Latest news with #PayneHaas
The Australian
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Mal Meninga believes Kangaroos can succeed without star trio
Former national coach Mal Meninga says there are other potential Kangaroos players 'just as good' as Payne Haas, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow if the trio choose to represent Samoa over Australia. Star forwards Haas and Fa'asuamaleaui and the electrifying Tabuai-Fidow are all understood to be leaning towards turning down the chance to play for the Kangaroos in the upcoming three-Test series against England to instead represent Samoa in the Pacific Championships. With Meninga having stood down as Kangaroos coach after being appointed to lead the Perth Bears, Kevin Walters is Australia's new coach and has indicated he will speak to Haas, Fa'asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow about their representative intentions. And while Meninga said it was 'important' for Walters to speak to the three players, he suggested that the new Kangaroos mentor shouldn't plead for them to play for Australia but simply ask if they wanted to or not. 'That's my belief,' Meninga told SENQ Breakfast. 'We're not going to deny that if those players aren't available, we still haven't got some great players to take their spots. 'They (Haas, Fa'asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow) are all great players but there are other players who are just as good. 'We've just got to see what their view is first because if you understand their view, then you understand what you need to do to move forward. 'All those traditions that Pacific Island teams have is alluring to players, so we've got to provide a similar type of environment around what is an Aussie and who do we represent and what do we celebrate. 'We do it a fair bit in the First Nations space, but we also celebrate other cultures as well throughout the (Kangaroo) program. 'We work really hard on that because we know that really appeals to players going back to play for the Pacific nations.' Marco Monteverde Sports reporter Marco Monteverde is a Brisbane-based sports reporter for NCA Newswire. He worked in a similar role for The Courier-Mail from 2007 to 2020. During a journalism career of more than 25 years, he has also worked for The Queensland Times, The Sunshine Coast Daily, The Fraser Coast Chronicle and The North West Star. He has covered three FIFA World Cups and the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as well as a host of other major sporting events in Australia and around the world. NewsWire A police officer aged in his 30s who died suddenly in front of his children has been farewelled at an emotional funeral. National Breaking News A group of women who were subjected to invasive medical examinations after a newborn baby was dumped in a bin at Doha Airport have had a fresh court win.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Broncos to unleash 'super six' together for first time
It has taken 21 rounds, but Brisbane finally have their dream starting spine and two powerhouse forwards, Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan, set to play together for the first time. The takeaway from that fact ahead of the home clash with Parramatta on Friday night is that the fifth-placed Broncos' premiership window is well and truly open. Ideally they would like to be closer than four points outside the vital top four, but they have a chance to make the most of the stars aligning to give them a red-hot crack at the title. The first-choice spine of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt had their first game together in the 26-14 win over Gold Coast before the bye. Prop Haas has returned from two weeks off after he was rested from the Titans match due to a lower back injury, and will partner lock Carrigan in a fearsome pack. It's all systems go for the Broncos, but it is up to them to make the most of it. "I'm looking forward to a really strong performance. We've got everything to play for," coach Michael Maguire said. "There's an opportunity there to be taken. It's not so much about who we're playing, it's about what we're doing. It's really important. "We've got a fair bit out of the last five weeks, the way we've played." The Broncos have won their past five games after a sequence of six losses in seven matches. Haas has been a marvel after going above and beyond to play for the side, despite carrying a lower back injury for most of the year. "He's worked hard. He's sacrificed a lot of time to make sure his back's right," Maguire said. "Payne has actually had a real good couple of weeks. I'm glad now that we rested him (against the Titans) ... and he's looking forward to what's ahead." The return of veteran Hunt against the Titans, from two months out with a hamstring injury, has given the Broncos a second rudder to complement captain Reynolds. "Having Hunty there, that's pretty handy for us with obviously the experience that he brings," Maguire said. "He will develop as he keeps going because he hasn't played a lot of nine in recent times, but he's played in big games, so he knows what he's doing." In injury news, giant prop Ben Te Kura is set for more time on the sidelines after a foot fracture playing for Souths-Logan. "He's had a really tough run, the big fella. He got a bit of a slight fracture in one of his bones in his feet," Maguire said. "Unfortunately, he's been in and out. He should be back for two or three games at the back end (of the season), we're hoping."
