Calls to change State of Origin 18th man rule as Reece Walsh, Bulldogs dudded
It's Canterbury's curse they can't escape, and the Broncos might be catching it.
The highly controversial 18th man rule in State of Origin has once more cost the Bulldogs a star for this week's important Round 18 clash against the Brisbane Broncos this Friday.
FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.
The side have been constantly burned by the problem, losing key players like Matt Burton and Kurt Mann previously without them even getting a run of rep footy.
Mann was the Maroons Reserve in Game 1, while Burton was the same for NSW in Game 2 and other occasions in past years.
This time, its metre-eating winger Jacob Kiraz whose selection by coach Laurie Daley as a precautionary back-up for Brian To'o will cost the Dogs significant yardage carries and a pair of safe hands.
The Penrith winger played through a knee injury in his sides tight win over Canterbury last week, but scan results have cleared To'o of any concern, meaning it is highly unlikely Kiraz will take to the field come Wednesday.
Brisbane find themselves in a similar problem, running out against the Bulldogs without superstar Reece Walsh who fills the Maroons 18th man slot and has been in great form since returning from injury.
Jacob Kiraz has been named as the NSW Blues 18th man in in the event Brian To'o can't take to the field. Photo:.
To'o is carrying a knee injury but has been cleared to play in Game 3. Photo: Colin Murty/AFP.
'It's ridiculous...Jacob Kiraz and Reece Walsh, they should be allowed to play in their club teams,' Mark Geyer said on 2GB.
'We don't play (Origin) until next Wednesday. In fact, I think it's time in Origin for us to bring in an 18th and 19th man to sit on the bench — a forward and a back.
'Come on, we've outgrown that '18th man can't play' thing.
'It's just a bit of a bug bear of mine. The 18th man should be allowed to play for his club team.
Coach Billy Slater's decision to shift Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback to replace the injured Kalyn Ponga leaves Michael Maguire with their own equally devastating Origin casualty list.
In Game 2 it was Ezra Mam.
'It's interesting the 18th man rule, I don't think anyone agrees with the way it is,' Daley said on the Sky Sports radio on Monday.
Reece Walsh was expected to be named in the fullback role after Kalyn Ponga's injury but Maroons coach Slater instead shifted Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to the position, leaving the Broncos full in limbo as 18th man. Photo:.
'Matt (Burton) I think has been selected as 18th man five times, missed club games and hasn't played a part in the Origin games themselves.
'The reason why I picked Jacob, we've got one bloke who is in a bit of doubt and that's Brian To'o.
'We want to give him every chance to play and because the Bulldogs are playing on the Friday night we want to make sure if Brian is ruled out than Jacob has had a full 11 days preparation with us.'
Team performance manager Frank Ponissi on Triple M weighed in on the topic, suggesting on Wednesday that picking an 18th man solely from a team with the bye isn't solution for picking the optimal player.
The ultimate losers from the situation are the Bulldogs and the Broncos, who will lose both stars ahead of their clash at Accor Stadium on Friday. Photo:.
'What makes it difficult is the draw is unbalanced, so you don't know who's going to play. Some weeks that situation … it may favour NSW more than QLD because there's more NSW players not playing that weekend compared to QLD,' he said.
'We've got to get the draw right before we get this particular issue correct.
'Origin has to be played in the middle of the season, it's so big and massive for our game. It's what we do with the NRL around the Origin period, we've got to get that right. So when we can sort that out, I think the 18th man and everything else will fall in line.'
Whether the NRL makes any changes to the 18th man rule following the series is yet to be seen as the discussion grows.
'If the clubs come to me about it, we'll put it in the end of year review,' NRL's CEO Andrew Abdo said.
Originally published as Calls to change State of Origin 18th man rule as Reece Walsh, Bulldogs dudded
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
5 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
NRL storm erupts as Panthers trainer caught in ‘disgraceful' act
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Panthers trainer Corey Bocking has been slammed for a 'disgraceful' act in Penrith's golden point win over the Titans on Saturday afternoon. Bocking went to extreme measures to put off Titans goalkicker Jayden Campbell as he lined up for a crucial kick with just 5 minutes to go, with the Gold Coast leading 26-24. His effort to extend the lead to four was halted by Bocking, who ran directly in front of his conversion attempt, which left commentators and fans stunned. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. 'Oh, the trainer has just run straight in front of Jayden Campbell,' Michael Ennis said. While Andrew Voss added, 'That is disgraceful, that is absolutely disgraceful'. 'You can't make that mistake, unbelievable. Come on. Have you ever seen that? Have you ever seen that?' Voss said. 'I think he gets a second shot … that is high controversy, I don't know what action you take. That's just beyond the pale … boy, oh boy. What a moment.' Crucially, in the context of the final scoreline, Campbell missed the conversion attempt, throwing the tee in disgust. Panthers trainer Corey Bocking has been slammed for his 'disgraceful' act in Penrith's win. Image: Kayo The trainer apologised, but was seen with a cheeky smirk as he ran away. After Campbell missed the conversion, Ennis delivered a line that will stick with Titans fans. 'It brings a Nathan Cleary two-point field goal right into play,' he said. And he was right, as just moments later Penrith star Nathan Cleary was able to land a huge two-point field goal to level the scoreline 26-26 and send the match to golden point. X SUBSCRIBER ONLY From there, a Blaize Talagi try broke the hearts of the Titans in overtime. 'They are going to win it, they have done it … Titans players strewn everywhere. Their hearts crushed,' Voss said. 'Not a field goal, not a penalty goal, but an amazing 60 metre try to win the game.' The Panthers won a Saturday afternoon epic but not without controversy. (Photo by) In the end, Bocking's actions proved crucial, and it left fans calling for Penrith to be sanctioned. 'If the NRL cares about the integrity of the game, they'll dock the Panthers two points for the actions of their trainer. It's just blatant cheating, poor sportsmanship and downright disgraceful,' one fan wrote on X. 'Blatant cheating. That's not on, and the NRL must draw a line in the sand now,' another added. 'The Titans have been absolutely duded … The Panthers' trainers are continuously bringing the game into disrepute,' a third wrote. It's not the first time a Panthers trainer has come under fire this year, with the NRL issuing a breach notice to one staff member earlier this season for squirting water on a ball before a kick-off. – with Fox Sports Originally published as NRL storm erupts as Panthers trainer caught in 'disgraceful' act
The Age
5 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
5 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.
