Dolphins trio withdraws from Rabbitohs clash due to Cyclone Alfred concerns

Senior Dolphins trio Kodi Nikorima, Mark Nicholls and Kenny Bromwich have withdrawn from their season-opening clash against the Rabbitohs to remain at home with their families as Cyclone Alfred bears down.

The Dolphins travelled to Sydney on Wednesday night after their round one match against South Sydney and their former coach Wayne Bennett on Friday night was relocated from Brisbane to Commbank Stadium.

Five-eighth Nikorima, veteran prop Nicholls and 18th man Bromwich did not fly with Kristian Woolf’s squad, opting to stay in Queensland ahead of the cyclone making landfall, which is expected on Friday morning.

Playmaker Sean O’Sullivan has been named to replace Nikorima in the halves. Prop Josh Kerr comes onto the bench for Nicholls and Oryn Keeley has been elevated to Woolf’s 20-man squad.

Nicholls was reportedly fortifying his family home with sandbags on Wednesday before opting not to travel to Sydney.

Nikorima has foregone the Dolphins season opener given his wife is six months’ pregnant. Bree Nikorima had called on the NRL to “do better” in a now-deleted Instagram post on Wednesday morning, as she prepared to care for the couple’s two young children while her husband was away.

Kodi Nikorima has remained in Queensland while the Dolphins travelled to Sydney.Credit: NRL Photos

Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader said on Wednesday that hotel accommodation had been arranged in Brisbane City so the players’ families and partners could be together in a more secure environment.

He said the club’s welfare team would support any family that chose not to go into hotel accommodation once it was decided Friday’s game would be moved to Sydney.

“We looked at every contingency that we could – playing possibly on Sunday, or even on the Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast … we looked at many things to try to make it happen,” Reader said.

“Because of the broadcast agreement and the way things work, thankfully, we were able to come up with something to move it. Everyone’s apprehensive about what’s happening … and we’re really cautious about what’s happening.”

Why a reformed loose unit will be one of the most important figures in the Roosters

For those familiar with Victor Radley’s protracted record of on and off-field antics, it may come as a surprise that Roosters head coach Trent Robinson has elevated the regular sin-bin occupant to the role of vice-captain.

And not just because he doesn’t have anyone else. Instead, Robinson insists Radley’s “heart” made him an easy pick for the promotion.

Victor Radley has been promoted to vice-captain of the Roosters.Credit: Getty Images

“He’s from this area, he’s such an important guy for the culture of our team,” Robinson said ahead of the Roosters’ season opener against the Broncos on Thursday. “He’s growing into a really good man and we want that leadership on the field but also off the field.

“He holds the centre of our crew together, so I really like that we’ve elevated him into that leadership role.”

Robinson has not always been so complimentary.

In 2021, when Radley was kicked off a flight for being loud and intoxicated, Robinson was less enthusiastic.

“It’s not what we want from our players,” Robinson said then. “Just don’t do it. Just act like a man in public and behave yourself. It’s pretty simple. How hard is it to get on a flight and get home?”

Not long after that, Radley was handed a suspended $5000 fine for making a crude gesture caught on camera. In 2020, he was fined $20,000 and given a two-game suspension for tackling a man outside an Airbnb in Byron Bay.

On the field, Radley collected 12 weeks worth of suspensions between 2021 and 2023 and has made 10 trips to the sin bin since 2021.

Regardless, Robinson insisted on Wednesday that Radley’s promotion was on merit, not out of necessity after the club farewelled a host of experienced players at the end of last season.

“There’s a lot being made about what we don’t have but the guys that step into those roles have been here for a while,” he said.

“Senior players step up, they’re a year older, they take on those leadership roles. So it’s really about that crew taking on that role and then you give time for those, those young guys give you energy… and we need to give them time in games and it starts tomorrow.”

Mahoney’s friendly ‘hate’ for Gutherson set for latest renewal

Reed Mahoney is trying to convince anyone who’ll listen there won’t be much banter between he and Clint Gutherson on Saturday. The problem: he can’t keep a straight face.

“I hate him,” Mahoney tells those attending the Bulldogs’ media session, before cracking up at his own joke.

The Canterbury hooker quickly comes clean and confirms the pair are on friendly terms and in regular contact, although there has been radio silence this week as Gutherson prepares to make his debut for St George Illawarra against Mahoney’s Bulldogs at Kogarah.

“Me and ‘Guth’ are still good mates,” Mahoney said. “Obviously we played for a fair while at Parramatta together, so it’s always good coming up against your mates.”

Mahoney knows better than most what Gutherson will provide for the Dragons, who have signed the 30-year-old fullback to a three-season deal, after a nine-year, 206-game stint as Parramatta’s heart and soul.

Gutherson was Parramatta skipper in 2018 when Mahoney made his NRL debut, and the pair played five seasons together, including in the 2022 grand final loss to Penrith.

Clint Gutherson looked good for the Dragons in their trials.Credit: Getty Images

Mahoney said the impact Gutherson is having at his new club was apparent.

“I think we’ve seen in the trials what Guth brings,” Mahoney said.

“He’s obviously gone from Parra, and joined the Dragons and become captain, and that’s just how he is as a person and how hard he works on the footy field.

“He’s their leader now, and I know he’ll go out there and put his best foot forward for them, and we’ll expect him to be at his best.”

Reed Mahoney would prefer to be known for his football than as a niggler.Credit: Getty Images

Asked if there will be any repartee with his former skipper on Saturday, Mahoney suggested that won’t be his priority.

“Maybe, but we’re both just worried about doing our jobs for our teams, so that’s where my focus will be this week,” he said.