News.com.au
10 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Ex-Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga confident Australia can overcome potential loss of Payne Haas, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Former national coach Mal Meninga says there are other potential Kangaroos players 'just as good' as Payne Haas, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow if the trio choose to represent Samoa over Australia. Star forwards Haas and Fa'asuamaleaui and the electrifying Tabuai-Fidow are all understood to be leaning towards turning down the chance to play for the Kangaroos in the upcoming three-Test series against England to instead represent Samoa in the Pacific Championships. With Meninga having stood down as Kangaroos coach after being appointed to lead the Perth Bears, Kevin Walters is Australia's new coach and has indicated he will speak to Haas, Fa'asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow about their representative intentions. And while Meninga said it was 'important' for Walters to speak to the three players, he suggested that the new Kangaroos mentor shouldn't plead for them to play for Australia but simply ask if they wanted to or not. 'That's my belief,' Meninga told SENQ Breakfast. 'We're not going to deny that if those players aren't available, we still haven't got some great players to take their spots. 'They (Haas, Fa'asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow) are all great players but there are other players who are just as good. 'We've just got to see what their view is first because if you understand their view, then you understand what you need to do to move forward. 'All those traditions that Pacific Island teams have is alluring to players, so we've got to provide a similar type of environment around what is an Aussie and who do we represent and what do we celebrate. 'We do it a fair bit in the First Nations space, but we also celebrate other cultures as well throughout the (Kangaroo) program. 'We work really hard on that because we know that really appeals to players going back to play for the Pacific nations.'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kevin Walters vows to act as three players consider walking away from Kangaroos
Kevin Walters says one of his key tasks after being appointed Kangaroos coach will be trying to convince star trio Payne Haas, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to commit their national allegiances to Australia. Walters was on Wednesday officially named to lead the Kangaroos in the Ashes series in England at the end of the year, but he may be missing three of Australia's best players. It's understood Origin stars Haas, Fa'asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow are all leaning towards representing Samoa in the post-season Pacific Championships, rather than playing for the Kangaroos in the Ashes. The trio's defection would also have major implications for next year's World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea. If they make the move, the star-studded trio would become the latest in a growing list of rep stars to honour family and play for the country of their heritage, rather than the nation where they were born. NSW Origin stars Jarome Luai and Stephen Crichton are among the highest-profile stars to pledge their allegiances to Samoa, who would be even stronger with the addition of Haas, Fa'asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow. Walters understands the importance of family to many of the Australian-born players with Pacific Island backgrounds, and would be fully supportive of the trio if they decided to defect from the Kangaroos. But he's definitely keen to speak with the three Origin superstars and try to convince them to play for Australia. RELATED: Madge spills family detail that has Walsh and Broncos primed for finals Panthers fans divided after Ivan Cleary forced to axe grand final hero Teammate responds amid calls for NRL stars to cop ban from Origin Kevin Walters hoping to convince star trio to play for Australia "In time I will, but that's probably not a conversation for today," he said. "I just want to explain to those players that are contemplating, I totally understand their situation, but let's get the Kangaroos opportunity in front of them and see where they're at with that. We move forward from there." Tabuai-Fidow represented Samoa in one World Cup match in 2022 and won the 2024 Pacific Cup with Australia. And Fa'asuamaleaui was a key part of the Kangaroos' 2022 World Cup-winning squad. He did play a Test for Samoa in 2019, but has represented Australia in his past seven Tests. All four of Haas' Test matches have been with Australia. But Walters says regardless of the outcome around the star trio, the Kangaroos will still remain strong. "One thing about the Australian rugby league team is that there's