NRL Late Mail for round 15 of season 2018

JOSH Reynolds’ unfortunate first season at the Tigers has suffered another blow with the utility to miss the clash with the Raiders due to injury.

JOSH Reynolds’ unfortunate first season at the Tigers has suffered another blow with the utility to miss the clash with the Raiders due to injury.

The injury opens the door for exciting playmaker Tyson Gamble to make his NRL debut after dominating the NSW Cup competition this season.

In other late mail:

* David Fusitu’a has been ruled out of the Warriors clash with North Queensland, with Gerard Beale to replace him on the right wing.

* South Sydney youngster Campbell Graham has been ruled out of the clash with Parra and has been replaced by Hymel Hunt. Mitchell Moses will not be a late inclusion.

* Broncos recruit Jack Bird (sternum) is expected to undergo surgery;

* Potential debutant Manase Fainu is set to miss out for the Sea Eagles after the NRL refused to grant the club an exemption for their crippling injury toll.

* Newcastle co-captain Jamie Buhrer has been cleared of a season-ending ACL injury, but he will miss up to two months of action.

PODCAST! Tom Sangster and Tim Williams discuss the two cheapies to emerge in the round 15 teams.

St George Illawarra Dragons v Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Saturday 5.30pm at WIN Stadium

Dragons: 1 Matt Dufty, 2 Nene Macdonald, 3 Euan Aitken, 4 Tim Lafai, 5 Kurt Mann, 6 Gareth Widdop (c), 7 Ben Hunt, 8 James Graham, 9 Cameron McInnes, 10 Paul Vaughan, 11 Tyson Frizell, 12 Tariq Sims, 13 Jack De Belin

Interchange: 14 Jeremy Latimore, 15 Jason Nightingale, 16 Leeson Ah Mau, 17 Jacob Host

Reserves: 18 Blake Lawrie, 19 Patrick Herbert, 20 Reece Robson, 21 Hame Sele

Players cut: To come

Late mail: To come

Sea Eagles: 1 Tom Trbojevic, 2 Jorge Taufua, 3 Moses Suli, 4 Brian Kelly, 5 Akuila Uate, 6 Trent Hodkinson, 7 Daly Cherry-Evans (c), 8 Addin Fonua-Blake, 9 Manase Fainu, 10 Martin Taupau, 11 Joel Thompson, 12 Frank Winterstein, 13 Jake Trbojevic

Interchange: 14 Matthew Wright, 15 Brad Parker, 16 Shaun Lane, 17 Taniela Paseka

Reserves: 18 Thomas Wright, 19 Lewis Brown, 20 Toafofoa Sipley, 21 Lloyd Perrett

Players cut: To come

Late mail: Struggling Manly have been forced to withdraw rookie hooker Manase Fainu from making his debut against St George Illawarra on Saturday after the NRL refused to grant the club an exemption for their crippling injury toll. The decision will reignite the Jackson Hastings debate after he was again controversially overlooked for a first-grade spot. Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett selected Fainu, 19, on Tuesday to face the Dragons in Wollongong, but the NRL had not been granted official clearance to play. The NRL has since rejected Manly’s exemption request, claiming the Sea Eagles already had three fit hookers — Hastings, Lewis Brown and Matt Wright.

Exclusive story by Dean Ritchie

Cronulla Sharks v Brisbane Broncos, Saturday 7.35pm at Southern Cross Group Stadium

Sharks: 1 Valentine Holmes, 2 Sione Katoa, 3 Jesse Ramien, 4 Ricky Leutele, 5 Edrick Lee, 6 Matt Moylan, 7 Chad Townsend, 8 Andrew Fifita, 9 Jayden Brailey, 10 Matt Prior, 11 Luke Lewis, 12 Wade Graham (c), 13 Paul Gallen (c)

Interchange: 14 Joseph Paulo, 15 James Segeyaro, 16 Jack Williams, 17 Jayson Bukuya

Reserves: 18 Kurt Capewell, 19 Avagalu Seumanufagai, 20 Scott Sorensen, 21 Sosaia Feki

Players cut: To come

Late mail: Luke Lewis (concussion) will need to pass protocol. He pulled up well from the knock and is expected to play.

