Sport Confidential: Sickening tackle in local league game, Tallyn Da Silva to test open market if Api Koroisau re-signs with Tigers
This was the horror tackle that saw the brother of an ex-NRL player flipped on his head in a local first grade game. Watch the video and hear what the player had to say about the incident. SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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This was the sickening tackle that went viral online after an Campbelltown City Kangaroos player was up-ended in a dangerous tackle which saw him flipped on his head.
Creedence Kelly-Donovan – the brother of ex-NRL half Albert Kelly – was playing fullback for the Kangaroos in the Macarthur first grade premiership when he was placed into a horrific tackle by an Oakdale Workers player.
Kelly-Donovan was left on the turf after the tackle after successfully taking a bomb.
The Workers player clipped him mid-air which forced Kelly-Donovan to land in a dangerous position. “At the time of the incident I felt shocked,” he said. “I am recovering well. Football is football. It’s a contact sport and moving forward I want to get back out there and play footy.”
Former NRL players Ava Seumanufagai and Junior Moors are also in the Kangaroos team.
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Dom Young’s planned move to the Knights is back on the agenda with the Roosters and Newcastle once again in dialogue about the switch.
The on-again and off-again deal has lingered for the past two weeks after the Roosters granted Young permission to speak with rival clubs.
That resulted in Newcastle declaring an immediate interest before talks between the two clubs broke down.
Expect Young to be on the move to the Knights before June 30.
The Roosters will navigate the Origin period this week with Rob Toia making his Queensland debut.
As a result Young has been recalled to the Roosters side to take on Cronulla on Saturday. The Roosters take on the Raiders the following week before having a bye in round 14.
The bye comes on the second weekend in June which might be a prime opportunity for the Roosters and Young to cut ties so Young can rejoin the Knights.
Young is just 18 months into a four year deal. The Knights and Roosters were at loggerheads regarding how much Newcastle wanted the Roosters to tip in.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson insisted the club weren’t shopping Young and had no intention of contributing towards his $500,000 contract next season.
The Knights are keen on recruiting Young to add some spark to a backline which has struggled to score points this season.
Young and Dylan Brown’s arrival next season would significantly boot their attacking ability.
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Roosters coach Trent Robinson is expected to play a leading hand in appointing the next Catalans Dragons coach.
Long-term coach Steve McNamara left the club this week with the Catalans to turn to Robinson to help them land their next mentor.
He might not have to look too far with some highly fancied assistants in his stable already at the Roosters in Matt King and Justin Holbrook.
Papua New Guinea officials are set to keep a close eye on the State of Origin series as they size up a host of potential targets for their inaugural season in 2028.
Sports Confidential can reveal that 17 players from the Queensland and NSW sides are off contract at the end of 2027, making them prime targets for the new PNG franchise.
Among the likely targets for the new PNG side are some of the biggest names in the premiership.
Queensland star Cameron Munster and Kalyn Ponga headline a Maroons list that also includes Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and rookie star Rob Toia.
The Blues have even more players up for grabs — Nathan Cleary is the biggest name ahead of Penrith teammates Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin and Brian To’o.
Latrell Mitchell and Spencer Leniu are also off contract at the end of 2027 as more than $15 million worth of Origin talent hits the open market.
The PNG franchise will be armed with a clean slate on the salary cap and the promise of tax-free dollars, giving them a significant advantage as they look to hit the ground running in just over a year.
Under the game’s contracting laws, PNG officials are unable to open contract talks with players until November 1 next year.
It gives existing clubs just over 12 months to lock away some of the biggest names in the game, headlined by the bulk of the Queensland and NSW side that will play in this year’s Origin series.
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Fresh from the Lachlan Galvin drama, the Tigers are facing another uphill battle to keep fellow rising star Tallyn Da Silva after the club were told he would test the open market if they re-signed skipper Api Koroisau.
A crucial meeting between the Tigers and Da Silva’s agent last week brought the situation to a head with the club told Da Silva would look at his options come November 1 if Koroisau was kept beyond next season.
Da Silva has made it clear he wants to play regular first grade and eventually start in the No.9 jersey.
The Tigers plan to meet with Koroisau next week where they hope to extend the 32-year-old before he too can test the open market on November 1.
It is an interesting quandary for the Tigers given Koroisau is still at the top of his game despite being at the back end of his career. Da Silva though was part of the next crop of Tigers talent labelled one of the best junior grades to ever come through the club.
Galvin and Da Silva were meant to spearhead the next decade for the club.
Galvin’s time is set to come to an immediate end and there are now doubts if Da Silva will remain at the club beyond next season or he may too ask to explore his options before his deal expires.
