Rookies & Records: Round 1 Delivers NRLW Thrills! NRLW Weekly
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Sydney Morning Herald
9 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Surface tension: Roosters stars losing patience with Allianz Stadium pitch
Sydney Roosters players have described the playing surface at Allianz Stadium as 'slippery', 'wet', and 'not too crash hot' as the $828 million Moore Park venue prepares to host four rugby league games in just three days as part of the NRL's Gadhu Gathering. Less than an hour after the Bulldogs and Manly clashed at the venue on July 27, ground staff were straight to work on the playing surface. And on Monday morning, giant heat lamps were baking grass at the northern end of the venue. There was also a sprinkler with a heat lamp positioned over a bare patch of grass in the north-western corner. Giant puddles and divots have become a common feature of NRL games at Allianz, with Venues NSW awaiting the findings of a review into the turf and drainage systems. The Roosters and Bulldogs meet on Friday night, followed by South Sydney and Parramatta Saturday night, then the Wests Tigers and Manly on Sunday afternoon, including the NRLW as a curtain-raiser. Tigers CEO Shane Richardson said there were no contingency plans to relocate the Sunday game, and had full confidence the surface would remain safe by the end of the weekend. Roosters skipper James Tedesco said the surface made life difficult for his side, and said stadium chiefs had to 'sort that out'. 'For a first-class, elite stadium like this that hosts a lot of topline clubs in Australia, and around the world, the surface needs to be top class, as the stadium is,' Tedesco said. 'They need to sort that out. 'Every time we play here, it's slippery and wet. It's not the driest conditions.'
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- News.com.au
Parramatta veteran Shaun Lane to take up mental health role after calling time on playing career
Parramatta stalwart Shaun Lane has vowed to help the next generation of Eels players 'thrive' after announcing he would end his playing career and take up a new role with the club's elite pathways program. Lane, 30, played 186 NRL games for the Bulldogs, Sea Eagles and finally the Eels where he was named the club's player of the year in 2022 when he featured in the grand final side. Still contracted for 2026, Lane has opted to end his playing tenure having only played five games for Parramatta in 2025, all at the start of the season. Lane, who has completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Graduate Diploma in Psychology and is working towards a Master's in Positive Psychology during his playing career, made the decision after accepting a new role within the club focusing on mental skills and athlete wellness. 'I've absolutely loved my time playing for the Eels,' Lane said. 'This club means a lot to me, and I'm incredibly grateful for the experiences I've had and the relationships I've built here. I'm really thankful to the fans for their unwavering support throughout my career – it's meant the world to me. 'I'm now looking forward to continuing my career at Parramatta in a different capacity, helping our young athletes thrive on and off the field.' Eels general manager of football Mark O'Neill praised Lanes's contributions to the club, both on and off the field. 'Shaun has been a wonderful ambassador for the Parramatta Eels. He carries himself with humility, integrity, and professionalism, and he's been an exceptional role model for younger players,' O'Neill said. 'We're proud to see him step into this important new role, where his leadership and passion for player welfare will continue to make a difference.'
The Advertiser
21 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Warriors coach remains wary of NRL's 'giant killers'
Andrew Webster has described St George Illawarra as the "giant killers" of the NRL as the Warriors fight to get their season back on track against the mercurial Dragons. A three-game losing streak has forced the Warriors out of the top four ahead of Friday's game in Auckland, where another defeat could leave them as low as seventh to finish the weekend. Webster is wary of an 11th-placed Dragons side that is fighting for its own season, with the Saints likely needing to win their remaining four games to have any chance of making good on their slim top-eight hopes. The Dragons are coming off back-to-back wins over finals-bound Cronulla and Canberra, and upset fellow top sides Melbourne and Brisbane earlier in the season. Nine of their 12 losses this year have been by a single-figure margin, including a one-point defeat to the Warriors during the Kiwi side's hot start to the season. "(The Dragons) have been in almost every contest. They're like the giant killers of the competition," said Warriors coach Webster. "They're probably the best team that aren't in the eight at knocking off top-four teams. They've beaten the Storm, they've beaten the Raiders, Sharks. They've been very good at that this year." The Warriors' season is threatening to unravel at the worst possible time, with the injury-hit Kiwis still not guaranteed to play finals despite spending 16 consecutive rounds in the top four before last week. The clash with the Dragons comes before similarly intriguing fixtures against Gold Coast and Parramatta, who will both miss finals but have shown promise in recent weeks. Last week's loss to premiership hopefuls Canterbury marked the first time this season that the Warriors failed to register a line break or record 1000 metres in a game. But one more win is likely to punch the Warriors' top-eight ticket and Webster is remaining positive. "We'd obviously like to be doing some things better, but we've been really consistent with it," he said. "There's always accountability at our place. 