Why Penrith can't win the premiership, but Brisbane still have a shot
The toll of their premiership-winning run has shown at times this year with Nathan Cleary's groin injury and Brian To'o's different soft tissue issues.
And then you think about Isaah Yeo, he's played basically every minute of more than 100 games in the past four years alone. It has to take a toll on even the greatest players.
For mine, given that tough run comes against in-form teams after another gruelling Origin series, it's just too much for Penrith.
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I think the top three – Raiders, Bulldogs and Storm – stays the same, and I think the Roosters' roll on will have them finishing in the top eight as well. But as for the top four, I can't see the Warriors hanging on or Penrith sneaking in there. That spot is Brisbane's for the taking.
Singing and kicking in the rain
Brisbane have won three on the trot and Friday's clash with Canterbury where neither side has their Origin players is their chance to build some real momentum.
Sydney's cyclonic rain is meant to ease up by kick-off, but it will still be a greasy, slippery, heavy track at Accor Stadium. And wet weather footy always narrows the margin between two sides.
Wet weather footy will emphasise the basics: you get out of dummy half, you kick long, you kick often, you don't give away penalties and you defend strongly.
Brisbane's advantage here is Adam Reynolds. The little master kicked Canterbury out of the game the last time these two teams played in the wet and his experience and control in these conditions is something the Bulldogs just can't match.
Joey's tip: Broncos by four
First try-scorer: Selwyn Cobbo
Man of the match: Adam Reynolds
Billy's brave calls and the Blues' big advantage
Six more sleeps until a State of Origin decider with all on the line in front of a sold-out, 80,000-strong crowd. Come 8pm next Wednesday night, nothing else in the world will matter.
Billy Slater's gone with a couple of really brave, really surprising selections for Queensland.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow's selection at fullback over Reece Walsh took me aback, though the Hammer's a great fullback in his own right. He's got that blinding speed and beautiful balance when he runs, as we saw with his four tries against South Sydney last weekend.
Any half chances, he can turn them into tries and his support play is exceptional. His backing up and constant presence around the ruck is his advantage over Walsh.
But Reece has the swagger and X-factor that really comes to the fore on the big stage, and he offers a ball-playing option that Tabuai-Fidow can't match. The one-two punch Walsh and Cameron Munster could have offered against a tired Blues defence scared me.
The early advantage I see for NSW is across the back three and the all-important yardage game coming out of trouble. There's no real comparison between Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o and Zac Lomax – three of the best back-field runners in the NRL – and Queensland's one, two and five.
Tabuai-Fidow isn't known for his yardage game and Xavier Coates isn't the strongest runner from dummy half either. Valentine Holmes will be tested on that front as well.
The other two big selection shocks – Gehamat Shibasaki and Josh Papalii coming out of retirement –mean Slater won't die wondering, will he?
Shibasaki's selection at centre is one of the biggest bolters I can remember in Origin, and he has been in great form for Brisbane as a big and powerful ball-running option. He and Walsh have combined really well for the Broncos down their left edge but, of course, Walsh isn't there with him next Wednesday night.
Without the ball though, Shibasaki's defensive reads can get him into trouble. I expect NSW and Stephen Crichton to really put him under the microscope.
Papalii's return at the age of 33 is a smart call in my book. Just as giving Munster the captaincy proved a masterstroke and brought the best out of the Maroons No.6, there's a bit of Origin mythology about Big Papa coming back. Brad Fitter did it for NSW in 2004, and Alfie Langer, of course, did it for Queensland in 2001.
