40/20 NRL Podcast: Daley stays loyal for Origin I as Latrell stays silent
It's State of Origin time and Michael Chammas and Christian Nicolussi discuss the issues and give you the inside mail on the NSW and Queensland teams for game one on our new rugby league podcast.
The duo examine why Max King won selection over Terrell May and Mitchell Moses being picked instead of Jarome Luai to partner Nathan Cleary.
And will the gamble by the Maroons to select rookie Robert Toia pay off?
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News.com.au
29 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Declan Bates chasing his next Group 1 winner in Stradbroke Handicap aboard Rise At Dawn
Irish jockey Declan Bates is used to playing musical chairs in racing, but he's confident he's on the right horse for the $3m Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday at Eagle Farm. Many pundits thought Bates had been treated harshly when he was stripped of the ride on reigning horse of the year Pride Of Jenni shortly after the frontrunning mare's flop in the Group 1 Cox Plate last September. Owner Tony Ottobre decided to instead go with Ben Melham and then Craig Newitt, despite Declan steering Pride Of Jenni to five wins and five placings from 13 races, and $9m in prizemoney, since he picked up the ride in September 2023. Bates, who has won three of his four Groups 1s on Pride of Jenni, handled the controversial decision with class, saying he felt privileged just to be riding such a talented mare in the first place. 'It wasn't as if there was a fallout or anything,' he told Racenet this week on a bitterly cold morning in Ballarat. 'I probably knew it would come to an end at some point and when it happened, I just felt I was lucky to be on board when I was. 'It provided me with some of the best days of my career. I'm happy to just keep working away and now I'm looking for the next one (Group 1 winner), that's how it works.' That Group 1 winner could easily be the Ben, JD and Will Hayes -trained Rise At Dawn, who is $9.50 in betting for the 1400m Stradbroke at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The four-year-old gelding is only one of two horses in single figures in the market, with the other being stablemate War Machine ($2.70). Bates, 36, has been on board War Machine for seven of his 12 races but Tim Clark will ride the hot Stradbroke favourite on Saturday. 'The favourite will be hard to beat and he's actually a horse I do know very well,' Bates said. 'I've ridden him a few times and won a couple of races on him in the early days. 'He's coming off two really good wins but it's probably a step up for him. He looks to be well in but he probably does need to pick up again if he's going to win. 'My fella's had a couple of runs in some really competitive races like the Doncaster Mile in Sydney (where he finished fourth) so he's sort of well seasoned and he'll be hard to beat.' Bates will fly up to Brisbane on Friday night to ready himself for his first tilt at a Group 1 in Queensland on a horse he's never ridden before. 'It looks to be a pretty wide-open race, really,' he said. 'He (Rise At Dawn) should be hard-fit now with a good run under his belt and he gets in with a light weight. 'He ticks plenty of boxes and so I'm very confident he's going to run well.' Rise At Dawn is coming off a fifth placing in the Kingsford Smith Cup last Saturday and Bates expects him to improve as he backs up just seven days later. 'He'll get in with a light weight – would you call it a drop in grade maybe – and the extra 100m should suit,' Bates said 'He'll need everything to go right on the day but if it does then he'll be thereabouts for sure.'
