Latest news with #King-Togia
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trindall puts Sharks' season on track in crucial win
Braydon Trindall has helped put Cronulla's NRL season back on track, unleashing 10 minutes of torment on St George Illawarra to inspire a 30-18 come-from-behind win. Off the back of two straight losses and after trailing at halftime, Cronulla went from 18-6 down to 22-18 up between the 47th and 57th minutes on Thursday night. The hosts then did enough to hold on for victory at Shark Park, making it 10 in a row against their arch-rivals and keeping the Sharks fifth on the ladder. Trindall's kicking was at the centre of it all, while the Cronulla five-eighth also scored a double in the victory. Blayke Brailey was among the Sharks' best with his running out of dummy-half, while Sione Katoa bagged a double in the win. The winger's last try to seal the match will also go down as one of the best of the year. With the Dragons down 24-18 with five minutes to play, five-eighth Lyhkan King-Togia chipped ahead and went to toe the ball on again. But Katoa slid along the ground to catch the ball goalkeeper-style, before gathering his feet and sprinting 60 metres to score. Katoa races away! 🏁#NRLSharksDragons Telstra Moment of the Match — NRL (@NRL) June 12, 2025 The result makes it two losses in a row for the Dragons, with Shane Flanagan's men now 12th and at risk of sliding further south this weekend. For the Sharks, this was a desperately needed win. Beaten by an undermanned Sydney Roosters in Gosford and travelling Warriors in their past two matches, Cronulla travel to Brisbane and Melbourne in the next fortnight. "It's too big of a picture to look at it like that," Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said. "We're where we're at, we haven't performed for a couple of weeks. Even the result today was irrelevant. "It was the performance that was needed. "We needed to see what we want to be and do. We just needed to play like the Sharks, that was the most important thing out of tonight." Cronulla looked at their best with Brailey running out of dummy-half, and the hooker laid on the Sharks' first when he sent Trindall over early. But after that, the Sharks defence began to break. Dragons veteran Damien Cook turned back the clock for one try and King-Togia beat four defenders for another. And when Jack de Belin went over with Sharks centre Jesse Ramien in the sin-bin for a professional foul it was 18-6. Then after the break Cronulla's forwards started to get a roll on, the wind picked up and Trindall chose his moments to terrorise the Dragons. The five-eighth first put Briton Nikora over with a short ball, before staying alive to score from one of his own bombs after Clint Gutherson and Tyrell Sloan failed to defuse it. The go-ahead try then came when Nathan Lawson dropped Trindall's next bomb, and Katoa skipped to the outside of Dragons centre Moses Suli from the scrum to score. "They ran a little harder in the second half, got good field position and all their kicks were contestable," Flanagan said. "You have to make them kick long, and they were all contestable kicks. And we didn't handle the kicks. "There's 12 points, there's the game off two kicks." The only concern for Cronulla came in the form of a calf injury for Mawene Hiroti, just a week after fellow centre KL Iro was ruled out for two months with a pectoral tear.
