Sport Confidential: Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves set to lock horns again, Manly secure teenage star Onitoni Large
The Sea Eagles have a Wests Tigers teen amid heavy interest from Australian rugby, who experts have described as the “best young talent across either code”. That and more in Sport Confidential.
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Manly have secured one of the brightest young prospects in either code by snatching Onitoni Large from Wests Tigers amid heavy interest from Australian rugby.
Large has signed a three-year contract to join the Sea Eagles from next season – a player many experts in the game have described as the best young talent across either code.
The Tigers wanted to keep him but have their own talented halves including Jarome Luai plus youngsters Lachie Galvin and Latu Fainu.
Large played in Western Suburbs under-17s Harold Matthews team this year and The Scots College student also captained the Junior Wallabies side. Rugby Australia wanted to him to make the permanent switch to the 15-man game but instead he has agreed to ink a long-term deal with the Sea Eagles.
“We identified him as a potential superstar,” Manly boss Tony Mestrov said. “He has genuine speed and is an exciting player.
“We don’t want to put pressure on him but he will add to what we want to do as a spine for the future.”
His younger brother Ashton remains signed to the Tigers for next season.
The Sea Eagles have also secured Canterbury’s Zaidas Muagututia, a hooker, plus Joey Walsh.
Walsh is an Australian rugby under-18 half and captain who has joined the side on a three-year contract.
Walsh and Large have been earmarked as Manly’s long-term halves pairing as they plan for the eventual retirement of skipper Daly Cherry-Evans.
Throw in Muagututia plus the emergence of 19-year-old Lehi Hopoate into the top grade this year – with Hopoate expected to eventually be the club’s long-term fullback – the Sea Eagles are setting themselves up for sustained success.
“The future looks bright with the spine that we’ve signed,” Mestrov said. “Lehi is already playing first grade and the other three will go into our system and hopefully go through the top grade.
“The future looks bright with the spine that we’ve signed.”
The Tigers are sweating on securing Heamasi Makasini to a long-term deal however it is expected that Makasini will test the market come November 1.
The Newington College student also has interest in rugby union.
NAS v JWH
Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s Melbourne teammates have backed the big man to keep his emotions in check as he prepares to face Sydney Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves for what is likely to be the last time.
Asofa-Solomona and Waerea-Hargreaves, two of the most feared enforcers in the game, have a long and colourful history. When they lock horns, more often than not, there is mayhem.
They don’t even have to be on opposite sides. Teammates from the 2022 New Zealand squad recounted the story this week of the pair having to be separated after an aggressive tackling session while in camp with the Kiwis.
The pair had exchanged pleasantries earlier that year while playing for the Storm and Roosters. Then they turned up for Kiwis camp and all hell broke loose.
It is understood Waerea-Hargreaves didn’t take too kindly to Asofa-Solomona raising his bumpers during a tackling drill.
When he did it a second time, Waerea-Hargreaves responded with a clip around the ear and a warning that there would be repercussions if it continued.
Sport Con was told that teammates intervened to prevent it escalating into full-scale war.
“There was some argy-bargy,” one of their Kiwi teammates said.
“It was alpha against alpha. The big dog from Melbourne against the big dog from the Roosters.”
The scene has been set for another fiery confrontation on Friday night at AAMI Park as Waerea-Hargreaves attempts to lead the Roosters past the Storm and into a grand final.
“There’s nothing about an individual and the opposition, it’s more about how he goes about playing,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.
“Jared idles high when it comes to his intensity, so it’s more about himself than any opposition.”
Asofa-Solomona is driven by the same emotions. After a tough start to the year, where his future at the Storm was called into question, teammates have lauded his form and desire in recent months.
He shapes as a key figure against a strong and powerful Roosters pack on Friday night.
“Nelson, he is focused and zoned in as I’ve ever seen him,” Storm forward Trent Loiero said.
“Like I’ve been here for four or five years and his willingness …. to come in and do his prehab rehab – the big fella is locked in and I’m expecting a big game from him.”
Captain Harry Grant added: “I think there’s a whole lot of respect there, as there is for anyone in the game that comes up against Jared.
“There’s so much respect for a player like him playing over 300 games. Him and Jesse Bromwich, they are the GOAT front rows of the game.
