Tigers coach Tim Sheens told Grandstand's Richard Svenson that his side's effort did not match its execution in the Tigers' 24-18 loss to the Dragons on Sunday.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Interview: Tim Sheens
Published:Sunday, May 29, 2011 5:48 AESTExpires:Saturday, August 27, 2011 5:48 AEST
Lewis gets call out of the Blue
Posted May 29, 2011 20:03:00 Penrith star Luke Lewis said he has been buoyed by a phone call from New South Wales coach Ricky Stuart as he attempts to force his way into the team picked for State of Origin II.
If Stuart is to make subtle changes to the Blues side, experienced representative player Lewis will come into contention.
Their phone correspondence after Stuart left an underdone Lewis out for game one, indicates the respect the Blues mentor has for the backrow utility - and how he has every chance of forcing his way back into the 17.
The versatile Panthers veteran only had one match back from injury to prove himself ahead of the opener at Lang Park, however it is generally accepted his work ethic and talent makes him perfectly suited to the rigours of Origin football.
Lewis has a perfect opportunity to prove himself in Monday night's clash with South Sydney in Penrith.
He said he appreciated a call of support from Stuart, who advised him to keep working hard to put himself back in the selection frame.
"Ricky gave me a call and said I've just got to get some game time under my belt and he said thanks for putting your best forward and trying to do your best to get into the team," he said.
"He just talked to me and told me what he wanted me to work on and what he wanted me to do so it was really good to get a bit of feedback.
"I really appreciated that phone call, I didn't expect it but it's definitely a nice call to get off the New South Wales coach."
Stuart is hesitant to make changes for the crucial second tie at risk of damaging the team fabric he established in his first camp.
However there are few better team players in the competition than 27-year-old Lewis.
The inspirational Panthers leader said he would be comfortable coming into the side without the grounding of game one.
"I've had the opportunity to play there with some of those guys which has been a great experience, I would love to get back there and do my best for the team ... it's a massive game," he said.
"But I found the other night the team was really tight-knit and they really worked for each other and I think that's what it's all about ... see how we go I guess.
"At the end of the day I'm a New South Wales person, I'm proud to be a New South Welshman and I really don't care if I'm watching from the sideline or out on the field.
"As long as we put our best foot forward to get that trophy back to New South Wales that would be unreal."
According to Lewis, the Panthers will need to shut down key Bunnies Chris Sandow, Issac Luke and Rhys Wesser to be any hope on Monday night.
He is confident centre Michael Jennings will carry on his strong form from Origin I into the important Rabbitohs clash.
"We just hope he gets involved around the ruck and see how it goes from there and hopefully he gets some ball and some broken play," Lewis said.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, penrith-2750Panthers account for Rabbitohs
Updated May 30, 2011 21:34:00 South Sydney was made to pay for not playing to the whistle in its 22-10 loss to Penrith at Panthers Stadium.
The Panthers moved to within one win of the top eight with a gutsy victory in driving rain, but the Rabbitohs were every chance until the 71st minute, when full-back Lachlan Coote confirmed the home side's triumph with a lucky, but intelligent piece of play.
Coote found Masada Iosefa on his inside with a clever ball, but the replacement utility dropped the ball cold.
However unbeknownst to the player himself, and Rabbitohs back rower Chris McQueen who had a chance to clean up, Iosefa had managed to fortuitously drop the ball onto his foot, constituting a kick.
Coote chased through and grounded the ball, while McQueen - expecting to hear the referee's whistle - did not do a thing.
The video referee showed the green light and the Rabbitohs lost any chance of what seemed like a possible comeback after they had fought hard to cut the margin to just a converted try.
Rabbitohs coach John Lang says his team's failure to clean up the final try was "unprofessional" and believes they did not give themselves a chance.
"That just shows a lack of commitment and I think a lack of professionalism from the guys who were involved in it," he said.
Souths full-back Rhys Wesser would also be ruing a moment midway through the second 40 minutes when he burst through, but chose not to pass to a flying Issac Luke, who might have scored under the posts.
Panthers forward Luke Lewis sent New South Wales State of Origin selectors a strong message in setting up the Panthers' 16-4 half-time lead and also having a hand in the final try.
Lewis was only one NRL match back from injury when the Blues side was picked for Origin I, and he was subsequently left out.
However, the experienced representative player has stormed into contention for Origin II.
Lewis says he is crossing his fingers for an Origin call-up.
"I'd love [to play in Origin II], playing for your state, there's nothing better," he said.
"I thought the boys who played on Wednesday night - the whole 17 - played great and put in a good performance ... I can't see them changing the team, but if I got the opportunity I'd take it with two hands."
Lewis was a constant threat for the Panthers on the left-hand side of the field and scored the first try.
James Roberts and Luke scored for the Rabbitohs but crafty play from Panthers half-back Luke Walsh - who set up tries for Trent Waterhouse and Adrian Purtell towards the end of the first half - was always going to make life difficult for the visitors.
Panthers: 22 (Coote, Lewis, Purtell, Waterhouse tries; Walsh 3/4 cons)
Rabbitohs: 10 (Luke, Roberts tries; Sandow 1/2 cons)
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, penrith-2750, redfern-2016 First posted May 30, 2011 20:51:00Dragons on cloud nine with Tigers win
Updated May 29, 2011 18:13:00 St George Illawarra has clung on to post a club-record ninth straight win with a 24-18 defeat of Wests Tigers in their NRL clash at Kogarah Jubilee Oval.
The Dragons' five-tries-to-three victory, which came after a late Tigers comeback, bettered the joint venture club's previous best winning streak of eight wins set in 2005.
With seven players backing up from Wednesday night's State of Origin clash, the home side led 20-6 at the break before in-form centre Mark Gasnier appeared to have scored the sealer in the 61st minute.
But an off day for goalkicker Jamie Soward, who managed just two from four, and a 75th minute try to Tigers back Tim Moltzen brought to mind the Dragons' second-half fade-out against Canterbury two weeks ago.
The gutsy second half display from the Tigers may help dispel reports of player unrest at the club after contracted stars Bryce Gibbs, Liam Fulton and Moltzen were granted permission to negotiate with other clubs.
Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys has admitted the move has been unsettling, while a clear-the-air meeting was reportedly held last week, days after coach Tim Sheens had not allowed the side to sing the team song following an insipid showing in downing strugglers Penrith.
After the match, Dragons forward Ben Creagh lauded the Tigers' attacking flair, saying his side needed to muster all of its experience to shut up shop.
"It did get a bit tight there at the end, we got a bit tired there at the back of the second half - they're a very creative side the Tigers, very dangerous too," he told Grandstand.
"Robbie Farah and Benji [Marshall] like to always skip across the field ... they're very hard to defend, they got us a couple of times today going down the middle and it kind of hurts a bit."
Creagh said while the efforts of backing up from Wednesday's State of Origin match in Brisbane might leave the rep players feeling sore in the morning, it was not a big issue going into the Tigers clash.
"I wasn't feeling too bad today, I only played 40 minutes on Wednesday night," he said.
"I think Beau [Scott] might be a bit sore after playing 80 in the back row ... but I don't think it really matters when you back up, you still have to play another game of footy, so you just have to get your head right for that."
Matt Cooper, Trent Merrin, Jason Nightingale, Brett Morris and Gasnier scored tries for the Dragons in front of 19,892 fans.
For the Tigers, Andrew Fifita, Matt Utai and Moltzen crossed for four-pointers with Benji Marshall kicking three from three.
