That’s all from us today, see you from 7:00am Thursday. Folks they love to tell when Billy the Kid came to town.
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LEVI DEMANDS PRIDE OF THE KNIGHTS
Danny Levi believes Newcastle are good enough to cover for Mitchell Pearce if the halfback doesn’t play his 250th NRL match against the Warriors. What they can’t safeguard against is another inept defensive display. The Knights are confident the influential Pearce will shake off a leg injury that sidelined him midway through last week’s loss to the Wests Tigers and can start Friday’s clash in Auckland.
If he’s ruled out, Pearce’s halves berth could be filled by shifting Kalyn Ponga from fullback – something coach Nathan Brown says he’s reluctant to do – or handing the out-of-favour Brock Lamb a first start in 10 weeks. Connor Watson is still unavailable with injury but hooker Levi is sure the Newcastle spine can cope.
“Mitch, he’s awesome to have out there. Just listen to him and pass him the ball,” Levi said.
“But if he’s missing, I’ve just got to take a little bit more responsibility on my shoulders.
“And Coggs has been going pretty well so whoever we’ve got out there, we’re confident he can do the job.” Levi is less upbeat about the defensive woes that keep plaguing the Knights. They let in soft early points in the 25-16 loss to the Tigers – a ninth defeat in 12 matches.
Eleventh-placed Newcastle have conceded a league-worst 513 points this season and could finish with the worst defensive record for a third straight season. “You see how many points we’re leaking, it’s just not good enough. It’s not up to first grade standard,” Levi said.
“We definitely want to win the games. To put out good performances in these last four games, it’s a good stepping stone for next year.” Levi, 22, is relishing a hooking duel with fellow New Zealand international Issac Luke, who is also poised to play his 250th game.
“He was my childhood hero and it’s always a good test to go up against him,” said Levi, who usurped 31-year-old Luke from last year’s World Cup squad. “He’s been really awesome this year so it’s a big job for me at the weekend and I’m up for the challenge.”
GAGAI’S STATE OF ORIGIN-LIKE NRL CHALLENGE
He’s dubbing it as “just another game” but in reality South Sydney centre Dane Gagai faces a State of Origin-like challenge in Friday night’s NRL blockbuster with the Sydney Roosters.
Gagai has been tasked with stopping try-scoring juggernaut Latrell Mitchell. He also has the job of dealing with half of Mitchell’s triumphant NSW teammates with Blues skipper Boyd Cordner and dynamic fullback James Tedesco sure to be terrorising the Rabbitohs’ right-edge defence.
Then there’s in-form Blues discard Blake Ferguson outside Mitchell.
It’s a good thing Gagai has banked a wealth of Origin experience because he knows he’ll have his hands full at Allianz Stadium.
Queensland’s 2017 player of the series is relishing the chance to showcase his own skills and even hopes to show up Mitchell, arguably the competition’s most lethal player with six tries in his past three outings.
“That’s why I enjoy playing in the centres. You get that one-on-one battle with your opposite number,” Gagai said on Wednesday.
“He’s been doing some great things this year and he’s a big, strong athlete but, at the same time, I’m going to do everything I can to put him under pressure and make sure I’m doing my job.
“I’ve got to worry about my edge and he’s not the only one out there.
“You’ve got Boyd Cordner coming that way and Tedesco and them boys have got a feel for each other now so it’s the whole team we’ve got to worry about.”
After taking down the Storm in Melbourne last week, a victory over the Roosters would likely propel Souths to premiership favouritism.
But Gagai knows the Rabbitohs will need to be inch perfect against Trent Robinson’s men, who are humming themselves after a slow start to 2018.
“They’re a completely different side to what they were at the start of the year so we’ve got to make sure we’re doing everything right,” he said.
“We have to make sure we don’t give them cheap possession because if you give them all of the ball they’ve definitely got the strike power in their team to do some damage.”
– Darren Walton
Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary sitting on the fence at training @telegraph_sport pic.twitter.com/GpOI38MEBX
— Brett Costello (@Brett_Costello) 8 August 2018
BURGESS: SOUTHS HAVE TO KEEP SEIBOLD
South Sydney enforcer Sam Burgess has hailed Rabbitohs coach Anthony Seibold as the best mentor in the game and implored his NRL club to keep him at Redfern.
Favourite for coach of the year honours, Seibold is contracted until the end of 2019 but has put extension talks on hold amid speculation he could end up at Brisbane as a possible successor to Wayne Bennett.
Burgess can understand the interest in the Queensland State of Origin assistant coach, who also enjoyed a stint under Craig Bellamy at Melbourne, but is hoping the Rabbitohs don’t fall victim to the coaching merry-go-round that is dogging the league.
“It’s very important to keep him here,” Burgess said before Souths’ round 21 blockbuster on Friday night with arch-rivals and fellow premiership heavyweights the Sydney Roosters.
“We’ve seen the impact he’s had on the team and he’s an amazing guy, extremely intelligent.
“The whole squad’s enjoyed his leadership so I imagine it’s really important (to retain him).” Souths haven’t been a factor since winning the competition in 2014, finishing 12th last year, but have emerged as serious title contenders since Seibold’s arrival this season.
“Listen, if you’re a club and you wanted to change things up, you’d probably be looking at the best coach in the game,” Burgess said, when asked what special qualities their first-year mentor possessed.
“In the results we’ve had this year, you can see why people would be looking at him.