7NEWS
3 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Sharks' season back on track after 10 minutes of torment secures win over St George Illawarra
Braydon Trindall has helped put Cronulla's NRL season back on track, unleashing 10 minutes of torment on St George Illawarra's back three to help the Sharks come from behind and win 30-18. Off the back of two straight losses and after trailing at halftime, Cronulla went from 18-6 down to 22-18 up between the 47th and 57th minutes on Thursday night. The hosts then did enough to hold on for victory at Shark Park, making it 10 in a row against their arch-rivals and keeping the Sharks fifth on the ladder. Trindall scored a double and kicked superbly in the win, while Blayke Brailey was back to his running ways out of dummy-half early in the game. Their Sharks teammate Sione Katoa produced one of the tries of the year with a brilliant effort that proved the match clincher. With the Dragons down 24-18 with five minutes to play, five-eighth Lyhkan King-Togia chipped ahead and went to toe the ball on again. But Katoa slid along the ground to catch the ball goalkeeper-style, before gathering his feet and sprinting 60 metres to score. The result makes it two losses in a row for the Dragons, with Shane Flanagan's men now 12th and at risk of sliding further south this weekend. For Cronulla, this was a desperately needed win. Beaten by an undermanned Sydney Roosters and the Warriors in the Shire in their past two matches, Cronulla travel to Brisbane and Melbourne in the next fortnight. Things started well with Brailey running out of dummy-half, and the hooker bust through the middle to send Trindall over for his first. But after that, it was all the Dragons before the break. Damien Cook turned back the clock for one try and King-Togia beat four defenders for another. And when Jack de Belin went over with Sharks centre Jesse Ramien in the sin-bin for a professional foul it was 18-6. Then it was left for Trindall to revive the Sharks in the second half. The five-eighth put Briton Nikora over with a short ball, before staying alive to score from one of his own bombs after Clint Gutherson and Tyrell Sloan failed to defuse it. The go-ahead try then came when Nathan Lawson dropped Trindall's next bomb, and Sione Katoa skipped to the outside of Dragons centre Moses Suli from the scrum to score. The only concern for Cronulla came in the form of a knee injury for Mawene Hiroti, just a week after fellow centre KL Iro was ruled out for two months with a pectoral tear.
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Teammates in awe of young gun's NRL return
Young gun Lyhkan King-Togia has received rave reviews from his Dragons teammates after an eye-catching performance at Magic Round where he provided an instant spark to their attack that they've been missing this year. King-Togia turns 20 next week but played like a man with years of experience under his belt as he took his chances against the Wests Tigers and set up two tries in his first start at halfback in the NRL. His promotion to the first grade side was inevitable after setting up nine tries in reserve grade, while Lachlan Ilias had managed just four assists to start the season as he worked his way back from a horror leg injury. 'I thought Lyhkan did a really good job,' representative centre Valentine Holmes said. 'He only had the preparation of one week and I thought he did well. He listened to what the attacking coaches asked him to do, he set up a couple of tries and defended really well. 'It's a big step up from NSW Cup to the NRL – and it's not only NRL but Magic Round on the big stage. 'We all know what a talent he is and the ball-playing skills that he has. Most young halves these days are silky, but it's usually the defensive side of things where you need to be really good at because if teams see a young half, they'll send traffic their way. 'It's about being solid defensively, and I think he was sound.' King-Togia played four games last season and is a big part of the club's future after signing a new deal last week, and he showed he's ready to be their halfback now. King-Togia is seen as the future of the club. NRL Images Credit: The Daily Telegraph 'It was good fun to get back out with the boys in Queensland where I'm from,' he said. 'It doesn't feel too different (having the seven on my back). It was kind of the same thing with the games last year where I just wanted to go out and have fun. 'Flanno (coach Shane Flanagan) just wants me to go out and have fun, and I feel that's when I'm at my best when I'm having fun. 'If I'm consistent and just worry about my part in the team then the rest will take care of itself. 'I'm grateful to be anywhere in the team. It was a big goal to get in the team and I'd play anywhere and do the best for the boys.' It was a rough start to the year for the emerging talent who broke his jaw before the first trial game which meant he couldn't get valuable minutes under his belt. But he's back now and ready to take on the Warriors this weekend, with King-Togia born in Auckland and idolising their former halfback Shaun Johnson. Lachlan Ilias has a battle on his hands to get back in the NRL side. NRL Photos Credit: The Daily Telegraph He's not fussed about the chat around who should start in the halves going forward, with Ilias also performing well in a big win in NSW Cup last week. 'He knows what he's got to do, and I'm sure he'll do the best he can to get back,' King-Togia said. 'If he's back then it's good for the boys.' After showing he can handle the big stage at Suncorp Stadium, King-Togia now gets the chance to shine in familiar surroundings in Wollongong where he feels at home. 'He kills it in Cup and he's so nonchalant,' winger Corey Allan said. 'He's your typical backyard footy player but he knows how to read the game. He sticks to the game plan, but when he needs to, he turns it on. That's the most dangerous thing about him.'
