He was the Blues' forgotten man. Now he's in line for a Kangaroos recall
After captaining NSW to an Origin series win in 2024, the Manly skipper was overlooked by Laurie Daley for this season's series defeat – but Trbojevic's big-game experience and past performances in the green and gold have not been forgotten by Walters.
The expected defection of Payne Haas and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui to join Spencer Leniu in representing Samoa, and with Stefano Utoikamanu considering pledging allegiance to Tonga – means four front-rowers involved in this year's Origin series will be unavailable for the Kangaroos' three-Test series in England. Mitch Barnett is also out with a season-ending knee injury.
Pat Carrigan, Lindsay Smith, Max King, Reuben Cotter, and Josh King are all in the Kangaroos mix, but coach Walters will have a close look at 31-year-old Trbojevic in the Sea Eagles' run home to the finals, starting with Friday's clash against ladder-leaders Canberra.
Trbojevic last played for Australia against New Zealand in Melbourne in 2023. Walters is expected to pick at least five specialist front-rowers in his 22-man squad.
'Jake has never let anyone down when he has played for Australia – we want 22 blokes ready to go, who want to play for their country, and Jake certainly fits that category,' Walters said on Thursday.
'I coached against him, and you know what you get with him. His tackling technique is so good – ask someone who has been hit by him, and they'll give you your answer.
'A person of his calibre and character is always important to a team. He's certainly in the mix. I feel like we have good depth in that area, including the guys who were there last year, like Patty and Lindsay Smith and Lindsay Collins, while there will also be players who jump out during the finals series.'
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News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
Goulburn, Lismore tips and race-by-race analysis for Monday
NSW form analyst Shayne O'Cass has provided his best bets and race-by-race analysis for the quaddie legs at Monday's NSW country meetings at Goulburn and Lismore. â– â– â– â– â– GOULBURN TIPS BEST BET Shadow Of Light (Race 5 No. 11) Well-bred filly who has a bright future; 1500m on the big track is ideal now. NEXT BEST Yvette (Race 1 No. 5) Daughter of a Group 1 winner who can stand up here in country grade. VALUE Drunken Sailor (Race 6 No. 6) Just the type of race this horse can, and might, win. Right jockey on too. QUADDIE Race 4: 1,3,9,10 Race 5: 11 Race 6: 5,6,13 Race 7: 2,5,12 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Keagan Latham rode more winners at Goulburn last season than any other jockey. **** LAY OF THE DAY **** Angel City (Race 5 No. 8) I think the market has overreacted to her second on debut and not convinced she's looking for extra ground based on that performance. I'd want better than $5 to be entertaining her. â– â– â– â– â– GOULBURN INSIDE MAIL Yvette is worth a whole lot more off the track than she is on it given she is a daughter of I Am Invincible out of the Robert Sangster Stakes winner Secret Agenda and thus a direct descendant of Denise's Joy. Placed at Canterbury at her first two runs, the last two haven't been nearly as good but this is doable. Outcast Ally, another very, very valuable broodmare later on, trials like a good filly. Could well ping and be hard to run down here. Vincetio (blinkers first time) and Blinked, the daughter of the handy Don't Blink, have claims. Bet: Yvette to win, exacta/quinella 5,7. â– â– â– â– â– Brannum was scratched from Moruya last Thursday to presumably run here at home. That said, he has been dealt the visitors drawn, but he still boasts the best form in the race. The Danny Williams-trained Manwari  has been awfully costly, no time more so than when beaten at $1.75 at Warren last start. To be fair to the horse, it was more about the track conditions (bordering on heavy in actual fact) that contributed to the loss. Sonic Scene is back to country racing after two runs at the midweeks. Bet: Brannum to win or if scratched Manwari to win. â– â– â– â– â– Bode Akuna was scheduled to run at the washed out Randwick meeting on Saturday. The Jason Coyle bred and trained gelding was good at Kembla second-up and not too bad at Warwick Farm after that on the heavy (8). Loves racing at Goulburn. Don't Doubt Merlin similarly broke his maiden here with Jay Ford riding. How symmetrical is that given Ford steered this horse's mother to her first win and it was also at Goulburn for David Pfieffer. Go well but has a big weight and a wide draw. The Bathurst pair of Dean Mirfin housed horses, Chico Casino and Shaddap, are both last start winners. Bet: Bode Akuna to win or if scratched Don't Doubt Merlin to win. â– â– â– â– â– Jackpot Star was scratched from Sunday's Wagga meeting to run here. Note that he will wear blinkers for the first time. The son of Australian Derby winner Starcraft and Wellington Boot winner Jackpot Queen has what seems to be superior form to his rivals – but a sticky draw to deal with. Your Magic is a horse on an upward trajectory. That much is clear given he is '821'. It almost goes with saying how impressive he was winning last start at the Sapphire Coast given he won by almost nine-lengths. Lombardi Lass was disappointing first-up but her first two runs last prep included a maiden win here at home. Bet: Jackpot Star to win. â– â– â– â– â– Shadow Of Light is a filly by The Autumn Sun out of a mare called Swampland who was beaten a neck in the Let's Elope and was third in a Maybe Mahal. Shadow of Light thus has a really nice mile/2000m profile on pedigree and the way that she ran on debut would back that up somewhat. One thing is certain: 1500m at Goulburn suits her better than 1300m at Wyong. Let's just cut and paste a lot of that for Jagerbomb. Important pedigree note for him going forward, he is by Contributer and his fourth dam is Eight Carat and boasts a doublecross of Sadler's Wells. Bet: Shadow Of Light  to win (best bet), exacta 11/3, Daily Double 1st Leg 11, 2nd Leg 5. â– â– â– â– â– Drunken Sailor was originally purchased at Karaka in 2022 for $220,000 but never raced. Enter James Ponsonby who shelled out $1250 online for the son