Murray eyes Prime Minister’s XIII reprieve as part of judiciary ban

Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos are considering applying for Cameron Murray to serve the final game of a three-match suspension in the annual Prime Minister’s XIII clash, potentially freeing him to play from the start of the Pacific Championships.

Having been rubbed out for the rest of the NRL season after losing a judiciary case on Tuesday night stemming from a high tackle on Newcastle’s Tyson Frizell, Murray will ask for the last game of that ban to include the representative fixture.

Meninga and Kangaroos officials have discussed writing to NRL judiciary chairman Justice Geoff Bellew to argue the Prime Minister’s XIII game should be considered as part of Murray’s three matches. Bellew will have the final say on when Murray will finish the suspension.

Murray will miss South Sydney’s last two NRL games against the Panthers and Roosters. The Rabbitohs are already well out of finals contention.

The 26-year-old played in last year’s Prime Minister’s XIII fixture alongside clubmate Cody Walker when the Rabbitohs dipped out of the top eight in the last round of the regular season. Meninga uses the game to fine tune his squad for the end-of-season Test.

South Sydney Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray.Credit: Getty

There has been no official announcement about the Prime Minister’s XIII fixture yet, but it is expected to go ahead in September.

If Murray can have the clash included in his ban, it would free him for Australia’s opening Pacific Championships game against Tonga in Brisbane.

The Kangaroos and State of Origin representative sought to have his grade-two careless high tackle charge on Frizell downgraded at the judiciary, but the panel upheld the initial charge.

There was confusion about Murray’s tackle on the night, and the back-rower was belatedly sin binned more than a minute after he was put on report in South Sydney’s loss to Newcastle at Accor Stadium.

Murray had earlier served a two-game ban this year for running from the bench to be involved in a melee during the State of Origin decider in Brisbane last month. He was sin binned for those actions, but was considered lucky not to be sent off after involving himself when he wasn’t on the field at the time.

Meninga is yet to nominate who will captain the Kangaroos. Murray, Isaah Yeo and Daly Cherry-Evans will all be contenders if the coach moves on from incumbent fullback James Tedesco.

Sexton signing proves the trick for finals-bound Bulldogs

Daniel Lo Surdo and Billie Eder

Toby Sexton took a chance moving to the Bulldogs. After biding his time on the Gold Coast, stuck behind Tanah Boyd and Kieran Foran for a starting spot in the halves, he packed up his life and moved to Belmore. The Bulldogs had just suffered an embarrassing 66-0 defeat to Newcastle, and were a bottom-three side that hadn’t played finals football since 2016.

Toby Sexton has been outsanding for the Bulldogs in 2024.Credit: Getty

A year on and Canterbury are fighting for a top-four spot with two games of the regular season to go, and Sexton has been instrumental in making it happen.

Canterbury’s rise in 2024 is reflective of Sexton’s ascension; the young halfback going from starting the year in the club’s reserve side to being on the cusp of the first NRL finals series of his career.

“You’re trying to train all pre-season to be in the starting 17 [for] round one, but for that not to happen was challenging in ways,” Sexton said. “But [coach] Cameron [Ciraldo] has been honest with me the whole run and made it clear if I was playing well in reserve grade I’d get my chance somewhere along the line.

“It was just a good opportunity for me to go back and have no pressure on me and get my game where I want it to be at to be at NRL level, and it’s been really good. And the rest of the year, it’s just been a massive high, and to think we’re going to be playing finals footy is pretty cool.”

Away from the comforts of home, Sexton said a mental coach had been helping him keep a clear head on the field.

“I picked up on some things this year with a mental coach, and I’ve been away from home and that as well. It’s been challenging, but I feel like I’ve got a good balance in life at the moment and the footy’s just topping it all off at the end of the day, too. Ciro and that made it pretty clear if I was able to go back [to reserve grade] and work on the little things and kind of get a lot of confidence around my game then I was going to get a chance.”

A Queenslander at heart, Sexton’s next challenge is coming up against state hero Daly Cherry-Evans and the Sea Eagles on Friday night.

It’s an informal start to each team’s finals run, and a chance for Sexton to go head-to-head with a hero.

“I feel like every halfback in the game is quality, and especially Cherry-Evans,” Sexton said. “He’s captained his state, played for his country, he’s done everything in the game, and he’s one of the elite halfbacks in the game, and it’s going to be pretty cool to be able to play against him this weekend.

“What he’s been able to do for the state and Queensland – I’m a mad Queenslander as well – and sitting back watching what he’s been able to do in State of Origin arenas, you kind of just [are] mesmerised by it, and it’s a cool opportunity to be able to play against him this week.”

Cameron Murray to mount judiciary challenge to save season

Adam Pengilly

South Sydney captain Cameron Murray will roll the dice at an NRL judiciary in a bid to play again this season after seeking a downgrade to a contentious high tackle which sparked mass confusion over his sin-bin.

The Rabbitohs and Murray have sought his grade two careless high tackle charge on Newcastle’s Tyson Frizell, which belatedly resulted in the representative star being sidelined for 10 minutes.

It took the bunker more than a minute after Murray was initially placed on report for referee Chris Butler to send Murray to the sin-bin.

