Why the Sydney Roosters should be thanking Bryan Fletcher and The Footy Show
'Max is a genuine junior, and that makes me proud. Bondi often gets a bad rap, but people forget what it was like compared to what it is now – a lot of knockabouts have done well.'
Fletcher praised Scots College for nurturing six Roosters players, and said he attended the more modest Christian Brothers Bondi, 'where three blokes rocked up to a recent reunion wearing ankle bracelets'.
McCathie, Billy Smith, who is good friends with McCathie's older brother, Jack, Siua Wong, Angus Crichton, Blake Steep and Hugo Savala all attended Scots.
Hamish revealed McCathie also loved rugby, played with Scots First XV, and was with the First XV Colts at Easts. Hamish spent time as director of rugby at Easts, and also featured in first grade as a fullback.
'I'm a Rooster through and through, grew up in the eastern suburbs, and was coached by Russell Fairfax at Easts – Russell actually dropped me from first grade to second grade,' Hamish said.
Two busloads of friends and family will make the short journey from Easts Rugby Club to Allianz Stadium for McCathie's milestone game. McCathie, the NSW Cup captain – and the club's 2023 Jersey Flegg player of the year – has already requested more than 150 tickets.
The match will double as the 50-year reunion for the 1975 premiership Roosters team.
Roosters utility Connor Watson was glad the Roosters' production line was continuing – McCathie and Rodwell will take the number of NRL debuts to eight at the Bondi Junction club – and said of the pair: 'Max is a lifelong Chooks fans he's a proper diehard – he was in the Tricolours Syndicate [fan club]. For him, this is living out a childhood dream.
'Tommy came to the club this year, and the way he trained in the pre-season, he did such a good job. His back-field carries, he's a bit like Brian [To'o] with the nuggetty, shorter build, but the work he gets through is so impressive.
'Both boys play the game the way we want – they leave everything out there and go after it. I'm excited for them both.'
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The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Novocastrian dreaming of shot at NRL glory he missed out on at Penrith
Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final. The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night. It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double. After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final. But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final. "Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider. "It really hurt that year. "I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully." The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games. With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990. If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth. No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995. "It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights. "We're a different side to what we were last year. "Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win. "Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job. "Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference." A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane. He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital. Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall. This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries. "I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said. "After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week." Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player. "I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]." Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender. When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this. "We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time. "We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win." Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final. The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night. It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double. After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final. But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final. "Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider. "It really hurt that year. "I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully." The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games. With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990. If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth. No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995. "It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights. "We're a different side to what we were last year. "Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win. "Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job. "Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference." A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane. He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital. Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall. This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries. "I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said. "After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week." Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player. "I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]." Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender. When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this. "We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time. "We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win." Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final. The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night. It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double. After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final. But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final. "Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider. "It really hurt that year. "I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully." The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games. With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990. If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth. No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995. "It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights. "We're a different side to what we were last year. "Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win. "Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job. "Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference." A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane. He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital. Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall. This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries. "I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said. "After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week." Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player. "I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]." Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender. When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this. "We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time. "We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win." Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final. The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night. It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double. After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final. But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final. "Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider. "It really hurt that year. "I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully." The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games. With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990. If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth. No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995. "It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights. "We're a different side to what we were last year. "Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win. "Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job. "Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference." A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane. He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital. Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall. This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries. "I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said. "After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week." Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player. "I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]." Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender. When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this. "We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time. "We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win."