The Dragons' half-time lead had come courtesy of four tries to one in the first 40 but the Tigers hit back when Utai capitalised on a long cut-out from Marshall in the 48th minute and the conversion made it 20-12.
Serial Tigers tormentor Gasnier scored his 21st try in 15 games against the club in the 61st minute to have the home side back on top.
But it was Gasnier's attempted flick pass that allowed Moltzen to capitalise on a Robbie Farah grubber and set up a tense finish, the Tigers unable to come up with the match-winning play.
Dragons: 24 (M Cooper, T Merrin, J Nightingale, B Morris, M Gasnier tries; J Soward 2/5 conversions)
Tigers: 18 (A Fifita, M Utai, T Moltzen tries; B Marshall 3/3 conversions)
- ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, nsw, balmain-2041, campbelltown-2560, kogarah-2217, wollongong-2500 First posted May 29, 2011 16:53:00Mullen facing season on the sideline
Updated May 30, 2011 09:29:00 The Newcastle Knights expect to know later today if Jarrod Mullen's injury, suffered in Saturday night's 8-6 defeat over Parramatta, will end his season.
The half-back tore his pectoral muscle after a heavy tackle in the first half, marring the Knights' home victory after three successive losses.
Coach Rick Stone says the full extent of his injury should be known after further scans today, but there is a ray of hope Mullen will return before the end of the season.
"You know I'd like to think it might not be as bad as bad as first thought," he said.
"I think a lot of these diagnosis with a pectoral tear are pretty much the season straight away. But if they're not full tears well there's the possibility of rehabilitation of between six and eight weeks before they come back."
Stone is considering moving skipper Kurt Gidley from full-back to half-back in place of the injured Mullen.
He says he will decide later in the week who to put in the number seven spot.
"Kurt's definitely a possibility to play half-back," he said.
"Probably young Tyrone Roberts who's done a bit for us there in the last couple of weeks will come into contention there, even though he may not be available for selection immediately because he was injured last week in our MYC game.
"So I've got a little bit of thinking to do. I've got a couple of days to think about it but we'll take our time and make sure we get it right."
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, newcastle-2300 First posted May 30, 2011 07:35:00Sharks circle around Blair
Adam Blair of the Storm is tackled during the round 12 NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla Sharks at AAMI Park on May 29, 2011.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, vic, melbourne-3000Cooper goes over for Dragons
Matt Cooper of the Dragons dives over to score a try during the round 12 NRL match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Wests Tigers at WIN Jubilee Stadium on May 29, 2011.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaMullen to return for finals push
Updated May 30, 2011 15:09:00 Newcastle half-back Jarrod Mullen received some positive news on Monday when scans on his pectoral muscle injury indicated he could return to NRL action in two months.
There were fears Mullen's season may be over when he left the field in pain after making a tackle on Parramatta half-back Jeff Robson during his team's gutsy 8-6 win on Saturday.
But the scans revealed only a partial tear, rather than the worst case of being torn off the bone.
As a result, the former NSW State of Origin representative expects to be back to help the Knights in the charge to the finals.
"This is great news and a big relief for both Jarrod and the club," coach Rick Stone said in a statement.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, nsw, newcastle-2300 First posted May 30, 2011 14:30:00Interview: Craig Bellamy
Published:Sunday, May 29, 2011 5:31 AESTExpires:Saturday, August 27, 2011 5:31 AEST
Storm coach Craig Bellamy told Grandstand's Steve Mascord that his side anticipated a tough clash against Cronulla in Melbourne's eventual 14-8 win at AAMI Park.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaMonday, May 30, 2011
Souths young guns sign new deals
Posted May 27, 2011 13:43:00 South Sydney tyros Chris McQueen, Dave Tyrell and Nathan Peats have signed new deals that will keep them at the NRL club until the end of 2013.
Tyrrell, 22, joined the Rabbitohs in 2008 from the Easts Tigers in Brisbane, and will play his 30th NRL game this Monday against Penrith.
McQueen, 23, arrived at the club in 2009 and despite an injury-interrupted career, has proven valuable in the outside backs or the back row this year.
Twenty-year-old local junior Peats captained Souths' Toyota Cup side to the grand final last year and made his debut against Manly in round four this season.
"This is a great reward for hard work for these three players," chief executive Shane Richardson said.
"These three guys have been some of the hardest working players in our squad over the past couple of years and thoroughly deserve their contract extensions."
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, nsw, redfern-2016, sydney-south-2000Interview: Des Hasler
Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 11:48 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 11:48 AEST
Manly coach Des Hasler told Grandstand's Brad Tallon he was pleased with how the Sea Eagles finished over the top of Brisbane in their 34-10 win at Lang Park.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaInterview: Roy Asotasi
Published:Sunday, May 29, 2011 2:43 AESTExpires:Saturday, August 27, 2011 2:43 AEST
Rabbitohs forward Roy Asotasi told Grandstand's Sports Extra that Perth is the ideal place to play rugby league and a breath of fresh air compared to Sydney, and he could see no hassles in a Western Australian franchise luring players.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaBlues forwards set for club duties
Posted May 26, 2011 16:24:00 Manly and Canterbury expect their respective State of Origin heavies to turn out for their clubs after Wednesday night's series opener.
Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler expects prop Jason King to start in Friday night's clash against Brisbane, while Kevin Moore tips Michael Ennis to be a key factor in the Bulldogs' clash with Gold Coast.
Both sides will feature in the Lang Park double-header, and Hasler is confident King will be fit to start the game.
"We expect he should be OK to start," he said on Thursday.
"(He's pulled up) pretty good.
"So if he's OK he'll start. I think it's probably better that way."
In other news for the Sea Eagles, Michael Robertson's 139-game appearance streak is over due to an infected knee and he has been replaced by David Williams.
Full-back Brett Stewart has also been named after missing Manly's last appearance with a hamstring injury.
The Bulldogs face the Titans in the second match of the double-header after slipping to eighth on the ladder following consecutive losses to Brisbane, St George Illawarra and Canberra.
But Moore was confident the return of Ennis, who came off the bench in the Blues' 16-12 loss to Queensland, would lift the Belmore-based side.
"He's come through that game (Origin) well, and I'm sure he'll be very important for us tomorrow night because we missed him last week," he said.
"He's one of the fittest guys going around. He hates not playing the 80 minutes so he'll be a really key factor to give us that big performance we're looking for."
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, canterbury-2193, manly-2095, qld, brisbane-4000Interview: Steve Matai
Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 8:59 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 8:59 AEST
Manly centre Steve Matai told Grandstand's Brad Tallon the Sea Eagles' defence was a telling factor in their 34-10 win over Brisbane at Lang Park.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaPatella Femoral Solutions
Medically proven exercises to reduce and eliminate knee pain from patella femoral syndrome.
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King faces nervous wait
Updated May 28, 2011 13:17:00 Besieged NSW prop Jason King's otherwise-forgettable week ended on a high at Lang Park but an ankle injury is the latest obstacle to the Manly co-captain's hopes of State of Origin retention.
King strained his ankle in the first half of the Sea Eagles' impressive 34-10 NRL thumping of Brisbane on Friday night but bravely returned to play out the last 29 minutes.
The Blues front rower, heavily criticised for failing to make an impact as Queensland dominated up front in Wednesday night's Origin opener, will have scans on Monday to assess the damage.
"It's pretty sore at the moment," King admitted post-match.
"I'll find out more I guess on Monday.
"It felt good to get through the rest of the match. It will give me a bit of confidence going forward."
King and fellow starting prop Kade Snowden are in the Blues selection cross-hairs after they combined for just 10 hit-ups between them, with King making just 24m in his 35 minutes on the field.
