Latest news with #OriginSeries
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
QLD legend piles more pressure on Nathan Cleary with massive call about Tom Dearden
Queensland's greatest halfback Allan Langer admits Kangaroos selectors have 'a tough job' in deciding whether to pick Nathan Cleary or Tom Dearden as Australia's halfback for this year's Ashes series. Cleary is widely regarded as the best No.7 in the game but he was comprehensively outplayed by Dearden in the Origin series, with the Maroons' halfback inspiring his side to a come-from-behind series win after replacing Daly Cherry-Evans at No.7 for Queensland. Cleary has won four-straight premierships with Penrith, as well as a World Cup with Australia but is yet to dominate an Origin series and now has an 8-9 winning record with NSW that includes three losses in deciders. And it's led to suggestions that Dearden is in line to replace Cleary as Australia's No.7 for the end-of-season Test series against England. Some have compared Dearden to Maroons great Langer and the Queensland legend admitted that "he's heading in the right direction." Langer was thoroughly impressed by Dearden's displays for the Maroons that earned him the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series and believes he's a genuine chance to replace Cleary as Kangaroos halfback. "I'm sure we're going to see a lot more of Tommy Dearden and a lot more games for Queensland as well," Langer told ABC radio. "And he's going to put a lot of pressure on Nathan Cleary for that halfback spot for Australia. He's a great kid and certainly got a lot of footy left in front of him." Langer admits it will be a difficult decision for the next Kangaroos coach to choose between Dearden and Cleary, who is widely regarded as the NRL's best halfback. He says the form of the two playmakers for the remainder of the season will be crucial but that injuries could also play a major part. "We'll just wait to see at the end of the year because I know Tommy Dearden would be chomping at the bit to get the green and gold jersey and I know he'll never let anyone down," he added. "And Nathan Cleary is in the same boat. Penrith are going to come good again I'm sure. They're in the top-six at the moment so I think anyone coming up against Penrith in the finals is in for a tough job." RELATED: Roosters playmaker tipped to exit after being overlooked for veteran Fury over Panthers star's ban after Parra rival cops season-ending injury Knights offer contracts to two State of Origin players amid Ponga blow The Panthers are on a roll after winning five straight games to cement their spot in the top-eight, while North Queensland have lost five out of their last six to drop out of the finals spots into 12th place. Unless Dearden can help inspire a turnaround at the Cowboys starting with Thursday night's clash against the Dolphins, there's every chance his side won't feature in the finals, potentially handing Cleary a massive advantage for the Kangaroos role. The Cowboys do have a favourable run home though, with six of their remaining seven games against opponents currently outside the top-eight. And with the Panthers beginning to look more like the four-time defending premiers in recent weeks, Dearden knows he will have to perform consistently to be a chance of ousting Cleary as Kangaroos halfback. Dearden debuted for Australia in last year's Pacific Championships with Cameron Munster and Cleary out, before being the Kangaroos' best in the final against Tonga. But he said last week that it's premature to be eyeing off the No.7 jersey for Australia and insisted that Cleary was still the game's premier player. "I think Nathan Cleary is the best player in the game, he's the No.7 no matter what," the Queensland halfback said. "I'd of course love to be involved in the squad, but it's something that we don't have to think about until the end of the year. It's out of my control and all I can worry about is going back and playing good footy for the Cowboys."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'None the wiser': Laurie Daley's worrying admission as NSW Origin mistake exposed
NSW coach Laurie Daley says he's 'still none-the-wiser' about what the Blues could have done differently to avoid a humbling Origin series defeat against Queensland. That's despite widespread criticism about the Blues' tactical shortcomings and a glaring mistake they made during the 24-12 defeat to the Maroons in last Wednesday's series decider in Sydney. Former NRL star Jamie Soward and league podcaster Nathan Durkin - AKA the Rugby League Guru - discussed the Blues' questionable tactics after the Game 3 defeat. And both agreed with the likes of league Immortal Andrew Johns that NSW failed to cope with the Maroons' line speed and rushed defence, or come up with a 'Plan B' to their opponents' suffocating defence. They couldn't fathom why it essentially took until the end of the game for NSW five-eighth Jarome Luai to identify the space behind Queensland's defensive line by kicking short to set up a try for Brian To'o, especially when they'd used the tactic to good effect in Game 2. "What they (Queensland) were doing was working, so you've got to do something to counteract that and we just never did it," Durkin said on the Rugby League Guru podcast. "It took us 70 minutes to start kicking in behind and f***ing shock me, Brian To'o scores." Soward agreed, adding: "And we had the formula in Game 2. To'o got the first try and then Crichton got a try in Game 2 doing that, where they look out the back... we had the answers there." The Blues' inability to adapt and move away from a structured style that simply wasn't working has been scrutinised around the league world. But speaking on Sky's Big Sports Breakfast on Monday, Daley worryingly admitted that he's still at a loss to explain how NSW let the series slip and will need to conduct a thorough review with the Blues' coaching staff to figure it out. "(I'm) just trying to recover from Wednesday night. It'll take a while to get