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SOUTH Sydney young gun’s season over, every club’s run to the finals, code hopper Sonny Bill Williams weighs up his next career move and big Sam’s 300th.
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THAIDAY JOINS THE CLUB
At first they didn’t want him, then he knocked them back andnow Sam Thaiday will return to celebrate his 300th NRL game.
The Brisbane favourite will become just the 33rd player toreach the milestone when he lines up against North Queensland on Thursday.
A young Thaiday used to sell magazines outside theTownsville stadium to earn his ticket to watch the Cowboys and rememberssitting on the hill watching their first game with his dad and brother.
The former Queensland and Test forward was overlooked by hishome NRL club but, to his disbelief, was offered a shot at the big time with theirQueensland rivals instead.
Fast forward 16 seasons and Thaiday, 33, will retire as oneof just three men to play more than 300 games for the Broncos.
“It’s amazing how it’s kind of worked out,” he said of hisTownsville homecoming.
“Where football started for me, and the love of football.
“But the Broncos were a team I always loved watching – howcould you not follow them – so to even get a chance to train down here was agreat thing.” Thaiday, who debuted as an 18-year-old in 2003, admitted he hadsince knocked back big-money offers to return to Townsville and contemplatedwalking away when he lost the captaincy five years ago.
“It was a very, very tough time in my career and made mequestion a few things … whether I wanted to stay here,” Thaiday said of his2013 leadership axing. “But I stayed true to my values and loyal to the cluband I’m glad I have.”
But he knows things could have been different if the Cowboyshad shifted their recruitment policy earlier, listing Neville Costigan(PNG/Mackay), Billy Slater (Innisfail) and Nate Myles (Cairns) as other fishthat got away. “I think back in those days they were really searching forplayers to be marquee players and there were a fair few that slipped throughthe cracks,” Thaiday said.
“I think now they are looking more in their backyard whichis a fantastic thing because there is a lot of talent all the way from theTorres Strait to Townsville.”
– Murray Wenzel, AAP
MASSIVE!
Full story to come on the Daily Telegraph page shortly.
BREAKING NEWS
— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) 6 August 2018
Penrith Panthers have sacked Anthony Griffin just four weeks out from the NRL finals. More to come. pic.twitter.com/pkAmJUyzdX
PEARCE A CHANCE, WATSON’S WAIT CONTINUES
Newcastle coach Nathan Brown hopes a corked thigh won’t keep Mitchell Pearce out of the side to play the Warriors despite the star half missing training on Monday.
Brown will name the halfback for Friday’s clash in Auckland but says fellow half Connor Watson (groin) will be left at home in another injury setback for the rebuilding club.
The coach is reluctant to move fullback Kalyn Ponga into the halves but says Brock Lamb is in the mix to return to the top grade if Pearce is ruled out.
– AAP
IS MALONEY A LIABILITY OR SIMPLY A MATCH-WINNER?
James Maloney is a proven match-winner in clutch moments, but do his defensive deficiencies outweigh his attacking prowess?
Maloney orchestrated Penrith’s come-from-behind win over Canberra on Sunday, but his heroics didn’t come without his flaws.
There’s no doubt Maloney is a superstar and breeds success wherever he goes.
But his alarmingly high missed tackles stats will have opposition teams licking their lips heading into the finals.
Maloney has missed a whopping 123 tackles this season, with Ben Hunt next on the list with 79 misses.
Our Monday Bunker panel of Paul Crawley, Fatima Kdouh and Tim Williams discuss whether Maloney is more of a liability than an invaluable match-winner.
WATCH: https://bit.ly/2ng7Cka
Timely returns for the Tigers in their bid to make a late charge to the finals.
Chris Lawrence (hand/hamstring) and Mahe Fonua (arm) are both expected to miss 1 more week before returning in Rd 23 for the Tigers
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) 6 August 2018
SEIBOLD PRAISED FOR OFF-SEASON HALVES SHAKE-UP
It’s the off-season shake-up that not only transformed Cody Walker’s game but South Sydney as well.
The Rabbitohs five-eighth has this NRL season been charged with being the side’s chief shot caller after being handed the reins by coach Anthony Seibold.
During the pre-season halfback Adam Reynolds was sidelined with a knee injury and Seibold asked Walker to take over calling the plays.
The move has paid dividends for Souths, who sit in top spot heading into Friday’s blockbuster clash with the Sydney Roosters.
An eyes-up playmaker, it seems illogical to ask Walker to steer the side around the park rather than play dividends.
But it’s not only proved a masterstroke for the Rabbitohs but Walker as well. “At the start of the year Reyno was going through a bit of injury and he wasn’t on the training park as much,” Walker said.
“Seibs just approached me and asked if I wanted to be the shot caller and get the team around the park.
“Me and Reyno have a great partnership and a great connection. It’s not to say Reyno can’t call plays.
“We have a great combination and work off the back of it.
Walker is arguably enjoying the best season of his career – his 19 linebreaks in 20 matches this year is already the equal most of his career.
He has been instrumental on Souths’ lethal left edge which has produced more than half of their tries this year.
Of the side’s 83 four-pointers this season, 42 have been created down the left channel with the likes of Walker, John Sutton, Greg Inglis and Robert Jennings all in stellar form.
“I think that’s in our structure this year, we don’t like to let an opportunity go to waste,” Walker said.
“On that left edge I’ve been very fortunate to have the players that I do.
“John Sutton gives me another dimension, I’ve had Greg Inglis as a centre, who’s a legend of our game, Hymel Hunt has played a lot of footy now.”
– Steve Zemek
It’s a day of injury carnage with Corey Thompson to miss the rest of the season.
Wests Tigers can confirm that Corey Thompson requires ankle surgery and will take no further part in season 2018.
— Wests Tigers (@WestsTigers) 6 August 2018
📝 Details ≫ https://t.co/EDlF9kSANF pic.twitter.com/6pY1kJHUa8
Josh McGuire has taken the early guilty plea for pulling Adam Elliott’s hair and will miss the Queensland derby against the Cowboys.
Josh McGuire is out of Thursday's XXXX Derby against the Cowboys in Townsville:#Bronxnation https://t.co/uwZCKFXfsG pic.twitter.com/Gcw9SWivno
— Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) 6 August 2018
JUST IN: CRUEL BLOW FOR RABBITOH CONFIRMED
South Sydney utility Adam Doueihi’s season is over, with confirmation he injured his ACL in Friday night’s win over the Storm.
“It’s a terrible disappointment for him,” Rabbitohs head of high performance Paul Devlin said.
“The MRI has confirmed that he’s got an ACL injury.”
