Sport Confidential: Josh Schuster impresses in rugby league return, Joe Ofahengaue leaves Parramatta Eels
He’s yet to play first grade for the Rabbitohs, but Josh Schuster showed he has lost none of his trademark flair, with an impressive display in his rugby league return. See the full SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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Josh Schuster has lost none of his trademark flair with his no-look pass on full display during his rugby league return.
Schuster, who played his first rugby league game in more than a year last weekend, had a 30 minute stint off the bench for the Rabbitohs in their NSW Cup loss to North Sydney. During the match though he produced a cut-out no-look pass for his winger Max Lehmann to score.
Schuster has been named to play five-eighth for South Sydney in reserve grade against Canterbury on Friday.
EELS STAR'S SHOCK EXIT AS RYLES CONTINUES ROSTER SHAKE-UP
The change at Parramatta under new coach Jason Ryles continues with former Queensland prop Joe Ofahengaue to switch to the Super League on an immediate deal.
Ofahengaue has played his last NRL game for the Eels and will leave the club to take up a long-term offer with Leigh.
Ofahengaue’s departure comes as the Eels are set to re-sign a host of players, including centre Will Penisini, forwards Sam Tuivaiti and Toni Mataele, and halfback Ronald Volkman.
Ryles dropped Ofahengaue, 29, following their 50-12 loss to Canberra last Saturday, his 202nd top-grade game.
He headlined a list of stars, including Ryan Matterson, Shaun Lane, Bryce Cartwright and Wiremu Greig, who were named to take on a Western Suburbs side featuring axed teenager Lachlan Galvin in NSW Cup on Monday.
However, rather than turning out in reserve grade, Ofahengaue will head to the Super League to play under former Sydney Roosters star Adrian Lam with the security of a multi-year contract.
Leigh are fifth on the Super League ladder and have a side filled with NRL experience, including Lachlan Lam, Isaac Liu, Aaron Pene, David Armstrong and Tesi Niu.
Ofahengaue was in the final months of a two-and-a-half year contract after joining the Eels midway through 2023, having been released by the Wests Tigers.
He played three games for Queensland and seven Tests for Tonga after making his NRL debut for Brisbane in 2015.
Parramatta general manager of football, Mark O’Neill, confirmed Ofahengaue’s departure on Thursday morning.
“Joe has shown strong commitment to our club since joining the Eels. He’s been a valued team member, and we’re particularly pleased that he was able to celebrate his 200th NRL game in blue and gold — a significant milestone in any player’s career,” O’Neill said in a statement.
“One of Joe’s great strengths has been his willingness to mentor and support our younger players as they transition into the NRL environment. He’s made a lasting impression on the group, and we thank him for his leadership and service to the club.”
With Ofahengaue gone, five-eighth Dylan Brown going to Newcastle and Cartwright not expected to be retained, there is change aplenty at the Eels.
Matterson has taken up his option for 2026 but the Eels would be willing to let him leave earlier if he could secure a contract elsewhere. The 30-year-old made his only NRL appearance of the season last weekend, having played three NSW Cup games.
Lane will also enter the final year of his contract next season.
Parramatta are expected to be in the race for Galvin come November 1, provided he is not on the open market before then after informing the Tigers he would not re-sign with them once his current contract expires at the end of 2026.
The good news is that Penisini, 22, has not only taken up his option for next season, but is believed to be on the verge of agreeing a long-term extension that will ensure he isn’t lost to another club or rugby union, where his close friend Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii defected this season.
Likewise, impressive youngster Tuivaiti, 20, who has featured in five games in his debut NRL season from the interchange bench, is believed to be on the verge of a new deal.
BULLDOG OPENS UP ON INJURY BLOWS
It has taken a broken back and a long-term debilitating hip injury but Canterbury winger Jacob Kiraz is finally listening to his body.
Not that his body gave him any choice. Kiraz has been plagued by a well documented back injury. But a secret hip injury is what has dogged him for just as long and resulted in the 23-year-old having to wait until round five to play his first game of the season.
It finally caught up with him in the pre-season.
“This year I’ve trained and I couldn’t run,” Kiraz said. “I was in pain where I knew I couldn’t push through it where I usually do.
“That’s where we sat down and to get scans to work out what was wrong. They asked me ‘what are you feeling’ and I said this pain I’ve been feeling but I can’t physically do what I want to do.
“They asked how long and I said I’ve felt it for about a year – since I broke my back. They were like ‘you need to tell us’.
“That’s on me maturing and getting older and learning about my body and being professional.
“Your body isn’t a robot. You just can’t keep going. When I broke my back I kept playing with it. I ignored everything.”
Kiraz was out indefinitely. He felt he could’ve pushed through and played round one but Canterbury’s conservative approach has worked.
Finally being able to identify how to treat the injury has also helped.
“Looking back now I know that what I was doing last year was just aggravating it,” Kiraz said. “I was stretching so much because I thought that I was doing good but now they tell me that because of the tears that I’ve got that I shouldn’t do that.
“It doesn’t matter how old or young you are it catches up to you. I’ve worked out how to manage myself.”
WHY THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR COYNE’S DRAGONS RETURN
Mark Coyne says now is the right time to return to St George Illawarra in a formal capacity for the first time in 26 years. Coyne has joined the Dragons board after replacing former long-term sponsor Martin Newman to be a St George representative.
While Coyne has been in and around the club he has never held a formal role since retiring at the end of 1999. He has led reviews for the club and more recently has worked with coach Shane Flanagan and the Dragons leadership group but up until now had resisted calls to return to the Dragons.
“It wasn’t the right timing,” Coyne said. “But the timing is good now that I’ve moved to a part-time position (in my career). I’m in the right space where I can add value to the club.
