logo
Round 21 team lists: Storm to be without three key stars for Roosters clash as rep stars return this weekend

Round 21 team lists: Storm to be without three key stars for Roosters clash as rep stars return this weekend

News.com.aua day ago
Melbourne Storm will be without three of their biggest stars for Thursday's game against the Roosters with Cameron Munster headed to Queensland for his father's funeral ruling out a dash to Sydney for the clash.
Ryan Papenhuyzen remains sidelined with a calf injury while Nelson Asofa-Solomona will miss through suspension.
The Papenhuyzen injury is a major concern with the club hopeful he'll be back in round 22, with Nick Meaney to remain at fullback with Tyran Wishart to replace Munster at five-eighth.
'He's getting close, but not close enough,' Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi said.
'Medical staff would like to see him do a little bit more running and they just think Thursday is a bit short. It was touch and go whether he'd play this Thursday, but the nature of the soft tissue injury and the chance of re-injuring it was a factor.'
They face a Roosters side that has also made some key changes with Sandon Smith recalled at five-eighth to replace Chad Townsend, although Hugo Savala is lurking in the reserves and could make an early return from injury.
Victor Radley will miss the match with a shoulder injury and has been replaced by Siua Wong, while Ethan King starts at centre in place of Billy Smith (concussion protocols).
There's mixed news at the Eels with superstar halfback Mitch Moses cleared to return from the calf injury that ended his Origin campaign, but they've lost rookie sensation Isaiah Iongi for a month with a hand injury.
Joash Papalii starts at fullback for the trip to Brisbane to face a Broncos side that gets Payne Haas, Jesse Arthars and Corey Jensen back.
There's a potential triple boost for the Panthers who welcome back the rested Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo for their game against the Tigers, while Liam Martin has been named in the reserves and could return from a wrist injury.
The injury-hit Rabbitohs have had a rare win with livewire fullback Jye Gray cleared to return, but they've lost Keaon Koloamatangi (ankle) for the season and will be without Jamie Humphreys and Peter Mamouzelos to head knocks.
Englishman Lewis Dodd looks set to start at halfback against the Sharks who get Jesse Ramien back but have lost Briton Nikora after he failed an HIA last week.
Strike centre Seb Kris (concussion) will miss Canberra's game against the Knights, with Simi Sasagi to start, while the Bulldogs get Bronson Xerri back after he missed a week with a groin issue.
The Sea Eagles have received a huge boost following their shock win over the Storm with boom back-rower Haumole Olakau'atu to return from a shoulder injury that has kept him out for more than a month.
The Titans have lost skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui to a knee injury, while David Fifita hasn't been named in the squad for the trip to take on the Warriors who get Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad back from a knee issue.
And the Cowboys have made another change in the halves with Tom Duffy to play five-eighth, while Robert Derby replaces the injured Murray Taulagi on the wing.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

AFL star Steven May learns his fate for divisive Carlton act
AFL star Steven May learns his fate for divisive Carlton act