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The Advertiser
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- The Advertiser
France shock reigning champs England at women's Euros
England have set a number of unwanted firsts as they began their defence of the Women's European Championship title by losing to France 2-1. Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore scored two quickfire goals towards the end of first half as France recorded a ninth straight win and stunned the defending champions in Zurich on Saturday. Keira Walsh reduced the deficit three minutes from time but it wasn't enough to prevent England from becoming the first titleholders to lose their opening match at a women's Euros. The defeat also ended England coach Sarina Wiegman's remarkable flawless record in the competition, after winning 12 out of 12 matches across two tournaments as she steered first the Netherlands to the title and then England. "We're frustrated because we had such three very good weeks and we trained really well, but that's never a guarantee that of course you win the game," Wiegman said. "You have to do things really well and we just didn't get it right at those moments." The Lionesses next face the Netherlands on Wednesday, before taking on Wales in their final group match four days later. The Netherlands beat Wales 3-0 in the early match in Group D. It was a statement victory for France, who - despite being without injured captain Griedge Mbock - were in firm control for most of the match, apart from the opening 15 minutes and a tense finale after Walsh's goal. However, France coach Laurent Bonadei was quick to dismiss any suggestion his team was emerging as one of the favorites "I wont change my position on our status. At the moment we haven't won anything, we are still challengers with a lot of ambition," he said. England got off to a strong start and Lauren James almost gave England the lead within 40 seconds with a clever run into the box but fired narrowly over. Alessia Russo thought she gave England the lead in the 16th minute, turning in the rebound after Lauren Hemp's shot was saved but it was ruled out for a tight offside decision on Beth Mead in the buildup. As England appeared to deflate after that call by the video assistant referee, France grew in ascendancy and broke the deadlock in the 36th. Elise De Almeida won the ball in her own half before surging down the right and threading the ball through to Delphine Cascarino, who put in a low cross for Katoto to tap in at the back post. France doubled heir lead just three minutes later. Baltimore mazed her way into the area, close to the byline, and Lucy Bronze inadvertently kept the ball in play with her attempted tackle, allowing the Chelsea forward to curl into the far side of the net. England hadn't even had a shot on target before they got back into the game late on. A corner was cleared only to the edge of the area for Walsh to calmly control before firing into the top right corner for only her second international goal. The Lionesses almost completed an improbable comeback in the final minute of stoppage time when France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin missed her punch and Hemp turned it goalwards but Selma Bacha cleared it off the line. England have set a number of unwanted firsts as they began their defence of the Women's European Championship title by losing to France 2-1. Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore scored two quickfire goals towards the end of first half as France recorded a ninth straight win and stunned the defending champions in Zurich on Saturday. Keira Walsh reduced the deficit three minutes from time but it wasn't enough to prevent England from becoming the first titleholders to lose their opening match at a women's Euros. The defeat also ended England coach Sarina Wiegman's remarkable flawless record in the competition, after winning 12 out of 12 matches across two tournaments as she steered first the Netherlands to the title and then England. "We're frustrated because we had such three very good weeks and we trained really well, but that's never a guarantee that of course you win the game," Wiegman said. "You have to do things really well and we just didn't get it right at those moments." The Lionesses next face the Netherlands on Wednesday, before taking on Wales in their final group match four days later. The Netherlands beat Wales 3-0 in the early match in Group D. It was a statement victory for France, who - despite being without injured captain Griedge Mbock - were in firm control for most of the match, apart from the opening 15 minutes and a tense finale after Walsh's goal. However, France coach Laurent Bonadei was quick to dismiss any suggestion his team was emerging as one of the favorites "I wont change my position on our status. At the moment we haven't won anything, we are still challengers with a lot of ambition," he said. England got off to a strong start and Lauren James almost gave England the lead within 40 seconds with a clever run into the box but fired narrowly over. Alessia Russo thought she gave England the lead in the 16th minute, turning in the rebound after Lauren Hemp's shot was saved but it was ruled out for a tight offside decision on Beth Mead in the buildup. As England appeared to deflate after that call by the video assistant referee, France grew in ascendancy and broke the deadlock in the 36th. Elise De Almeida won the ball in her own half before surging down the right and threading the ball through to Delphine Cascarino, who put in a low cross for Katoto to tap in at the back post. France doubled heir lead just three minutes later. Baltimore mazed her way into the area, close to the byline, and Lucy Bronze inadvertently kept the ball in play with her attempted tackle, allowing the Chelsea forward to curl into the far side of the net. England hadn't even had a shot on target before they got back into the game late on. A corner was cleared only to the edge of the area for Walsh to calmly control before firing into the top right corner for only her second international goal. The Lionesses almost completed an improbable comeback in the final minute of stoppage time when France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin missed her punch and Hemp turned it goalwards but Selma Bacha cleared it off the line. England have set a number of unwanted firsts as they began their defence of the Women's European Championship title by losing to France 2-1. Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore scored two quickfire goals towards the end of first half as France recorded a ninth straight win and stunned the defending champions in Zurich on Saturday. Keira Walsh reduced the deficit three minutes from time but it wasn't enough to prevent England from becoming the first titleholders to lose their opening match at a women's Euros. The defeat also ended England coach Sarina Wiegman's remarkable flawless record in the competition, after winning 12 out of 12 matches across two tournaments as she steered first the Netherlands to the title and then England. "We're frustrated because we had such three very good weeks and we trained really well, but that's never a guarantee that of course you win the game," Wiegman said. "You have to do things really well and we just didn't get it right at those moments." The Lionesses next face the Netherlands on Wednesday, before taking on Wales in their final group match four days later. The Netherlands beat Wales 3-0 in the early match in Group D. It was a statement victory for France, who - despite being without injured captain Griedge Mbock - were in firm control for most of the match, apart from the opening 15 minutes and a tense finale after Walsh's goal. However, France coach Laurent Bonadei was quick to dismiss any suggestion his team was emerging as one of the favorites "I wont change my position on our status. At the moment we haven't won anything, we are still challengers with a lot of ambition," he said. England got off to a strong start and Lauren James almost gave England the lead within 40 seconds with a clever run into the box but fired narrowly over. Alessia Russo thought she gave England the lead in the 16th minute, turning in the rebound after Lauren Hemp's shot was saved but it was ruled out for a tight offside decision on Beth Mead in the buildup. As England appeared to deflate after that call by the video assistant referee, France grew in ascendancy and broke the deadlock in the 36th. Elise De Almeida won the ball in her own half before surging down the right and threading the ball through to Delphine Cascarino, who put in a low cross for Katoto to tap in at the back post. France doubled heir lead just three minutes later. Baltimore mazed her way into the area, close to the byline, and Lucy Bronze inadvertently kept the ball in play with her attempted tackle, allowing the Chelsea forward to curl into the far side of the net. England hadn't even had a shot on target before they got back into the game late on. A corner was cleared only to the edge of the area for Walsh to calmly control before firing into the top right corner for only her second international goal. The Lionesses almost completed an improbable comeback in the final minute of stoppage time when France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin missed her punch and Hemp turned it goalwards but Selma Bacha cleared it off the line.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
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France shock reigning champs England at women's Euros
England have set a number of unwanted firsts as they began their defence of the Women's European Championship title by losing to France 2-1. Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore scored two quickfire goals towards the end of first half as France recorded a ninth straight win and stunned the defending champions in Zurich on Saturday. Keira Walsh reduced the deficit three minutes from time but it wasn't enough to prevent England from becoming the first titleholders to lose their opening match at a women's Euros. The defeat also ended England coach Sarina Wiegman's remarkable flawless record in the competition, after winning 12 out of 12 matches across two tournaments as she steered first the Netherlands to the title and then England. "We're frustrated because we had such three very good weeks and we trained really well, but that's never a guarantee that of course you win the game," Wiegman said. "You have to do things really well and we just didn't get it right at those moments." The Lionesses next face the Netherlands on Wednesday, before taking on Wales in their final group match four days later. The Netherlands beat Wales 3-0 in the early match in Group D. It was a statement victory for France, who - despite being without injured captain Griedge Mbock - were in firm control for most of the match, apart from the opening 15 minutes and a tense finale after Walsh's goal. However, France coach Laurent Bonadei was quick to dismiss any suggestion his team was emerging as one of the favorites "I wont change my position on our status. At the moment we haven't won anything, we are still challengers with a lot of ambition," he said. England got off to a strong start and Lauren James almost gave England the lead within 40 seconds with a clever run into the box but fired narrowly over. Alessia Russo thought she gave England the lead in the 16th minute, turning in the rebound after Lauren Hemp's shot was saved but it was ruled out for a tight offside decision on Beth Mead in the buildup. As England appeared to deflate after that call by the video assistant referee, France grew in ascendancy and broke the deadlock in the 36th. Elise De Almeida won the ball in her own half before surging down the right and threading the ball through to Delphine Cascarino, who put in a low cross for Katoto to tap in at the back post. France doubled heir lead just three minutes later. Baltimore mazed her way into the area, close to the byline, and Lucy Bronze inadvertently kept the ball in play with her attempted tackle, allowing the Chelsea forward to curl into the far side of the net. England hadn't even had a shot on target before they got back into the game late on. A corner was cleared only to the edge of the area for Walsh to calmly control before firing into the top right corner for only her second international goal. The Lionesses almost completed an improbable comeback in the final minute of stoppage time when France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin missed her punch and Hemp turned it goalwards but Selma Bacha cleared it off the line.
