NRL 2025: Stefano Utoikamanu welcomes brutal Storm draw before finals
The Panthers beat Melbourne in last year's decider and have won nine matches in a row to go from last spot after 12 rounds into the top four on the back of last week's thumping win in Newcastle.
Thursday's game is the start of a brutal month for the Storm who then face the Bulldogs (third), Roosters (ninth) and finish with a trip north to take on the Broncos (sixth) as they look to secure a top-two finish.
They've already beaten Penrith this year and knocked them off twice in the 2024 regular season, with stiff competition in August set to be the perfect preparation for them in the finals.
The Panthers were too good for Melbourne in last year's grand final. Picture: Pete Dovgan/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
'I wasn't here last year, but a lot of the boys here played in the grand final,' Utoikamanu said.
'Penrith didn't really start the year that well, but I think they've won nine straight now so you can see them as the in-form team of the comp, so it's going to be a good game this week.
'For us, the finals aren't far away. Those four teams (that we're playing) are all going to be in the finals probably, so it's definitely a good preparation. I'd rather this (than winning by 50).
'Finals footy is a different game. I haven't even played in the finals before, but speaking to the other boys, it's probably going to be reffed a little differently and I think it's going to be more of a grind.
'Winning games by 50 is not going to help us, so these next few games is good preparation for us.'
Josh King and Stefano Utoikamanu have been enormous for the Storm with Jahrome Hughes out injured. Picture:The Storm will be without injured halfback Jahrome Hughes, but their defence has lifted with him out of the side, with the premiership favourites conceding just 12 points in their past two outings.
Utoikamanu has also lifted since he played the final two State of Origin games for NSW, with coach Craig Bellamy praising his impact through the middle in wins over the Eels and Broncos.
'I've felt like I probably had to step up a little bit, especially coming out of Origin and being an Origin player,' the prop said.
'It still feels a bit surreal to me that I played Origin this year, but coming out of that, I feel like I had to prove something a little bit.
'Coming here has probably been the biggest move of my career so far.
'Craig always tells us to play to our strengths, and I feel like I've been doing that every week.'
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Daily Telegraph
an hour ago
- Daily Telegraph
AFL 2025: Nathan Buckley's admission over growing links to Melbourne Demons job
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley remains uncertain about his aspirations to return to coaching but says 'this is the first time' since finishing at the Pies that he's wanted to explore the possibility further. It comes as Buckley has been highly touted as one of the leading candidates for Melbourne's vacant position following the dismissal of Simon Goodwin. It also comes after initially-fancied premiership mentors John Longmire and Adam Simpson openly voiced their unwillingness to return to the coaching landscape next year amid newfound personal ventures. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Buckley, 53, coached Collingwood between 2012 and 2021, including a grand final berth in 2018 and five finals appearances. At the outset of Fox Footy's On the Couch on Monday night, asked point-blank by Brisbane Lions legend Jonathan Brown if he wanted to coach next year, Buckley said: 'I don't know if I do or not. And I think I've been pretty transparent and clear with that. 'There's a spot available now, and this is the first time that I've actually wanted to go further down the track to find out what that challenge would be, and whether it would fit for where I'm at in my life, as well. 'I'm going to explore it a little bit harder this time around.' On the Couch: Jonathan Brown asks Nathan Buckley about his coaching aspirations. Buckley, who has now been out of coaching for almost four years, had a career 117-99-2 record with the Magpies after a 28-game, Brownlow Medal-winning playing career. He was prompted on what that 'exploration' looks like. 'It's more to understand Melbourne's challenge, and where they think they're at, where they think they need to go forward. But before we get to all of this, I am but one of many candidates that will be really good options for Melbourne going forward,' he said. 'And they'll go through their process, and they'll choose the person that they think is best-placed to take them forward, whether that's for the next three years, five years, whether they're looking for 10 years. 