Latest news with #TrentLoiero
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Billy Slater drops another staggering Queensland team decision
Billy Slater has made the shock decision to demote Broncos gun Pat Carrigan to the bench for State of Origin Game 2. Just 24 hours after the Queensland coach announced his decision to axe halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, it has been revealed the Melbourne Storm legend is set to make another gigantic gamble by promoting Storm forward Trent Loiero into the starting side. As first reported by Code Sports, Slater on Tuesday said Loiero will start the game playing at lock with Mo Fotuaika and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui keeping their spots in the front row. 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 > Slater is also set to make another shock call by dumping Jeremiah Nani to the bench and replacing him in the starting side with Kurt Capewell. Capewell's return sees Beau Fermor dropped from the squad. It has been suggested Carrigan's move to sit on the pine is a tactical shift to stop NSW from getting the upper hand when Blues coach Laurie Daley decides to use his interchanges. However, it has also been reported Slater's decision is a 'kick up the backside' for Carrigan not to get complacent. Slater has started the shadow games early with the under-pressure coach still having the option of making more changes in the hours before kick-off. Slater announced the Maroons squad by alphabetical order on Monday, instead of handing each player a jersey number. The bizarre decision to take Carrigan out of the starting team has left some NRL commentators staggered. The ABC's Zane Bojack posted on X: 'Don't understand Carrigan in bench. 'Surely he swaps with Moe before kick off. Got told it was a kick up the backside for Pat from Billy thinking he has got too comfortable.' NRL Twitter commentator Eden Richards wrote on X: 'QLD could have Carrigan starting at lock and Hors starting at prop but Billy's decided Loiero at lock and Mo at prop is a better option…. I don't get it. 'We are so cooked.' Another fan wrote: 'That's crazy. Carrigan is one of the best forwards in the game. Also, he should be captain instead of Munster'. The Maroons need to win in Perth on Wednesday, June 18, to keep the series alive. Slater has been forced to admit he got it wrong in selecting Cherry-Evans for the series opener with Cowboys halfback Tom Dearden to start in the halves alongside Cameron Munster. The storm five-eighth was on Tuesday unveiled as Queensland's captain. Munster was picked ahead of his Melbourne Storm captain and Maroons teammate Harry Grant as well as Gold Coast Titans skipper Fa'asuamaleaui. The clash in Perth on Wednesday will be Munster's 20th Origin appearance for Queensland, having won the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series in 2020. Slater also confirmed Canterbury Bulldogs forward Kurt Mann would play his first game for Queensland in a new-look team that has to beat the Blues to force a game three decider to avoid losing a second straight series. Controversial Broncos star Ezra Mam has also been named in Slater's 20-man squad - just three games back from his drug-driving scandal - along with Raiders enforcer Corey Horsburgh and boom Storm centre Jack Howarth. The decision to pick Mam was promptly labelled a 'disgrace' by NRL fans, who felt Slater had lost the plot. Mam will reportedly wear the No.18 jersey as the Maroons' replacement player. Slater insists DCE is not the scapegoat Slater has moved to play down Cherry-Evans axing, denying claims DCE was used as the team's scapegoat for an underwhelming Game 1 showing. 'It's not the case (Cherry-Evans being a scapegoat for Game I loss),' Slater said. 'It's a case of the best person for the position. It is what it is. when you're in this position you've got to think about what's best for the team.' The halfback's axing means the Maroons will need to appoint a new captain for Game 2, with Slater revealing that decision will be made tomorrow. 'We'll make everyone aware of who the captain is tomorrow (Tuesday when teams are named). We've got quite a few club captains, quite a few leaders within the group, I feel whenever you play for the Qld team you're a leader in your own right.' Expected Queensland team for State of Origin II 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Xavier Coates 3. Robert Toia 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 6. Cameron Munster (C) 7. Tom Dearden 8. Mo Fotuaika 9. Harry Grant 10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 11. Reuben Cotter 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Trent Loiero 14. Kurt Mann 15. Lindsay Collins 16. Jeremiah Nanai 17. Pat Carrigan 18. Ezra Mam 19. Jack Howarth 20. Corey Horsburgh
News.com.au
04-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Never seen that before': Bellamy scolds Storm star for discipline issues after ‘costly' penalties
Storm coach Craig Bellamy and skipper Cam Munster have refused to blame the officials after Melbourne were on the wrong end of three huge penalties in the final ten minutes. Two of those penalties involved lock Trent Loiero, who had a game to forget with four penalties conceded in total. The last game of Magic Round was clouded in controversy following the huge call to take a likely match-winning field goal off Melbourne before Canberra won in golden point. Ryan Papenhuzyen's 75th minute field goal was rubbed out when the Bunker pinged Loiero for foul play in the tackle right before the field goal. Watch your team in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership. Stream every round LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play, on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Loiero's elbow made contact with Raiders skipper Joe Tapine's face that by the letter of a law is a penalty, but it's also an interaction that would happen countless times in every match. 'Ryan Papenhuyzen kicks a field goal from right in front, the referee though has his hands in the air, he wants to talk about what happened on the ground between Loiero and Tapine to see if the field goal will stand,' Warren Smith said on Fox League. 'If there was foul play here, this would take the field goal off the books.' Referee Gerard Sutton then told Storm captain Cameron Munster: 'Trent, when he's tackled uses the elbow, he's on report and it's a penalty.' You can watch the golden point drama play out in the video at the top of the page 'That's a massive call in this game,' Kevin Walters said in commentary on Fox League. 'That is absolutely stunning…. I've never seen that before,' Smith said. 'Loiero transgressed first and cost his side a seven-point lead.' Bellamy was asked about the incident and while he said he had only seen the replay once, the Storm coach preferred to blame the discipline of his team instead of the referees, giving Loiero a bake in the process. 'I don't know who was the instigator... at the end of the day you can't be giving the ball away in those positions,' Bellamy said. 'I only had a look at it once so I'm not exactly sure what happened but to turn the ball over 15 metres from their line, if he was in the wrong, he needs to pick his discipline up. 'It's unlike anyone. You show me a bloke who gives away two players who give the ball away in the game. You're not looking at too many people. It doesn't happen often.' Trent Loiero was penalised for this this the right call? ðŸ¤' ðŸ'°Watch #SNWMJ on @Foxtel CH 502 or stream on @kayosports — Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 4, 2025 Canberra went on to the game in golden point when Jamal Fogarty knocked over a penalty in front after Loiero gave away another penalty for a high shot on Hudson Young. 'It's a penalty, high contact and it's Trent Loiero again. A night to forget for the lock forward,' Smith said. 'I've got to say, that's pretty hard on Trent Loiero, very difficult, what's he meant to do there, he can't get out of the way, he's got to go in front, he lowered his contact and it was the way that Hudson Young carried the ball,' Walters said. 'You can see Trent Loiero say to the ref 'what am I meant to do there sir' but you can see the contact on the replay, we know it's a penalty.' Munster said that while the penalties were very costly, the Storm should be focused on their own discipline. 'I can't remember the last time a team got penalised with the ball but in saying that, we played some dumb footy tonight,' the stand-in skipper said. 'As much as it looked like it was in the hands of the ref, we have to be disciplined with the ball. 'We have some learnings, but it's a tough pill to swallow. We can't afford to keep doing it.
