Ban to stretch Cronulla's backline even further
Mulitalo was on Sunday hit with a grade-two dangerous contact charge for hitting Nawaqanitawase after he passed in the Sydney Roosters' win on Saturday.
If the Sharks were to fight the matter at the NRL judiciary, Mulitalo would risk a second game on the sideline.
Cronulla have already faced depth issues in their outside backs this year, after Sione Katoa required shoulder surgery after an injury in a pre-season trial.
Sam Stonestreet is also out with an ankle injury, after sustaining damage to his syndesmosis against Melbourne last week.
Cronulla are hopeful of Katoa returning after next week's bye, otherwise Mulitalo's ban would leave the Sharks without both first-choice wingers against the Warriors.
In that case, Chris Vae'ila would be the front-runner to debut for the Sharks.
Mulitalo was sin-binned for the shot on Saturday night, with referee Grant Atkins identifying direct shoulder contact to the head after Nawaqanitawase passed.
But the match review committee on Sunday deemed it to be dangerous contact and not a shoulder charge, which would have resulted in an extra game out.
Penrith forward Liam Henry is also facing a two-match ban out of Saturday night's games, in trouble for a crusher tackle on Fletcher Sharpe in the loss to Newcastle.
The review committee on Sunday opted for a grade-two charge, meaning Henry would risk a third match on the sideline if he elects to fight the ban.
The last-placed Panthers at least expect to have their entire State of Origin cohort back for those games, provided the quintet get through game one unscathed.
Backrower Scott Sorensen is also due back from a suspension against Parramatta next Sunday, while Luke Garner should be able to return from a concussion.
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The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Leniu's energy 'key' for Roosters in pivotal clash
Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson won't try to control Spencer Leniu's aggression knowing the fiery star's importance to a clash pivotal to their NRL finals hopes. The explosive prop was one of four players sent to the sin bin in the Roosters' 64-12 thrashing of the Dolphins last week, having rushed in to defend Sam Walker in a clash with rival players. Leniu accepted a $1,800 fine for the latest in a series of outbursts, but Robinson said the three-time premiership winner's aggression was key for the Roosters as they push for a top-eight finish. A win against top-two hopefuls Canterbury on Friday night would see the Roosters jump into eighth spot, where they will finish the round if the Dolphins lose to Brisbane. "Do I want an aggressive Spencer Leniu? Definitely," Robinson said. "It's good for our game. It's pretty key for us. We obviously need him in this game as well. "His ability to power, carry, break lines, and then also physically take on the challenge and front-row role is still a battle, and I like the fact that he enjoys that part of it. "I definitely don't want Spenny (Leniu) running in from 20 metres. "But do I want him protecting our half? There are a few different ways that you can do that without getting sent to the bin." Robinson also heralded Walker's progression with the playmaker returning from an ACL injury that saw him sidelined for 314 days. He said Walker had come back stronger and fitted in well with his new halves partner, Hugo Savala. The coach expects defensive "intensity" against the Bulldogs, who have conceded the fewest points this season. Robinson said his team was "starting to get to know our defensive system at its best" after conceding less than 20 points in three of their last four games. But he conceded the Bulldogs would be a step up after consecutive wins over top-eight rivals Manly and the Dolphins. "This is a top-four team. The challenge goes up, and if we want to be the team that we want to be this year, then it doesn't matter what position they're in," he said. "They're a very good team, and there's all respect to that, but it's up to us to go after it. There's no other choice." Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo confirmed fullback Connor Tracey was on track to line up against the Roosters following a rare abdominal injury he suffered three weeks ago. "There's a very high chance he'll play," Ciraldo said. "Connors is sort of the guy who runs our defence from the back there. He's got a really loud voice and a high IQ. He's an important part of our team. It'd be good to have him back out there." Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson won't try to control Spencer Leniu's aggression knowing the fiery star's importance to a clash pivotal to their NRL finals hopes. The explosive prop was one of four players sent to the sin bin in the Roosters' 64-12 thrashing of the Dolphins last week, having rushed in to defend Sam Walker in a clash with rival players. Leniu accepted a $1,800 fine for the latest in a series of outbursts, but Robinson said the three-time premiership winner's aggression was key for the Roosters as they push for a top-eight finish. A win against top-two hopefuls Canterbury on Friday night would see the Roosters jump into eighth spot, where they will finish the round if the Dolphins lose to Brisbane. "Do I want an aggressive Spencer Leniu? Definitely," Robinson said. "It's good for our game. It's pretty key for us. We obviously need him in this game as well. "His ability to power, carry, break lines, and then also physically take on the challenge and front-row role is still a battle, and I like the fact that he enjoys that part of it. "I definitely don't want Spenny (Leniu) running in from 20 metres. "But do I want him protecting our half? There are a few different ways that you can do that without getting sent to the bin." Robinson also heralded Walker's progression with the playmaker returning from an ACL injury that saw him sidelined for 314 days. He said Walker had come back stronger and fitted in well with his new halves partner, Hugo Savala. The coach expects defensive "intensity" against the Bulldogs, who have conceded the fewest points this season. Robinson said his team was "starting to get to know our defensive system at its best" after conceding less than 20 points in three of their last four games. But he conceded the Bulldogs would be a step up after consecutive wins over top-eight rivals Manly and the Dolphins. "This is a top-four team. The challenge goes up, and if we want to be the team that we want to be this year, then it doesn't matter what position they're in," he said. "They're a very good team, and there's all respect to that, but it's up to us to go after it. There's no other choice." Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo confirmed fullback Connor Tracey was on track to line up against the Roosters following a rare abdominal injury he suffered three weeks ago. "There's a very high chance he'll play," Ciraldo said. "Connors is sort of the guy who runs our defence from the back there. He's got a really loud voice and a high IQ. He's an important part of our team. It'd be good to have him back out there." Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson won't try to control Spencer Leniu's aggression knowing the fiery star's importance to a clash pivotal to their NRL finals hopes. The explosive prop was one of four players sent to the sin bin in the Roosters' 64-12 thrashing of the Dolphins last week, having rushed in to defend Sam Walker in a clash with rival players. Leniu accepted a $1,800 fine for the latest in a series of outbursts, but Robinson said the three-time premiership winner's aggression was key for the Roosters as they push for a top-eight finish. A win against top-two hopefuls Canterbury on Friday night would see the Roosters jump into eighth spot, where they will finish the round if the Dolphins lose to Brisbane. "Do I want an aggressive Spencer Leniu? Definitely," Robinson said. "It's good for our game. It's pretty key for us. We obviously need him in this game as well. "His ability to power, carry, break lines, and then also physically take on the challenge and front-row role is still a battle, and I like the fact that he enjoys that part of it. "I definitely don't want Spenny (Leniu) running in from 20 metres. "But do I want him protecting our half? There are a few different ways that you can do that without getting sent to the bin." Robinson also heralded Walker's progression with the playmaker returning from an ACL injury that saw him sidelined for 314 days. He said Walker had come back stronger and fitted in well with his new halves partner, Hugo Savala. The coach expects defensive "intensity" against the Bulldogs, who have conceded the fewest points this season. Robinson said his team was "starting to get to know our defensive system at its best" after conceding less than 20 points in three of their last four games. But he conceded the Bulldogs would be a step up after consecutive wins over top-eight rivals Manly and the Dolphins. "This is a top-four team. The challenge goes up, and if we want to be the team that we want to be this year, then it doesn't matter what position they're in," he said. "They're a very good team, and there's all respect to that, but it's up to us to go after it. There's no other choice." Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo confirmed fullback Connor Tracey was on track to line up against the Roosters following a rare abdominal injury he suffered three weeks ago. "There's a very high chance he'll play," Ciraldo said. "Connors is sort of the guy who runs our defence from the back there. He's got a really loud voice and a high IQ. He's an important part of our team. It'd be good to have him back out there."
Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Perth Now
‘Too many': Blowouts focus of AFL attention
AFL boss Andrew Dillon concedes there have been 'too many' lopsided games in 2025 but says lengthy injury lists and not fixture imbalances are to blame. But with the impending entry of a 19th team in Tasmania, the league chief executive said the view on fixturing would continue to 'evolve' with a focus on trying to avoid double-ups between inferior teams. While there were five matches decided by under 10 points in round 22, it was an outlier in an otherwise one-sided season. The previous week there were three matches with winning margins in excess of 80 points from the nine games and two 90-point margins the week before. Port Adelaide lost by a combined 186 points in rounds 21 and 22. The fight for finals also ended early and only one team outside the top eight remains a chance to break in by the final round. It has left a large number of no-meaning matches across the final two rounds, with three games between non-finalists in round 23 alone. The ongoing need to fixture two derbies in Perth, showdowns in Adelaide, Q-clashes in Queensland and clashes between Sydney and GWS remains a hurdle in a more balanced fixture. Dillon said it was hard to predict which teams would rise and fall, and Essendon's unprecedented injury battles in 2025 had unavoidable impacts on games. But Dillon said fixturing needed to be addressed as a potential way to balance out the competition going forward. 'It's nice to have nine trying to get into eight, but it would be better if it was 14/15 teams trying to get into finals,' he said. 'What you also have this year is three or four teams that weren't top eight last year like Adelaide and Gold Coast. As things move, it is difficult to predict. 'I'm finding it hard to predict what happens this weekend let alone trying to do it in October for next year. Andrew Dillon has blamed injuries for the blowouts. Credit: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos / via Getty Images 'We need to continue to evolve. Whether that's having a formula to remove subjectivity, we will continue to assess. We have an opportunity in a couple of years with Tassie coming in to have a look at how the fixture is set and how the season runs. 'Our sport has stood the test of time. You want to evolve but you don't have to revolutionise at the same time. 'There is reasons for that. If you study injury lists, there is almost a direct correlation to where you are on the ladder. It's not where we want to be. 'We want a competition where you go to the game each week and you think you're a chance. We have had too many games this year that it wasn't the case.' Dillon also confirmed that players were 'all in' on a potential return for State of Origin next February. 'Absolutely (players are all in). as we saw with the All Stars game, it works when the players are all in. When the players are all in, then clubs are in and fans buy in,' he told SEN. 'Conversations I have had with the players they are all in. Then we work out how often we play it and when you play it. The first part is to get it going again. 'The clubs understand we have to continue to evolve as a competition. Some traditional thinking has to be modified but not to the detriment of home-and-away season and finals.'
Courier-Mail
12 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
AFL chief: Injuries not fixture to blame for 2025 season blowouts
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. AFL boss Andrew Dillon concedes there have been 'too many' lopsided games in 2025 but says lengthy injury lists and not fixture imbalances are to blame. But with the impending entry of a 19th team in Tasmania, the league chief executive said the view on fixturing would continue to 'evolve' with a focus on trying to avoid double-ups between inferior teams. While there were five matches decided by under 10 points in round 22, it was an outlier in an otherwise one-sided season. The previous week there were three matches with winning margins in excess of 80 points from the nine games and two 90-point margins the week before. Port Adelaide lost by a combined 186 points in rounds 21 and 22. The fight for finals also ended early and only one team outside the top eight remains a chance to break in by the final round. Port Adelaide copped back-to-back thrashings. Picture:It has left a large number of no-meaning matches across the final two rounds, with three games between non-finalists in round 23 alone. The ongoing need to fixture two derbies in Perth, showdowns in Adelaide, Q-clashes in Queensland and clashes between Sydney and GWS remains a hurdle in a more balanced fixture. Dillon said it was hard to predict which teams would rise and fall, and Essendon's unprecedented injury battles in 2025 had unavoidable impacts on games. But Dillon said fixturing needed to be addressed as a potential way to balance out the competition going forward. 'It's nice to have nine trying to get into eight, but it would be better if it was 14/15 teams trying to get into finals,' he said. 'What you also have this year is three or four teams that weren't top eight last year like Adelaide and Gold Coast. As things move, it is difficult to predict. 'I'm finding it hard to predict what happens this weekend let alone trying to do it in October for next year. 'We need to continue to evolve. Whether that's having a formula to remove subjectivity, we will continue to assess. We have an opportunity in a couple of years with Tassie coming in to have a look at how the fixture is set and how the season runs. The Bombers have been decimated by injury. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images 'Our sport has stood the test of time. You want to evolve but you don't have to revolutionise at the same time. 'There is reasons for that. If you study injury lists, there is almost a direct correlation to where you are on the ladder. It's not where we want to be. 'We want a competition where you go to the game each week and you think you're a chance. We have had too many games this year that it wasn't the case.' Dillon also confirmed that players were 'all in' on a potential return for State of Origin next February. 'Absolutely (players are all in). as we saw with the All Stars game, it works when the players are all in. When the players are all in, then clubs are in and fans buy in,' he told SEN. 'Conversations I have had with the players they are all in. Then we work out how often we play it and when you play it. The first part is to get it going again. 'The clubs understand we have to continue to evolve as a competition. Some traditional thinking has to be modified but not to the detriment of home-and-away season and finals.' Originally published as AFL boss Andrew Dillon blames 2025 blowouts on injury lists