“It’s the same squad from last year and we’ve done considerably better with the team so you’d certainly be looking at him so I can see why there’s interest in him.
“He really genuinely cares for the players. He treats us like people first, players second.”
– Darren Walton
Follow the press conference live here: https://bit.ly/2KzGTId
Bit of a crowd for today’s @billyslater announcement. We’re minutes away… #purplepride pic.twitter.com/Y5FRZ5UOb3
— Melbourne Storm (@storm) 8 August 2018
LUI RE-SIGNS WITH RAIDERS
Canberra have retained prop Dunamis Lui on a three-year deal.
Lui, who missed much of last season with a knee reconstruction, has been an unsung hero for the Raiders this season and played eveyr game.
The hard-working former Bronco, Sea Eagle and Dragon appears to have found a home in the nation’s capital.
A full statement from the Raiders is below.
Canberra Raiders forward Dunamis Lui has agreed to a new three-year deal with the club, re-signing with the Raiders until the end of the 2021 season.
Lui, 28, has been an integral part of the Raiders team in 2018 playing all 20 matches for the club, after returning from a knee injury which sidelined him for the second half of the 2017 season.
Raiders Recruitment and High-Performance Director Peter Mulholland said the re-signing of Lui allows the club to maintain some stability in the forward pack, with Lui’s experience vital for the club moving forward.
“Dunamis has shown wonderful commitment and professionalism to return from a serious knee injury and play every match for the club this season,” Mulholland said. “He’s an experienced first grade player who will be a valuable part of our squad in the next three seasons.
“Dunamis has been a consistent performer for us this year and we are looking forward to him continuing on his good form with the club.”
Tevita Pangai Jnr will be a huge inclusion for Brisbane’s clash with North Queensland.
Tevita Pangai Junior has passed a fitness test on his groin & hamstring injuries today, will take his place on the bench for the Broncos tomorrow night
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) 8 August 2018
NRL TITLE THE PRIORITY FOR CLEARY
The star at the centre of Penrith’s desire to bring coach Ivan Cleary back to the club has made winning a premiership at the Panthers his main focus.
Speaking before Anthony Griffin’s sacking this week, Nathan Cleary revealed how his major motivation is to claim a title alongside his long-time teammates.
“My No.1 priority is to bring a premiership back to Penrith at the moment,” the Penrith halfback told AAP after Sunday’s win over Canberra.
His comments come in the same week his dad – the West Tigers coach – has been heavily linked with what would be a sensational return to the foot of the mountains next year.
The Tigers, who have tied up Ivan until the end of 2020, have since emphatically stated that they would deny any request for the 47-year-old be released from his deal.
It was widely tipped that Nathan would join his dad at Concord when his contract expires after next season, however, the shock axing of Griffin has paved the way for it to happen at Penrith.
Nathan is one of nearly 10 Panthers first-grade players who were part of their under-20s side that won a title in 2015.
He said it was a dream to do so again at NRL level.
“I’d love to win a comp with this team, that’s contract or no contract,” the 20-year-old said.
“I honestly have not thought about my contract and I’ve said that from the start.
“I don’t want to think about it until the end of the season. “I absolutely love playing with these boys. I’ve come through with a lot of them and that’s what makes it even more special.
“All of us shared the same dream of playing NRL and now that we’re playing NRL together we all share the same dream of winning the comp.
“That’s honestly what’s driving me at the moment and I really want to do that.” Having recently passed the 50-game mark, as well as making two finals appearances and completing his first State of Origin series, Nathan said he is ready to deliver in the big games.
“I’ve taken a lot out of those finals experiences in the past two years and then obviously Origin, there’s no bigger stage than that,” he said. “I can take a lot out of that and bring it back to this team.”
– Matt Encarnacion
BENNETT PLAYS DOWN PENRITH TALK
Wayne Bennett firmly believes he still has a few good years left in him as an NRL coach – and his first preference is that they are spent in Brisbane, not Penrith.
Bennett denied suggestions he has been approached by the Panthers about their coaching vacancy following the shock sacking of Anthony Griffin on Monday.
He said he was “over” discussing his future, having been linked to a number of different clubs as speculation swirls about how long he will remain in the top job at the Broncos.
Bennett is contracted at Red Hill until the end of next season, but is clearly open to offers in 2020 and beyond if the Brisbane board decides against re- signing him – or sooner, in the event he is sacked.
“The way you guys (the media) are going at the moment, I’m coaching Penrith on Monday, the Broncos on Tuesday, Wests Tigers on Wednesday and probably the Titans on Thursday,” Bennett told reporters.
“I’ve only got one day off and that’s Fridays.
“No club’s made contact with me about what’s happened in the last 24-48 hours.”
Bennett, who turns 69 in January, said he was waiting for a decision from the Broncos board at the end of the season and would not entertain any hypotheticals until it is made.
“I’ll tell you again, I’m really over the coaching saga altogether,” he said.
“We made a decision here – we’ll make it in October. The board will make their decision. Let’s see where it all goes.
“I want to be at the Broncos, I want to continue to coach, everyone knows that. “I feel I know how long I can go on for. And I’m not going to stay a year too long.
“I’m going to be like Billy Slater – I want to go out on top of my game.
“But it’s not now.”
Bennett said he felt sorry for Griffin in seeing him axed so close to the finals, having put Penrith in the mix for a potential top-four berth. “Probably with four games to go, yeah, it’s a bit tough. But that’s their decision,” he said.
– Vince Rugari