Manly coach Des Hasler argued criticism of King's effort was unwarranted due to the Maroons' dominance of possession while he was on the field.
"Queensland had all the ball in the first half," Hasler said.
"He came back really strong tonight and I thought he was one of the best."
King declined to comment about the caning he's received and selection prospects but admitted he was well pleased to help the Sea Eagles to their sixth win from their last seven matches to jump to second on the NRL standings.
"I was just trying to perform at the best of my ability, that's all I'm concentrating on, just trying to do my part for the team," he said.
"The boys had a pretty good week and we put all our words into action."
Manly also has concerns over another prop, George Rose, who sustained a calf strain in the first half when the Broncos took a 10-4 lead.
Headline acts Brett Stewart and Jamie Lyon produced two freakish plays as Manly went on a 30-point second-half blitz while youngsters Will Hopoate and Daly Cherry-Evans each with a double.
Hasler praised Queensland-raised half-back Cherry-Evans' work-ethic and confidence to fill the shoes of Trent Hodkinson a season after he was playing in the Queensland Cup.
"It was a thrill to score two tries back at Brisbane at the home of rugby league in front of family and friends," he said.
"I knew I had to bide my time playing for Sunshine Coast (last year), and even though Queensland was a long way from Sydney I had to make sure I enjoyed my footy and learned along the way."
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, brookvale-2100, manly-2095 First posted May 28, 2011 12:46:00Sunday League: Round 12
Published:Sunday, May 29, 2011 2:40 AESTExpires:Saturday, August 27, 2011 2:40 AEST
David Morrow, Warren Ryan and Steve Mascord hosted the round 12 edition of Sunday League and among their guests were Broncos coach Anthony Griffin, NSW Origin Legends president Chris Anderson and former Cowboys coach Graham Murray.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaInterview: Casey McGuire
Published:Saturday, May 28, 2011 7:31 AESTExpires:Friday, August 26, 2011 7:31 AEST
Parramatta five-eighth Casey McGuire told Grandstand's Aaron Kearney the Eels wasted their attacking opportunities in the 8-6 loss to the Knights in Newcastle.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaInterview: Chris Anderson
Published:Sunday, May 29, 2011 1:54 AESTExpires:Saturday, August 27, 2011 1:54 AEST
NSW Origin Legends president Chris Anderson told Grandstand's Sunday League it makes sense to use the expertise of former players in the area of management.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australiaInterview: John Cartwright
Published:Thursday, May 26, 2011 4:40 AESTExpires:Wednesday, August 24, 2011 4:40 AEST
Gold Coast Titans coach John Cartwright told ABC Local Radio that his State of Origin players Greg Bird and Ashley Harrison are in doubt for Friday night's clash with the Bulldogs at Lang Park.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaHannant keen to back up for Broncos
Updated May 26, 2011 18:49:00 Queensland bench prop Ben Hannant is putting pressure on Brisbane NRL coach Anthony Griffin to let him play against an aggressive Manly on Friday night.
Griffin was expecting Manly to take a leaf out of Penrith's book and come at Brisbane up the middle, and Hannant's presence would help bend the Panthers back.
"Absolutely. They're a really physical side and the way they've beaten some quality opposition this year with the attitude, I'm expecting nothing else," he said on Thursday.
"If they watched our game against Penrith two weeks ago, which I'm sure they did, they'll fancy their chances down our middle.
"The challenge for us is to get our attitude back.
"We got close against the Storm, but we scrambled and then we fell right away against Penrith.
"Those types of performances are not acceptable. We've got to get our attitude back and our hunger back, and the technical side of things will fall into place."
Griffin will stick solid to his policy of resting his representative players, with skipper Darren Lockyer and forward Sam Thaiday both scratched from the Lang Park double header.
But Corey Parker, who will take over the captaincy, winger Jharal Yow Yeh and possibly Hannant could back up against Manly, if they get through the next 24 hours without any dramas.
Griffin rested Lockyer, Thaiday and Hannant against Melbourne earlier this month, after they played a Test for Australia against the Kiwis, and planned to adopt the same policy against Manly.
But Hannant turned up at Red Hill for training on Thursday morning, insisting he was ready to play.
"Ben wants to play and he was out there, trying to convince us that he's right to play, which is a good sign," said Griffin.
"We'll have a chat to our physios and check the risk on that, so he's a maybe.
"He seems to have overcome a calf injury pretty well since we last saw him 10 days ago and they (physios) seem happy with him.
"We just need to make sure there's no risk there.
"If there's a risk there, he won't be playing. We'll decide that tomorrow."
Yow Yeh, who celebrated his Origin debut with a try, sat out training to rest a few bumps and bruises but is expected to play, again costing Wynnum Manly flyer Shea Moylan his NRL debut.
Meanwhile, Manly coach Des Hasler expected co-captain Jason King to start the match despite playing for NSW on Wednesday night.
"We expect he should be ok to start," Hasler said.
"(He's pulled up) pretty good.
"So if he's ok, he'll start. I think it's probably better that way."
In other news for the Sea Eagles, Michael Robertson's 139-game appearance streak is over due to an infected knee and he's been replaced by David Williams.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, state-of-origin, australia, manly-2095, qld, brisbane-4000 First posted May 26, 2011 18:48:00Maroons down Blues
Published:Thursday, May 26, 2011 7:20 AESTExpires:Wednesday, August 24, 2011 7:20 AEST
Queensland has held off New South Wales to take a humbling 16-12 victory in game one of the State of Origin series in Brisbane.
Tags: state-of-origin, nsw, sydney-2000Interview: Johnathan Thurston
Published:Saturday, May 28, 2011 9:30 AESTExpires:Friday, August 26, 2011 9:30 AEST
North Queensland co-captain Johnathan Thurston told Grandstand's Laurie Spina the Cowboys did what they had to do to secure a 20-6 win over Sydney Roosters in Townsville.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaMultiple Personality Disorder - A Rugby League Player's Story
A friend of mine, who suffered from depression recently, related his story to me. Being a former National Rugby League Player, he started getting depressed whilst playing Rugby League. He could not identify the reasons and kept sinking into greater depths of depression.
As a result his friends started avoiding him. A common sight was his friends gathering together behind his back and talking and laughing about him. He was treated as though he was some kind of a Looney.
He eventually decided to quit Rugby and went to a Psychologist for treatment. He soon realised that a Psychologist alone will not help and went to a General Practitioner for medication.
After several months, he came out of depression. This gave him the freedom to seek other work. He soon found work as a Fireman. He worked in this role for 10 years. During the first 6 to 7 years of his life, he was fit. However, he went into depression again and left work. His wife left him and it took him several years to get out of depression. He now talks widely on the subject from a practical perspective.
This case highlights several things. It states for example that public perception of mental illness is:
? That it is a stigma
? That people fear those with mental illness and avoid those who suffer from mental illness
? That people talk behind the backs of those people who suffer from mental illness.
The case raises a few questions for me. It highlights the need for public education. It demonstrates that a Psychologist is not the best person to always see when a person suffers from Mood Disorder of any kind. Some people suffering from anxiety disorder or depression get out of it and than relapse. Others continue to suffer for the rest of their lives.
My friend played Rugby League when he initially suffered from Mood Disorder.
There are several other cases I am aware of where famous football players have suffered from Mood Disorder but have effectively hidden their suffering from everyone. Another famous Rugby League player for example recently admitted to suffering from multiple personality disorder after retirement. He played the game so well and was regarded as one of the best players of all times. No one ever therefore realised what he was suffering from when he was a player. His friend close to him said that he was the closest friend to this famous player but never realised that he suffered from such a condition.