'In the end, that's their remit, to work that out. There's multiple good options, there's multiple good decisions. It's not just one person, so I think that's got to be really clear up front.' Buckley acknowledged 'it could be' a reality that senior coaching is ultimately done for him, despite externally shaping as a frontrunner in Melbourne's process. 'But I'm stepping into a space, now, that I haven't at this point. So, I'm just taking the next steps to explore it for myself, and obviously through the lens of one club at the moment,' he continued. 'I have kicked around with Tassie as well, to have a look at that. But that's been dormant for probably six months. So, that's as open as I can be about it. 'I'm going to be asked as I go along, and (I'll) have a microphone in front of me every second day, but I'm not going to be giving blow-by-blows (updates) on Melbourne's process on their system, on where we're at in terms of our communication. 'I could think one thing this evening and think something different tomorrow evening. So, it wouldn't be fair on me or them to try and do a blow-by-blow, because it will ebb and flow until either they or I or any other candidate gets to a final position.' The Demons are after a new coach after axing Simon Goodwin. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Brown proposed the idea that the 'attractiveness' of the Demons' win-now list might play a hand in Buckley's desire to partake in their process. 'Ultimately, you're really governed by the list that you have at hand,' Brown posed, to which Buckley replied: 'Yes and no.' Brown suggested that perhaps the state of West Coast's list last year played a key hand in Buckley's unwillingness to participate in the process that ultimately ended with Andrew McQualter winning the senior coach role. 'Was that because I didn't like West Coast, or was it because I wasn't ready?' Buckley answered. 'I took a call from Don Pyke (Eagles chief executive), but I said to him 'I'm not in the space to consider that', and I think I'm in a space to consider it now. 'You look at the list, but then you've got to consider what's the state of your TPP (total player payments). I've been in a position where the TPP is not in a great state. Maybe it's not a position I want to step into in that regard — I don't know that yet. 'Then the other is where do you train? What's the structure of your leadership? Because at the moment, it's still quite transient. 'What are your plans going forward in terms of facilities and where you want to be? And where do you think you sit? When do you want to contend? I don't have any answers to any of those questions.' Originally published as 'This is the first time': Buckley's admission over growing links to role
The Age
3 hours ago
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‘One of the best': Dogs' pulsating win draws praise; Bottom-placed Eagles push Crows to the brink
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Veteran defender Tom McDonald was another strong performer in a mostly inexperienced Melbourne backline, while Clayton Oliver won 10 of his 27 touches in the last quarter, and Jai Culley enhanced his hopes of gaining a new contract with another eye-catching display. 'I'm really proud of the group, first and foremost. It's been a tough week for everyone, but for the guys to play the way they did, and to be so close, I think it says a lot about this group and the path they're on,' Chaplin said. 'I thought our leaders were fantastic all week, led by 'Gawny' and 'Vines' [Jack Viney], Ed [Langdon] in his 200th, 'Trac' [Christian Petracca] – they've had to deal with a fair bit. 'But to go down against a team that is in really good form and pushing for finals, by a goal – and right in the last minute – I couldn't be prouder of the group. 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You might call it an honourable loss for the Kangaroos – 20.13 (133) to 12.7 (79) – but they're sick of those. This was their seventh consecutive defeat, their worst sequence of the year, and with an average deficit of 52 points. From the outset, this game felt like a mismatch. It felt like both teams clocked that pretty early and conducted themselves accordingly. As a contest, it was basically over late in the first quarter, when Cadman kicked the last of four unanswered goals (and their fifth overall, from just 11 inside 50 entries) by Greater Western Sydney, who were playing, for the last time this season, at their home away from home in Canberra. The margin at quarter-time was just 15 points, but there was already the palpable sense that the afternoon was heading in a singular direction. So it proved. The Giants added another four goals in a row to start the second term and stretch the margin to 48 points. 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On debut, Cooper Trembath was their top-scorer with three goals, delighting the strong contingent of family members who had flown up to Manuka Oval to watch him, and there were occasional flashes of real class from Luke Davies-Uniacke. A few times, the 'Roos enjoyed a little run-on – but those periods were almost tacitly approved by the opposition, who seemed to go through the motions and let it happen.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘This is the first time': Buckley's admission over growing links to role
