Hughes can't bear leaving the Storm for Perth
Dally M Medallist Jahrome Hughes has declared he wants to play for Melbourne "forever", dashing hopes of new NRL outfit Perth luring the star Storm halfback as its marquee player.
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News.com.au
28 minutes ago
- News.com.au
NRL SuperCoach live scores and analysis: Raiders vs Rabbitohs, Wests Tigers vs Panthers
Wests Tigers co-captain Api Koroisau says the club's new era can finally restart with young gun Latu Fainu ready to take his place in the side. Fainu's selection on the Tigers' bench for Sunday's game against Penrith comes as former teenage prodigy Lachlan Galvin will make his club debut for Canterbury. The 20-year-old will start off the bench with Heath Mason starting in the No.6. However, there is no doubting what the long-term plans are at five-eighth. 'Latu is the future at this club,' Koroisau said. 'He's still very young. He's definitely got to get some minutes in his legs as well. It's a really good thing to have.' While Fainu will be slowly brought back, Mason gets his second crack at the scrumbase alongside four-time premiership winner Jarome Luai. Mason impressed in last week's loss to North Queensland, ensuring coach Benji Marshall is loaded with some depth in the position. Koroisau conceded he was relieved to put the Galvin saga behind them. 'We have Heath Mason there at six and Latu coming back as well,'' he said. 'It's all about who we want to have with the personnel we have. 'Heath played so well so we can guarantee he's going to be there and he can always fill in as well. The best thing is, it's behind us now. 'We can focus on who we want to be, especially the guys that are in there now. 'It's a good problem for Benji.' Koroisau is dealing with his own positional battles as reserve hooker Tallyn Da Silva is set to test the market at the end of the year. While Koroisau is looking to re-sign, he sympathised with the rising hooker. 'I'd love to keep him here,'' he said. 'He's a great kid and I think he's a great player. 'You definitely want to play NRL and want to play more minutes. You can completely understand his point of view. It's just a hard place to be. 'From me to him, as long as you think you're doing the right thing for yourself and family and you're looking after you, that's the most important thing.' Despite drawing interest from other clubs, Koroisau has his sights firmly set on re-signing with the Tigers not only to end his playing career but for life after it. The 32-year-old, who is close with Marshall, has expressed interest in hanging around after playing to assist with the rebuild of the club. 'I'd love to finish my time at the Tigers and stay here for the rest of my career, that's the dream,' Koroisau said. 'It keeps me around the game especially for life after footy. 'It's always so up in the air and you don't really know what to do. I'd love to stay in the same environment. 'I love rugby league and I love the boys that I have created connections with so I would love to do that.''
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
One year on: Dees know past pain won't daunt Petracca
Melbourne teammates are adamant Christian Petracca won't be daunted by a return to the scene of his injury nightmare as the superstar gears up for a massive King's Birthday clash. Petracca has been under a spotlight in the build-up to the annual blockbuster, one year on from his brutal collision with Collingwood captain Darcy Moore. The Demons midfielder spent time in intensive care with a lacerated spleen, punctured lung and fractured ribs after the on-field accident, which ended his 2024 season early. And in the tumultuous fallout, there was strong speculation Petracca might leave the club. But the 29-year-old ultimately stayed put and has been a key figure in Melbourne winning five of their past seven matches, reigniting finals hopes after a horror 0-5 start to the season. It has set up a huge showdown with ladder leaders Collingwood (10-2) at the MCG, with the old rivals hopeful of drawing a record crowd of more than 85,000. Melbourne midfielder Trent Rivers is certain Petracca will relish the big stage, rather than being distracted by reprised memories of the painful saga. "I reckon it's just another game to him," Rivers told AAP. "He's very strong-minded and I don't think it's going to really get to him too much. "He's just going to run out there as if it's any other game with a big crowd, and I'm sure he's going to have another great game." Petracca's frustrations boiled over at times during Melbourne's poor start to 2025, but his strong form alongside evergreen ruck star Max Gawn has been crucial to their turnaround. "He obviously produces on the footy field but he also really galvanises the group," Rivers said. "He brings everyone together and that's something that he's been really passionate about; the love and care that we show each other. "Early on he was getting upset that we were losing