West Australian
08-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
‘He kills it': Lyhkan King-Togia relishing his NRL return after magical moments in Brisbane
Young gun Lyhkan King-Togia has received rave reviews from his Dragons teammates after an eye-catching performance at Magic Round where he provided an instant spark to their attack that they've been missing this year. King-Togia turns 20 next week but played like a man with years of experience under his belt as he took his chances against the Wests Tigers and set up two tries in his first start at halfback in the NRL. His promotion to the first grade side was inevitable after setting up nine tries in reserve grade, while Lachlan Ilias had managed just four assists to start the season as he worked his way back from a horror leg injury. 'I thought Lyhkan did a really good job,' representative centre Valentine Holmes said. 'He only had the preparation of one week and I thought he did well. He listened to what the attacking coaches asked him to do, he set up a couple of tries and defended really well. 'It's a big step up from NSW Cup to the NRL – and it's not only NRL but Magic Round on the big stage. 'We all know what a talent he is and the ball-playing skills that he has. Most young halves these days are silky, but it's usually the defensive side of things where you need to be really good at because if teams see a young half, they'll send traffic their way. 'It's about being solid defensively, and I think he was sound.' King-Togia played four games last season and is a big part of the club's future after signing a new deal last week, and he showed he's ready to be their halfback now. 'It was good fun to get back out with the boys in Queensland where I'm from,' he said. 'It doesn't feel too different (having the seven on my back). It was kind of the same thing with the games last year where I just wanted to go out and have fun. 'Flanno (coach Shane Flanagan) just wants me to go out and have fun, and I feel that's when I'm at my best when I'm having fun. 'If I'm consistent and just worry about my part in the team then the rest will take care of itself. 'I'm grateful to be anywhere in the team. It was a big goal to get in the team and I'd play anywhere and do the best for the boys.' It was a rough start to the year for the emerging talent who broke his jaw before the first trial game which meant he couldn't get valuable minutes under his belt. But he's back now and ready to take on the Warriors this weekend, with King-Togia born in Auckland and idolising their former halfback Shaun Johnson. He's not fussed about the chat around who should start in the halves going forward, with Ilias also performing well in a big win in NSW Cup last week. 'He knows what he's got to do, and I'm sure he'll do the best he can to get back,' King-Togia said. 'If he's back then it's good for the boys.' After showing he can handle the big stage at Suncorp Stadium, King-Togia now gets the chance to shine in familiar surroundings in Wollongong where he feels at home. 'He kills it in Cup and he's so nonchalant,' winger Corey Allan said. 'He's your typical backyard footy player but he knows how to read the game. He sticks to the game plan, but when he needs to, he turns it on. That's the most dangerous thing about him.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dragons tie down young gun in fresh blow for Lachlan Ilias after manager's warning
Lachlan Ilias' future at the Dragons is under a fresh cloud, with the halfback tipped to be axed for Magic Round and replaced by young playmaker Lyhkan King-Togia, who has just re-signed with the club. The Dragons confirmed on Tuesday that King-Togia had signed an extension until the end of the 2027 season, with the 19-year-old tipped to replace Ilias in the halves for Saturday night's NRL showdown against the Tigers at Suncorp Stadium. King-Togia is set to be upgraded to the Dragons' top-30 roster from next season and is in line to make his return to the NRL this weekend. While the news is an exciting development for the teenage playmaker, it's a brutal blow for Ilias, who was warned by his manager Braith Anasta earlier this month that he probably only had "two or three weeks" to turn his form around or face the axe. Those comments came after Ilias' game management was criticised in the wake of two bad losses earlier this season. The halfback was at fault for an attempted 40/20 kick that went out on the full against Parramatta, and helped hand the Eels victory in golden point in round five. He also copped a public reprimand from coach Shane Flanagan for failing to ice victory late on against Souths in round two, leading Anasta to make a shock admission about his client's hopes of hanging onto the No.7 jersey. 