Storm superstar to sit out Newcastle trip
Last weekend Papenhuyzen was a late withdrawal against North Queensland with calf tightness and the fullback has been forced out of Saturday's match against Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Nick Meaney, the two-try hero from Townsville, will again move from the centres and into the No.1 jersey.
Bellamy had five players involved in the NSW and Queensland series decider in Sydney, and two – Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster and winger Xavier Coates – have been rested and did not travel with the team.
Following the death of his father Steve, Munster bravely led Queensland to a 24-12 victory at Accor Stadium.
"It's been tough for him … what he did on Wednesday was quite remarkable actually," Bellamy said on Friday before the Storm's Captain's Run.
Melbourne's three Origin forwards Stefano Utoikamanu (NSW), Harry Grant and Trent Loireo (both QLD) performed light recovery duties.
Utoikamanu and Loireo were named on the bench but Grant is in jersey No.21 on the extended bench.
"We'll be a bit wiser after today," Bellamy added, having scheduled the session later in the day than normal to give his Origin stars extra rest.
"Cameron won't be playing but Harry is here and so is Trent – they're a chance of playing. Stefano is confident of playing but I'll just see how it goes after training."
Tyran Wishart will again partner Dally M winner Jahrome Hughes in the halves after teaming up in the 26-20 win over the Cowboys.
The Knights game is a homecoming of sorts for the Storm's Jonah Pezet and Grant Anderson, who enjoyed their junior football in the Hunter.
Pezet played his first NRL game in more than a year last weekend, with 28 minutes off the bench as a halves utility.
He tore his ACL against Newcastle in round three last year but on his return through NSW Cup in April this year, he had to undergo further knee surgery.
"He's had to do a lot of work to get back," Bellamy said.
"With all due respect if you asked the question we probably wouldn't be thinking he'd be playing first grade so early.
"But he's trained well, looked after himself well. After what he's been through he expects, and we do too, for him to get a little bit better each game he plays."
The Knights are coming off a bye and also have backs Fletcher Hunt and Greg Marzhew and prop Leo Thompson returning.
Ryan Papenhuyzen will again be missing from Melbourne's line-up as coach Craig Bellamy shuffles his team once more to accommodate injury and post-State of Origin fatigue.
Last weekend Papenhuyzen was a late withdrawal against North Queensland with calf tightness and the fullback has been forced out of Saturday's match against Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Nick Meaney, the two-try hero from Townsville, will again move from the centres and into the No.1 jersey.
Bellamy had five players involved in the NSW and Queensland series decider in Sydney, and two – Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster and winger Xavier Coates – have been rested and did not travel with the team.
Following the death of his father Steve, Munster bravely led Queensland to a 24-12 victory at Accor Stadium.
"It's been tough for him … what he did on Wednesday was quite remarkable actually," Bellamy said on Friday before the Storm's Captain's Run.
Melbourne's three Origin forwards Stefano Utoikamanu (NSW), Harry Grant and Trent Loireo (both QLD) performed light recovery duties.
Utoikamanu and Loireo were named on the bench but Grant is in jersey No.21 on the extended bench.
"We'll be a bit wiser after today," Bellamy added, having scheduled the session later in the day than normal to give his Origin stars extra rest.
"Cameron won't be playing but Harry is here and so is Trent – they're a chance of playing. Stefano is confident of playing but I'll just see how it goes after training."
Tyran Wishart will again partner Dally M winner Jahrome Hughes in the halves after teaming up in the 26-20 win over the Cowboys.
The Knights game is a homecoming of sorts for the Storm's Jonah Pezet and Grant Anderson, who enjoyed their junior football in the Hunter.
Pezet played his first NRL game in more than a year last weekend, with 28 minutes off the bench as a halves utility.
He tore his ACL against Newcastle in round three last year but on his return through NSW Cup in April this year, he had to undergo further knee surgery.
"He's had to do a lot of work to get back," Bellamy said.
"With all due respect if you asked the question we probably wouldn't be thinking he'd be playing first grade so early.
"But he's trained well, looked after himself well. After what he's been through he expects, and we do too, for him to get a little bit better each game he plays."
The Knights are coming off a bye and also have backs Fletcher Hunt and Greg Marzhew and prop Leo Thompson returning.
Ryan Papenhuyzen will again be missing from Melbourne's line-up as coach Craig Bellamy shuffles his team once more to accommodate injury and post-State of Origin fatigue.
Last weekend Papenhuyzen was a late withdrawal against North Queensland with calf tightness and the fullback has been forced out of Saturday's match against Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Nick Meaney, the two-try hero from Townsville, will again move from the centres and into the No.1 jersey.