over," Daley said on Monday. "We expected a better performance, obviously, just trying to scratch my head on why, why we had a performance like that. The first couple of days were tough. "But you've just got to go through the review, which won't be great, at some point, and look to be even better than what we were." The NSW coach said after Game 3 that his side lost "the moments" in the Origin decider but has failed to address many of the key issues that critics have identified. Daley said he took 'full accountability' for the loss and has been backed by NSW bosses to continue in the role after declaring he's the right man for the job. But his Origin coaching record now stands at just one series victory in six campaigns, with calls growing louder for Daley to be replaced and the coach trying to get to the bottom of his latest series defeat. "That has to start with the coaches, me in particular. I've got to look at myself and make sure that I go through what I did to see whether that was the best I could have done," he said. "Are there other things that I could've done that could've made a big difference? "Going on what I felt after the game, I'm still none-the-wiser because I just was so happy with the way that we prepared and the way that we went about it ...Our preparation was as good as I've seen." But after a series loss rated by pundits among the side's darkest hours, alongside the 1995 and 2020 series losses, Daley accepts that the buck ultimately stops with him. RELATED: Nathan Cleary lifts the lid on father Ivan's act after heartbreak Sam Walker's future cast into doubt after news about father and uncle Cooper Cronk calls out worrying Reece Walsh moment for Broncos "I have to take full accountability for all that because I'm the leader," he said. "I get that, I understand that, people's frustrations. That's what you want around State of Origin, you want people to be emotional about it because they care." with AAP
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Next cab off the rank': Origin winner tipped to take Des Hasler's job at Titans
Queensland Rugby League chief Ben Ikin says the Maroons are keen to extend Billy Slater's contract after his coaching masterclass helped deliver a famous Origin series victory. In a move designed to help create a Maroons dynasty, it would also ward off interest from NRL clubs potentially looking to poach Slater, whose assistant Josh Hannay has been tipped to succeed under-fire Titans coach, Des Hasler. Slater was widely hailed for his tactics and bold selection calls as the Maroons bounced back from defeat at home in Game 1 to become the first Queensland side to win the remaining two games on the road and claim the Origin shield. Slater is contracted until the end of next year, which will be his fifth series in charge of the Maroons, but Ikin says the QRL are keen to tie him down 'for as long as we can'. 'It won't be a negotiation that looks similar to what happens in NRL land. I have great trust when we hand him the reins to take this team through a series and that trust has only increased every year he's had the job," Ikin told News Corp. 'It's for him to decide what he wants to do beyond next year and clearly if Billy wants to keep coaching the Queensland State of Origin team then he's probably going to keep the job.' Ikin's comments come amid reports that Slater's Maroons assistant Josh Hannay has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed under-fire Gold Coast head coach, Hasler. The veteran mentor reportedly has a clause in his contract meaning the Titans can sack him if they fail to finish the season inside the top-eight. That could happen after this weekend if Gold Coast fail to beat the Broncos on Sunday evening, with another loss meaning the Titans are mathematically out of finals contention. There have been suggestions that Hasler could retire at the end of the season anyway, despite being contracted until the end of 2026. Either way, Hasler's tenure has been 'an absolute disaster' according to league reporter Michael Caryannis. The former premiership-winning Manly coach was signed to the Titans on a big-money deal to replace Justin Holbrook, and tasked to deliver a harder edge to the Gold Coast and deliver finals footy to the club. But the Titans are rooted to the bottom of the ladder after just four wins in 15 games and Hasler's position is under fire. "It has been an absolute disaster," Caryannis said about Hasler's reign. "He's on a one million dollar contract and he was supposed to come in and really give this Titans side some clout. And it hasn't worked... the questions that we've had about the Titans for the last 24 months to three years still linger. "Can they unlock David Fifita and what's their best halves combination? And we still don't have those answers. And if you can't have those answers 18 months into your tenure... you're never going to have them." The Titans will also be without veteran playmaker Kieran Foran next year after he announced on Friday that he was retiring at the end of the season. RELATED: Laurie Daley urged to backflip after shock change in Origin loss Queensland star escapes punishment after incident with Latrell Reece Walsh suffers fresh blow after Queensland Origin triumph And with Hasler's exit seemingly edging closer, Maroons assistant Hannay has emerged as his potential successor. The former Cowboys and Sharks assistant was part of Slater's coaching staff for Queensland's Origin series win and Caryannis says it's understood he is 'the next cab off the rank' as far as the Gold Coast coaching job goes. "When you look at assistant coaches he's had a bit of experience with the Cowboys and Sharks... He's been in the Queensland Maroons set-up and went very close to getting the Parramatta job last year," Caryannis said about Hannay. "So if he wants the job, he'll be among the next cohort of coaches that don't have proper NRL experience (as a head coach)." Matt King, Ben Hornby and Dean Young have also been mentioned as potential candidates to succeed Hasler.