'I thought our commitment and our contact in going after the opposition (last week) was really good." Dragons forward Jack de Belin will become the fourth man to play 250 games for the joint venture on Friday night, joining Ben Hornby, Ben Creagh and Jason Nightingale in the elite club. Andrew Webster has described St George Illawarra as the "giant killers" of the NRL as the Warriors fight to get their season back on track against the mercurial Dragons. A three-game losing streak has forced the Warriors out of the top four ahead of Friday's game in Auckland, where another defeat could leave them as low as seventh to finish the weekend. Webster is wary of an 11th-placed Dragons side that is fighting for its own season, with the Saints likely needing to win their remaining four games to have any chance of making good on their slim top-eight hopes. The Dragons are coming off back-to-back wins over finals-bound Cronulla and Canberra, and upset fellow top sides Melbourne and Brisbane earlier in the season. Nine of their 12 losses this year have been by a single-figure margin, including a one-point defeat to the Warriors during the Kiwi side's hot start to the season. "(The Dragons) have been in almost every contest. They're like the giant killers of the competition," said Warriors coach Webster. "They're probably the best team that aren't in the eight at knocking off top-four teams. They've beaten the Storm, they've beaten the Raiders, Sharks. They've been very good at that this year." The Warriors' season is threatening to unravel at the worst possible time, with the injury-hit Kiwis still not guaranteed to play finals despite spending 16 consecutive rounds in the top four before last week. The clash with the Dragons comes before similarly intriguing fixtures against Gold Coast and Parramatta, who will both miss finals but have shown promise in recent weeks. Last week's loss to premiership hopefuls Canterbury marked the first time this season that the Warriors failed to register a line break or record 1000 metres in a game. But one more win is likely to punch the Warriors' top-eight ticket and Webster is remaining positive. "We'd obviously like to be doing some things better, but we've been really consistent with it," he said. "There's always accountability at our place. 'I thought our commitment and our contact in going after the opposition (last week) was really good." Dragons forward Jack de Belin will become the fourth man to play 250 games for the joint venture on Friday night, joining Ben Hornby, Ben Creagh and Jason Nightingale in the elite club. Andrew Webster has described St George Illawarra as the "giant killers" of the NRL as the Warriors fight to get their season back on track against the mercurial Dragons. A three-game losing streak has forced the Warriors out of the top four ahead of Friday's game in Auckland, where another defeat could leave them as low as seventh to finish the weekend. Webster is wary of an 11th-placed Dragons side that is fighting for its own season, with the Saints likely needing to win their remaining four games to have any chance of making good on their slim top-eight hopes. The Dragons are coming off back-to-back wins over finals-bound Cronulla and Canberra, and upset fellow top sides Melbourne and Brisbane earlier in the season. Nine of their 12 losses this year have been by a single-figure margin, including a one-point defeat to the Warriors during the Kiwi side's hot start to the season. "(The Dragons) have been in almost every contest. They're like the giant killers of the competition," said Warriors coach Webster. "They're probably the best team that aren't in the eight at knocking off top-four teams. They've beaten the Storm, they've beaten the Raiders, Sharks. They've been very good at that this year." The Warriors' season is threatening to unravel at the worst possible time, with the injury-hit Kiwis still not guaranteed to play finals despite spending 16 consecutive rounds in the top four before last week. The clash with the Dragons comes before similarly intriguing fixtures against Gold Coast and Parramatta, who will both miss finals but have shown promise in recent weeks. Last week's loss to premiership hopefuls Canterbury marked the first time this season that the Warriors failed to register a line break or record 1000 metres in a game. But one more win is likely to punch the Warriors' top-eight ticket and Webster is remaining positive. "We'd obviously like to be doing some things better, but we've been really consistent with it," he said. "There's always accountability at our place. 'I thought our commitment and our contact in going after the opposition (last week) was really good." Dragons forward Jack de Belin will become the fourth man to play 250 games for the joint venture on Friday night, joining Ben Hornby, Ben Creagh and Jason Nightingale in the elite club.