great talent. We know that," he said. "So if some players elect to play for Pasifika nations or whatever nation, we've got plenty of depth here in Australia. Obviously we want the best players available. It's been a terrific State of Origin series with great talent on show from both states, so I'm sure we'll get a very strong 22 to take on the English in October and November." Kevin Walters excited by 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' Walters is tasked with succeeding Mal Meninga after the former Kangaroos coach stepped down to take charge of the Perth Bears, who enter the NRL in 2027. The former Maroons and Broncos coach won a World Cup with Australia as a player and said it was a 'dream' to be handed the Kangaroos role, with the 12-month deal putting his aspirations to coach again in the NRL again on hold. "Certainly. At the moment, my focus is the Kangaroos," Walters said. "It's a 12-month contract so it's the opportune time for me to come in and get some hard work done and then prepare these guys for what will be a very tough series. "When that phone call came to ask if I would be interested in coaching the Kangaroos, the hairs on the back of my neck really stood up and bristled. As a kid, you dream about... playing for the Kangaroos, which I was fortunate enough to achieve, and now to be given the opportunity to coach them, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Walters coached Queensland to two State of Origin series wins out of four and was at the helm of Brisbane when they reached the 2023 grand final before being sacked at the end of last year. If he leads the Kangaroos in a successful Ashes tour of England, there is a strong chance Walters would be retained for next year's World Cup.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Ben Te'o: ‘Guys were fighting for spots. After too many drinks sometimes that spills over'
Ben Te'o emerges from Brisbane Broncos' headquarters, umbrella in one hand and walking a little gingerly. As we head for the cafe at the Broncos' lavish training base, where Te'o is now an assistant coach, he explains he has just spent two nights in hospital due to a burst appendix. To his great credit, he still felt obliged to meet, and he is good company. It is entirely complimentary to remark that Te'o has never struck as an overly complicated person. He says it how he sees it. And there is plenty to say. It is 8am, the day before the first British & Irish Lions Test in Brisbane. Te'o has been in demand of late, for the local press wants to know how the Lions measures up against NRL's State of Origin and the former England centre is the only man to both represent the former and play in the latter. Before we get down to a globe-trotting cross-code career, the booze-fuelled incident that precipitated his departure from England and his transition to coaching, Te'o insists on introducing me to the Broncos superstar Payne Haas. 'A freak,' Te'o enthuses, a union loose forward to die for if he ever made the switch. This is the second time we have sat down for an interview. The first was six years ago but it never saw the light of day because it was conducted in the buildup to the 2019 World Cup and Te'o was not picked in the final squad. He and Mike Brown were jettisoned by Eddie Jones after clashing during a night out in a pre-tournament training camp in Treviso and that incident is as good a place as any to start. Te'o scoffs at the idea a 'brawl' broke out, before confessing that he jabbed Brown, the culmination of simmering tension brought about by competition for places in squad. Jones unceremoniously ditched both players, sending the rest of his squad – who went on to reach the final in Japan – a clear message. 'There were a whole lot of guys who were fighting for spots and when you're doing that, things get a little sticky,' says Te'o. 'After too many drinks sometimes that spills over. My regret would be that after a few drinks the confrontation happened whereas it should have just happened before. You should have approached it before you had the drinks, because that blurs the line. 'I thought it galvanised the group and if I was Eddie I would have done the same thing. I don't think Browny was going anyway, I was teetering on not going because I had torn my calf earlier in the camp. Maybe Eddie saw an opportunity, get these two out of here right now, set a standard, make a statement to the rest of the team and put everyone on notice. It worked.' Almost immediately Te'o signed for Toulon. He was criticised for doing so, for jumping ship, but he wants to set the record straight about his swift exit to the Top 14. Complicating matters, his contract with Worcester had expired and he was a free agent. 'The backstory is I was having issues with the RFU about pay and insurance,' he adds. 