News.com.au

time14 minutes ago

  • News.com.au

AFL star Steven May learns his fate for divisive Carlton act

Steven May has learned his fate for his hit on Carlton forward Francis Evans that fiercely divided the AFL fraternity and led to a hugely drawn out deliberation. May's act left 23-year-old Evans bloodied with a broken nose and a displaced tooth, graded by the Match Review Officer as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact. Referred directly to the Tribunal, the AFL was seeking a three-match ban for the incident and after taking well over an hour to make a call, the charge was upheld and that is the suspension he received. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The Demons entered a not guilty plea to the rough conduct charge and wanted the case thrown out, listing nine reasons for that stance, including May's height, the unexpected bounce of the ball and the fact he didn't jump from the ground. They argued May's contact was not unreasonable as he accelerated towards a footy that was in dispute and the defender believed he would take possession first. The AFL argued 33-year-old May had breached his duty of care, however, and they got their way, with May to serve three matches on the sideline. Fox Footy's David Zita, who was at the hearing, reported May telling the Tribunal: 'It was sort of skimming across the surface, so I definitely thought it was my ball, given how the previous couple of bounces went. 'I was surprised Evans got to the ball first and did not try to bump him, maintaining the original line. 'I attempted to slow down, but it was too late. 'I just can't believe I didn't take possession. I thought I did everything right, so I'm just a bit shocked.' The Demons were expected to strongly lean on the case of Fremantle captain Alex Pearce, who initially copped a three-game ban for his collision that concussed Port Adelaide's Darcy Byrne-Jones back in May. In that incident, the defender had his suspension overturned in what was widely considered a crucial test case for players contesting the ball in collisions which cause concussion. The verdict means May season is all but over, now missing games against St Kilda, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs, returning for the round 23 clash with the Hawks. There were a huge range of opinions over May's incident, which came in the third quarter of the Blues' eight-point win. Port Adelaide veteran Travis Boak conceded the outcome for his former teammate Evans was a terrible look, but wondered what else May could have done. 'In my view it's a footy act, in terms of he looked like he had a play on the ball,' he said on AFL 360. 'He went for the ball and the last minute his decision is 'oh no, I can't get the ball' and sort of braced and that's where the impact came from. 'I don't think there's much he can do here, he had a play for the ball until the very last second and has to make a split decision almost to protect himself. 'Unfortunately 'Frankie' gets hit in the head and the outcome looks really bad, there's a lot of blood and concussion and we don't want to see that. 'But it's a decision made at the last second so I'm not sure what else he could've done.' West Coast premiership player Will Schofield told AFL Tonight: 'Maybe we see a one-week penalty because of the outcome, but I don't think this is an act we need out of the game. 'I thought he did everything right until he didn't and those sorts of accidental outcomes, I don't think we should be penalising.' Pies great Nathan Buckley took a different stance, telling Fox Footy: 'I don't know whether our game is capable of allowing that anymore.' Many fans took the same side as Boak, but there was still a cross section of opinions on social media. One wrote on X: 'Should be nothing, stop encouraging the continued destruction of the game.' Another tweeted: 'That is 1000% a footy action, contesting the football at all times. It's not even a bump.' A third offered: 'There is no duty of care towards the player and May contacts the head.' A fourth wrote: 'S**t that's terrible, should be 5 weeks.' In the lead-up to the hearing, journalist Jon Ralph told Fox Footy's Midweek Tackle his intel regarding Melbourne's likely defence. 'They (the Demons) are convinced that Steven May will get off and they think that the Alex Pearce case is the key,' he said. 'Melbourne believes the fact that it was a marking contest for Alex Pearce, rather than a groundball, actually helps them. Because with Pearce, the ball was in the air, it wasn't moving (bouncing unpredictably) there. 'With May, on a slippery night, the ball bounced and bounced, and they felt it was absolutely going to bounce towards May. 'So, in that case, Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson, when he dismissed the Pearce case, said 'it has never been the Tribunal's position that a concussion inevitably results in a careless finding'. 'Adrian Anderson, the Melbourne advocate, will go to work on that statement. Pearce's testimony was absolutely compelling, so Steven May … he will tell the truth. '(Melbourne's) position is that it would actually add confusion and indeed chaos if he was actually suspended, because we would be totally confused about where we're at, when we got a bit of clarity with Alex Pearce a few weeks back.' In the end, the AFL got its way and May will be out for three weeks.

Young Swans defender Riak Andrew cops a huge ban for using a homophobic slur
Young Swans defender Riak Andrew cops a huge ban for using a homophobic slur

News.com.au

time30 minutes ago

  • News.com.au

Young Swans defender Riak Andrew cops a huge ban for using a homophobic slur

Young Sydney defender Riak Andrew has copped a heavy sanction from the AFL for using a homophobic slur in last Saturday's VFL clash with North Melbourne. Andrew, 20, has been suspended for five games and took full responsibility for his actions, releasing a statement on behalf of the Swans. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The brother of Gold Coast star Mac Andrew, Riak will also undertake Pride in Sport training to further his understanding of the impact of the language he used. 'I am deeply sorry for the word that I used in Saturday's game and any hurt that it has caused,' Andrew said. 'While I did not understand the full impact of the words I used at the time, I certainly do now, and have deep regret for my actions. 'This has impacted not only our club but the broader community and for that I am truly sorry. I am committed to using this as an opportunity to learn and get better.' The 193cm key defender was taken with the 55th pick in the 2024 AFL Draft after a strong season with the Dandenong Stingrays. Andrew signed a contract extension with the Swans in May, taking him through to the end of the 2026 campaign. The AFL released a statement advising Andrew had been found guilty of breaching a Conduct Unbecoming rule in relation to an incident during the first quarter of the VFL match against the Roos at Tramway Oval. The incident was first reported to an umpire by a North Melbourne player at the end of the first quarter and then to the AFL. An investigation was then carried out by the AFL Integrity Unit, which determined Andrew used a 'highly offensive homophobic slur towards a North Melbourne opponent, which demeans and denigrates persons regardless of their sexuality'. Andrew admitted to the incident and showed remorse, with the suspension effectively ending his first season in the AFL landscape. AFL General Counsel Stephen Meade was clearly disappointed at having to deal with another incident of homophobic language on the footy field. 'It is important that we continue to make clear that homophobia or homophobic language has no place in our game at any level or in the wider community for that matter,' Meade said. 'It is disappointing to be dealing with another incident and while we will always examine the individual circumstances, the clear message is that this language is not acceptable in any workplace and that includes on the field of play.'