of Ocean Park who has since earned $60,470. He is back in NSW and back in country grade after a trip to Eagle Farm. This is the type of race he can win. We could, and do, say the same about the nine-year-old Sapphires Son who has the home-track advantage. Goes around here with a postage stamp on his back and he's in good nick too. â– â– â– â– â– Benamera could, like a lot of horses entered at Goulburn, be saved for Hawkesbury on Tuesday. It is his home track after all. On top if here. If not, it opens the gate big time for Gary Portelli's grey mare Greygenta. She won like Bernborough the day she broke at maiden at Queanbeyan so gets marked up for X-factor. As for more recent times, she didn't handle the slop here first-up but was back to her usual good self at Kembla. Bonus Tempus may have only won twice in 56 starts but he placed 13 times and often in some quite decent races in town, provincial and country. Bet: Greygenta each-way. â– â– â– â– â–
ABC News
12 hours ago
- ABC News
NRL live: Titans vs Rabbitohs, Eels vs Cowboys, Spencer Leniu urged to lessen 'brain explosions'
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West Australian
21 hours ago
- West Australian
Mitchell Johnson: Bazball is just a 50/50 gamble and will not work over five Tests in Australian conditions
At the start of this winter's England v India series, I'll admit I had some concerns. England looked like they might be a real handful come the Ashes this summer in Australia. Their aggressive 'Bazball' approach had been unsettling teams, and early signs suggested they were ready to keep the momentum rolling. Now, with the series ending in a 2-2 draw, and after reflecting on a mix of player comments and outside observations this week — particularly from a few former players — I'm not so worried about the threat they pose. For me Bazball is England's only strength, and yet it is still a 50/50 gamble. The drawn series result itself was telling. This was England in their own backyard, on pitches they know inside out - flat and bat last type decks - against an India side that's always tough but not unbeatable away from home. For Australia's players watching from afar, this would have been a confidence booster. It's not about underestimating the Poms — they'll still be up for a fight when they land here — but the cracks are visible and the call of 5-0 from Glenn McGrath is already out there. The mind games have already begun. There's no denying England's batting strength on paper. Their aggressive scoring rates can put a side under enormous pressure if it clicks. But in Australia, pitches are different and that unpredictability in the Bazball method can turn against them. The Australian bowling line-up knows what they are doing. Playing that brand of cricket on a true, fast wicket where the ball gets big on you is a different challenge altogether. On flat decks or slow turners, Bazball's risk-taking can look fearless. As the ball flies through at Optus Stadium or against a pink ball at the Gabba, it can look reckless. And that's where Australia will back themselves — to make the conditions part of the contest. Both sides have strengths and weaknesses, but I'm now more settled in my view of where the Ashes will head: Australia's way. And that's even with our own unsettled top three. That's not to say it'll be one-way traffic. England will come hard, and if they win key moments, they can turn the momentum quickly. But the blueprint to beat them is clearer now: make them bat in tough conditions, stick to your plans, and don't get sucked into playing their tempo. Not winning at home raises eyebrows. Home conditions are supposed to be your safety net, your fortress. England had their chances in this series, but a combination of inconsistent batting under pressure and a bowling unit that looked less threatening without James Anderson and Stuart Broad left the door open. It also sends a message to Australia's bowlers that England's batting can be contained if you keep them in check early. The big question is whether Bazball is built to last over a long series, especially on away tours. Of course, Australia isn't without its own headaches. Our top three is still a work in progress, and while we've got a few first-class players making the right moves, no one's cemented those spots yet. Sam Konstas being sent to India with the Australia A team is a good move, but as George Bailey rightly pointed out, it's no guarantee he'll feature in the Ashes summer. For me, Konstas needs time — proper time — in the middle. He needs to get seasoned at first-class level. It's easy to get excited about a talented young player, but nothing replaces the grind and experience of State cricket. There's no rush. If a player is good enough, their time will come. One name that should have everyone's attention is Lance Morris. He's eager to bowl fast — and not just in bursts, but consistently. That hunger is invaluable, and in Australian conditions, raw pace is a weapon you can't overvalue. Then there's the battle for the opening and No.3 slots. Nathan McSweeney and Jake Weatherald have both been making plenty of noise in the Australia A series against Sri Lanka A. Runs in those conditions on home turf matter, and for me, both should be genuine possibilities for the summer. For England, the India series was a test of their new approach's resilience, and the jury is still out. For Australia, it's a reminder that while England can dominate in patches, they're not invincible. The mental edge in Ashes cricket often starts months before the first ball is bowled, and I love it! The drawn England–India series hasn't just been a result; it's been a preview of summer storylines. England's batting is their strength, but also their gamble. Australia's bowling depth and home conditions could turn that gamble against them. Our own top order remains unsettled, but there's talent pushing hard for selection, and the pace stocks are strong. From a player's point of view, watching England fail to win at home doesn't make you complacent — it sharpens your focus. You see the gaps, you see where they can be got at, and that belief heading into an Ashes summer is priceless. But in the end, the talk doesn't get the wins as England have shown recently. Let the games begin.