This case highlights the need to share your condition with your close friends. The first step is to see a GP. Following tests, a GP can recommend the best option.
You do not have to suffer in silence.
Kris Varma is an expert on the subject of Mood Disorder. Having written several articles, and material on the subject, Kris is a widely sought after speaker on the subject.
To consult Kris, visit his website http://www.solvedgroup.com or write to kris@solvedgroup.com to share your views on this article or any others he has written.
Lillyman a Warrior through 2013
Posted May 29, 2011 14:17:00 Queensland State of Origin forward Jacob Lillyman has re-signed with the Warriors for a further two NRL seasons.
The 27-year-old former North Queensland Cowboy will remain in Auckland until at least the end of 2013, after capping off one of the most satisfying weeks of his career with a new deal.
Lillyman made his return for Queensland in last Wednesday's State of Origin I victory over New South Wales in what was his first outing for the Maroons since 2008.
After a disappointing first season for the Warriors last year, Lillyman's selection on the Queensland bench was reward for persistence.
Having played predominantly in the back row for the early part of his career, Lillyman has reinvented himself as a prop - taking on added responsibility with Sam Rapira out of the Warriors side through injury.
Lillyman, who has 107 NRL games behind him, said he was happy to have his future finalised so he can now focus solely on the rest of the Origin series and the Warriors finals push.
"It's been a huge week personally with the thrill of playing Origin football again and now having my future with the Warriors sorted out," he said.
"It was a massive honour to play for Queensland again after being out of Origin for a while and it was also fantastic to make the Maroons while playing for the Warriors.
"While I had a tough year in 2010 it has been a great move coming to Auckland. I've really enjoyed living here and this club is brilliant to be part of."
Second rower Ukuma Ta'ai, half-back Isaac John and hooker Alehana Mara are others to have also signed new contracts with the Warriors.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, new-zealandInterview: Brian Smith
Published:Saturday, May 28, 2011 10:31 AESTExpires:Friday, August 26, 2011 10:31 AEST
Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith told Grandstand's Laurie Spina turnovers proved costly in his side's 20-6 loss to North Queensland in Townsville.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaEnnis cleared of stomping
Posted May 26, 2011 13:49:00 New South Wales hooker Michael Ennis has been cleared of stomping on Queensland utility Cooper Cronk in the first half of Wednesday night's State of Origin clash.
Video footage of an incident late in the first half shows Ennis stepping on Cronk's leg after Cronk had tackled Blues forward Trent Merrin.
While match review committee chairman Greg McCallum said there was no doubt Ennis had "deliberately" put his foot on Cronk's leg, there was absolutely no evidence to support claims he had stomped on him.
"If it was stomping, we'd be talking about the possibility of a heavy suspension," McCallum said shortly after reviewing the 36th-minute incident.
McCallum, a former top-flight referee, said Ennis had put his foot on Cronk's lower leg and lost his balance, making the incident look worse than it probably was.
"Cronk didn't react, there was no sign of any injury and he got to his feet and went back into the next play.
"It was one of those incidents. It was a niggling incident by Ennis, designed to try and get some reaction."
McCallum said Ennis's action warranted a penalty but had gone unnoticed on the field.
The game ended on a sour note with players from both sides pushing and shoving each other.
The decision means Ennis is free to play for the Bulldogs against the Titans in the second game of Friday night's NRL double-header at Lang Park.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, qld, brisbane-4000Leary steps down as Panthers boss
Posted May 26, 2011 11:30:00 The rejuvenation of Penrith continued on Thursday with chief executive Michael Leary announcing he would retire from his role at the NRL club.
Leary, who will retire at the end of the season after 16 years at the Panthers, felt the time was right to allow for the restructuring of the football operations.
Penrith recently appointed respected premiership-winning coach Phil Gould in an overseeing role where he will take a hands on approach at all levels of the club.
"I would like to thank the coaching and playing staff, the administration staff who work tirelessly for the club as well as the loyal support from our sponsors and members," Leary said.
In April the club announced head coach Matt Elliott would not be retained beyond the 2011 season but it is yet to find a replacement.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, nsw, penrith-2750Slater sparks Maroons ecstasy
Billy Slater (foreground) celebrates scoring the late winning try as Johnathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer chest thump (background) during State of Origin I at Lang Park in Brisbane, May 25, 2011. Queensland won 16-12.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australia, qld, brisbane-4000Queensland Cup Round 10 Highlights
Posted May 27, 2011 11:42:00 Click on the video link to join Grandstand's Warren Boland as he takes you though all the highlights from ABC TV's coverage of Round 10 of the Queensland Cup, the big clash between Redcliffe and Tweed Heads
ABC TV Game of the Week -
Redcliffe Dolphins 12 def. by Tweed Heads Seagulls 22
Redcliffe - Tries: Tom Butterfield, Todd Murphy
Conversions: Liam Georgetown 2
Tweed Heads - Tries: Shannon Walker, James Wood, Matt King, Brock Hunter
Conversions: Brad Davis 3
Other Games
Ipswich Jets 40 def. Central Comets 12
Northern Pride 24 def. Norths Devils 18
Tags: sport, rugby-league, queensland-cup, australia, qld, brisbane-4000Sunday, May 29, 2011
Origin a special case for journalists
Bulldogs bury Titans in Brisbane
Updated May 27, 2011 23:37:00 Canterbury continued Gold Coast's 2011 woes in a 28-6 affair to cap off the NRL round 12 double-header at Lang Park on Friday night.
The Titans' third straight loss and fourth from five matches rounded out a successful night for Sydney-based "home" teams after Manly thumped the Broncos 34-10 in the earlier match.
Bulldogs full-back Steve Turner told Grandstand the side needed to atone for its loss to bottom side Canberra last weekend.
"We spoke about it during the week and last week was a poor performance by us as a club, and we really wanted to show our fans and our members what we did last week was not us," he said.
"I think we showed glimpses of it today but we can still get better."
Forty-eight hours after John Cartwright watched Queensland snatch a State of Origin I win, the New South Wales assistant coach again came off second best as the Titans could not take a trick.
The signs were ominous early when Kiwi backrower and former Panther Frank Pritchard bulldozed his way over for two tries in the first seven minutes.
"Change is as good as a holiday and I think Frankie coming here has been great for us," Turner said.
"He's looking as fit as ever and he's playing some really good football for us and it was nice for him to get a couple of early tries.
"It was nice for us to get a good win up here."
The Titans then launched a stunning comeback - but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.
Minutes after Pritchard scored, Titans veteran Preston Campbell narrowly missed grounding a clever Scott Prince grubber.
It set the stage for a shocking Titans run of luck that not even the law of averages could change.
As a stunned Cartwright looked on, Mark Minichiello (13th minute) lost the ball over the line, Scott Prince (21st) was held up and Michael Henderson (22nd) was denied by video referee for a dubious obstruction call on Ben Ridge against Pritchard.
And that was just by half-time.
In the second half, forward Ryan James was held up not once but twice (49th, 72nd), rookie hooker Matt Srama (60th) lost the ball over the line and Greg Bird (66th) was called back over a knock on.
But eight was enough for the Titans - they finally broke through when Prince touched down in the 75th minute.
Adding salt to Cartwright's wounds, Steve Michaels (concussion) and William Zillman (neck) did not return to the field in the second half for the Titans.
In a rollercoaster game, Bulldogs half-back Trent Hodkinson was placed on report for a 19th minute hit on Michaels.