NRL 2025: New details revealed about Daly Cherry-Evans deal with Roosters
NRL 2025: New details revealed about Daly Cherry-Evans deal with Roosters

Mercury

timean hour ago

  • Mercury

NRL 2025: New details revealed about Daly Cherry-Evans deal with Roosters

Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. New details of Daly Cherry-Evans' reported switch to the Roosters have come to light including the length of the deal and a coaching role after his retirement. 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 > Cherry-Evans is widely expected to join the Roosters in 2026 after declaring this will be his last season in the NRL, but the details of the deal have been kept quiet. However, Michael Chammas revealed on Channel 9's 100% Footy that the deal involves one year of playing in 2026, before transitioning into coaching in 2027. 'My understanding is it's a one-year deal. He will announce that later in the year,' Chammas said. 'It'll have a one-year continuing on as a coach. 'Danny [Weidler] last week spoke about how Daly Cherry-Evans will move into a coaching role once he retires.' Cherry-Evans will be 37 by the tiume his playing commitments end with the Roosters before he is expected to retire and move into a coaching role. Daly Cherry-Evans is set to play one more season with the Roosters in 2026. The 36-year-old has scored 97 tries in 345 games for the Sea Eagles since his debut in 2011 and won a premiership with the club that same season before losing another grand final in 20213. Cherry-Evans has played 26 Origins for the Maroons before being dropped after game one this season and played 21 Test matches for the Kangaroos. 'No update there,' Cherry-Evans told last week when asked about his future. 'I'm just going to keep taking my time and make sure I make the right decision for myself and my family. 'But (I've) definitely still got a fire burning. That's always the most important thing, is you've got love for the game and a desire to keep competing. 'My focus right now is where it needs to be, and that's for the Manly side this year. 'We're sitting around that top eight at the moment, which is great. There's definitely lots of improvement left in us for the back end of the year. 'So if we can focus in and keep playing consistent footy, which we've done the last month, be able to play finals footy again, which is a big driving force for the team and I.' DCE could join Trent Robinson's coaching staff. (Photo by) SHARKS IN DANGER OF LOSING STAR AMID CONTRACT STAND-OFF The Sharks are in danger of losing hooker Blayke Brailey after he rejected an extension offer from the club as he looks to test his value on the open market. WWOS' The Mole reported talks have stalled between Brailey and the Sharks after he rejected an extension offer and issued the club with a counter offer. 'They [Cronulla] made an offer - we didn't accept it,' Brailey's manager David Riolo told Wide World of Sports. 'I put a counter offer and they are considering it. We are kind of in limbo at the moment. 'But the clock is ticking and if it can't get sorted before November 1, he will go to the open market.' Blayke Brailey has rejected a deal from the Sharks. Brailey is considered a NSW Origin hooker of the future and is a homegrown Sharks talent that doesn't want to leave the club. However, if the Sharks don't meet his demands he could attrac t interest from multiple clubs on the open market come November 1. The 26-year-old has scored 16 tries in 155 games for the Sharks since his debut in 2019 and has been an ion man in first grade having hardly missed a game since his debut. TIGERS TARGET QUEENSLAND YOUNG GUN Fresh off locking up skipper Api Koroisau with a two-year extension, the Tigers are targeting Queensland under 19s young gun Javon Andrews. The Daily Telegraph reported the Tigers have turned their attention to Maroons five-eighth prodigy Andrews. Andrew is currently at the Gold Coast Titans and starred for the Maroons in their Origin win earlier this year. The 19-year-old overcame a spinal injury that threatened his career, but is back to full health. The Tigers are looking to shore up their spine depth after Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva left the club mid-season, while Adam Doueihi is weighing up a move to the Panthers in 2026. The Tigers have been locked in talks with Doueihi over an extension and have tabled a deal believed to be worth around $350,000 a season. The Tigers are eyeing Maroons young gun Javon Andrews. The Tigers are looking to the future with Jarome Luai and Latu Fainu as their halves pairing, but their skipper has a get-out clause that could see him leave the club if activated. Andrews would provide cover for Luai and Fainu and add depth while he develops into an NRL playmaker, while providing an insurance policy if Luai leaves. Originally published as New details revealed about DCE's Roosters deal

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store