Sport Con: Manly change training prep for Vegas, Taylan May serves suspension while injured, NRL power couple go public
Manly have ramped up their preparations for round one, the Panthers have been gifted a suspension surprise by the NRL and more in SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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Taylan May has been given the green light to play for the Panthers in round one with the NRL deeming him to have served his two game ban while injured. May – who will travel with the rest of the Panthers squad to England on Friday – has not played since rupturing his ACL in last year’s World Club Challenge.
The outside back – who is expected to get first crack at Stephen Crichton’s vacant centre spot – was suspended for two games in 2022. However the NRL allowed May to take up that ban at the start of the 2023 season given the Panthers were in the midst of a finals campaign.
A hamstring injury ruled him out of their 2022 grand final win before his season was ended before it started last year. However, the NRL has cleared May to play in the season opener given his suspension was handed down before he was injured with the NRL now comfortable he has served his ban.
May is in the midst of contract talks with the Panthers.
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Wests Tigers enforcer David Klemmer has opened up on the meeting with coach Benji Marshall where he thrashed out his future at the embattled club. Klemmer was stunned to read over the summer that he may be released to help fund the club’s move for Jarome Luai.
However, he told Sport Confidential his mind was put at ease after a meeting with Marshall.
“I think it was the week before we were supposed to start back and all the rumblings happened,” Klemmer said.
“I sat down with Bags (Marshall) and he was pretty honest with me. That is all I wanted. He is happy to have me and wants me to keep doing what I am doing.
“He has really backed me coming back here. When I sat down with Bags … he laid it out for me and was really honest with me.
“When I finally sat down with him he put a lot of ease in my mind. That’s so good from a coach, especially a young coach like that. I couldn’t wait to get back and rip in with me.”
Klemmer has embraced a leadership role at training after Marshall asked him to lend a helping hand to some of the club’s emerging stars.
“He was happy with me last year,” Klemmer said.
“He said I played really well even though we had a shocking season. He wanted me to come back, train hard and help these young fellas.
“He just wants me to come here and lead and lead by example. That is what he said to me.”
Of that young brigade, Klemmer has been particularly impressed with teenage five-eighth Lachlan Galvin, who has been tipped for big things this season.
Galvin has been named on the interchange bench for the club’s opening trial in New Zealand this weekend and is in contention to play when the NRL season kicks off next month.
“When good kids come though they are going to have big wraps on them,” Klemmer said.
“I think Lachie has a good head on his shoulders. He is a good kid, very respectfully, comes in there and gets his work done.
“He is very popular among the boys because he is so eager to learn. I have never seen anything like it. Just running wise he is very fit, mentally strong kid.“
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The Sydney Roosters are making contingency plans for Joey Manu to be a late arrival in Las Vegas as the superstar centre braces for the birth of his first child.
Roosters officials insist that Manu is not in doubt for the game, but may be forced to take a later flight than his teammates so he can be by his wife Tyrelle’s side. The Roosters are loaded in the outside backs – Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Billy Smith have been named to start in the club’s pre-season trial against Manly on Saturday night.
However, Manu is arguably the best centre in the game and the Roosters are a better side when he is in their ranks, hence their desire to have him play against the Brisbane Broncos even if it means he arrives after his teammates. Likewise, Manu is believed to be keen to play given the clock is also ticking on his time at the club.
The New Zealand international has been linked with a switch to rugby union and Sport Confidential understands a deal to move to France edging closer to fruition. The Roosters can’t compete with the dollars on offer in France and are privately resigned to Manu leaving at the end of the season.
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St George Junior Rugby League have reluctantly agreed to adopt the NRL’s rule changes after seeking legal advice. This now leaves Macarthur as the alone junior rugby league association who are refusing to implement the new rules which includes eventually banning grand finals until under-13s. St George opposed the changes but were told they could be legally exposed should they not adhere to the rules.
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The NRL’s latest power couple shared a warm embrace last weekend with Jessica Sergis watching from the sidelines as new boyfriend Tommy Talau stepped onto the field for the first time as a Sea Eagle.
Sergis and Talau made headlines when they revealed they were an item via Sergis’ Instagram account during the holidays. The pair were snapped shortly after the completion of Talau’s match against South Sydney with Sergis travelling to the Central Coast to watch him play.
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Manly have ramped up their preparations for round one by shortening their training field at Brookvale Oval to accommodate the smaller sized field in Las Vegas. South Sydney undertook something similar weeks ago but the Sea Eagles didn’t want to cause any significant disruptions to their usual field sessions. This week though that has changed. The width of Allegiant Stadium is 63.1 metres – the usual NRL field is 68 metres.
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Radio commitments will prevent Penrith and Triple M legend Mark Geyer flying to England for the World Club Challenge but he’ll be watching closely from afar as son Mavrik closes in on the big time with the Panthers.
Mavrik Geyer, who was pursued by Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy a few years ago before committing his future to Penrith, is pushing hard for a spot in the premier’s back row to take on Super League giants Wigan.
“He was rapt that Craig Bellamy rang him and showed interest because he respects him …. But he loves Ivan,” Mark Geyer said.
“Being in a system where you have played in four grand finals in a row, it is hard to crack the top 17.
“All I know is he is excited and it is a great trip to be on because not only are they playing footy, but to go away with that team is immense.
“He has had a few years of injuries in the off-season. This is the first year he hasn’t missed a session and he is going good,”
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SPOTTED
The NRL cashing in on the Super Bowl by having an advertisement board drive around the Las Vegas strip on the same day as the clash between Kansas City and San Francisco.
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The Sydney Roosters have tabled an extension to prop Terrell May as they look to keep the front row enforcer out of the clutches of their rivals.
Sport Confidential can reveal that May is looking for at least another two years – he is off contract at the end of 2024.
The Roosters are short-priced favourites to retain May after the Bulldogs withdrew from the race and May’s new manager David Rawlings has stepped up talks with the Bondi Junction club over the past fortnight.
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Manly star Reuben Garrick is ready to embrace a permanent move to the centres but he is just as excited about the emergence of Jamie Humphreys, who has been tipped to make his first grade debut this year.
Humphreys, the son of former Sea Eagles chief executive Steve Humphreys, was on the verge of a maiden NRL appearance last season only to suffer an injury in the pre-season.
Garrick insists the versatile Humphreys has stepped it up another notch this pre-season, whipping himself into the best shape of his career.
Sport Confidential understands he could enter the season as the deputy to hooker Lachlan Crocker, having edged past Gordon Chan Kum Tong on the Manly depth chart.
“Last year he had a really good pre-season but unfortunately he broke his jaw,” Garrick said.
“He’s had a terrific pre-season. He’s that fit it is not funny. He walks around training with his shirt off that’s for sure.
“He loves having his shirt off. He’s a great lad too. He has a good head on his shoulders., I don’t think he would be out of place in first grade at all.”
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For almost $100,000 you can land a corporate suite to a Wallabies Test next year. That’s right. Not tickets to a Super Bowl but to watch the failing Wallabies take on British & Irish Lions. Plenty of eyebrows were raised when the lofty ticket price landed in inboxes this week. A 40-seat suite will set you back $88,000 when includes the best seats in the house at Accor Stadium as well as a gourmet menu, premium drinks and a souvenir merchandise item.
A 20-seat suite will set you back $44,000 and a 14-person box $30,800.
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FLASHBACK
Two rugby league icons in Brad Fittler and Steve Menzies pulled on the boots again as part of the once annual Auckland Nines tournament. The pair were part of the inaugural competition at Eden Park with Menzies packing his trademark headgear. Fittler scored an intercept try in his return.
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