NRL DAILY: South Sydney are officially not in the race for James Maloney — but it’s a different story for one of Jimmy’s former clubs. Rolling coverage ...
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HARRIS OUT FOR STORM
One last one for all you SuperCoach people out there – Tohu Harris has been ruled out for the Storm’s clash with Canberra tomorrow. Kenny Bromwich will replace him on the right edge.
That’ll be it for us today, see you on Monday. Work hard, be good to your mother.
FINAL TEAMS FOR ROOSTERS-KNIGHTS
Joseph Manu is out for the Panthers, meaning Mitch Aubusson pushes to the centres and Aidan Guerra starts in the backrow. Mitch Cornish will start from the bench with debutant Victor Radley moving to hooker. Zane Tetevano is the new man on the bench.
For Newcastle, Jamie Buhrer will start at hooker with Danny Levi moving to the bench.
MOYLAN STILL THE GO-TO MAN FOR PANTHERS
Matt Moylan is still the go-to man for Penrith despite Nathan Cleary’s latest breakout performance, insists coach Anthony Griffin.
Moylan is a certain starter for Saturday’s NRL clash with Gold Coast after missing last week’s win over the Warriors. Halves partner Cleary bagged a personal tally of 22 points.
It was a night to remember for the competition’s leading pointscorer. However, Griffin is adamant it won’t change their original game plan when Moylan takes to the field.
“I don’t see a lot of change. Last time Matt played was against Manly and we had a good night that night. I don’t see a lot of change there,” Griffin told reporters on Friday.
“Nathan ran the team really well last week and Matt will add to that. “Last week was a good opportunity to take more responsibility and that will only add to his performance, no matter if Matt’s there or not.” Veteran Peter Wallace also makes his long-awaited return from a groin injury that had robbed him of a fairytale State of Origin return for NSW on the eve of this year’s series opener.
His inclusion is a major boost for a Panthers side who remain two points behind eighth-placed St George Illawarra with seven games remaining. The Titans are one of four teams another win behind in 12th spot after last week upsetting Cronulla for the second time this year.
Griffin is convinced a full-strength Titans are the real deal after taking down a number of premiership heavyweights this season, including ladder leaders Melbourne.
“They compete very hard – they’ve beaten the Sharks twice and Melbourne once,” he said.
“I watched the game last week really closely and they’ve got a really good side; experience, size off the bench and class there with (Ashley) Taylor and (Jarryd) Hayne out the back.
“They’re a real serious football team. They’ve had their troubles during the year with injuries and that’s probably the only thing that’s been holding them back.” The returns of Moylan and Wallace mean rookie Tyrone May and back-up rake Mitch Rein have been left out, while Moses Leota deputises for the injured Trent Merrin at lock.
For the Titans, Morgan Boyle replaces Pat Politoni as an interchange and Kane Elgey is still a chance to return off the extended bench.
– AAP
REIN OUT FOR PANTHERS
Mitch Rein will make way for Peter Wallace while Viliame Kikau has been omitted from Penrith’s squad to play Gold Coast in Saturday’s NRL clash at Pepper Stadium.
Coach Anthony Griffin described Rein’s scratching from the squad as a “tough call” given his recent performances but backed the experienced Wallace to perform in his comeback from a groin tear.
The clash shapes as crucial for both sides, who sit outside the top eight but within striking distance of finals if they continue their winning ways.
ROUND 20 LATE MAIL: https://goo.gl/QFfa3y
NRL RIVAL EYES SHARKS STAR MALONEY
From The Daily Telegraph’s Sport Confidential column:
SOUTH Sydney are officially not in the race for James Maloney — but it’s a different story for one of Jimmy’s former clubs.
The New Zealand Warriors are closely monitoring what Maloney does in 2018, and would happily see him back on the other side of the ditch, especially given his success and experience playing in the halves with Shaun Johnson.
The Warriors need a replacement for Kieran Foran and have enough money to better the deal Maloney has already agreed to at Cronulla next year.
Maloney is willing to leave the Shire if there’s a better deal. The Sharks will only grant him an early exit if they find a suitable replacement like Cooper Cronk.
Cronk is in no rush to make a call on his playing future and the Warriors are not prepared to wait forever. Newcastle are cashed up and also keen.
Souths, however, are not contenders. They seemed a logical fit given they need a recognised playmaker to partner Adam Reynolds but it won’t happen.
READ MORE SPORT CONFIDENTIAL: https://goo.gl/WUokVf
PONGA IN FRAME FOR NRL RECALL
Kalyn Ponga could find himself back in the NRL on Saturday to play the Warriors if North Queensland winger Antonio Winterstein fails to shrug off a calf injury.
Winterstein played just 40 minutes on the wing in last Sunday’s defeat of South Sydney, and despite training on Thursday has been listed as doubtful by coach Paul Green.
Guarded when asked of Winterstein’s potential replacement, Green said Ponga, Javid Bowen or Kyle Laybutt were all in the frame.