And New South Wales hooker Michael Ennis - backing up for the Bulldogs - was also booked for a clumsy high shot on Prince.
Canterbury solidified its position inside the top eight with the two points moving the club to 14 points from 11 starts while the Titans slumped further down the ladder.
Cartwright's men are now 3-8 for the season, equal to the Raiders on wins and losses, but Canberra has yet to get a bye round.
Star Bulldogs centre Jamal Idris, who is heading to the glitter strip to join the Titans in 2012, said his impending move north had no bearing on his performance.
"It didn't cross my mind at all," he said.
"This year I'm playing with these Dogs, I'm playing with the Bulldogs for 2011.
"I think we played really good defensively. We held them out for awhile, they got a try off a kick, so what more could you ask for?"
Bulldogs: 28 (F Pritchard 2, S Turner, J Morris tries; S Turner 3/4 conversions, 3/3 penalty goals)
Titans: 6 (S Prince try; S Prince 1/1 conversions)
- ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, nsw, belmore-2192, canterbury-2193, qld, brisbane-4000, robina-4226 First posted May 27, 2011 22:56:00Interview: Matt Scott
Published:Saturday, May 28, 2011 9:34 AESTExpires:Friday, August 26, 2011 9:34 AEST
North Queensland co-captain Matt Scott told Grandstand's Laurie Spina the Cowboys were not at their best in posting a 20-6 victory over Sydney Roosters in Townsville.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaInterview: Rick Stone
Published:Saturday, May 28, 2011 8:34 AESTExpires:Friday, August 26, 2011 8:34 AEST
Knights coach Rick Stone told Grandstand's Craig Hamilton he was at least happy to walk away with two competitions via the 8-6 win over Parramatta in Newcastle.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaMedia Call: Sam Thaiday
Published:Thursday, May 26, 2011 10:13 AESTExpires:Wednesday, August 24, 2011 10:13 AEST
Queensland front rower Sam Thaiday said one of the oldest players on the park in Petero Civoniceva was one of the best players out there in the Maroons' series-opening State of Origin win.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australiaTandy charged with attempted fraud
Published:Thursday, May 26, 2011 7:07 AESTExpires:Wednesday, August 24, 2011 7:07 AEST
Former rugby league player Ryan Tandy has been charged with allegedly attempting to defraud betting agency TAB through an NRL match-fixing scandal in Sydney.
Tags: courts-and-trials, fraud-and-corporate-crime, nrl, sydney-2000, qld, townsville-4810Hodkinson lays one on Michaels
Canterbury half-back Trent Hodkinson knocks Titans winger Steve Michaels senseless during their NRL round 12 clash at Lang Park in Brisbane on Friday May 27, 2011.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, qld, brisbane-4000Media Call: Anthony Griffin
Published:Thursday, May 26, 2011 4:37 AESTExpires:Wednesday, August 24, 2011 4:37 AEST
Broncos coach Anthony Griffin said Queensland forward Ben Hannant is a chance to back up from Origin duties alongside Jharal Yow Yeh and Corey Parker against the Sea Eagles on Friday night.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaThe Drum - Friday 27 May
Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 6:05 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 6:05 AEST
Peter Wilkins hosts a discussion with Debbie Spillane from ABC NewsRadio, Craig Norenbergs from ABC Grandstand and Amanda Shalala from ABC News 24.
Tags: gambling, nrl, tennis, state-of-origin, australiaOrigin stars back up for double-header
Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 7:20 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 7:20 AEST
Queensland rugby league stars Ben Hannant and Corey Parker will take the field for Brisbane against Manly in the NRL.
Tags: nrl, state-of-origin, qldPremier flees Mackay for State of Origin
Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 7:47 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 7:47 AEST
The week in regional Parliament.
JESSICA van VONDEREN: To State politics now and this week the corridors of power moved north to Mackay for a rare regional sitting of Parliament. The idea is to give people outside the capital a chance to see democracy in action. But there was a big distraction back in Brisbane with the State of Origin and the Premier jetted back to catch the game. Political reporter Chris O'Brien had to make do watching the match on TV. I spoke to him in Mackay during the Parliamentary sittings.(FOOTAGE OF JESSICA van VONDEREN SPEAKING WITH CHRIS O'BRIEN)
JESSICA van VONDEREN: Chris this is the fourth sitting of Regional Parliament but the first time it's coincided with the State of Origin and the game ended up providing the most controversy of the week.
CHRIS O'BRIEN: It certainly did Jess in a couple of ways. For a start when we got here we knew that the Premier was going to be ducking back on the Wednesday night to see the game. She said she had some good reasons for that and she wanted to meet up with Barry O'Farrell the New South Wales Premier to talk about COAG and national issues and she didn't want the New South Wales Premier to be there and not be there herself; she was hosting some Emergency Workers Services workers as well. I wonder if she would have been smarter just to put her cards on the table say "look I'm the Premier of Queensland I'm going to go the game big deal". But the Opposition thought there might be some political mileage out of bagging her for that and they did.
(FOOTAGE OF REGIONAL PARLIAMENTARY SITTING IN MACKAY)
TIM NICHOLLS, SHADOW TREASURER: I also note that the Premier will tonight abandon the people of Mackay to jet off and watch the State of Origin in a corporate box. If we are able to organise more media in Mackay would the Premier stay in town with the people of Mackay.
JESSICA van VONDEREN: The Opposition's line of questioning indeed was very heavily peppered with origin references. At one point the LNP said that when it came to the economy Queensland comes second to New South Wales in everything but the football.
CHRIS O'BRIEN: And the Premier defended Queensland very very strongly. She got very parochial about that and in doing so that led into one of the strangest and probably bigger stories of the week. She accused the LNP Leader of coming from Tasmania if that can be an acquisition. She was saying you couldn't even get a Leader from Queensland. Now that was probably a bit of a silly thing to try and say and most of us thought it wouldn't go any further than that but we were surprised by Campbell Newman's reaction to it.
(FOOTAGE OF CAMPBELL NEWMAN AT PRESS CONFERENCE)
CHRIS O'BRIEN: He was offended. He clarified later that he wasn't offended personally but he said that there are millions of people who've come to Queensland over the years and made a big contribution and he wanted the Premier to apologise to all of those people. He described it as xenophobia. So certainly a lot of people were surprised and thought it was a rather over the top reaction from Campbell Newman. The Government thought that was the case. They accused him of having a glass jaw and a thin skin and all that sort of thing.
JESSICA van VONDEREN: I suspect though that David Hinchliffe wasn't surprised by Mr Newman's reaction. The Brisbane City Councillor of course told 7.30Qld last week that Mr Newman doesn't take criticism very well but as you mention the Government certainly thought Mr Newman should harden up.
(FOOTAGE FROM REGIONAL PARLIAMENTENTARY SITTING IN MACKAY)
ANDREW FRASER, TREASURER: A glass jaw and a thin skin Mr Speaker. And Mr Speaker in the mean time the prescriptions clear the only thing he needs to do is have a cup of concrete.
JESSICA van VONDEREN: And Chris there's often a lot made about the cost of regional Parliament; it cost $650,000 this time around. So was it worth the money was it a success?
CHRIS O'BRIEN: One way of judging that Jess is fewer numbers. I remember the first one in 2002 in Townsville there was a real buzz when they had night time Question Time something like a thousand people turned up 300 turned up to the night time Question Time this week; overall about 1,900 people on the first day half of them of course are school children; 1,400 odd on the second day.
