Stage set for Dodd's first start in Souths' halves
Out-of-favour recruit Lewis Dodd is preparing for a long-awaited first game starting in South Sydney's halves at NRL Magic Round.
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The Age
13 hours ago
- The Age
Maroons winners and losers: Will Slater's decisions save the series?
Queensland Maroons coach Billy Slater has denied he was tempted to issue an SOS to Canberra enforcer Josh Papali'i, declaring he already had the troops to inspire a State of Origin boilover. Papali'i retired from representative rugby league on the eve of the 2023 series after earning 23 Origin caps, but on Sunday proved he still had the mettle to lead a pack. In becoming the most capped Raider of all time against South Sydney, the 33-year-old scored twice and ran for 81 metres and five tackle busts, while his coach Ricky Stuart lauded his leadership as key to their top of the table ascent. The Maroons are still missing Thomas Flegler (shoulder) and Tom Gilbert (pectoral) to injury, while captaincy contender Tino Fa'asuamaleaui heads into game two in Perth with a sternum concern. New South Wales won game one through the middle, as an engine room led by Payne Haas ran rampant to finish with 124 more post-contact metres and 30 extra tackle-busts than their rivals. Loading But Slater was emphatic in that the squad assembled could save the series. 'No, no I haven't,' Slater said, when asked if he had discussed a comeback with Papali'i. 'There are quite a few things we didn't get right, and that's what we'll go over in the first couple of days. Then it's up to the players to go out there in that 80 minutes and deliver that, but that [the forwards battle] is certainly one area.
Sydney Morning Herald
13 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Maroons winners and losers: Will Slater's decisions save the series?
Queensland Maroons coach Billy Slater has denied he was tempted to issue an SOS to Canberra enforcer Josh Papali'i, declaring he already had the troops to inspire a State of Origin boilover. Papali'i retired from representative rugby league on the eve of the 2023 series after earning 23 Origin caps, but on Sunday proved he still had the mettle to lead a pack. In becoming the most capped Raider of all time against South Sydney, the 33-year-old scored twice and ran for 81 metres and five tackle busts, while his coach Ricky Stuart lauded his leadership as key to their top of the table ascent. The Maroons are still missing Thomas Flegler (shoulder) and Tom Gilbert (pectoral) to injury, while captaincy contender Tino Fa'asuamaleaui heads into game two in Perth with a sternum concern. New South Wales won game one through the middle, as an engine room led by Payne Haas ran rampant to finish with 124 more post-contact metres and 30 extra tackle-busts than their rivals. Loading But Slater was emphatic in that the squad assembled could save the series. 'No, no I haven't,' Slater said, when asked if he had discussed a comeback with Papali'i. 'There are quite a few things we didn't get right, and that's what we'll go over in the first couple of days. Then it's up to the players to go out there in that 80 minutes and deliver that, but that [the forwards battle] is certainly one area.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Aussie coach Peters seeks redemption for Hull KR
The pain of recent history will weigh heavily on the mind of Australian coach Willie Peters as he plots a path to Challenge Cup final glory for his Hull Kingston Rovers side. Peters has the lingering memories of Rovers' heartbreaking 2023 final loss to Leigh to erase, not to mention a 40-year trophyless streak to explode as his side look to live up to their deserved billing as heavy favourites for Saturday's showdown with Warrington Wolves at Wembley Stadium. The 46-year-old Sydney-born Peters has told his players, who top the Super League, to embrace the weight of expectation that comes with being the domestic game's pre-eminent force. The club have scarcely looked back since Lachlan Lam's drop-goal denied them their long-awaited triumph in 2023. They were runners-up to Wigan in last October's grand final, four days after Peters had been named Super League coach of the year. East Hull has been awash with reminders that it is four decades since the Robins last lifted major honours, and Peters, who has immersed himself in the club and its community since he arrived as a relatively little-known head coach in 2023, is under no illusions about what a win would mean. "I don't think about what it would mean for me, but I think it about the effect it will have on our club," said Peters, who played halfback for the likes of South Sydney and St George Illawarra before taking up assistant coaching roles with Manly, South Sydney and Newcastle. "The people involved can be legends of this club for a long time, so that excites me. What would excite me would be being in a WhatsApp group for the next 30 or 40 years with the guys who won a Challenge Cup, and being able to come back and meet up. "We are a community club. I have always said our sole aim is to make our community proud, and we have got the chance to do that this weekend." Peters admitted glancing back at certain aspects of the 2023 final but has resisted plunging into the negative emotions that followed that loss, pointing out his side's ability to shrug it off almost immediately and finish their domestic campaign on a high. "I've watched some segments of the (2023) final because I know what I want to use this week, not so much about the emotions but around different actions in the game," added Peters. "If you talk about where you want to go, I believe that's a stronger emotion, so that's what I will be tapping into." Peters' opposite number, Sam Burgess, will also be on a mission at the London final, where Warrington will be attempting to erase memories of last year's miserable 18-8 final defeat by Wigan. But his side have been ravaged by injuries this season and languish in eighth place in the Super League.