ROUND 20 LATE MAIL: https://goo.gl/QFfa3y
WOODS REJECTS GOULD’S BLUES CRITICISM
Aaron Woods believes NSW can win a State of Origin series without overhauling their maligned culture.
The Blues forward rejected former NSW coach Phil Gould’s labelling of the team’s culture as toxic, and admitted such criticism was hard to take.
“It sucks … but he (Gould) wasn’t in the rooms. He doesn’t know what’s going on,” Woods said on Friday.
– AAP
GEYER’S BLAST FOR BLUES BOSS
FORMER Blue Mark Geyer has blasted officials for ignoring a “cultural problem” with NSW rugby league.
A day after the NSW Rugby League has launched an impassioned defence of their culture, Geyer hit back.
“I know one thing is for sure. The whole thing about State of Origin at the moment stinks,” Geyer said on the Triple M Grill Team.
“When we have the head of the NSW Rugby League (David Trodden) putting his head in the sand and saying we haven’t got a cultural problem, forget about what’s happening with the individual players at the moment, something’s wrong.
“We’ve lost 11 series out of 12 — something’s wrong. It doesn’t take us as ex-rugby league players to know something’s wrong. The man on the street’s telling us something’s wrong every day. My mum and dad ring me up and go, ‘What’s wrong with NSW?’
“Something’s wrong. Since game three all we’ve spoken about is player behaviour … we lost the game, we lost the series again, we’ve lost 11 out of 12 series. Something is wrong with NSW rugby league.
“And when the main man Mr Trodden comes out and says, ‘No, these players haven’t got anything to face as far as discipline goes,’ I’m sorry but they have. They’ve brought their team into disrepute.
“They’ve made headlines for the wrong reasons and it’s affected everyone. You could tell by game three that they had something on their mind … and now we’re reading about it you can see why.”
BROMWICH MOVES ON FROM CANBERRA BENDER
By Gilbert Gardiner
MELBOURNE Storm enforcer Jesse Bromwich has moved on from the Canberra bender which threatened to derail his NRL season.
Bromwich was suspended for two NRL matches early in the season after a drug and alcohol-fuelled blowout in the capital, while on tour with New Zealand.
The 28-year-old, who was stripped of the Kiwis captaincy in the aftermath of the storm, has enjoyed the support of family and the club.
“That’s behind me now, it doesn’t really bother me going back that way, I haven’t really thought about it too much,” Bromwich said.
“It was a tough time, it’s been good lately, my family have just been huge throughout the whole thing and the club supported me throughout everything, not surprised that we’ve moved on.
“This is rugby league and things happen every week, as long as you put the work in and stay quiet and don’t make any trouble or anything like that I guess everyone will move on, that’s been the special thing about it.”
Bromwich, who returns to Canberra today for the first time since the May scandal, has captained Storm in recent weeks in the absence of Queensland Origin stalwarts Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.
Ladder leader Storm faces a tough ask against the dangerous Raiders, who thrive on their home deck.
“We don’t really look at games that way (potential danger game), we’ve got our Origin boys back playing this week.
“They’re a tough side, they’ve had a few losses as of late but they’ve all been close so we’re expecting them to put up a tough game and going down to Canberra it will be a tough match.”
TITAN EYES WORLD CUP CALL-UP
Plying his trade just down the road from England coach Wayne Bennett, Gold Coast second-rower Joe Greenwood says he will let his football do the talking ahead of a possible World Cup berth.
The former St Helens product joined the Titans earlier this year in a swap deal with Zeb Taia and has proved a versatile weapon for coach Neil Henry. Part of Bennett’s 31-strong elite training squad ahead of the end-of-season World Cup, Greenwood hopes another strong showing against Penrith on Saturday will catch the eye of the Brisbane and England coach.
“I’ve been dreaming since I was a little kid to play for my country,” Greenwood said of his ambitions.
“It’d be amazing to play in a World Cup, especially one over here.”
Able to play in the forward pack, Henry has also used the 24-year-old in the centres in the latter stages of games.
Greenwood slid over for the Titans’ fifth try last Saturday night in a 30-10 romp of defending premiers Cronulla, the well-worked try itself a symbol of the side’s new-found cohesion.
“There’s still more to improve, but each game I’m getting more comfortable and we’ve had the same team for a few weeks now and getting used to the players around me has been good,” he said.
Bennett has not been in touch since the squad assembled in England in February, but with Greenwood just an hour up the highway he hopes he has been in the veteran coach’s sights.
“I hope so, but I’ll just keep quiet and keep doing my thing and hopefully get the call-up at the end of the year,” Greenwood said.
His task has become easier in unfortunate circumstances, thanks to club teammate and fellow English back-rower Chris McQueen’s troublesome neck injury.
The 29-year-old has undergone treatment to help alleviate the injury, but could face surgery and is no certainty to play out the remainder of the season.
“It’s a big loss for us (at the Titans); hopefully everything goes well for him and hopefully he can push to play a couple of games yet this season,” Greenwood said.
– AAP
They were accused of lacking leadership options but that hasn’t been a problem for Dragons coach Shane Flanagan after he anointed the successor to departed captain Ben Hunt.
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