“I think I’ve been really impressed with Nelson over the last couple of months the way his experience has shown through and how he’s handled this week to week, how he’s been in the games.
“He’s been very calm, collected and just playing to his strengths. So I think he’s been so important for us over the last couple of months of footy and we don’t need him to change anything on Friday night.”
CRONK DOCTOR TO THE RESCUE – AGAIN
The doctor who helped nurse Cooper Cronk through the 2018 grand final was again on hand to help inject Victor Radley at halftime during the Roosters’ win against Manly last Saturday night.
The Roosters – with the same medicos on staff which oversaw Cronk’s heroics – basically used the same blueprint that they had with Cronk to get Radley back onto the field.
That included having musculoskeletal radiology specialist Dr Craig Harris sitting in the stands before springing to action when Radley came from the field.
Just as he did for Cronk, Harris injected Radley at halftime. The Roosters forward was in severe pain when he was replaced after 29 minutes.
Radley made himself available to return after the halftime break but given the Roosters commanding lead they opted against using him in the second 40 minutes.
It is understood the Roosters have made plans to use a similar specialist for their trip to Melbourne on Friday night with Harris unavailable.
The Roosters plan to follow a similar plan again for Radley needing painkilling injections to get on the field.
Scans after the match showed Radley had not suffered any further damage in the game.
PM’S GAME TO COUNT FOR SOUTHS SKIPPER
Kangaroos back rower Cameron Murray has been granted permission to use the Prime Ministers XIII as part of his suspension for a high shot on Tyson Frizell that rubbed him out for the final two games of South Sydney’s season.
Murray was expected to miss the opening game of the Pacific Championships but in a boost to national coach Mal Meninga in the lead-up to the tournament, judiciary chair Geoff Bellew has ruled that the PM XIII game will be the final match of Murray’s three-game ban.
Murray is among a handful of players who is also likely to come under consideration for the captaincy of the Kangaroos should James Tedesco be overlooked and Nathan Cleary be ruled out.
LUCKY BREAK FOR NEW DRAGON
Scans have confirmed Valentine Holmes played eight minutes with a broken leg in what were his final moments as a North Queensland player.
Holmes had scans on his injured leg which will now rule him out of Australia’s end-of-season Pacific Championships campaign.
The outside back – who will join St George Illawarra next season – won’t require surgery to repair the damage with the injury expected to heal naturally.
There were some fears that Holmes had suffered a long-term injury but the leg isn’t expected to hinder his pre-season with his new club.
MOYLAN TO HANG UP BOOTS
Word out of England is that former Kangaroos and NSW player Matt Moylan is set to retire at the end of the season.
Moylan joined Leigh this year after playing 191 top grade games split between Cronulla and Penrith.
The 33-year-old is expected to return to Australia when his commitments in the Super League comes to an end.
REF SUITS CHOOKS NOT STORM
It is hard to imagine the Melbourne Storm were doing cartwheels when the referees were confirmed for this weekend’s preliminary finals.
The Storm have struggled in recent years under Grant Atkins, winning only two of their past seven games with him in charge.
At the same time, the Sydney Roosters have been on fire under Atkins – they have won four of their past five games with him at the helm.
“Our record with (Atkins) is pretty poor as opposed to every other referee in the comp,“ Melbourne owner and chair Matt Tripp said.
“I just hope that can change this week. We don’t change our playing style. Let’s hope good fortune can smile upon us.”
EARLY VICTORY FOR BEARS
North Sydney Bears have taken the early advantage against Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup Grand Final at CommBank Stadium on Sunday with the red and black army leading the count when it comes to tickets sold.
The Bears claimed the minor premiership in and are looking to go one better after losing last year’s decider to South Sydney. Sunday’s decider will be the first time the two foundation clubs have met in a grand final since 1943, with the Jets claiming a 34-7 victory before 60,992 people at the SCG.
Tickets must be pre-purchased from Ticketek.
THAT’S IN ROZELLE
Denis Carnahan has lined up another week of his rugby league music hits with his annual season in review back.
Carnahan will perform across six nights at the Bridge Hotel in Rozelle from Monday. TICKETS.
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