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
How a 6am bus ride changed Hugo Savala's career path
It's the 80 minutes of football on four hours of sleep that turned Hugo Savala from a bench utility into the Sydney Roosters' in-form starting half. Fresh off a 15-minute spell against Gold Coast in March that netted two touches for one error, Savala was told a bus was leaving for Canberra at 6am the next morning. On it, there was a spot for him if he wanted it. And a chance to play a second game in the space of 18 hours for the Roosters while playing halfback in reserve grade. "I reckon I had about four hours sleep," Savala told AAP. "That did play in the back of my mind, but that hunger inside me just wanted to play another game. "At that time I had only played a handful of NRL games on 10-15 minute spells "And there is nothing worse than waiting a whole week when you come off a bad game. It was really good, it tested me a little bit." Savala passed with flying colours. The 23-year-old took the chance, set up two tries in a Roosters win and was called up to replace Chad Townsend at halfback in the NRL a fortnight later. "From that moment I went (to Canberra), I put my foot down and really concentrated on my football and being a halfback," Savala said. "Because I know I am a halfback, I've been a halfback all through my juniors and growing up. "No.7 for the Roosters has been my dream. "So it really boosted my confidence when the next week I was starting halfback in the NRL. And it's been good since." With Savala starting the Roosters have won six from nine, going from near the bottom of the ladder to in the top eight ahead of Sunday's clash with Wests Tigers. His kicking has given them much-needed control, while a new-look free-flowing next generation of Roosters have averaged 31.8 points per match since Anzac Day. "There has always been a Roosters type of football, the way they have played for the past 10 years," Savala said. "We've got a young group coming through, we do play our style of football. It's still the Roosters brand, we're just trying to mould it into the way we play. "We're certainly starting to find our rhythm. It's not even expansive football, it's just moving and playing for each other." Coach Trent Robinson showed his hand last month by naming Savala to partner Sam Walker on the latter's aborted return from injury, ahead of Sandon Smith. The obvious sideshow remains the expected signing of veteran half Daly Cherry-Evans for next year, something Savala insists he has not let cloud his mind. "There is obviously all that talk in the media, but I really am just focusing on my football this year," he said. "Play my best football with the team and win as many games as we can going into the finals. That's all I can do." It's the 80 minutes of football on four hours of sleep that turned Hugo Savala from a bench utility into the Sydney Roosters' in-form starting half. Fresh off a 15-minute spell against Gold Coast in March that netted two touches for one error, Savala was told a bus was leaving for Canberra at 6am the next morning. On it, there was a spot for him if he wanted it. And a chance to play a second game in the space of 18 hours for the Roosters while playing halfback in reserve grade. "I reckon I had about four hours sleep," Savala told AAP. "That did play in the back of my mind, but that hunger inside me just wanted to play another game. "At that time I had only played a handful of NRL games on 10-15 minute spells "And there is nothing worse than waiting a whole week when you come off a bad game. It was really good, it tested me a little bit." Savala passed with flying colours. The 23-year-old took the chance, set up two tries in a Roosters win and was called up to replace Chad Townsend at halfback in the NRL a fortnight later. "From that moment I went (to Canberra), I put my foot down and really concentrated on my football and being a halfback," Savala said. "Because I know I am a halfback, I've been a halfback all through my juniors and growing up. "No.7 for the Roosters has been my dream. "So it really boosted my confidence when the next week I was starting halfback in the NRL. And it's been good since." With Savala starting the Roosters have won six from nine, going from near the bottom of the ladder to in the top eight ahead of Sunday's clash with Wests Tigers. His kicking has given them much-needed control, while a new-look free-flowing next generation of Roosters have averaged 31.8 points per match since Anzac Day. "There has always been a Roosters type of football, the way they have played for the past 10 years," Savala said. "We've got a young group coming through, we do play our style of football. It's still the Roosters brand, we're just trying to mould it into the way we play. "We're certainly starting to find our rhythm. It's not even expansive football, it's just moving and playing for each other." Coach Trent Robinson showed his hand last month by naming Savala to partner Sam Walker on the latter's aborted return from injury, ahead of Sandon Smith. The obvious sideshow remains the expected signing of veteran half Daly Cherry-Evans for next year, something Savala insists he has not let cloud his mind. "There is obviously all that talk in the media, but I really am just focusing on my football this year," he said. "Play my best football with the team and win as many games as we can going into the