(FOOTAGE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN ATTENDING REGIONAL PARLIAMENT)
CHRIS O'BRIEN: So the point about that is that they come through all day long. There's never a time when the entire theatre 1,000 seats were packed. But the Government says that's not the only way to judge the success of something like this. They say it's also a great opportunity for Ministers and MPs to have meetings associated with the Parliament for local people. And the other point of it of course was that regional issues absolutely dominated all three days. There was deluge of them. I think I counted something like 15 of them in one Question Time alone the Government was talking about local issues like the Whitsunday/Mackay regional plan, the things they're doing the roads, a new Urologist for the local hospital tourism plans, a new national parks, on and on it want, on and on it went; a real deluge of local issues.
Tags: state-parliament, states-and-territories, state-of-origin, brisbane-4000, mackay-4740Kearney refusing to give up on Mortimer
Posted May 27, 2011 19:28:00 Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney maintains the NRL club will not turn its back on beleaguered young playmaker Daniel Mortimer.
Mortimer was axed for last Monday's clash with Cronulla and then watched on from the sidelines as new halves combination Casey McGuire and Jeff Robson guided the Eels to an emphatic 40-6 win.
The 22-year-old will play in the NSW Cup for Wentworthville this weekend instead of travelling with his team-mates to Newcastle, but Kearney insists he still has a future with the club.
"We pulled Casey into six and the lads played well on Monday night so it would be difficult to change," he said.
"It is a difficult position through the halves in terms of getting it right.
"Daniel is a young half so it is going to take some time, but we have not given him a timeframe, we are committed to him and he is committed to us and we will keep working through it.
"He is a great young lad with a great attitude and I am sure he will be better for the experience."
Kearney said he had told Mortimer in private what he expects from him to win back his place back in the side, but stressed he would not be axed before his contract expires at the end of next season, despite the arrival of Chris Sandow and Ben Roberts in 2012.
The New Zealand Test coach also admitted he was pleasantly surprised to have Jarryd Hayne available during the State of Origin series, and hailed the attitude shown by the full-back following his snub by New South Wales coach Ricky Stuart.
"I have been very impressed ... Jarryd has turned up to training with a great attitude, he had a good game on Monday night and did his job well, which he's been doing all season and I expect the same again tomorrow at Newcastle," he said.
"I didn't think I would have him at this time of the season, so it is good for us, but I don't make the decisions about New South Wales so I don't know why he wasn't picked.
"Everybody knows what he is capable of from his performances in the past, but that is a matter for selectors.
"His response since not being selected has been outstanding so maybe it could work as a positive, but whether it's something to get him back into form? Well I never thought he was out of form."
The Knights will once again be without skipper Kurt Gidley, whose shoulder injury has not recovered sufficiently to be considered to face the Eels.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, nsw, parramatta-2150Hopoate finds the corner
Broncos winger Jharal Yow Yeh tries in vain to stop Manly's Will Hopoate from scoring in their round 12 NRL clash at Lang Park in Brisbane on Friday May 27, 2011
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, qld, brisbane-4000Interview: Steve Turner
Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 10:54 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 10:54 AEST
Canterbury winger Steve Turner told Grandstand's Alister Nicholson the Bulldogs rebounded in fine style with a 28-6 win over Gold Coast at Lang Park.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaMedia Call: Greg Bird
Published:Thursday, May 26, 2011 10:28 AESTExpires:Wednesday, August 24, 2011 10:28 AEST
New South Wales second rower Greg Bird said the Blues simply ran out of juice in State of Origin I after spending much of the series opener desperately holding off Queensland from scoring.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australiaMini backs Carney for Blues call-up
Posted May 27, 2011 18:53:00 Sydney Roosters full-back Anthony Minichiello has backed team-mate Todd Carney as the man to provide the spark for New South Wales in State of Origin II next month.
The Blues fell 16-12 to Queensland in a gutsy display on Wednesday night, but lacked the ability to put consecutive attacking sets on the Maroons.
But Minichiello feels that Carney, the reigning Dally M medal winner, is nearing his best form after a club-enforced suspension and groin injury disrupted the start of his season.
"The more games he plays the better he gets. Last week (in the victory over Newcastle), was another strong performance by him," Minichiello said.
"He's getting more confident as he goes on. I think he only needs a couple of weeks (and he'll be back to his best)."
After St George Illawarra hooker Dean Young failed to ignite the attack in his 36 minutes on the field in Game I, the bench utility role appears wide open for game two, with Michael Ennis a certainty to regain his starting hooking role.
That opens the door for Carney to duel Young and injured Newcastle skipper Kurt Gidley for the final spot on the New South Wales bench.
Minichiello was confident Carney would be able to fill that utility spot with some attacking flair to combat Queensland's staunch defensive line - and that his versatility could help him get across the line.
"Definitely, obviously half-back, five-eighth are his strongest positions, and I'm sure if they were to pick him off the bench he could fill that number nine spot if needed, and obviously he has experience at (full-back) as well," Minichiello added.
"For sure he would bring something extra in attack (for the Blues)."
Carney will get a perfect chance to show his wares this Saturday when he and Blues half-back Mitchell Pearce take on the game's premier half-back, Johnathan Thurston.
But North Queensland will be without centre Willie Tonga, who will miss up to eight weeks of rugby league with a shoulder injury.
Cowboys coach Neil Henry has added youngster Will Tupou and will decide on who to cull from the squad of 18 on Saturday.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, bondi-junction-2022, sydney-2000Cowboys honour Faust with win
The Wrap: Round 11
Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 5:53 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 5:53 AEST
Luke Pentony presents the round 11 edition of The Wrap, Grandstand's look back at the highlights of the NRL matches broadcast on ABC Local Radio.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaKnights wrap up Hayne
Eels full-back Jarryd Hayne attempts to offload the ball under pressure during the round 12 NRL match between the Knights and Parramatta in Newcastle on May 28, 2011.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, nsw, newcastle-2300Interview: Kevin Moore
Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 11:56 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 11:56 AEST
Canterbury coach Kevin Moore told Grandstand's Alister Nicholson the Bulldogs were relieved to post a much-needed 28-6 win over Gold Coast at Lang Park.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australiaOrigin gives hope for NSW fans
Yow Yeh 'blessed' by rare try treble
Posted May 26, 2011 16:05:00 Jharal Yow Yeh says he feels blessed after joining a select band of players who have celebrated their debuts for their NRL club, state and country with tries.
The 22-year-old winger was in company with Mark Gasnier, Greg Inglis and Israel Folau who had managed the debut try treble in recent times, after his touchdown in Queensland's 16-12 State of Origin win on Wednesday night.
Yow Yeh also scored on debut for Brisbane against the Cowboys in March 2009 and for Australia against New Zealand earlier this month at Skilled Park.
With a large band of family and friends in the Lang Park stands, Yow Yeh extended his streak in the 46th minute after chasing down a Cooper Cronk kick into the right corner which Blues opponent Brett Morris appeared to have covered.
Morris hesitated for a split second, Yow Yeh flew through and could not quite quite believe his luck as the ball bounced away from Morris and rookie New South Wales full-back Josh Dugan and into his hands.
"I got a pretty good bounce from Coops (Cooper Cronk) and I pulled it off," Yow Yeh said.
"I feel a bit blessed. It just happened for me. You grow up living the dream of one day playing Origin.
"I can't put it into words. I've had the best week I've had in my life in camp with the boys, who are like family.
"I just want to keep wearing this jumper forever."
Yow Yeh could not put a number on how many family members were among more than 52,000 fans packed into Lang Park.
"Who wasn't here?" he said with a laugh.
"My nan and pop, a few aunties, my girlfriend, four of my mates, cousins, most of my family and the people who matter."