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley remains uncertain about his aspirations to return to coaching but says 'this is the first time' since finishing at the Pies that he's wanted to explore the possibility further. It comes as Buckley has been highly touted as one of the leading candidates for Melbourne's vacant position following the dismissal of Simon Goodwin. It also comes after initially-fancied premiership mentors John Longmire and Adam Simpson openly voiced their unwillingness to return to the coaching landscape next year amid newfound personal ventures. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Buckley, 53, coached Collingwood between 2012 and 2021, including a grand final berth in 2018 and five finals appearances. At the outset of Fox Footy's On the Couch on Monday night, asked point-blank by Brisbane Lions legend Jonathan Brown if he wanted to coach next year, Buckley said: 'I don't know if I do or not. And I think I've been pretty transparent and clear with that. 'There's a spot available now, and this is the first time that I've actually wanted to go further down the track to find out what that challenge would be, and whether it would fit for where I'm at in my life, as well. 'I'm going to explore it a little bit harder this time around.' Buckley, who has now been out of coaching for almost four years, had a career 117-99-2 record with the Magpies after a 28-game, Brownlow Medal-winning playing career. He was prompted on what that 'exploration' looks like. 'It's more to understand Melbourne's challenge, and where they think they're at, where they think they need to go forward. But before we get to all of this, I am but one of many candidates that will be really good options for Melbourne going forward,' he said. 'And they'll go through their process, and they'll choose the person that they think is best-placed to take them forward, whether that's for the next three years, five years, whether they're looking for 10 years. 'In the end, that's their remit, to work that out. There's multiple good options, there's multiple good decisions. It's not just one person, so I think that's got to be really clear up front.' Buckley acknowledged 'it could be' a reality that senior coaching is ultimately done for him, despite externally shaping as a frontrunner in Melbourne's process. 'But I'm stepping into a space, now, that I haven't at this point. So, I'm just taking the next steps to explore it for myself, and obviously through the lens of one club at the moment,' he continued. 'I have kicked around with Tassie as well, to have a look at that. But that's been dormant for probably six months. So, that's as open as I can be about it. 'I'm going to be asked as I go along, and (I'll) have a microphone in front of me every second day, but I'm not going to be giving blow-by-blows (updates) on Melbourne's process on their system, on where we're at in terms of our communication. 'I could think one thing this evening and think something different tomorrow evening. So, it wouldn't be fair on me or them to try and do a blow-by-blow, because it will ebb and flow until either they or I or any other candidate gets to a final position.' Brown proposed the idea that the 'attractiveness' of the Demons' win-now list might play a hand in Buckley's desire to partake in their process. 'Ultimately, you're really governed by the list that you have at hand,' Brown posed, to which Buckley replied: 'Yes and no.' Brown suggested that perhaps the state of West Coast's list last year played a key hand in Buckley's unwillingness to participate in the process that ultimately ended with Andrew McQualter winning the senior coach role. 'Was that because I didn't like West Coast, or was it because I wasn't ready?' Buckley answered. 'I took a call from Don Pyke (Eagles chief executive), but I said to him 'I'm not in the space to consider that', and I think I'm in a space to consider it now. 'You look at the list, but then you've got to consider what's the state of your TPP (total player payments). I've been in a position where the TPP is not in a great state. Maybe it's not a position I want to step into in that regard — I don't know that yet. 'Then the other is where do you train? What's the structure of your leadership? Because at the moment, it's still quite transient. 'What are your plans going forward in terms of facilities and where you want to be? And where do you think you sit? When do you want to contend? I don't have any answers to any of those questions.'
