The Inside Mail: Home of all the hottest NRL news and gossip
TITANS back-rower Chris McQueen’s impending debut for England next week has hit a significant hurdle. Get the latest NRL news and goss in The Inside Mail.
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CHRIS McQueen’s impending debut for England next week against Samoa has already hit a hurdle after the Titans back-rower lost his birth certificate.
McQueen was left genuinely stunned by his England call-up and began a mad rush to organise his paperwork.
The Rugby League International Federation requires a birth certificate to prove his eligibility, which is via his England-born father, but McQueen couldn’t find it.
The former Queensland Origin forward drove to Brisbane from the Gold Coast on Monday to order a new birth certificate.
We trust it’s more authentic than the one Nathan Fien sent to the RLIF during the infamous Grannygate saga.
Talking for Peat’s sake
THE Gold Coast Titans have upped the ante to re-sign hooker Nathan Peats.
Peats rejected the Gold Coast’s first offer which was well short of his management’s asking price.
The two parties have since returned to the negotiating table and are close to finalising a deal.
The Titans will know within a fortnight if Peats is staying.
“Tony Mestrov (chief operating officer) is handling that at the moment,” Titans coach Neil Henry said.
“There’s been dialogue between him and Nathan’s manager (Sam Ayoub). We’d like to get something done.
“He enjoys life on the Coast. He’s part of our leadership group and is a tenacious guy who can play 80 minutes.
“Hopefully we can fit him in, make him an offer that him and his manager are happy with.”
Peats has made a noticeable impact since returning from a shoulder injury. His two games back have been a two-point loss to the Broncos, where the Titans should have won, and a win against defending premiers Cronulla.
Asiata a wanted man
THE battle for the NRL’s biggest playmaker, John Asiata, is intensifying.
The 106kg Cowboys utility has done an admirable job filling the void for the injured Johnathan Thurston, prompting five clubs to formally express interest in Asiata (below right).
The Titans were considered the early frontrunners but the Sharks are looming large, with Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan keen for Asiata to fly to Sydney to inspect the premiers’ set-up.
The Knights are also making a strong play but the Cowboys are confident Asiata will stay in Townsville. The decisive factor could be whether he is guaranteed a starting spot.
Popcorn on trend
DALLY M champion Jason Taumalolo started the trend and his Cowboys teammates have jumped on board.
Taumalolo was snapped on the sidelines at 1300SMILES Stadium hooking into a bag of popcorn while he was suspended recently.
After every game since, Taumalolo has left the stadium with a bag of salted caramel popcorn which he chows down on while watching Netflix.
And his teammates have started to follow suit.
“All the boys are starting to smash down popcorn,” young forward Coen Hess said. “It’s pretty good. I won’t lie.
“There was a popcorn stand that popped up at the stadium and Jase grabbed a bag and was raving about it.
“There was a domino effect. The whole squad has ended up eating it.
“Our high performance unit don’t like it too much but they gave it the tick of approval — only after games.”
No worries
TAUMALOLO is a certainty to be picked in the New Zealand No. 13 jersey for next Friday’s Anzac Test. We are just hoping he knows where to go.
“I’m really excited for it,” Taumalolo said. “I have no idea where we’re playing.”
When told the match was in Canberra, Taumalolo said: “Is it?”
“I’m hopeful of maybe playing if I’m good enough. There has been a few players playing good footy.”
The Inside Mail can tell you the humble Taumalolo will be in the side.
Black, white and no Green
THE Kiwis will go into next week’s trans-Tasman Test without the services of Paul Green.
The Cowboys coach has been approached by the New Zealand Rugby League to assist head coach David Kidwell but Green has yet to decide.
He has more pressing matters to address at a Cowboys side struggling for peak form in the absence of Thurston. The Kiwis won’t rush Green and are hoping he will commit to them for the tournament that matters — the end-of-year World Cup.
Ponga’s Origin-al sin
NEW Zealand may have conceded defeat in the representative tug of war for Kalyn Ponga but the Cowboys ace has a lot to learn about the Queensland jumper.
The 19-year-old has a stunning admission — he knows barely anything about State of Origin.
“I didn’t watch Origin to be honest,” he said. “As a kid, I grew up loving golf and I didn’t really watch TV. I preferred to play sport rather than watch it.
“Even last year, I didn’t know half of the top Origin squad. I knew Johnathan Thurston and Michael Morgan obviously from playing with them (at the Cowboys) but I didn’t know many others.”
Pulu eyes three options
TITANS forward Leivaha Pulu is trying to keep his options open for this year’s World Cup.
The Auckland-born Pulu, who scored a double for the Gold Coast in Saturday’s win over Cronulla, is eligible for New Zealand and Tonga.
But he’s trying to get his foot in the door of a third team. The humble Pulu said if he misses selection for either team, he could make an outside case to play for USA.
Pulu’s grandfather is a resident of the US, and while it might not fit the obvious rules of eligibility, the 27-year-old is willing to have a shot at playing for the Tomahawks if all else fails.
Looking elsewhere
THE Titans tried hard to secure Queensland Origin star Dane Gagai when he was last off-contract but don’t expect them to have a crack this time.
Gagai is contemplating his future and whether he wants to remain at the rebuilding Knights.
There were reports in 2015 that Titans recruit Daly Cherry-Evans had spoken to fellow Mackay product Gagai about joining him on the Gold Coast.
We all know what happened with DCE and Gagai ended up extending his stay in Newcastle.
The Titans are looking at forward recruits because they are comfortable with their backline.
College celebrates best
ONE of Queensland rugby league’s nurseries, Padua College, will this weekend celebrate 60 years of the game at the school’s Sportsman’s Dinner.
Padua has a rugby league history to be proud of, with Australian players Paul Vautin, Paul McCabe, Dane Carlaw and David Shillington all graduates of the Kedron-based high school.
In honour of those who have attended the college, the school will name their “greatest ever” team as well as pay tribute to their international players and other rugby league products, including David Stagg, Shane Perry and Brad Watts.
The Inside Mail were also leaked school pictures of some of these rugby league stars to get the trip down memory lane off to a good start.
Originally published as The Inside Mail: Home of all the hottest NRL news and gossip
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