hours before the 24-year-old is due to face court.

Walker, 24, will face two assault charges from December and is expected to plead not guilty.

Under current NRL rules, Walker is free to play, and Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler will make a final decision later this week.

But the looming court case will not impact on Manly’s decision. Instead, it will be based solely around whether Walker has the fitness and desire to play.

Privately, Manly believe Walker is mentally ready to play football again, and could play up to half of Saturday’s match.

Walker has been cleared to play against Cronulla. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas. One official said: “We will see how the week unfolds at training. He is available. The court case won’t be a deciding factor in whether he plays or not.”

The Sea Eagles may opt to rest several star players before contesting a full-blown trial against the Sydney Roosters in Gosford on Saturday week.

Walker, a former NSW and Australian player, has been training with Manly at the club’s Narrabeen headquarters. The club is continuing to monitor Walker’s welfare.

Walker was told to stay away from training after the allegations were made public to “get his head right.” He wasn’t officially stood down or sanctioned by the club.

He faces criminal charges of common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after his fiancee Alexandra Ivkovic sustained cuts to her feet, leg and shoulder in the northern beaches suburb of Dee Why on December 6.

Will Walker play? Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images. Ivkovic, also 24, has retracted her statement but police will push forward with the case against Walker.

Manly held a media day on Monday at Narrabeen but Walker was not available for interview. Sea Eagles chief executive Lyall Gorman was not commenting.

The decision on whether to play Walker should be made by Thursday.

 

 

[Graham]

Manly v Cronulla becomes Cronulla v Manly

Cronulla released a statement on Monday confirming the trial match had been shifted from Brookvale to Shark Park.

The Brookvale Oval playing surface was deemed unacceptable by both clubs. The match will kick off at 7.30pm.

[Graham]

Wests Tigers have announced the signing of Robert Jennings for the coming two seasons.

The two-year deal will see the outside back join Wests Tigers immediately until at least the end of the 2020 NRL season.

[Graham]

Newcastle Knights are planning to try to secure the talents of Kalyn Ponga and club captain Mitchell Pearce.

The Knights signed Ponga to a four-year deal this time last year but want to ensure the 20-year-old remains with them.

According to some reports the Knights are planning to throw $7 million at the halves pair.

[Graham]

New Zealand Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has revealed that Issac Luke and Blake Green are on track to play in round one.

Luke has been out with a shoulder injury that required surgery and resulted in Newcastle withdrawing their contract offer.

Kearney has been encouraged by the recent progress Luke has made in his recovery.

“He’s tracking along nicely. Providing the next couple of weeks are good to him he should be okay for round one,” Kearney told stuff.co.nz.

Meanwhile, Green is recovering from a hamstring strain suffered in pre-season training.

[Graham]

So on the heels of Kearney's words about Issac Luke being ready for R1:

The Parramatta Eels are reportedly set to table an offer for Warriors hooker Issac Luke.

The report comes just days after The Sydney Morning Herald revealed details of the Warriors’ $3 million offer to Parramatta for young gun Dylan Brown.

The Eels’ offer would see Luke in the blue and gold for the 2019 season.

The New Zealand international is contracted to the Warriors for 2019 on a relatively lean deal when considering his calibre.

Luke had agreed to a salary of roughly $150,000 with the Warriors with a clause inserted in his contract that he be released should a rival club come up with a more lucrative offer.

[Graham]

Time soon to give Perth another go in the NRL?

Quote

The Western Reds seems like an eternity ago now.

And one of the men who wore the red, black, white and gold of the ill-fated Perth franchise says it’s time to try again.

Mark Geyer, who played for the Reds over three seasons in the mid-1990s, shakes his head at the thought of the game’s branding — the National Rugby League.

“We’re called the NRL and we shouldn’t be, because we’re not national,” Geyer said on Triple M.

There are clubs in four of Australia’s eight states and territories, but they’re all in the east.

That’s why Geyer has proposed that the NRL ventures west, and once again grants a licence to a Perth-based bid.

“To go national, I truly believe - not just because I played there - but I’ve been there and I’ve seen the want and the need for a team in Perth,” he continued.

He said the Reds, which folded as a first-grade entity in 1997, would have been a success if not for the Super League war. And insists there’s an appetite for rugby league in the AFL-mad state.

“When we were put together in 1994 with the Western Reds — a rag-tag team — we had instant success and we had one name: Brad Mackay,” he said.