Stuck with the label of the NRL’s most persistent niggler, Mahoney shrugged his shoulders when he addressed the subject, saying simply: “It’s just how I play my footy.”

“It is what is,” he added. “There’s nothing I can really do about it.

“I don’t go out there to come across like that, I go out there to play with passion and just work hard for my teammates … I just go out there and play my footy, and I stand up for my mates that I play with.”

But, when asked if he would prefer to be better known for his football ability, and less notorious for getting under the skin of his opponents, Mahoney replied: “Yeah, I guess so. It’d be much better, but it just comes with it.”

Actions generally speak louder than words, and Mahoney is confident the Bulldogs can make a statement on Saturday.

After their breakthrough campaign last year, when they reached the finals for the first since 2016, Canterbury have no intention of regressing.

They face a solid first-up challenge against a revamped Dragons side who - boosted by recruits Gutherson, Damien Cook, Valentine Holmes and Emre Guler - underlined their potential with pre-season wins against Sydney Roosters (26-8) and South Sydney (46-26).

Mahoney said the Bulldogs were expecting a fierce battle with their traditional rivals.

“We’re really confident in how well we’ve trained and how hard we’ve trained,” Mahoney said.

“It’s an exciting time of the year … it’s still a few days away, but it’s been a long summer, we’ve worked extremely hard, and we just want to go out there and put our best foot forward.”

More good new for the Panthers

Christian Nicolussi

The news keeps getting better for Penrith with champion winger Brian To’o declaring himself a certain starter on Friday week when the premiers start their official two-year residency at CommBank Stadium.

The Panthers touched down in Sydney from Las Vegas on a gloomy Tuesday morning after their opening-round win over Cronulla.

Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards and Liam Martin were all excellent at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday – and now the four-time premiership winners will be further boosted by the return of To’o.

To’o confirmed to this masthead he felt a hamstring twinge at the club’s final training run before they flew to the US, but would play against the Sydney Roosters.

“Yes sir,” said To’o, when asked if he would definitely start in round two. “I did it at our last session before we flew out. I felt a bit of a twinge, but it was nothing too major. I’ll do what I do and train hard, and get my energy off the boys. They’ll get me back.

“It was pretty cool being over there [in Vegas]. I was very jealous not to play at Allegiant Stadium.”

To’o left coach Ivan Cleary “freaking out” when he produced some wild dance moves on stage in the lead-up to Sunday’s game against Cronulla, and while the representative flyer said he had since received plenty of feedback about those scenes, said his problematic left hamstring was never fully stretched out.

Will Kennedy (centre) is greeted by his 2yr old daughter Rose and partner Grace McDonald.Credit: Kate Geraghty

The immediate challenge for Penrith will be how they bounce back mentally, with players from all four clubs involved in last year’s Vegas experiment admitting they needed a few weeks to deal with the comedown.

Coach Cleary said his team were given a snapshot of what to expect after last year’s World Club Challenge in England.

“I think it probably will [take a toll], but I feel our trip to Manchester last year was good practice,” Cleary said.

“That certainly had a feel of a comedown after that game. It was such a big occasion. The time difference was also significant [in England]. Hopefully we feel a bit better a bit quicker.

“I feel like we get looked after by not playing next week. In all honesty, that should be enough.”

The Panthers will be given a light week, with those players who travelled to the US but did not play expected to spend time in the NSW Cup this weekend.

They will call CommBank Stadium home the next two seasons as their home ground received a $309m makeover.

About 20 minutes after the Panthers exited the airport, Cronulla players touched down, including fullback Will Kennedy who was greeted by two-year-old daughter, Rose.

Kennedy was solid but terrorised all night by Panthers backrower Martin, but just as grateful to be reunited with his loved ones.

“It’s been a long time, it’s good to be home; coming home to family is just as important as footy,” he said.

‘Terrible news for the NRL’: Young reflects on wild week in Vegas

Adrian Proszenko

Hudson Young, in the moments after Canberra’s win against at Allegiant Stadium, is asked if he will celebrate with a few beers.

“I’ve gotta keep a lid on it,” Young grinned.

For Young, the biggest story during the NRL’s second foray into Vegas, this is the key to success. In the past, if he were involved in an incident like the one involving himself and Raiders teammate Morgan Smithies, he would have overcompensated on the field in a bid to atone.

“I didn’t want to fall into that mindset of proving people wrong because I knew that I didn’t do much to start with,” he said.

“I just wanted to go out there and play my game and I feel like if I came out with something to prove, I feel like that’s when things go wrong.

“I just kept the same mindset that I had the whole time and try to be myself. I think previously when I’ve got in trouble I’ll probably come and tried too hard.

“I feel like that’s where I have matured. Just keep level-headed, knowing my game and back my own ability.”

Young said he was thankful that coach Ricky Stuart allowed him to redeem himself on the field.

“The one thing with ‘Sticky’ (Stuart), if you tell the truth to him he’ll back you up,” he said.

Hudson Young experienced a wild week in Vegas.Credit: Getty Images

“I felt terrible because I let ‘Stick’ down, I let my teammates down. I just wanted to come out and play my game and make sure that we win … The club have put so much faith and time into me and I’m trying to grow as a person off the field as well.

“I feel like that’s helped me in good stead for moments like this. It was terrible news for the NRL and I own that, it was a bad light on it.”

Canberra’s win has come at a cost. Joseph Tapine is facing a two-game ban for a shoulder charge on Mitch Barnett, while Xavier Savage is facing one to two weeks on the sidelines for a challenge on Warriors kicker Harris-Tavita.

Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.

The Herald’s travel expenses to Las Vegas have been partly funded by the NRL