Latest news with #KurtMann
News.com.au
18-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Mann: I thought it was all a bit past me
State of Origin: Queensland Maroons' Kurt Mann speaks to Dane Lillingstone after becoming QLD's oldest debutant since 1980.
ABC News
15-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Harry Grant not worried about Queensland's record when he starts at hooker
Harry Grant insists he can make it work as a State of Origin starting hooker, despite Queensland losing all four games he has begun on the field and not the bench. Grant on Sunday conceded there was no excuse for his own performance in Origin I, with the 27-year-old having a tough night in the Maroons' 18-6 loss in Brisbane. ABC Sport will have live blog coverage of the State of Origin series. The Melbourne star is expected to take on even more responsibility in Perth, with utility Kurt Mann Queensland's only other player with history at dummy-half. There is little question that Grant has been the best number nine in the NRL for the past four years, ever since taking over Cameron Smith's jersey at the Storm. But Queensland has preferred to have him come off the bench in Origin, letting Ben Hunt take the sting out of the game early at dummy-half. In turn, the Maroons have won six of the eight games Grant has come off the bench, dating back to his Origin debut in 2020. But Grant does not have the same success starting, dropping the 2021 series opener, 2023 dead rubber, 2024 decider and last month's opener at Lang Park. In those last two matches in particular, Grant has been asked to make more tackles, while his running metres have been down. Grant claimed on Sunday he did not know how many minutes would be asked of him at Perth Stadium, but insisted the winless stat was irrelevant. "Performances are different and each game's different," Grant said in Perth. "I think I can take a bit of experience from being on the bench and starting. "They've all been different circumstances, different teams and different personnel. "So I think I can't really reflect too much on that, and [focus] more on what we have here now and making sure we make this count." Grant's game one effort came after he played just 55 minutes in the six-and-a-half weeks in the lead-up, owing to a hamstring injury. But the dummy-half refused to use that as any reason for his performance in the series opener. "That's probably an excuse," he said. "I've played enough footy over the years to know what I need to do and know what's important going into a big game like an Origin. "I probably went away from that a little bit and it flowed into the game. "I'm sure everyone in the team can say that they had a few moments that they would have liked back." Grant did, however, suggest the Maroons pack would have a point to prove in WA after commentary that they had been dominated through the middle by NSW last month. "It definitely lights a fire, doesn't it?" Grant said. "I think it would be silly to not say that but that's their opinions. "They can have their opinions and we know what works for us. The big thing now is taking it from the training field to the field." AAP
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Maroons No.9 not interested in horror starting stat
Harry Grant insists he can make it work as a State of Origin starting hooker, despite Queensland losing all four games he has begun on the field and not the bench. Grant on Sunday conceded that there was no excuse for his own performance in Origin I, with the 27-year-old having a tough night in the Maroons' 18-6 loss in Brisbane. The Melbourne star is expected to take on even more responsibility in Perth, with utility Kurt Mann Queensland's only other player with history at dummy-half. There is little question that Grant has been the best No.9 in the NRL for the past four years, ever since taking over Cameron Smith's jersey at the Storm. But Queensland have preferred to have him come off the bench in Origin, letting Ben Hunt take the sting out of the game early at dummy-half. In turn, the Maroons have won six of the eight games Grant has come off the bench, dating back to his Origin debut in 2020. But Grant does not have the same success starting, dropping the 2021 series opener, 2023 dead rubber, 2024 decider and last month's opener at Suncorp Stadium. In those last two matches in particular Grant has been asked to make more tackles, while his running metres have been down. Grant claimed on Sunday he did not know how many minutes would be asked of him at Optus Stadium, but insisted the winless stat was irrelevant. "Performances are different and each game's different," Grant said in Perth. "I think I can take a bit of experience from being on the bench and starting. "They've all been different circumstances, different teams and different personnel. "So I think I can't really reflect too much on that, and (focus) more on what we have here now and making sure we make this count." Grant's game-one effort came after he played just 55 minutes in the six-and-a-half weeks leading up to Origin I, owing to a hamstring injury. But the dummy-half refused to use that as any reason for his performance in the series opener. "That's probably an excuse," he said. "I've played enough footy over the years to know what I need to do and know what's important going into a big game like an Origin. "I probably went away from that a little bit and it flowed into the game. "I'm sure everyone in the team can say that they had a few moments that they would have liked back." Grant did, however, suggest the Maroons' pack would have a point to prove in WA after commentary that they had been dominated through the middle by NSW last month. "It definitely lights a fire, doesn't it?" Grant said. "I think it would be silly to not say that but that's their opinions. "They can have their opinions and we know what works for us. The big thing now is taking it from the training field to the field."