His charge carried a two-match ban with an early guilty plea, but the Rabbitohs will try to have it amended to a grade one and a fine.

If he loses at the judiciary, Murray will be suspended for three matches, impacting his availability for Mal Meninga’s Australian squad in the end-of-season Pacific Championships.

The Rabbitohs, already out of finals contention, will play the Panthers and Roosters in their final two matches of the season.

Dally M favourite Hughes expected to be among Storm stars rested

Adam Pengilly

Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant are expected to headline a cast of Storm players rested for the gruelling trip to North Queensland on Thursday night.

Minor premiers Melbourne, who sealed the JJ Giltinan Shield with two matches left of the regular season, were on Monday finalising which players won’t make the trip to take on the Cowboys in the tropics.

Given the Storm have just a five-day turnaround after beating the Dolphins in Melbourne, one club official said it would be a “significant” number of first-team regulars who wouldn’t be on the teamsheet.

Dally M favourite Hughes and State of Origin star Grant are two of the players who are unlikely to be asked to take on the Cowboys, but the list is poised to extend well beyond the pair.

The Storm then have to travel to Brisbane to take on the Broncos in the final match of the regular season, which could have top eight implications if Kevin Walters’ side can beat the Dolphins this week.

Asked about the potential of mass changes, Storm prop Christian Welch said: “It is a tough one because I think you have earned the right.

“We have done a great job, we have locked up top spot. So, we have the ability to rest some players [and] freshen some guys up. There could be some ramifications for other teams, but I think we have earned the right to be honest.

“Also to be fair, we are coming off a five-day turnaround, and we are going on our longest trip all year. [It’s] pretty hard for the NRL to get too angry I think.”

Melbourne’s main goal was to lock in a top two position to earn hosting rights for a week one final, which has been easily achieved allowing them to manage players in the last weeks of the regular season.

Waerea-Hargreaves to miss finals matches after another suspension

Adam Pengilly

Veteran enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is unlikely to play again until the Roosters’ second match of the finals after being hit with another suspension in his return game.

The NRL’s match review committee stung Waerea-Hargreaves with a grade two careless high tackle charge, which carries a three-match suspension with an early guilty plea, for a high shot on former teammate Sam Verrills on Sunday.

He will miss four matches if he unsuccessfully fights the charge at the judiciary, but can also seek a downgrade to a grade one, which would be just a $3000 fine.

The sanction gives Waerea-Hargreaves a chance to play again in the NRL before he heads to the Super League next year, but it might not be until the preliminary final if the Roosters win their opening match of the finals.

Trent Robinson’s side is on track to host a qualifying final at Allianz Stadium after moving to second spot on the ladder with a big win over the Titans.

Waerea-Hargreaves was only playing his first match back from a four-game suspension, incurred for a high shot on the same day he broke the Roosters’ all-time record for most games. He was sin-binned for the tackle as part of a crazy afternoon in which four other teammates were also placed on report.

Is eight too many? NRL club boss leads call for bunker overhaul

Adam Pengilly

Warriors chief executive Cameron George has called on the NRL to reduce the number of officials who occupy the bunker after the Stephen Crichton fiasco.

Following a weekend that saw Bulldogs star Crichton escape the sin bin for a high tackle which ended Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s season and confusion over the eventual binning of Cameron Murray, George has led a push for the NRL to revamp its officiating protocols.

Eight different officials were used in the bunker across the weekend for men’s matches – six of those also had on-field refereeing duties in other games – and the NRL is also expected to have some of their top whistleblowers doubling up during the finals.

But George said the time has come for the NRL to consider reducing the pool of people its draws upon to run the video review technology which is so crucial to the game. He says between three or four people should be on a permanent rotation in the bunker, overseeing multiple matches each round.

“We’re all after consistency, from fans through to club owners and the NRL to be fair,” George said.

“To get consistency, you need a smaller pool of people applying the interpretations. When you broaden the pool of people interpreting the rules, you’re going to get inconsistency in my view. You just are.

Bulldogs centre Stephen Crichton.Credit: NRL Photos

“In any industry, consistency is usually generated by a small group of general managers or CEOs or a board. This should be the same. Back in the racing days, Ray Murrihy was the chief steward at Randwick on Saturday as well as Rosehill on Wednesday, so you had consistency.”

Bunker official Liam Kennedy is set to pay the price for his failure not to advise referee Wyatt Raymond to send Crichton to the sin-bin for his high shot on the Warriors’ Tuivasa-Sheck.

Crichton was hit with a grade two careless high tackle by the match review committee, which carries a one-match ban for an early guilty plea.

On Sunday night, the Bulldogs were considering legal advice about whether to seek a downgrade, which would free Crichton for the blockbuster against the Sea Eagles on Friday night.

If he seeks a downgrade and is unsuccessful at the judiciary, he will be banned for two matches.

There was confusion over South Sydney captain Cameron Murray’s sin-binning in the Rabbitohs’ loss to the Knights on Saturday night, with it taking the bunker an entire minute after Murray was initially placed on report before referee Chris Butler sent him from the field for 10 minutes.

Murray was issued a grade two careless high tackle charge for the hit on Tyson Frizell, which carries a two-game suspension with an early guilty plea. He won’t play again this season if chooses not to fight the charge.

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