finals. That's all I can do." It's the 80 minutes of football on four hours of sleep that turned Hugo Savala from a bench utility into the Sydney Roosters' in-form starting half. Fresh off a 15-minute spell against Gold Coast in March that netted two touches for one error, Savala was told a bus was leaving for Canberra at 6am the next morning. On it, there was a spot for him if he wanted it. And a chance to play a second game in the space of 18 hours for the Roosters while playing halfback in reserve grade. "I reckon I had about four hours sleep," Savala told AAP. "That did play in the back of my mind, but that hunger inside me just wanted to play another game. "At that time I had only played a handful of NRL games on 10-15 minute spells "And there is nothing worse than waiting a whole week when you come off a bad game. It was really good, it tested me a little bit." Savala passed with flying colours. The 23-year-old took the chance, set up two tries in a Roosters win and was called up to replace Chad Townsend at halfback in the NRL a fortnight later. "From that moment I went (to Canberra), I put my foot down and really concentrated on my football and being a halfback," Savala said. "Because I know I am a halfback, I've been a halfback all through my juniors and growing up. "No.7 for the Roosters has been my dream. "So it really boosted my confidence when the next week I was starting halfback in the NRL. And it's been good since." With Savala starting the Roosters have won six from nine, going from near the bottom of the ladder to in the top eight ahead of Sunday's clash with Wests Tigers. His kicking has given them much-needed control, while a new-look free-flowing next generation of Roosters have averaged 31.8 points per match since Anzac Day. "There has always been a Roosters type of football, the way they have played for the past 10 years," Savala said. "We've got a young group coming through, we do play our style of football. It's still the Roosters brand, we're just trying to mould it into the way we play. "We're certainly starting to find our rhythm. It's not even expansive football, it's just moving and playing for each other." Coach Trent Robinson showed his hand last month by naming Savala to partner Sam Walker on the latter's aborted return from injury, ahead of Sandon Smith. The obvious sideshow remains the expected signing of veteran half Daly Cherry-Evans for next year, something Savala insists he has not let cloud his mind. "There is obviously all that talk in the media, but I really am just focusing on my football this year," he said. "Play my best football with the team and win as many games as we can going into the finals. That's all I can do."
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Papenhuyzen scratching adds to Storm's backline issues
Ryan Papenhuyzen will miss Melbourne's clash with North Queensland in the latest blow to the Storm's crisis-hit backline. Papenhuyzen was on Friday night ruled out of the Townsville match with calf tightness, making him the seventh Melbourne back unavailable for the game. His absence means Tyran Wishart will move to fullback, with Jonah Pezet now starting in the halves. The Storm are already without Will Warbrick (concussion), Moses Leo (shoulder), Sua Fa'alogo (hamstring), Jack Howarth (appendicitis), Xavier Coates (Origin) and Dean Ieremia (achilles) in their backline alone. Coach Craig Bellamy said he was not expecting miracles from an understrength side, but luckless Pezet could be forgiven for thinking his NRL comeback is one. Melbourne and North Queensland will be without a combined total of nine State of Origin representatives for Saturday's clash, the most for any game this weekend. The Storm had already been forced to name Joe Chan in the centres for the first time in his NRL career. Elsewhere, Penrith junior Ativalu Lisati has been named for only his third game, while journeyman winger Kane Bradley comes in for his second game of the year. "You don't expect miracles from them," Bellamy said of the reinforcements. "But they've been training with us all year, we haven't got anyone in over the last few weeks. "It (the Origin period) is always tough but it's tough for a lot of teams." But there is a silver lining in the NRL comeback of Pezet, who had been earmarked as Melbourne's next halfback before enduring more than a year of knee injury hell. The playmaker was last seen in the NRL in round three last year, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament playing reserve grade a month later. Some 336 days on in March, Gosford-born Pezet returned to the field for feeder side North Sydney, only to injure the same knee and book in for more surgery. But Pezet has since made it through two games of NSW Cup and, while he was listed on the bench, will now start on Saturday night. "There's some guys that are going to get a chance tomorrow, a chance to impress and a chance to play a bit of first grade," Bellamy said. "Hopefully they'll grab that with both hands." The Cowboys will need to forge on without Murray Taulagi, who has failed to pull up from a minor knee injury suffered in last week's win over Gold Coast. Braidon Burns will replace Taulagi on the wing but the club expects to have the former Maroons utility back on deck for next week's clash with Canterbury. "We named him this week in the thought he might improve but he tried to get some running done on