Bellamy had five players involved in the NSW and Queensland series decider in Sydney, and two – Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster and winger Xavier Coates – have been rested and did not travel with the team.
Following the death of his father Steve, Munster bravely led Queensland to a 24-12 victory at Accor Stadium.
"It's been tough for him … what he did on Wednesday was quite remarkable actually," Bellamy said on Friday before the Storm's Captain's Run.
Melbourne's three Origin forwards Stefano Utoikamanu (NSW), Harry Grant and Trent Loireo (both QLD) performed light recovery duties.
Utoikamanu and Loireo were named on the bench but Grant is in jersey No.21 on the extended bench.
"We'll be a bit wiser after today," Bellamy added, having scheduled the session later in the day than normal to give his Origin stars extra rest.
"Cameron won't be playing but Harry is here and so is Trent – they're a chance of playing. Stefano is confident of playing but I'll just see how it goes after training."
Tyran Wishart will again partner Dally M winner Jahrome Hughes in the halves after teaming up in the 26-20 win over the Cowboys.
The Knights game is a homecoming of sorts for the Storm's Jonah Pezet and Grant Anderson, who enjoyed their junior football in the Hunter.
Pezet played his first NRL game in more than a year last weekend, with 28 minutes off the bench as a halves utility.
He tore his ACL against Newcastle in round three last year but on his return through NSW Cup in April this year, he had to undergo further knee surgery.
"He's had to do a lot of work to get back," Bellamy said.
"With all due respect if you asked the question we probably wouldn't be thinking he'd be playing first grade so early.
"But he's trained well, looked after himself well. After what he's been through he expects, and we do too, for him to get a little bit better each game he plays."
The Knights are coming off a bye and also have backs Fletcher Hunt and Greg Marzhew and prop Leo Thompson returning.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Fagan hails young guns as Lions bounce back
Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan is unsure when sore ruck stalwart Oscar McInerney will return as he battles a chronic back injury. But the Lions might have found another ruck partner for premiership tall Darcy Fort after Henry Smith's impressive performance in his first game of 2025 in Saturday night's 27-point win against Collingwood. Smith played four games last year before making way ahead of the Lions' successful finals push. But playing up forward against Collingwood, Smith slotted three first-half goals, partnering superbly with Lions young gun Logan Morris. A premiership player in his rookie season, Morris bagged a career-best six goals in the crucial victory over the Magpies to take his season tally to 40. "He's a great player, young Logan," Fagan said. "When he turned up, I just didn't know he was going to turn into the player that he's turned into very quickly. "He's a level-headed young man, loves his footy and he was so disappointed in his game last week (in a 66-point smashing by Gold Coast). "It was good to see him respond in the manner he did. "Oscar's a bit sore at the moment so I'm not sure when he's going to be right. "It's good that Henry's been able to come in as a forward, but he's also a pretty handy ruckman. "I hope he can develop into a really good forward who can be a great back-up ruckman." The Lions sit third with three games to come against Sydney (home), Fremantle (away) and Hawthorn (home) before their premiership defence begins in earnest during the finals. Brisbane have been able to rise for the biggest games this season, particularly on the road, having taken care of Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, and Hawthorn and Collingwood at the MCG. But Fagan is not getting too carried away with their first win against the Magpies in 11 years, having needed a thorough review following a shambolic QClash performance. The Lions will need to replace Ryan Lester for next Saturday's clash with the Swans after the premiership defender went off with concussion in the second quarter. Lester's injury potentially opens the door for forgotten recruit Tom Doedee to make his Lions debut, having been cruelled by back-to-back ACL injuries and then struggling to find his best form. Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan is unsure when sore ruck stalwart Oscar McInerney will return as he battles a chronic back injury. But the Lions might have found another ruck partner for premiership tall Darcy Fort after Henry Smith's impressive performance in his first game of 2025 in Saturday night's 27-point win against Collingwood. Smith played four games last year before making way ahead of the Lions' successful finals push. But playing up forward against Collingwood, Smith slotted three first-half goals, partnering superbly with Lions young gun Logan Morris. A premiership player in his rookie season, Morris bagged a career-best six goals in the crucial victory over the Magpies to take his season tally to 40. "He's a great player, young Logan," Fagan said. "When he turned up, I just didn't know he was going to turn into the player that he's turned into very quickly. "He's a level-headed young man, loves his footy and he was so disappointed in his game last week (in a 66-point smashing by Gold Coast). "It was good to see him respond in the manner he did. "Oscar's a bit sore at the moment so I'm not sure when he's going to be right. "It's good that Henry's been able to come in as a forward, but he's also a pretty handy ruckman. "I hope he can develop into a really good forward who can be a great back-up ruckman." The Lions sit third with three games to come against Sydney (home), Fremantle (away) and Hawthorn (home) before their premiership defence begins in earnest during the finals. Brisbane have been able to rise for the biggest games this season, particularly on the road, having taken care of Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, and Hawthorn and Collingwood at the MCG. But Fagan is not getting too carried away with their first win against the Magpies in 11 years, having needed a thorough review following a shambolic QClash performance. The Lions will need to replace Ryan Lester for next Saturday's clash with the Swans after the premiership defender went off with concussion in the second quarter. Lester's injury potentially opens the door for forgotten recruit Tom Doedee to make his Lions debut, having been cruelled by back-to-back ACL injuries and then struggling to find his best form. Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan is unsure when sore ruck stalwart Oscar McInerney will return as he battles a chronic back injury. But the Lions might have found another ruck partner for premiership tall Darcy Fort after Henry Smith's impressive performance in his first game of 2025 in Saturday night's 27-point win against Collingwood. Smith played four games last year before making way ahead of the Lions' successful finals push. But playing up forward against Collingwood, Smith slotted three first-half goals, partnering superbly with Lions young gun Logan Morris. A premiership player in his rookie season, Morris bagged a career-best six goals in the crucial victory over the Magpies to take his season tally to 40. "He's a great player, young Logan," Fagan said. "When he turned up, I just didn't know he was going to turn into the player that he's turned into very quickly. "He's a level-headed young man, loves his footy and he was so disappointed in his game last week (in a 66-point smashing by Gold Coast). "It was good to see him respond in the manner he did. "Oscar's a bit sore at the moment so I'm not sure when he's going to be right. "It's good that Henry's been able to come in as a forward, but he's also a pretty handy ruckman. "I hope he can develop into a really good forward who can be a great back-up ruckman." The Lions sit third with three games to come against Sydney (home), Fremantle (away) and Hawthorn (home) before their premiership defence begins in earnest during the finals. Brisbane have been able to rise for the biggest games this season, particularly on the road, having taken care of Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, and Hawthorn and Collingwood at the MCG. But Fagan is not getting too carried away with their first win against the Magpies in 11 years, having needed a thorough review following a shambolic QClash performance. The Lions will need to replace Ryan Lester for next Saturday's clash with the Swans after the premiership defender went off with concussion in the second quarter. Lester's injury potentially opens the door for forgotten recruit Tom Doedee to make his Lions debut, having been cruelled by back-to-back ACL injuries and then struggling to find his best form.
The Age
10 hours ago
- The Age
‘No one thought we could do it': How a trip to the pub helped the Vixens win a grand final for the ages
That's precisely what the team did – heading to a local pub a few weeks later for a team bonding session. 'It's a comment that Simone said over the years plenty of times, and it's not necessarily about going to the pub,' Moloney explained in a post-match interview after the grand final. 'But we knew exactly what that meant, and we did go and do a team bonding session. We headed to the pub, we had our Coke zeros and watched the State of Origin. 'You know, it wasn't about the pub, but it was about spending some time together – remembering why we do this.' The Vixens' season then underwent an extraordinary metamorphosis, with the Melbourne side winning eight of their next 10 games to reach back-to-back grand finals. The Vixens opened Saturday's grand final on the front foot, with Moloney delivering a flawless centre pass, allowing star goal shooter Sophie Garbin to net the opening goal. The Fever countered quickly, recovering the ball in their front third and delivering quickly to Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, the competition's most dominant force and its best shooter. Both teams upped the tempo in the second quarter, with the Vixens calling a timeout and captain Kate Moloney calling on the team to put their opponents under pressure. The third quarter saw the Vixens pull in front, much to the delight of the roaring Rod Laver Arena crowd. Play intensified in the fourth, with the Vixens managing to pull ahead. Frustration in the Fever team saw them fumble some crucial passes as the clock ticked down and pressure intensified. Loading But they continued to target Fowler-Nembhard, and she continued to loom as the heartbreaker for the Vixens until the home side regained their composure in the dying minutes and held on to possession for dear life. At the final whistle there were smiles, tears and cheers as the Vixens rushed from all corners to embrace each other as I gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas blared out across the stadium. It was redemption for the Vixens, who lost last year's decider to Adelaide by two goals and were beaten by the Fever twice during the 2025 season. It was also fairytale finish for McKinnis, who leaves behind a legacy of three premierships and three minor premierships. After the game, McKinnis said she couldn't quite believe the team had won. 'I still can't believe that we did it, but I'm just extremely proud of the team and the girls – the way they attacked the game and the way they played,' she explained. McKinnis never lost faith in her group. 'I thought we were the one team that could beat them,' she said of the Fever, who finished on top of the ladder with a 12-2 record and had a 13-game winning streak. The veteran coach said she was looking forward to having a break, but did not rule out a return to coaching. Loading During the awards presentation, Moloney thanked the fans 'for not giving up on us in round six' and expressed her gratitude to her McKinnis. 'You are an incredible leader. This club would not be the same without you,' Moloney said. 'When you walked in the doors 13 years ago, you taught us how hard we had to work, you showed us some tough love, but most importantly you cared for us, you believed in us, and you nurtured every single athlete that walked through those doors, and you made them better.' By contrast, Fever skipper Jess Anstiss was heartbroken after her side's loss. 'It's pure devastation to be honest,' she said. 'It's hard to get the words out. 'I don't think we brought our A-game and Vixens did.' It was Melbourne's first Super Netball title in five years – since they defeated the Fever in 2020. Just last week, the Vixens only advanced to this season's decider after overcoming a double-digit three-quarter-time deficit in the preliminary final against a red-hot NSW Swifts.