'It was getting to the point where I was going to pull out. It kept on going, Eddie was saying it would get sorted and then we have this issue [with Brown] and I'm out [of the squad]. So I'm thinking, I'm [off] because they had not made it easy for me at that time.' Still, Te'o's eyes light up when recalling his three years in England. Once he had set his heart on union he initially held talks with Michael Cheika about playing for the Wallabies, but Te'o wanted to broaden his horizons and so the recently departed Leicester head coach arranged a two-year stint with Leinster. 'I was in a team with a lot of good people,' says Te'o. 'From going from league to union I had never spent so much time with my teammates. I roomed with Kyle Sinckler and I feel like I lived with Kyle for three years. And I learned so much from Eddie. I'm sitting here as the assistant coach of the Brisbane Broncos. I think I'm only here because of the time I spent with Eddie. 'For the majority of the time I thought I was a really good impact player. Eddie had that phrase, he used to call us the Finishers. It was Mako [Vunipola], Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, George Ford, me and Danny Care and we used to fly off that bench for the last 20 minutes of the game and smash it. We didn't mind being the Finishers.' In the middle of his England career came the 2017 Lions tour of New Zealand. Te'o finished with 20 England caps but his form in New Zealand – where he grew up – saw him add two more for the Lions in the drawn series. 'I never thought I was going to be a British & Irish Lion,' he adds. 'I was probably at the back of the line and I do feel like I played my way into the team. I was proud of that. My mother is English, I had gone over [to England] purely to play rugby, I then had the opportunity to represent her and ended up in the Lions squad.' As with Jones, Te'o waxes lyrical about Warren Gatland and believes it was inevitable that Andy Farrell – assistant in 2017 – would one day replace him as Lions head coach. '[Warren] was unbelievable. Now that I'm a bit older and I sit back I think he's one of the best coaches I've ever seen.' Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion I wonder if the 2013 Lions tour might have sowed the union seed in Te'o's mind. He does not think so – interestingly, he believes it did for Sam Burgess – but Te'o recalls avidly watching his close friend Israel Folau announce himself on the global union stage and is struck by the similarities between him and Joseph Suaalii. 'Izzy and Joseph are very similar,' adds. 'From a rules point of view, probably raw but from an athletic point of view, exceptional. Big, long, fast, unbelievable in the air. They're the same thing. I reckon [Joseph's] best position will eventually be full-back. You want him touching the ball in more space.' Te'o's time in Toulon was ill-fated. He was released early on Christmas Eve, spent the night packing and flew back to Australia on Christmas Day. It goes down as one of the many lessons that Te'o is now putting to use as a coach, a transition that came about after Covid curtailed his stint with the Sunwolves in Japan and precipitated a move back to the Broncos, first as a player, now as an assistant coach. 'I just started to think about all the things I had learned on my travels,' says Te'o. 'Being at Worcester, there were some real lessons I learned about always being in a relegation battle. Then being with Eddie and understanding how he would see things tactically and from a psychological point of view, thinking about how Warren brought together a team. So I started thinking to myself: 'I know a fair bit, it would be a waste if I didn't teach it to someone else.'' For now Te'o is settled in Brisbane with a young family but at some point in the future he would like to travel again and coach in union. The 15-man code is ailing in Australia at present but having grown up in New Zealand, where union remains a religion, it is clear Te'o still has a deep connection with the sport. 'Union, it's really fading over here,' he adds. 'Most kids aspire to be rugby league players. People have to understand that rugby league is in your face, it's everywhere. If you pick up the paper, it's rugby league. Turn on the TV, league, social media, league. All the podcasts, league. It's everywhere and rugby union is just not. 'I love both games. I love union more, to be honest, as a game, when it's played the right way. I don't want to be one of those people that says 'back in my day' but Super 12 rugby was phenomenal. As a kid growing up in New Zealand it was phenomenal. 'Rugby league is a great foundation as a coach so I'll stay here but my long-term goal is to travel and coach rugby union. When I first retired from footy, I also coached a second XV side at a local college up the road. Honestly, coaching the second XV was more fun than you could imagine. If union is played in an entertaining way, you can't beat it.'