Thursday and was no good," said North Queensland coach Todd Payten. Ryan Papenhuyzen will miss Melbourne's clash with North Queensland in the latest blow to the Storm's crisis-hit backline. Papenhuyzen was on Friday night ruled out of the Townsville match with calf tightness, making him the seventh Melbourne back unavailable for the game. His absence means Tyran Wishart will move to fullback, with Jonah Pezet now starting in the halves. The Storm are already without Will Warbrick (concussion), Moses Leo (shoulder), Sua Fa'alogo (hamstring), Jack Howarth (appendicitis), Xavier Coates (Origin) and Dean Ieremia (achilles) in their backline alone. Coach Craig Bellamy said he was not expecting miracles from an understrength side, but luckless Pezet could be forgiven for thinking his NRL comeback is one. Melbourne and North Queensland will be without a combined total of nine State of Origin representatives for Saturday's clash, the most for any game this weekend. The Storm had already been forced to name Joe Chan in the centres for the first time in his NRL career. Elsewhere, Penrith junior Ativalu Lisati has been named for only his third game, while journeyman winger Kane Bradley comes in for his second game of the year. "You don't expect miracles from them," Bellamy said of the reinforcements. "But they've been training with us all year, we haven't got anyone in over the last few weeks. "It (the Origin period) is always tough but it's tough for a lot of teams." But there is a silver lining in the NRL comeback of Pezet, who had been earmarked as Melbourne's next halfback before enduring more than a year of knee injury hell. The playmaker was last seen in the NRL in round three last year, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament playing reserve grade a month later. Some 336 days on in March, Gosford-born Pezet returned to the field for feeder side North Sydney, only to injure the same knee and book in for more surgery. But Pezet has since made it through two games of NSW Cup and, while he was listed on the bench, will now start on Saturday night. "There's some guys that are going to get a chance tomorrow, a chance to impress and a chance to play a bit of first grade," Bellamy said. "Hopefully they'll grab that with both hands." The Cowboys will need to forge on without Murray Taulagi, who has failed to pull up from a minor knee injury suffered in last week's win over Gold Coast. Braidon Burns will replace Taulagi on the wing but the club expects to have the former Maroons utility back on deck for next week's clash with Canterbury. "We named him this week in the thought he might improve but he tried to get some running done on Thursday and was no good," said North Queensland coach Todd Payten. Ryan Papenhuyzen will miss Melbourne's clash with North Queensland in the latest blow to the Storm's crisis-hit backline. Papenhuyzen was on Friday night ruled out of the Townsville match with calf tightness, making him the seventh Melbourne back unavailable for the game. His absence means Tyran Wishart will move to fullback, with Jonah Pezet now starting in the halves. The Storm are already without Will Warbrick (concussion), Moses Leo (shoulder), Sua Fa'alogo (hamstring), Jack Howarth (appendicitis), Xavier Coates (Origin) and Dean Ieremia (achilles) in their backline alone. Coach Craig Bellamy said he was not expecting miracles from an understrength side, but luckless Pezet could be forgiven for thinking his NRL comeback is one. Melbourne and North Queensland will be without a combined total of nine State of Origin representatives for Saturday's clash, the most for any game this weekend. The Storm had already been forced to name Joe Chan in the centres for the first time in his NRL career. Elsewhere, Penrith junior Ativalu Lisati has been named for only his third game, while journeyman winger Kane Bradley comes in for his second game of the year. "You don't expect miracles from them," Bellamy said of the reinforcements. "But they've been training with us all year, we haven't got anyone in over the last few weeks. "It (the Origin period) is always tough but it's tough for a lot of teams." But there is a silver lining in the NRL comeback of Pezet, who had been earmarked as Melbourne's next halfback before enduring more than a year of knee injury hell. The playmaker was last seen in the NRL in round three last year, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament playing reserve grade a month later. Some 336 days on in March, Gosford-born Pezet returned to the field for feeder side North Sydney, only to injure the same knee and book in for more surgery. But Pezet has since made it through two games of NSW Cup and, while he was listed on the bench, will now start on Saturday night. "There's some guys that are going to get a chance tomorrow, a chance to impress and a chance to play a bit of first grade," Bellamy said. "Hopefully they'll grab that with both hands." The Cowboys will need to forge on without Murray Taulagi, who has failed to pull up from a minor knee injury suffered in last week's win over Gold Coast. Braidon Burns will replace Taulagi on the wing but the club expects to have the former Maroons utility back on deck for next week's clash with Canterbury. "We named him this week in the thought he might improve but he tried to get some running done on Thursday and was no good," said North Queensland coach Todd Payten.
