Latest news with #DaneGagai
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Tigers on cusp of resurrecting Taylan May's NRL career after Souths snub
Taylan May is reportedly on the cusp of restarting his NRL career at the Wests Tigers alongside his older brother Terrell. May made his debut at the Panthers in 2021 and has played 30 NRL games, but he didn't feature in any of their grand finals and departed the club last year following a string of off-feld incidents. The 23-year-old spent time in a mental health facility earlier this year in an experience he said changed his life. But now May could be back playing first grade in a matter of weeks with the outside back set to accept a train-and-trial contract to play under Benji Marshall. May underwent a medical at the Tigers on Monday, according to The SMH, and could begin training with the club this week once the deal is sealed. May was unable to sign with a club while he was stood down by the NRL under the code's no-fault stand-down policy following charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of stalking or intimidation intending to cause fear of harm, and two counts of contravening an AVO, to all of which he pleaded not guilty. The charges were withdrawn and May is now free to restart his NRL career. He toured the Rabbitohs facilities last month but knocked back their train-and-trial offer as he sees a clearer path to a top 30 contract at the Tigers. May also reportedly knocked back an offer to play under Sam Burgess at Warrington in the Super League. KNIGHTS VETERAN COULD BE SQUEEZED OUT Knights veteran Dane Gagai could be forced to leave the club at the end of the season after it was revealed Newcastle are unwilling to take up his $400,000 team option for 2026. The Newcastle Herald reported Gagai had a team option to remain at the Knights in 2026, valued at around $400,000. However, the Knights reportedly have not taken up the option and are of the belief Gagai is no longer worthy of that sort of money, which is strange because it is about half of what elite centres can earn in the NRL. At 34, Gagai is past his best, but only played Origin last year and was strong in the Knights' 26-22 comeback win over Manly on Thursday night. Gagai ran for 169 metres to go with 12 tackle busts and two linebreak assists to help inspire his side to a crucial victory. Given the Knights' marquee signing Bradman Best is currently out injured and has a history of injuries, it is a confusing decision from Newcastle. Gagai has scored 86 tries and 30 goals in 303 NRL games for the Knights, Broncos and Rabbitohs since his debut in 2011. He has also scored 12 tries in 23 Origins for the Maroons and three tries in five games for the Kangaroos. Gagai's management are now actively shopping him around to rival clubs in need of a veteran outside back. Sources close to the situation have also revealed that even if Gagai is offered a larger deal than what the club is offering, the Knights still may not feel inclined to match it. It is unknown whether any other clubs are interested in his signature at this stage. However, with Dominic Young set to return to the club and James Schiller vying for a permanent centre role, it is unlikely Gagai will stay with the club unless he takes a pay cut.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Booed off at halftime, Knights claim shock win
Newcastle have gone from booed off at halftime to pulling off their biggest comeback victory in 18 years, after claiming a 26-22 golden-point win over Manly. Booed by their own fans after their seventh scoreless first half of the season, the Knights came back to life after falling 16-0 down at McDonald Jones Stadium. Dane Gagai turned back the clock, Fletcher Sharpe and Kai Pearce Paul were immense and Kalyn Ponga claimed the match-winner early in extra time. Ponga with the match-winner! 🔥#NRLKnightsManly — NRL (@NRL) June 5, 2025 The hosts' revival came despite Newcastle having the worst attack in the competition, and showing no signs of turning that around in the opening 40 minutes. Knights great Andrew Johns labelled it "hard to watch" in the Nine Network's commentary, as Newcastle coughed up error after error and looked out of the contest. But the match swung dramatically early in the second half, as the Knights began to shift the ball more and caught Manly out on their makeshift edges. With Lehi Hopoate concussed early and Tommy Talau also spending time off for a HIA, Newcastle got at a Sea Eagles side that had second-rowers Ben Trbojevic and Corey Waddell in the centres. The home side went from 16-0 down to 16-16 in the space of 18 second-half minutes, with two of the tries coming from long distance and another a Jack Cogger bomb. Manly appeared to have control of the game back when Clayton Faulalo burst through the middle of the field and fellow winger Tommy Talau crossed next play. But Newcastle levelled the scores with five minutes to play when Pearce Paul found space on the right edge and Sharpe had his second. Sharpe gets a double to draw the game! 👊 #NRLKnightsManly — NRL (@NRL) June 5, 2025 Ponga then had the match winner in the Knights' first set of golden point when he put up a bomb, Fletcher Hunt batted it back and the Knights No.1 followed the play to score. The win will at least alleviate pressure on under-fire coach Adam O'Brien, after his side had dropped eight of their past 10 games. Manly had earlier looked like they were going to cruise home in the first half, with their forwards dominating and makeshift fullback Tolu Koula causing havoc. Haumole Olakau'atu was again powerful in the first half, brushing off three defenders to score one try on the play after Koula had beaten five. Toff Sipley also scored through the middle after Koula had Manly's first, with Newcastle's forward pack weakened by a concussion to Tyson Frizell. But after the second-half collapse, the Sea Eagles' halves missed a chance to win the match in the final minute of regulation time. With Daly Cherry-Evans set up for the field-goal shot, Newcastle's kick pressure prompted him to pass off to Luke Brooks who sent his effort wide from 40 metres out. A Cherry-Evans field goal would have been something of a statement, with questions still surrounding his spot in Queensland's team for State of Origin II. But instead it was kick pressure from Ponga on Brooks that proved the difference, before the Knights star's winning play.