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Origin's series-defining moment offers an antidote to rugby league's performative masculinity
Hug your friends. Let them cry on your shoulder. Tell them everything's going to be OK. Do it in public. Do it with confidence. Do it knowing it might inspire someone else in need of an ally. Open yourself to holding your mate, like Billy Slater. Open yourself to being held, like Cameron Munster. There was a lot to take away from this year's State of Origin: Tom Dearden's unfussy excellence, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow's adaptability, Nathan Cleary's Kangaroos jersey. But it took until after the final siren of the third of the three full-blooded contests for the series-defining moment to occur. After composing himself to deliver his immediate postmatch thoughts to Channel Nine, Munster, Queensland's captain, turned and collapsed into the arms of Slater, Queensland's coach. The younger man sobbed uncontrollably. Great shudders of his weary body, unburdening himself of grief. The older man held his friend close, tears streaming down his own face. The loss of both men's fathers, six weeks of intense Origin stress, and the heightened pressure of recent days needed discharging. The television camera that had been used to elicit Munster's comments captured the embrace. Broadcasting to millions around the world it revealed the two men circled by photographers, who in turn were ringed by 80,000 spectators. Yet this unarguably public display of affection remained a private act. In a world of scripted reality authenticity is powerful. Cameras were present, but this was not staged to be clipped for socials. It was raw human heartache, the kind that cannot be fabricated by a Rockhampton larrikin and an Innisfail roustabout. The idiom goes that sport is the most important of the unimportant things in life. It highlights both the significance of sport in people's lives, but also how that significance has a ceiling. It mattered that Munster had extended his captaincy record to two wins from two matches. And it mattered that Slater was vindicated in his controversial decision to drop Daly Cherry-Evans after a series-opening loss. It mattered more in the grand scheme of things that two friends could comfort one another in their shared sorrow. Munster is still in the primal stage of grieving the death of his father. Within minutes of receiving the news on Sunday, Slater urged his captain to leave the team's training camp and be with his family. He was on a flight north in a matter of minutes. Most of us, at some point in our lives have endured, or will endure, similar pain. May we all have friends like Slater nearby when it happens. The pair were also the key protagonists before and during Origin 2. Queensland had lost three matches in a row. Playing stocks looked weak. Slater's coaching was in the spotlight. It was close to the most serious low in an almost unfailingly glittering career, and the first professional test without his father, Ron, to call on for support. Ronnie Slater, a north Queensland rugby league icon in his own right, died in January. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion Slater needed to pull a rabbit out of a hat. We know now that his decision to replace Cherry-Evans with Dearden and appoint Munster as captain was a masterstroke, but at the time these were decisions not applauded universally. He needed someone to have his back. That man was Munster. He was steadfast in his defence of his coach, and demonstrated as much with a player of the match performance in Perth. Afterwards he said: 'I don't ever tell him, but I'm probably telling him now. I love him.' Sport is often a proxy for authentic human connection. Especially for men; bloody big bloody tough bloody blokes. It allows us to pat each other's bums in public then sing secret songs in private. It means performative masculinity and converting concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy into clicks. And we can do all of this without having to process our feelings or confront our fears. Two of the hardest, most resilient figures in the toughest competition in the fiercest sport in the world have shown there's another way. So hug your friends. Let them cry on your shoulder. Everything's going to be OK.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Footy fans slam famous singer who's performing at State of Origin decider - 24 hours before he even starts his set
Aussie country singer Brad Cox has been confirmed by the NRL as the pre-game entertainment ahead of the Origin series decider in Sydney - and many footy fans aren't happy. Cox, 30, is best known for his song Give Me Tonight, which has been streamed more than 12 million times on Spotify. Performing in front of 80,000-plus supporters at Accor Stadium will be a career highlight for the performer from Jindabyne, NSW - but some bemused fans felt the NRL missed the mark. 'Is this random the best the NRL can do? He doesn't even have a picture on his Wikipedia page,' one bluntly posted in response to the announcement. 'Surely you could've done better?' asked another. 'Ahh yes the famous Brad Cox,' added a third, sarcastically. Popular footy page NRL Silverback slammed the decision and pointed to Cox's Wikipedia entry as proof he shouldn't have been picked (pictured) Footy fans were scathing (pictured) following the announcement that Cox will lead the pre-game entertainment on Wednesday night Cox burst onto the Australian country music scene in 2018 with his self-titled debut album, earning two coveted Golden Guitar nominations. He has also promised a 'high-energy' performance. 'We are there to get fans fired up for a big game of footy, so we'll be playing accordingly,' Cox told News Corp. 'I reckon we are going to start a trend. NRL and country music go hand-in-hand, I think we'll be the first of many.' Meanwhile, both teams aren't expected to make any late selection changes, as the Blues look to go back-to-back after winning the 2024 series. In an ominous statistic, no Queensland team dating back 45 years has lost the first game and then gone on to win the next two games away from home. Queensland coach Billy Slater has confirmed Cameron Munster will play, despite the five-eighth leaving camp to be with his family following the sudden death of his father Steven on Sunday. Daily Mail Australia will have a live blog to follow all the action online, with TV coverage on Channel Nine from 7pm.