Broncos: 1 Darius Boyd (c), 2 Corey Oates, 3 James Roberts, 4 Jordan Kahu, 5 Jamayne Isaako, 6 Anthony Milford, 7 Kodi Nikorima, 8 Matthew Lodge, 9 Andrew McCullough, 10 Sam Thaiday, 11 Alex Glenn, 12 Jaydn Su’A, 13 Josh McGuire

Interchange: 14 Patrick Mago, 15 Joe Ofahengaue, 16 Tevita Pangai jnr, 17 Kotoni Staggs

Reserves: 18 Sam Tagataese, 19 Troy Dargan, 20 Tom Opacic, 21 David Fifita

Players cut: To come

Late mail: Jack Bird’s maiden season at the Broncos has become a nightmare with Brisbane’s $3.5 million recruit set to undergo a second bout of surgery in a crippling blow for the former NSW Origin star. The Courier-Mail can reveal Bird will see a specialist on Monday for a treatment plan on a sternum injury that has plagued him for the past nine months dating back to his stint at former club Cronulla. The 23-year-old missed the entire pre-season after undergoing a shoulder reconstruction and Broncos medicos are resigned to Bird spending another four to eight weeks in the casualty ward.

Exclusive story by Peter Badel here

Meanwhile, NSW Origin centre James Roberts (achilles) is a certain starter after being rested last week.

Jack Bird is set for more time on the sideline. Picture: Annette Dew

Newcastle Knights v Melbourne Storm, Sunday 2pm at McDonald Jones Stadium

Knights: 1 Kalyn Ponga, 2 Ken Sio, 3 Sione Mata’utia, 4 Cory Denniss, 5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 6 Connor Watson, 7 Jack Cogger, 8 Herman Ese’ese, 9 Slade Griffin, 10 Josh King, 11 Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 12 Mitchell Barnett, 13 Aidan Guerra (c)

Interchange: 14 Danny Levi, 15 Chris Heighington, 16 Luke Yates, 18 Jacob Lillyman

Reserves: 18 Nicholas Meaney, 19 Sam Stone, 20 Brock Lamb, 21 Brent Naden

Players cut: To come

Late mail: Newcastle co-captain Jamie Buhrer has been cleared of a season-ending ACL injury, but he will miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus. Nathan Ross (groin) is aiming for next week.

Storm: 1 Billy Slater, 2 Suliasi Vunivalu, 3 Will Chambers, 4 Curtis Scott, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Ryley Jacks, 8 Tim Glasby, 9 Cameron Smith, 10 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 11 Felise Kaufusi, 12 Ryan Hoffman, 13 Kenny Bromwich

Interchange: 14 Brandon Smith, 15 Christian Welch, 16 Joe Stimson, 17 Jahrome Hughes

Reserves: 18 Young Tonumaipea, 19 Sam Kasiano, 20 Patrick Kaufusi, 21 Cheyse Blair

Players cut: To come

Late mail: Billy Slater (hamstring) has been on light duties during the week and remains in doubt. Jahrome Hughes is on standby. Curtis Scott, Sam Kasiano and Will Chambers all return from suspension.

1st one out, 1st one into work.

Billy Slater (hamstring) 👇 @storm coach Bellamy about to speak pic.twitter.com/A5SDPfYLcI

— Gilbert Gardiner (@gilbertgardiner) June 14, 2018

Wests Tigers v Canberra Raiders, Sunday 4.10pm at Campbelltown Stadium

Wests Tigers: 1 Corey Thompson, 2 Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Esan Marsters, 4 Mahe Fonua, 5 Kevin Naiqama, 6 Josh Reynolds, 7 Luke Brooks, 8 Russell Packer (c), 9 Matt McIlwrick, 10 Ben Matulino, 11 Chris Lawrence, 12 Robbie Rochow, 13 Elijah Taylor

Interchange: 14 Alex Twal, 15 Matthew Eisenhuth, 16 Josh Aloiai, 17 Tim Grant

Reserves: 18 Michael Chee-Kam, 19 Tyson Gamble, 20 Sauaso Sue, 21 Chris McQueen

Players cut: To come

Late mail: Josh Reynolds is expected to miss the clash with Tyson Gamble to debut five-eighth.

Raiders: 1 Jack Wighton, 2 Nick Cotric, 3 Jarrod Croker (c), 4 Joseph Leilua, 5 Michael Oldfield, 6 Blake Austin, 7 Aidan Sezer, 8 Iosia Soliola, 9 Josh Hodgson, 10 Shannon Boyd, 11 Joseph Tapine, 12 Elliott Whitehead, 13 Josh Papalii

Interchange: 14 Siliva Havili, 15 Luke Bateman, 16 Dunamis Lui, 17 Liam Knight

Reserves: 18 Emre Guler, 19 Brad Abbey, 20 Jack Murchie, 21 Craig Garvey

Players cut: To come

Late mail: To come

Originally published as NRL Late Mail for round 15 of season 2018