'He's got to be better, the (Eels game) was a big miss from him. He had the opportunity there to ice it and he went for the 40/20 and he got it wrong. You just can't do that,' Anasta said on NRL 360 after the round five loss. "I don't think he'll have 10 rounds, I think it's the next two or three weeks really.' RELATED: NRL boss flags major bunker change as players warned over ugly trend Why Terrell May is a 'must-pick' for Origin as Blues coach drops hint Luai rejects ugly claim about Galvin as Tigers young gun breaks silence Anasta's assessment seems to be spot on with coach Flanagan set to dump Ilias to reserve grade after his underwhelming start to the season. The same thing happened to the halfback at Souths last year before a broken leg scuppered any hopes of Ilias breaking back into the Rabbitohs' first grade side. The 24-year-old moved to the Dragons hoping for a fresh start but things have not exactly gone to plan so far in 2025. Ilias helped steer the Dragons to a win against Manly a fortnight ago, but the heavy defeat to the Roosters on Anzac Day and his struggles earlier in the season spell bad news for Ilias' prospects. The performances of halves partner Kyle Flanagan have also come under fire this season, with fans questioning why the coach's son is not the one on the chopping block. But with King-Togia expected to be promoted to the starting side for Magic Round, it's understood the 19-year-old will partner Flanagan in the halves as he looks to cement a first-grade spot this season. Although he has been out of form & his 5th tackle options are poor our forwards havent really given him a shot Thats been a on going issue for a few seasons now Flanagan reminds me of a Ben Hornby not to creative but solid in defence we will need someone to steer the boys around — Raven 87 (@Capt_Raven87) April 29, 2025 Illias hasn't been good, but to not drop your own son looks shocking. Big eyes on their game this weekend — T-Bag 🇦🇺 (@Thomas58974615) April 28, 2025 Kyle has kicked a measily 10 times all season compared to Illias 81. How the hell does he get given the 7 jersey this week it is a deadset joke and i guarantee there is some players who can feel the nepotism and don't like it one bit. Let's see Kyle's amazing kicking game on sat. — LJ (@xLJACK7x) April 29, 2025 What about Flanagan? If coach benches Ilias there will be uproar given his son is just as bad — Mark Duggan (@MarkDug45709302) April 28, 2025 Ilias has taken on the bulk of the kicking duties during games for the Dragons this season and Flanagan will have to step up in that department as King-Togia is not a noted kicker. But veteran NRL journalist David Riccio says it's weaknesses in his defensive game that has ultimately cost Ilias his spot. "It's not so much what the attack looks like, surely there's an element of that though," Riccio told SEN radio on Tuesday. "But I think it comes back to defence... just how much traffic is sent down Lachlan Ilias' edge and how many results opposition sides have been getting by targeting Lachlan Ilias." St George Illawarra have Dan Atkinson coming to the club from Cronulla next season, meaning halves pair Flanagan and Ilias were likely to be fighting over one spot anyway. Depending on how King-Togia fares against the Tigers on Saturday night, that could be a three-way battle in 2026. King-Togia is viewed as a highly touted junior at the club and played four games for the Red V in 2024, when Flanagan was suspended towards the back-end of the season. The Dragons also have 22-year-old Jonah Glover impressing in NSW Cup, but King-Togia is expected to get the nod and coach Flanagan says he's delighted the youngster has committed his immediate future to the Dragons. "Locking down Lyhkan for another couple of seasons is exciting for the club," coach Flanagan said of his re-signing. "He got a taste of first grade at the end of last year and has been playing good footy to start this season for our NSW Cup team. He's an exciting young half on the up and we're looking forward to watching him continue to improve over the coming seasons."