Da Silva is just 20 and had played in every Tigers game this season until last week where he was relegated to NSW Cup.
While Da Silva and Galvin are best mates and dominated the juniors together there is no pact for the pair to play alongside each other at NRL level. However they would make an attractive bundle for any club given the key positions they play in.
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Players union boss Clint Newton has poured cold water on talk of a transfer window and instead turned the blowtorch on clubs over their treatment of players who are no longer wanted.
Newton, speaking in a question and answer with rugby league fans on chat forum Reddit, was asked whether he could ever see a formalised transfer window in the NRL.
He insisted there was no system in the world that would fit the NRL and defended the existing rules, which allow for players to sign with rival clubs 12 months before their current contracts expire.
“We understand it’s hard for fans to see their best players leave their clubs, but at the same time fans are happy to see players join their club,” Newton said.
He then turned his attention to players being told they are no longer wanted by their current clubs, even though they have contracts in place.
“What is more concerning is players are shoulder-tapped and told to leave their club (with years remaining on their deal) at a far greater rate than players are legally securing their futures, yet shoulder tapping rarely gets a mention in the media,” Newton said.
“There continue to be many instances where this happens and you don’t hear about it because players are afraid to speak out or be seen as “rocking the boat” and if it does it’s painted as players being “given permission” to leave or a three-paragraph media release thanking them for their service.
“So, we believe the biggest issue for the game is enforcing the current contracting rules rather than changing them and until that is done, I doubt we would be looking into further restricting our members who play the most brutal contact sport in the world and take on huge risks every time they train and play.”
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Brian To’o hadn’t had the chance to speak to great mate Jarome Luai earlier this week, but he had no doubt the Wests Tigers star would have been happy for the halves who beat him to the NSW No.7 jersey — Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary.
Luai was the incumbent No.6 for NSW but the return of Cleary from injury meant someone had to be squeezed out. The axe fell on Luai, who himself insisted he needed to get better when asked about his omission earlier this week.
“I haven’t really spoken to him yet but obviously the selections come with what’s best for the team and I know Romey’s always been a team-first guy,” To’o said.
“I know he would be more than happy for Moey (Moses) and Clez (Cleary) as well.”
To’o and Luai shared in four premierships together at Penrith before Luai was lured to the Tigers by a $6 million deal to become the face of the club.
To’o concedes he has missed his great mate at times this season but the pair still catch up when they can, along with other departed Panthers players - Sunia Turuva joined Luai at the Tigers while Steve Crichton is now in his second season at the Bulldogs.
“It’s obviously been different,” To’o said.
“They’re obviously my close mates outside footy. I’m not seeing them every day but I still see them outside of footy because they only stay a couple minutes away from me.
“So it’s not too bad.”
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Wests Tigers are believed to be eying off a move for St George Illawarra youngster Jonah Glover as they prepare for life without teenager superstar Lachlan Galvin.
Glover has been one of the stars for the Dragons in NSW Cup this season but he hasn’t been able to crack it for an NRL debut, coach Shane Flanagan opting instead for Lyhkan King-Togia when he made the decision to drop halfback Lachlan Ilias a few weeks ago.
Glover can’t do much more. Through 10 appearances in the NSW Cup, the 22-year-old has recorded 11 try assists and nine line break assists. The Dragons have won seven of those games and Glover has been a large part of their success.
It appears he has caught the eye of the Tigers in the process as they prepare for the imminent departure of Galvin, who is expected to leave the club in coming weeks.
Glover is on a development contract with the Dragons this season and is yet to agree a deal for 2026, meaning he is free to do what he wants at season’s end.
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FLASHBACK
The Eels were in the headlines for all the wrong reasons on this day 10 years ago.
Buzz Rothfield reported that the Eels risked losing four competition points next season as they went to war with the NRL over the club’s salary cap penalties.
Directors held a marathon meeting where they decided to take on the NRL.
The Eels were fined $525,000 for salary cap breaches and will be docked four competition points at the start of next season unless the club undertook an independent review of its governance and organisational capability.
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Tom Duffy could be squeezed out of North Queensland with rival clubs considering making a play for the halfback before the June 30 midyear transfer window ends.
Duffy has been relegated to Queensland Cup after playing the opening two games of the season. The 21-year-old is off-contract at the end of the season but it seems like his future may be elsewhere.
The Cowboys are keen to retain Jaxon Purdue to a long-term deal before he can start talking with other clubs from November 1.
Duffy is a Townsville product who was an Australian schoolboy representative.
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