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I do pinch myself': From Ron Massey Cup to the NSW Origin squad in half a season
Since then, he hasn't missed a game for the champions, stringing together 11 appearances, culminating in a career-best performance in Penrith's 18-14 win against Wests Tigers last week. Jenkins scored a hat-trick of tries, made five line-breaks, 12 tackle-breaks and carried the ball 253 metres in attack. Just when he thought life could not get much better, he was called into the NSW squad this week as a development/shadow player to help the Blues prepare for Origin II in Perth on Wednesday. 'Oh, I think we've just enjoyed his enthusiasm,' NSW coach Daley Laurie said, explaining the decision to invite Jenkins into camp. 'He seems like he's gotten better and better ... he was a guy that we sort of had down the middle of last week that we wanted to bring him into camp, and to see him play the way he did [against the Tigers], yeah, it was tremendous. 'So to come from where he has and just to come up here for a couple of days and mingle in around the squad, I think it's a great opportunity for him.' Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said the 'humility' Jenkins showed during the pre-season convinced him he was worth another chance. 'He went down to Massey and did his time, trained hard - in our afternoon squad, as well,' Cleary said. 'And then when he got a chance in [NSW] Cup, he was too good for Cup as well. So he just did everything we asked, and he's still doing it.' Whatever he achieves this season and beyond, Jenkins said he will always be grateful to St Mary's. 'I was so happy to go back there and play for them,' he said. 'They're such a good club. I knew I'd enjoy my footy there. I've got a lot of mates there, and that's what it was about. 'It was about enjoying footy. It wasn't about how high I was playing or what I was doing. It was about enjoying it. But yeah, things have worked out, and I ended up enjoying it here.' Jenkins' train-and-trial deal has since been upgraded into a full-time contract until the end of next season. 'The goal was always to come and play in NRL, but like I said, it was about coming back and enjoying my footy,' he said. Loading 'I feel like at St Mary's, it was a step in the right direction. 'I knew a pathway back to the Panthers was there. Nothing was promised, nothing was guaranteed, but I was happy to take that chance. I wake up every day feeling blessed, being grateful. I'm lucky for the position I'm in and the things that have fallen my way. 'I do pinch myself. I find myself lucky, but in saying that, like I said, I've got to keep my feet on ground and take it week by week. 'Like I said, nothing's guaranteed. There's so many good players that are coming up underneath, so I can't take my position for granted. 'Nothing's secure ever, so it's about playing good week to week. It's up to me to keep doing that job.'
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
‘I do pinch myself': From Ron Massey Cup to the NSW Origin squad in half a season
Since then, he hasn't missed a game for the champions, stringing together 11 appearances, culminating in a career-best performance in Penrith's 18-14 win against Wests Tigers last week. Jenkins scored a hat-trick of tries, made five line-breaks, 12 tackle-breaks and carried the ball 253 metres in attack. Just when he thought life could not get much better, he was called into the NSW squad this week as a development/shadow player to help the Blues prepare for Origin II in Perth on Wednesday. 'Oh, I think we've just enjoyed his enthusiasm,' NSW coach Daley Laurie said, explaining the decision to invite Jenkins into camp. 'He seems like he's gotten better and better ... he was a guy that we sort of had down the middle of last week that we wanted to bring him into camp, and to see him play the way he did [against the Tigers], yeah, it was tremendous. 'So to come from where he has and just to come up here for a couple of days and mingle in around the squad, I think it's a great opportunity for him.' Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said the 'humility' Jenkins showed during the pre-season convinced him he was worth another chance. 'He went down to Massey and did his time, trained hard - in our afternoon squad, as well,' Cleary said. 'And then when he got a chance in [NSW] Cup, he was too good for Cup as well. So he just did everything we asked, and he's still doing it.' Whatever he achieves this season and beyond, Jenkins said he will always be grateful to St Mary's. 'I was so happy to go back there and play for them,' he said. 'They're such a good club. I knew I'd enjoy my footy there. I've got a lot of mates there, and that's what it was about. 'It was about enjoying footy. It wasn't about how high I was playing or what I was doing. It was about enjoying it. But yeah, things have worked out, and I ended up enjoying it here.' Jenkins' train-and-trial deal has since been upgraded into a full-time contract until the end of next season. 'The goal was always to come and play in NRL, but like I said, it was about coming back and enjoying my footy,' he said. Loading 'I feel like at St Mary's, it was a step in the right direction. 'I knew a pathway back to the Panthers was there. Nothing was promised, nothing was guaranteed, but I was happy to take that chance. I wake up every day feeling blessed, being grateful. I'm lucky for the position I'm in and the things that have fallen my way. 'I do pinch myself. I find myself lucky, but in saying that, like I said, I've got to keep my feet on ground and take it week by week. 'Like I said, nothing's guaranteed. There's so many good players that are coming up underneath, so I can't take my position for granted. 'Nothing's secure ever, so it's about playing good week to week. It's up to me to keep doing that job.'