Yow Yeh said he would have a drink with his good mate Shaun Maloney, a 22-year-old whose promising playing career was ended prematurely by serious knee injuries.
"He's a pretty happy boy. He wished me luck before the game but he didn't say too much because he knows I don't like to be hassled before I play," he said.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, qld, brisbane-4000Thursday, May 26, 2011
Maroons lead in Origin opener
Updated May 25, 2011 21:03:00 Queensland held a narrow 6-0 lead over New South Wales at half-time in the opening match of the 2011 State of Origin series at Lang Park in Brisbane.
Test half-back Johnathan Thurston scored a converted try in the fifth minute after Cam Smith found an opening in the Blues' defensive line with a grubber on the final tackle of the set.
The Maroons, who have won the last five series in a row, enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the opening half but a series of handling errors and some staunch Blues defence kept NSW in the contest.
The Blues struggled to gain field position and set up attacks, with Roosters' number 7 Mitchell Pearce handling most of the kicking responsibilities.
NSW debutant full-back Josh Dugan passed several tests set by the likes of Thurston and Darren Lockyer, who peppered the young Raider with a series of bombs.
Queensland will need to properly assess centre Willie Tonga, who struggled with a right shoulder injury for most of the first stanza.
QLD: 6 (J Thurston try; Thurston conversion)
NSW: 0
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, qld, brisbane-4000 First posted May 25, 2011 21:00:00Uate gets horizontal during Origin I
New South Wales player Akuila Uate is tackled during State of Origin I between Queensland and New South Wales at Lang Park in Brisbane on May 25, 2011.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, nsw, qld, brisbane-4000Interview: Dane Nielsen
Published:Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:14 AESTExpires:Tuesday, August 23, 2011 10:14 AEST
Queensland centre Dane Nielsen told Grandstand's Quentin Hull that the week leading up to his State of Origin debut in the Maroons' series-opening victory over New South Wales was the best experience of his life.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australiaState of Origin series
Will New South Wales stop Queensland from winning their sixth consecutive series as the two teams battle it out for State of Origin honours?
Thurston gets hold of Gasnier
Mark Gasnier tries to beat Johnathan Thurston during State of Origin I between Queensland and New South Wales at Lang Park in Brisbane on May 25, 2011.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, nsw, qld, brisbane-4000Interview: Billy Slater
Published:Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:19 AESTExpires:Tuesday, August 23, 2011 10:19 AEST
Queensland full-back Billy Slater told Grandstand's Quentin Hull that his State of Origin I-winning try came after a quiet word from playmaking skipper Darren Lockyer telling him to stay inside.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australiaInterview: Paul Gallen
Published:Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:16 AESTExpires:Tuesday, August 23, 2011 10:16 AEST
New South Wales skipper Paul Gallen told Grandstand's Quentin Hull that his side knows it can well and truly compete with Queensland but the Blues have to play for the full 80 minutes.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australiaNielsen and Yow Yeh celebrate try
Queensland player Dane Nielsen celebrates with Jharal Yow Yeh after Yow Yeh scored a second half try during State of Origin I between Queensland and New South Wales at Lang Park in Brisbane on May 25, 2011.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, nsw, qld, brisbane-4000State of Origin I: Player Ratings
Posted May 25, 2011 23:14:00
Updated May 25, 2011 23:58:00 Player ratings from the opening match of the State of Origin series, won 16-12 by Queensland.
Updated May 25, 2011 23:58:00 Player ratings from the opening match of the State of Origin series, won 16-12 by Queensland.
QLD
BILLY SLATER - Was spared the aerial assault expected from Jamie Soward and Mitchell Pearce. Try-saving tackle on Michael Jennings in the second half was crucial and scored the matchwinner. 8.
DARIUS BOYD - Read Dragons team-mate Jamie Soward's kicking perfectly, nullifying a lot of the Blues' right-side attack. His aerial work was special. 8.
DANE NIELSEN - Under pressure as Greg Inglis' replacement but passed his acid test when he bundled a try-bound Michael Jennings into touch in the first half. Solid defence. 7.5.
WILLIE TONGA - Hurt his shoulder early but soldiered on bravely after a half-time fitness test in the dressing room. 6.5.
JHARAL YOW YEH - Celebrated his debut with a second-half try to launch his Origin career with a strong all-round display. 7.5.
DARREN LOCKYER - Why is he retiring? Magnificent kicking game had NSW on the back foot most of the night. As you would expect, served up the winning pass to a flying Slater for the match-winner. 8.
JOHNATHAN THURSTON - Continued his amazing record in opening Origin games scoring the first try. His kicking game was deadly and took the ball to the line dangerously all night. 8.5.
MATT SCOTT - Powerhouse display up front. Only forward to break 100 metres in first half. Kept Queensland going forward all night with a fearless display. 8.
CAMERON SMITH - Controlled the ruck wonderfully, getting his big forwards rolling all night. His screwing grubber kick set up Queensland's opening try for JT. 8.
PETERO CIVONICEVA - Petero's relentless charges sapped a lot of petrol from the leg-weary NSW pack who struggled to stop his momentum. 8.
NATE MYLES - Worked hard in the middle as always and took a lot of punishment from the big Blues forwards. 7.
SAM THAIDAY - Created havoc on the right edge in the first half off Lockyer passes and ploughed through the tackles. 8.5
ASHLEY HARRISON - 30 tackles and 100 metres in a typically tireless display. 7.
COOPER CRONK - Played his bench role as Mal Meninga wanted and 16 tackles and 50 metres was a significant contribution. 7.
COREY PARKER - Did his job well and managed to get a few off-loads away in his return to Origin. His fresh legs were appreciated in the second half. 7.
JACOB LILLYMAN - Strong in the middle and overcame an early error to contribute 15 tackles and 66 tough metres. 6.5.
BEN HANNANT - Great game off the bench and carried the ball into the teeth of the opposition with concern for his own welfare. 26 tackles and his 127 metres smashed the efforts of King and Snowden. 8.
NSW
JOSH DUGAN - Looked the part in his Origin debut from the kick-off, defusing several early bombs and also set up NSW's second try. 7.
BRETT MORRIS - Made a massive blunder in the second half to gift Yow Yeh Queensland's second try to go down 10-0. 6.
MARK GASNIER - Was well contained in attack as he wasn't given an inch but produced some great first-half defence under pressure. 6.5.
MICHAEL JENNINGS - Dangerous every time he touched the ball in a stand-out display and put NSW in front with a well-deserved try. 8.
AKUILA UATE - Made a strong debut and produced several tackle-shedding runs without getting completely into the clear. 7.
JAMIE SOWARD - Tried hard but fizzled on his Origin debut. Kicking game fell short and failed to make an impact with the ball. 6.
MITCHELL PEARCE - Once again made more of an impression at this level with his defence, especially on the goalline, than playmaking. 7.
JASON KING - Was outmuscled by the Maroons props early as the home side got on top. Only made four hit-ups for the match. 6.
DEAN YOUNG - Got through an immense amount of defence as he started ahead of Mick Ennis but was unable to create out of dummy-half. 6.5.
KADE SNOWDEN - Like King, was shaded by the Queensland front rowers and wasn't able to make inroads into the defence. 6.
BEAU SCOTT - Worked hard for 35-plus tackles but blotted his copybook with a bad read for Darren Lockyer to put Billy Slater over for match-winning try. 6.
GREG BIRD - Brought the Blues back into the contest by setting up Pearce's 65th-minute try. Missed some early tackles but was typically rugged and lashed out after full-time. 7.