News.com.au
16-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Zac Lomax's dream Origin audition as Eels thrash hapless Knights
The Parramatta Eels have soured Dane Gagai's 300th NRL game, overcoming Newcastle 28-6 to snare their third win of the season. With the Eels heading into the match 2-7 and firmly in last place, it was easy to forget that until Friday night, marquee signing Zac Lomax and skipper Mitchell Moses were yet to play a game together in clubland. 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 two forged a strong combination in the Origin arena last season before being reinforced at the end of 2024 after the pair both made their Kangaroos debut, which picked up where it left off on Friday night. Meanwhile Newcastle have hit a new low this season, after also losing to the Titans despite leading 20-0 early on, leaving coach Adam O'Brien with one win from his last eight games. 'This is embarrassing,' noted Steve 'Blocker' Roach in commentary, while Andrew Voss said: 'This is crisis stuff.' After a sloppy opening ten minutes, it was New South Wales' likely five-eighth in Moses that opened the scoring, leaping through the air to take a Dylan Brown cross-field kick to dot down next to the posts. The Origin chatter may have landed the spotlight on Moses, however the pressure was firmly on his halves partner Brown, facing the Knights for the first time since inking a ten-year, $13 million deal with the club in March. If either half were nervous running around at McDonald Jones Stadium, it certainly didn't show as Moses popped up again to extend the Eels' lead. A short-ball to ageing prop Junior Paulo saw the front-rower pop the ball out to Moses, firing a ball to Will Penisini out wide as the centre sent Lomax over for a try in his Origin audition. The former Dragon was one of the Blues' best in 2024, however a broken foot in Round 5 meant Friday's clash against the Knights was Lomax's only chance to hit the field before the Origin opener in 12 days. The centre-turned-winger soared over NRL debutant Fletcher Hunt again and again in the opening stanza, though couldn't extend the lead past 10-0. The story was the same as weeks gone by for Newcastle, popping up in strong field position only for the final pass to hit the turf. It's been a double-edged sword for the red-and-blue this season, either throwing caution to the wind and dropping the footy, or playing conservative without managing to threaten the opposition's defence. Their lack of attack stretched firmly into the second-half, struggling to find that last pass as their spine struggled to organise the side. Lomax had his brace midway through the second period, a near-bobble from Penisini launched out wide to the incumbent Blue, dotting down in the corner to extend the lead to 16-0. Newcastle would only implode further from there, another error from young Hunt handing Parramatta key field position heading into the game's final quarter. While they couldn't find the line, yet another infringement from O'Brien's side saw import Kai Pearce-Paul sent to the sin bin, slamming the flood gates wide open. A bittersweet moment saw the man Newcastle have leveraged their future on, Brown, slide over under the sticks on the ball of a Josh Addo-Carr line break, before a short-ball from Moses to Jordan Samrani handed the Eels a 28-0 lead, and the youngster his first NRL try. It took Newcastle 75 minutes just to trouble the scorers against the NRL's last-placed side, a shift to the right giving the milestone man Gagai a chance to shine in his 300th. The former Maroon shimmied to the right, drawing the winger before finding James Schiller with a flick pass, sending the speedster down the touchline to cut the lead to 22. The loss leaves Newcastle in equal last, only a better for-and-against keeping the struggling side above Parramatta and the Gold Coast. The result does set up two key clashes next weekend, as Parramatta chase consecutive wins for the first time this season against Manly, while Newcastle will face a Penrith side missing a host of stars to State of Origin.
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Not best practice': Lessons learnt as Dom Young's move back to the Knights stalls, Dane Gagai prepares for NRL game milestone
Adam O'Brien has paid tribute to milestone man Dane Gagai as he prepares to join the NRL's 300-game club on Friday night, with the Knights coach not wanting to talk too much about the club's pursuit of Dom Young that has seemingly fallen apart this week. It seemed just last week that the English winger was set to rejoin the Knights this season after being linked with a move away from the Roosters who had dropped him to reserve grade. But negotiations have stalled, with Roosters coach Trent Robinson slamming the Knights and Young's agent for the way they handled the potential deal. Robinson was disappointed that the Knights approached his club but then demanded the Roosters pay Young's salary when they were the ones who instigated a potential move. 'Probably a thing that I've learnt out of the week is that doing your recruitment and retention through you guys (the media) is not best practice,' O'Brien said, with the Knights boss working alongside Robinson at the Roosters in the past. 'Right now he's a Rooster and I'm focused on Fletcher Hunt being on the wing for us tomorrow night.' Hunt will make his NRL debut against the Eels after scoring five tries in his past five games in reserve grade, but it's a man at the other end of his career who has attracted the headlines this week. Gagai, 34, made his debut back in 2011 and has enjoyed an incredible career at several clubs as well as on the representative stage for Queensland and Australia. O'Brien praised Gagai's relentless pursuit of excellence and said he had the rare ability to make other players around him lift at training and in games. 'It's really special for him to join the 300 club, especially the way that he's played is quite remarkable because every tackle and every run is a full-on contest for Dane,' he said. 'To do that over that length of time (is quite an achievement). Three hundred games is a lot of pre-seasons, that's a lot of hill sessions and a lot of wrestle sessions. 'To do that in front of our local supporters and his family is very fitting.' The Knights are chasing a much-needed win against an Eels side featuring Dylan Brown, who will move to Newcastle next season on the richest deal in NRL history. It's been a rough few weeks for the Knights who will be without powerhouse winger Greg Marzhew (knee) for the next few games. 'He's had some surgery on an MCL,' his coach said. 'I think it was initially 4-6 (weeks), but he's a very good healer. 'He's very optimistic and he's told me 'I'll be right for next week', but I don't think that's the case. It's not an extended thing, so he'll be back before you know it.'