Sydney Morning Herald
10 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘No one thought we could do it': How a trip to the pub helped the Vixens win a grand final for the ages
That's precisely what the team did – heading to a local pub a few weeks later for a team bonding session. 'It's a comment that Simone said over the years plenty of times, and it's not necessarily about going to the pub,' Moloney explained in a post-match interview after the grand final. 'But we knew exactly what that meant, and we did go and do a team bonding session. We headed to the pub, we had our Coke zeros and watched the State of Origin. 'You know, it wasn't about the pub, but it was about spending some time together – remembering why we do this.' The Vixens' season then underwent an extraordinary metamorphosis, with the Melbourne side winning eight of their next 10 games to reach back-to-back grand finals. The Vixens opened Saturday's grand final on the front foot, with Moloney delivering a flawless centre pass, allowing star goal shooter Sophie Garbin to net the opening goal. The Fever countered quickly, recovering the ball in their front third and delivering quickly to Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, the competition's most dominant force and its best shooter. Both teams upped the tempo in the second quarter, with the Vixens calling a timeout and captain Kate Moloney calling on the team to put their opponents under pressure. The third quarter saw the Vixens pull in front, much to the delight of the roaring Rod Laver Arena crowd. Play intensified in the fourth, with the Vixens managing to pull ahead. Frustration in the Fever team saw them fumble some crucial passes as the clock ticked down and pressure intensified. Loading But they continued to target Fowler-Nembhard, and she continued to loom as the heartbreaker for the Vixens until the home side regained their composure in the dying minutes and held on to possession for dear life. At the final whistle there were smiles, tears and cheers as the Vixens rushed from all corners to embrace each other as I gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas blared out across the stadium. It was redemption for the Vixens, who lost last year's decider to Adelaide by two goals and were beaten by the Fever twice during the 2025 season. It was also fairytale finish for McKinnis, who leaves behind a legacy of three premierships and three minor premierships. After the game, McKinnis said she couldn't quite believe the team had won. 'I still can't believe that we did it, but I'm just extremely proud of the team and the girls – the way they attacked the game and the way they played,' she explained. McKinnis never lost faith in her group. 'I thought we were the one team that could beat them,' she said of the Fever, who finished on top of the ladder with a 12-2 record and had a 13-game winning streak. The veteran coach said she was looking forward to having a break, but did not rule out a return to coaching. Loading During the awards presentation, Moloney thanked the fans 'for not giving up on us in round six' and expressed her gratitude to her McKinnis. 'You are an incredible leader. This club would not be the same without you,' Moloney said. 'When you walked in the doors 13 years ago, you taught us how hard we had to work, you showed us some tough love, but most importantly you cared for us, you believed in us, and you nurtured every single athlete that walked through those doors, and you made them better.' By contrast, Fever skipper Jess Anstiss was heartbroken after her side's loss. 'It's pure devastation to be honest,' she said. 'It's hard to get the words out. 'I don't think we brought our A-game and Vixens did.' It was Melbourne's first Super Netball title in five years – since they defeated the Fever in 2020. Just last week, the Vixens only advanced to this season's decider after overcoming a double-digit three-quarter-time deficit in the preliminary final against a red-hot NSW Swifts.