“I was coming off a bad couple of years, we had blokes who were fringe first-graders, we had blokes who were playing Super League in England, but we came together with one cause: to be pioneers in Western Australia rugby league.

“We’d still be there if Super League didn’t come along.”

According to Geyer, there hasn’t been a better time to expand into Western Australia, with Game Two of the 2019 State of Origin series to be played at the new Perth Stadium.

“The game needs a shot in the arm at the moment,” he said.

“With the second Origin being played in Perth, I think it would be a fantastic time to announce that in 2020 or 2021, we’re going to have a team here in Perth.

“Whatever they’re called, the Perth Pirates or the Western Suns. Whatever.”

 

[DoubleD]

On 2/21/2019 at 11:34 AM, Graham said:

Newcastle Knights are planning to try to secure the talents of Kalyn Ponga and club captain Mitchell Pearce.

The Knights signed Ponga to a four-year deal this time last year but want to ensure the 20-year-old remains with them.

According to some reports the Knights are planning to throw $7 million at the halves pair.

Is Ponga all set to play in the halves next year then? Such a talent he could play anywhere but it wouldn’t surprise me if stand off becomes his position 

[DavidM]

Just now, DoubleD said:

Is Ponga all set to play in the halves next year then? Such a talent he could play anywhere but it wouldn’t surprise me if stand off becomes his position 

Yes

[Graham]

Good idea to see him get a go in the halves. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s up to being in the thick of the action upfront week after week. Surely he will do well there as he is a naturally gifted player who will revel in being involved more often.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Graham

[DavidM]

More bad news for Manly . Tommy Turbo pulls his hamstring in the trial against the Sharks

[Graham]

and in the same vein ...

Penrith forward Viliame Kikau will miss the opening rounds of the season after sustaining a knee injury during the Panthers’ clash with South Sydney last Saturday.

Kikau will now be sidelined for the next six weeks as he recovers from the injury, which was diagnosed as a Grade II medial ligament injury on his right knee.

 

[Graham]

“Parramatta Eels Club has fined Jaeman Salmon $10,000 and suspended him for round 1 of the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership for a low range drink driving charge from a traffic incident late last year,” the statement reads.

“The club reached its decision following discussions with the NRL Integrity Unit.

“Jaeman has demonstrated genuine remorse and has supported this by completing a safe driving course and is currently undertaking welfare and education programs stipulated by the Club.

[Graham]

Johnathan Thurston's wife Samantha has given birth to their fourth child. Congratulations to them both.

[Irish Saint]

Both Cronulla and Parramatta have moved to shore up their hooking stocks with the respective re-signings of James Segeyaro and Reed Mahoney.

Segeyaro returned to Sharks training on Tuesday morning with a deal for 2019 over the line, having spent the summer in limbo due to Cronulla’s impending salary cap punishment.

The Eels meanwhile have extended and upgraded the contract of Mahoney until the end of 2020.

Mahoney played nine games for Parramatta last year after debuting against the Cowboys in Darwin.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Irish Saint

[Graham]

I thought Seggy was too good to be without a club for the start of the season.

[Graham]

Melbourne Squad v Cowboys. Pre-Season Game

Storm will travel to Mackay on Thursday and players will take part in a signing session at Caneland Central shopping centre on Friday at 3.45pm.

Kick-off on Saturday night is at 7.30pm (Qld time).

1. Scott Drinkwater

2. Suliasi Vunivalu

3. Marion Seve

4. Curtis Scott

5. Josh Addo-Carr

6. Cameron Munster

7. Brodie Croft

8. Christian Welch

9. Cameron Smith

10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona

11. Felise Kaufusi

12. Kenny Bromwich

13. Dale Finucane

14. Brandon Smith

15. Tom Eisenhuth

16. Tui Kamikamica

17. Jesse Bromwich

18. Tino Fa’Asuamaleaui

19. Joe Stimson

20. Ryan Papenhuyzen

21. Sandor Earl

22. Billy Walters

23. Justin Olam

24. Cheyse Blair

25. Patrick Kaufusi 

[Graham]

The Rabbitohs have announced the signing of forward Ethan Lowe for the 2019 season.

The 27-year old joins South Sydney after 108 NRL games for the North Queensland Cowboys, making his debut in 2013 and winning a premiership with the team in 2015.