“When they had asked me previously it hasn’t been right because I was full on working long hours in my job but now I’m in a different role and I’ve got more availability. It’s more to do with me having more capacity.”
Since retiring after a decorated playing stint the former Dragons skipper has carved out a successful corporate career where most recently he was chief executive of Employers Mutual Limited.
His corporate nous and his on-field knowledge has him perfectly placed to be an asset to the Dragons board.
Coyne said winning on the field was his No.1 priority.
“We are still in that rebuilding phase,” Coyne said. “From a roster point of view we need to get the roster strengthened up that gives Shane the opportunity to extract better performances. That’s the challenge that we have at the moment – filling the roster with elite players.
“It’s about trying to build the roster and getting player with experience who have played representative footy. That’s the key. If you don’t have the roster it doesn’t matter who the coach is, it’s going to be a challenge.”
Coyne has worked with the club’s leadership group this year alongside former Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor.
SYDNEY SPORT TEAMS JOIN TOGETHER FOR SICK KIDS
This Easter Long Weekend, Sydney’s biggest sporting teams across competing codes are rallying behind the smallest fans to change the future for sick kids.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, along with Canterbury, South Sydney, Sydney Swans and Western Sydney Wanderers, are calling on footy fans, families, and communities across all three codes to join them to unite for the first-ever ‘Stadium Sell Out for Sick Kids’.
This is the first fundraising event uniting the three sporting codes and will support more than
169,000 sick and injured children cared for each year across the Sydney Children’s Hospitals
Network. Fans are invited to support the campaign by making a $20 donation when purchasing tickets across the weekend.
All money raised helps fund world-class care across SCHN, including Sydney’s two children’s hospitals – The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
“This is sport at its most powerful,” said Kristina Keneally, chief executive of Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation. “By uniting teams, fans and families through a shared goal, we’re changing the future for sick kids – giving them the chance to be back where they belong: on the field, in the stands, or simply being a kid again.
“For some kids, childhood is far from what it should be. Instead of playdates, there are appointments. Instead of sleepovers, there are stays. Instead of firsts, there can be lasts. No child should have to go through this, but those who do deserve our all.”
To donate: schf.org.au/stadium
RIVAL CLUBS CHASE KNIGHTS STAR
Newcastle have offered Mat Croker a new deal but it may not be enough to keep him as NRL and Super League clubs circle the in-form Knights forward.
Sport Confidential understands that Croker has a big offer from England but will meet at least one rival NRL club next week as he weighs up where he wants to play in 2026.
The Knights have already made their move, tabling a two-year extension for the 25-year-old. Croker has been a fixture off the interchange bench for Newcastle this season.
RIVALS CIRCLE SHARK’S SON
Aaymon Fitzgibbon, the teenage son of Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon, has been inundated with interest as he mulls over where he will play next season.
The Bulldogs are believed to be among the clubs circling Fitzgibbon, who has been a star for the Illawarra Steelers in the SG Ball competition this season.
He scored another try last weekend for the Steelers as they were knocked out of the finals by the Melbourne Storm.
SOUTHS STAR SUFFERS FRESH SETBACK
A hamstring injury is behind Alex Johnston’s mysterious absence from South Sydney’s line-up to play Canterbury on Friday.
Johnston hurt himself during South Sydney’s last start loss to North Queensland but managed to play out the game. The injury is considered minor considering he finished the match but it was enough to keep him sidelined from the Good Friday clash.
Johnston has played just two games this season having missed the opening rounds of the competition as he recovered from a ruptured Achilles. He hurt his ribs in that match which led to him missing a game before returning last weekend.
DRAGONS BEAT KNIGHTS TO RE-SIGN RISING STAR
St George Illawarra have re-signed young half Lyhkan King-Togia for the next two seasons. King-Togia, who attracted interest from the Knights, has recommitted to the club until at least the end of 2027.
He will fight for a starting halves spot next year alongside incumbents Kyle Flanagan and Lachie Ilias as well as 2026 recruit Daniel Atkinson.
The 19-year-old played four games last season. The Dragons remain locked in talks to try to keep boom forward Finau Latu who has had talks with Newcastle and Canterbury about joining them from next season.
NRL CROWD BOOM
The NRL finished round six with their highest average crowds of the season despite having no games in Sydney.
Much was made of the lack of matches in the NRL’s heartland but the governing body deliberately staged matches in AFL strongholds during the AFL’s Gather Round – leading to a 30,000-plus crowd for the double header in Perth and a sell out at AAMI Park.
It led to an average crowd of 23,100 people across the weekend with matches in Brisbane, Wollongong, Darwin and Newcastle.
The Storm want to play a match at the MCG next year during the NRL’s gather round and would love to play the Warriors at the iconic venue.
FLASHBACK
The NRL’s hopes of fast-tracking a return were given a massive boost on this day five years ago. Plagued by Covid-19, the NRL needed the broadcasters support to return to the field by May 28. A high-powered meeting between Foxtel chief Patrick Delany, Channel 9 boss Hugh Marks and ARL chairman Peter V’landys finished with an encouraging commitment to restart the competition.
IRL IDENTIFIES PRIORITY NATIONS
France, Papua New Guinea and Wales have been identified as priority nations for International Rugby League, along with one country in Africa, which the IRL Board will select later this year.
These nations will receive significant funding to support bespoke national strategies that will be developed in partnership with each national federation.
The board has limited this group to four to focus resources. France is the most advanced tier two rugby league nation operating in one of Europe’s two biggest sports markets, with a professional and semi-professional club population.
Wales has a semi-professional club population and, along with France, is the most likely to reach a competitive level with England.
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Originally published as Sport Confidential: Josh Schuster impresses in rugby league return, Joe Ofahengaue leaves Parramatta Eels
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