games of footy, but it's because he cared, and I think that really showed. I love playing with him." Melbourne have won just one of their past seven encounters with Collingwood - a four-point victory during the Magpies' 2023 premiership season - and two of the past dozen. Craig McRae's Pies are riding a four-match winning streak into Monday's contest. "I feel like we do match up well against them," Rivers said. "They've won the last few games and they're in hot form, so it's going to be a good match-up. "We've got some great players ourselves and I'm just looking forward to getting out there." Melbourne have been under a blowtorch over their woeful inaccuracy, after booting 7.21 (63) in a shock 28-point defeat to St Kilda last week. The wayward kicking has been touched on internally, but Rivers said the Demons' main focus against Collingwood would be improving their defensive work rate. "It's about our want to run and help out our defence," he said. The annual King's Birthday clash serves as the Big Freeze fundraiser for the FightMND charity. Former Melbourne coach Neale Daniher, diagnosed with MND more than a decade ago, visited both clubs in recent days. "We're so grateful that he's still able to get on the front foot and get out in front of us all and present the fight that he's in," Rivers said. "The amount of money they've been able to raise and the awareness around MND is just incredible. "We hope the Melbourne faithful come out in numbers and rally behind us because we're definitely going to need them."
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
One year on: Dees know past pain won't daunt Petracca
Melbourne teammates are adamant Christian Petracca won't be daunted by a return to the scene of his injury nightmare as the superstar gears up for a massive King's Birthday clash. Petracca has been under a spotlight in the build-up to the annual blockbuster, one year on from his brutal collision with Collingwood captain Darcy Moore. The Demons midfielder spent time in intensive care with a lacerated spleen, punctured lung and fractured ribs after the on-field accident, which ended his 2024 season early. And in the tumultuous fallout, there was strong speculation Petracca might leave the club. But the 29-year-old ultimately stayed put and has been a key figure in Melbourne winning five of their past seven matches, reigniting finals hopes after a horror 0-5 start to the season. It has set up a huge showdown with ladder leaders Collingwood (10-2) at the MCG, with the old rivals hopeful of drawing a record crowd of more than 85,000. Melbourne midfielder Trent Rivers is certain Petracca will relish the big stage, rather than being distracted by reprised memories of the painful saga. "I reckon it's just another game to him," Rivers told AAP. "He's very strong-minded and I don't think it's going to really get to him too much. "He's just going to run out there as if it's any other game with a big crowd, and I'm sure he's going to have another great game." Petracca's frustrations boiled over at times during Melbourne's poor start to 2025, but his strong form alongside evergreen ruck star Max Gawn has been crucial to their turnaround. "He obviously produces on the footy field but he also really galvanises the group," Rivers said. "He brings everyone together and that's something that he's been really passionate about; the love and care that we show each other. "Early on he was getting upset that we were losing games of footy, but it's because he cared, and I think that really showed. I love playing with him." Melbourne have won just one of their past seven encounters with Collingwood - a four-point victory during the Magpies' 2023 premiership season - and two of the past dozen. Craig McRae's Pies are riding a four-match winning streak into Monday's contest. "I feel like we do match up well against them," Rivers said. "They've won the last few games and they're in hot form, so it's going to be a good match-up. "We've got some great players ourselves and I'm just looking forward to getting out there." Melbourne have been under a blowtorch over their woeful inaccuracy, after booting 7.21 (63) in a shock 28-point defeat to St Kilda last week. The wayward kicking has been touched on internally, but Rivers said the Demons' main focus against Collingwood would be improving their defensive work rate. "It's about our want to run and help out our defence," he said. The annual King's Birthday clash serves as the Big Freeze fundraiser for the FightMND charity. Former Melbourne coach Neale Daniher, diagnosed with MND more than a decade ago, visited both clubs in recent days. "We're so grateful that he's still able to get on the front foot and get out in front of us all and present the fight that he's in," Rivers said. "The amount of money they've been able to raise and the awareness around MND is just incredible. "We hope the Melbourne faithful come out in numbers and rally behind us because we're definitely going to need them."