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
State of Origin star Kurt Mann reveals the shocking turmeric treatment that put him on the road to NRL stardom
Queensland debutant Kurt Mann is one of the NRL 's toughest players - and it all goes back to the day he played a schoolboy footy game and then ran a cross-country with turmeric powder stuffed up his nose. Mann, 32, will play No.14 for the Maroons in Perth as they attempt to square the State of Origin series. The Canterbury utility grew up tough in Winton and attended St Brendan's College in Yeppoon, where he was coached by Terry Hansen, one of the greatest ever schoolboy mentors. Hansen never went to any game without a can of turmeric powder, a noted cure-all, in his back pocket. Mann was in Grade 11 and playing for the A side when his nose was smashed all over his face, leaving him with blood squirting everywhere. Hansen grabbed Mann, stuffed the powder up his nose and the youngster went back out and played a blinder. Hansen knew he had found a player and always rated Mann one of the hardest-nosed players to lace up a boot. 'The turmeric thing is a true story. 'Hanso' put the turmeric up my nose because I broke it,' Mann said with a grin. 'We had the school cross-country the next day and he made me run in it with a broken nose too. I couldn't breathe out of it because I had a turmeric pack up my nose. 'He has done a couple of strange things to me, Hanso. 'I got a cork another time and he got a cup and lit a bit of paper. He put the paper in the cup while it was on fire and stuck it on my leg and sucked my leg into the cup like a vacuum. He reckoned that old wives' tale is how you fixed corks. 'Hanso was a great coach and a great mentor to me at St Brendan's. He taught me a lot about footy and toughness as well.' Mann will be Queensland's second oldest Origin debutant behind the great Arthur Beetson in 1980. 'At the start of the year, I probably would have thought all this was kind of past me being the age I am, but it's a credit to the team we have at the Bulldogs,' he said. 'I probably wouldn't have been a look-in if it wasn't for the way we've started the year there, so really excited, especially being a boy from Winton. 'It's a lifelong dream to represent my state.' Mann is the ultimate utility. 'I've actually started a game in every position bar front-row,' he grinned. 'I've played a little bit of front-row as well, a couple of weeks back against the Roosters. 'I've played enough footy now that I think I can get the job done wherever.' Mann's head can look a bit rough at times, but that's because he puts it in places others don't. 'I'll put it wherever I need to put it, especially for my state and for my family and community,' he said with a grin. Winton will be abuzz for his Origin debut. 'Oh, massive, it'll be huge,' Mann said. 'When they found out I was 18th man last a big water tower in town and it's usually white, but they turned it all maroon.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Kurt Mann's Maroons State of Origin debut reward for toughness shown in junior days
Queensland debutant Kurt Mann is one of the NRL's toughest players and it all goes back to the day he played a rugby league match and ran a cross-country with turmeric powder stuffed up his nose. Mann is set to get his first taste of State of Origin from the Maroons' interchange bench in the second match of the series in Perth next Wednesday. ABC Sport will have live blog coverage of the State of Origin series. The Canterbury utility grew up in the Central West Queensland town of Winton and attended St Brendan's College in Yeppoon. Mann was coached by Terry Hansen at St Brendan's, a well-known rugby league nursery. Hansen never went to a match without a can of turmeric powder in his back pocket, forever confident in the spice's healing powers. Mann was in grade 11 and playing for St Brendan's A side when he suffered a nose injury. Hansen grabbed the bloodied Mann and put the turmeric powder up his nose before he returned to the match and played exceptionally for his team. "'Hanso' put the turmeric up my nose because I broke it," Mann said with a grin. "We had the school cross-country the next day and he made me run in it with a broken nose too. I couldn't breathe out of it because I had a turmeric pack up my nose. "He has done a couple of strange things to me, Hanso. "I got a cork another time and he got a cup and lit a bit of paper. He put the paper in the cup while it was on fire and stuck it on my leg and sucked my leg into the cup like a vacuum. "Hanso was a great coach and a great mentor to me at St Brendan's. He taught me a lot about footy and toughness as well." At 32, Mann will become Queensland's second-oldest State of Origin debutant, behind the late Arthur Beetson in 1980. His journey to the Origin arena follows stints in the NRL with the Storm, Dragons, Knights and Bulldogs, who he joined in 2024. Mann has played a crucial role for the Bulldogs, who lead the ladder after 14 rounds. "At the start of the year, I probably would have thought all this [State of Origin] was kind of past, me being the age I am, but it's a credit to the team we have at the Bulldogs," Mann said. "I probably wouldn't have been a look-in if it wasn't for the way we've started the year there, so [I'm] really excited, especially being a boy from Winton. "It's a lifelong dream to represent my state." Mann is the ultimate utility, having plugged positional holes throughout his NRL career. "I've actually started a game in every position, bar front-row," he said. "I've played a little bit of front-row as well, a couple of weeks back against the Roosters. "I've played enough footy now that I think I can get the job done wherever." Mann said Winton would celebrate his Origin debut. "It'll be huge," Mann said. "When they found out I was 18th man last game … there's a big water tower in town and it's usually white, but they turned it all maroon. "I don't know how they managed that, so I think it'll be a pretty good atmosphere in Winton." AAP