PAUL GALLEN - Produced a terrific captain's hand in both defence and attack and deserved better as his side let him down with poor handling. 8.
Res: BEN CREAGH - Tried hard but couldn't quite bust the line with the ball. 6.
TRENT MERRIN - Didn't look out of place and impressed more than starting props King and Snowden. 6.5.
TIM MANNAH - Bloodied in the first half but worked hard in his time on the field. 6.
MICHAEL ENNIS - Even though he made a terrible second-touch error in attack, the hooker made a big impact when he came on and gave better direction. 7.5.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, qld, brisbane-4000Interview: Greg Inglis
Published:Wednesday, May 25, 2011 8:06 AESTExpires:Tuesday, August 23, 2011 8:06 AEST
Injured South Sydney centre Greg Inglis told Grandstand's Quentin Hull that he would love to be on the field with the Maroons in game one of the State of Origin series but he is confident Dane Nielsen can do the job.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australiaPersonality Abc: Test Your Personality In 3 Minutes or Less
Everything You Need To Know About Yourself and Others.Personality Tests in Under 3 minutes! Meeting A Partner Suited to You.Comparing Yourself To Your Partner.Testing your Sexuality And Compare to Over 500 Celebrities and Sport stars.
Check it out!
Australian Short Stories - (Mary) Valleys Senior Rugby League Team 1935
Before the 1939-45 war there were four football teams playing in the Gympie competition. One of these was Valleys, a team as the name suggests selected from the town ships of the Mary Valley.
My brothers Kev and Bert played, and as well as being captain of Valleys, Kev was captain of the Gympie representative team. Roads weren't crash hot back in the 1930's, there was no bitumen on the roads in the Valley and getting to the venue where the match was played was quite a chore.
Traffic on the road stirred up clouds of dust. It was almost impossible to pass a vehicle in front, as it was hard to see for dust, and if you followed too closely, you were smothered in the stuff.
One of the players, Frank Jocumsen had a cream run and picked up cream from farmers between Imbil and Gympie. The cream was delivered to the Gympie Butter factory on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays of each week. His truck was large for the times, about seven ton capacity with a canvas hood over the back to keep the cream cool. It was also a great way to transport the team to the playing venue on Sunday.
There was one snag, the back of the truck got splashed with cream, and by the end of the week, as may be imagined, was very smelly indeed. My role model Kev, volunteered me to clean the back of the truck, and every Saturday during football season Frank would bring it to the back of our house to have it cleaned. I was only seven or eight years old when I inherited the job and I can tell you it was no sinecure.
No hoses at the time, just many buckets of water, carried from the tank some distance away, soap and a broom, and some hard work. It was also my job to clean Kev's football boots and they weren't considered clean if you couldn't see your face in them.
All the Valley towns got behind their team and expected them to win every game. The interest and effort was so great that Jack Lutton who owned the sawmill in Imbil was reputed to have said production at his mill dropped considerably on Mondays and Fridays.
Fridays, because his employees, and there were several in the team; put in most of the day talking about how they would play Sunday's game, and after the game on Sunday they were too sore to work properly on Monday.
If you have enjoyed this sort snippet of real Australian History. visit here to read more excerpts of my life. I have put together a book of Australian short stories and it can be found at http://www.myreallifestories.com
Meninga downplays Blues' underdog status
Updated May 25, 2011 10:48:00 A sell-out crowd of more than 52,000 will be on hand when this year's State of Origin series gets underway at Brisbane's Lang Park tonight.
New South Wales can expect the traditionally hostile welcome from the partisan crowd, which will be primed to welcome Queensland hero Darren Lockyer, as he equals Allan Langer's record of 34 Origin games in his 13th and final series.
The Maroons are heavily favoured to build on their five straight series wins but coach Mal Meninga says the Blues are not quite the underdogs they are claiming to be.
"They're going to say that but they'll be well prepared, we know that," he said.
"It's going to be a really competitive, aggressive and unrelenting type of game.
"It's going to be a battle of wills really.
"I think we've prepared that way that if we do get into the battle we'll keep on persevering."
Queensland heads into tonight's match with chinks in its armour but still boasts far more experience than its opponents.
The Maroons have lost injured Test centres Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges but still have 19.3 games of Origin experience per player compared to the Blues' 1.5.
Their spine of Billy Slater, Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith is among the greatest ever assembled.
Replacement centres Willie Tonga and Dane Nielsen will be under the most pressure to perform for the Maroons.
NSW are desperately hoping the new era of full-time coach Ricky Stuart can end five years of pain, starting with a 1-0 series lead after Origin I.
Stuart has left no stone unturned in planning the campaign and will have the team he wanted at his disposal after an overhaul of the Blues' selection procedure.
NSW skipper Paul Gallen backed the rebuilt Blues set-up to have his side ready.
"We probably couldn't have been any better prepared," he said.
"It's no secret Ricky's a passionate bloke and it's rubbed off on us and he's going to have us well and truly motivated."
The Blues go in with five debutants, while Willie Tonga and Dane Nielson replace injured Test centres Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges for the Maroons.
Origin beamed to US
Meanwhile, Russell Crowe has helped broker a television deal to beam the Origin series live to 40 million viewers in the United States.
American sports giant Fox Sports will televise all three clashes, as well as the NRL grand final.
The announcement follows a broadcast deal struck with the assistance of Hollywood actor Crowe, the co-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, between the NRL and head of Fox Sports David Hill.
The deal sees the United States join the UK, Pacific Islands, Canada, north Africa and the Middle East, central and southern Africa and parts of Asia in broadcasting the Origin Series live.
- AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, qld, brisbane-4000 First posted May 25, 2011 07:13:00Live Broadcast: State of Origin I
Posted May 25, 2011 17:42:00
Updated May 25, 2011 19:13:00 Listen to Grandstand's coverage of the State of Origin opener between Queensland and New South Wales at Lang Park.
Updated May 25, 2011 19:13:00 Listen to Grandstand's coverage of the State of Origin opener between Queensland and New South Wales at Lang Park.
Commentary can be heard by clicking on the links below:
Queensland v New South Wales at Lang Park - 7:05pm (AEST): AAC+ Stream | Windows Media Stream
The Blues have made a late change with Dean Young starting in place of Canterbury hooker Michael Ennis.
New South Wales is seeking to break Queensland's five-year stranglehold on the series, which was last won by the Blues in 2005.
Darren Lockyer leads the Maroons in his final year of professional football while New South Wales is led by Sharks skipper and Test lock Paul Gallen.
Lockyer's appearance tonight equals Allan Langer's record of 34 Origin caps.
Ricky Stuart named five debutants, including full-back Josh Dugan, for his first match as the Blues' full-time head coach.
In 2009 Queensland became the first ever Origin side to win four consecutive series and last year made it five in a row with a 3-0 clean sweep.
Queensland: Billy Slater, Darius Boyd, Dane Nielsen, Willie Tonga, Jharal Yow Yeh, Darren Lockyer (c), Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott, Cameron Smith, Petero Civoniceva, Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday, Ashley Harrison. Reserves: Cooper Cronk, Corey Parker, Jacob Lillyman, Ben Hannant.
New South Wales: Josh Dugan, Brett Morris, Michael Jennings, Mark Gasnier, Akuila Uate, Jamie Soward, Mitchell Pearce, Jason King, Dean Young, Kade Snowden, Beau Scott, Greg Bird, Paul Gallen (c). Interchange: Ben Creagh, Trent Merrin, Tim Mannah, Michael Ennis.
Tags: sport, rugby-league, state-of-origin
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