The Age
7 hours ago
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The on-field gesture that raises more concerns for Dragons and Flanagan
'Post-try celebrations where players are making hand signals similar to a burger is something that brings the group together when we cross the white line. To link it to any one player is completely unfactual. The more burgers the better.' Watsford said in a podcast that the Dragons are now on the hunt for a marquee half. The situation around Kyle is tricky because the more coach Flanagan defends his son, the worse it gets. We told you last week about the way comments he made in the News Corp press were noted, saved and passed on by current and former players. I was chastised for saying I felt sorry for Kyle. He is a hard trainer, a tough kid and an adequate player. He won't be the team's long-term halfback, and is probably a solid No.14. But there is obviously more to him. He was let go by the Roosters and the Bulldogs, and would not be the starting No.7 at any club other than the Dragons. 'I don't get any flashbacks' As he approaches Wednesday's State of Origin series decider, Blues coach Laurie Daley says he won't let a desire for revenge dominate his coaching. 'I don't think anyone can want something too much, but what you need to be able to do is control yourself and make sure that you're making the right decisions,' Daley said. 'That's what we've done all the way through the series, and that's what we'll continue to do for this one.' Last week, we wrote that Daley could be excused for suffering post-traumatic Origin syndrome after Queensland tortured him for years. Daley won just six of 15 games in his first stint as NSW coach from 2013 to 2017, against one of the great Queensland teams of all time, but many of the losses were heartbreakers. 'I got that out of my system pretty early,' Daley said about the past. 'As a coach, it's a roller coaster, you're up and down. But the funny thing is, like a footy player – [and] coaching is the same – once you're back in the environment, you feel more comfortable rather than being away from it where you think too much. 'Sometimes you can overcomplicate things, too. So you've just got to keep it simple. I don't get any flashbacks. But you get excited, you get anxious, you get nervous, you get a range of emotions. But I think that's only natural. 'So for me, that's a good thing. As a player, I used to love feeling like that. And as a coach, you want to have that feeling as well, because you've got to focus in on what's important, and you've got a big responsibility to get the players in the right frame of mind and provide them the right environment for them to play their best.' And if Daley gets the wobbles, he has Craig Bellamy by his side. 'I think it's always handy to have someone like Craig Bellamy on your team; someone to ask for advice, someone that can guide you,' Daley said. 'He's been in every situation the game's tossed up – I think he'd have been through it. That's why we got him on board, and that's why he has a big part in the way that we go about planning our week ... about how we go about messaging through the week, and how we handle weeks. 'Because I don't know how many grand finals he's coached in [nine], but he's been there for a while and knows how to do it.' The Bellamy appointment shows Daley has put his ego aside in a bid for Origin redemption. 'I think when you try to create a selfless environment and a selfless team, and you've got to put the team first, I think coaches have to do that as well,' Daley said. 'And I've got a great group of coaches, and they all have great input. And I think it's all about sharing success if you get it, rather than sort of identifying one individual. 'And that's the type of team we want to be as well. We want to be a selfless team that's committed to doing all the little things well, and regardless of who gets the credit, we all know that everyone's contributed in some way, shape or form.' Roo shock for Smith The NRL is treating the man regarded as the game's next Immortal, Cameron Smith, poorly. He has made it known that he wants the Kangaroos coaching job, but for weeks, he has not heard a word – not even a thanks, but no thanks. The Kangaroos are without a coach after Mal Meninga took up the job with the Perth Bears. The delay in naming a replacement has led to questions about how invested the NRL is in the Kangaroos. There is also a level of mystery surrounding Brad Fittler's decision to pull out of the race for the Australian coaching job. There was widespread acknowledgement that Fittler was the right man to take over from Meninga, but Freddie's sudden change of mind has left people looking for reasons. Fittler was well advanced in negotiations with the NRL about the job – how he wanted it to look and the people he wanted to work with, including Smith. I have also heard whispers that Fittler was interested in having Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo on his coaching team. That would have made quite a dynamic outfit: Ciraldo as the nuts and bolts man, while Fittler could provide the inspiration and leadership along with Smith. The process has dragged on, and that may have been part of the reason for Fittler pulling out. Another factor may be the always grey area of national eligibility. There is an increasing trend for players to turn their backs on the green and gold and play for Pacific nations, and that would not have sat well with any potential Australian coach. Begging players to play for Australia is not acceptable, nor an attractive prospect for a coach. Fittler is time poor and there is no question that commentating for Channel Nine and working as a representative coach, whether at Origin level or for Australia, can have a real impact on that role. Fittler could be restricted in some of his opinions or criticism of players if he was national coach. It is also interesting that Meninga had expressed concerns privately about the resources the Kangaroos coach would have, if it was him or someone else going forward. The NRL has long been reluctant to spend money, and working in a cut-price environment is never pleasant. I am not sure that Fittler ever got that far down the track – where he had discussed the details of how a Kangaroo tour would be resourced – but whoever the next coach may be, it is something that will need serious consideration. Dogs won't let go Bulldogs assistant coach Chad Randall was being pushed by some Manly old boys to take over from Anthony Seibold on the northern beaches, but the Bulldogs are having none of it. Randall has the obvious family link – his dad, Terry, is a Sea Eagles great, who played 160 games for Manly and represented NSW and Australia – but the Dogs have just re-signed Randall jnr, who is responsible for their defence. The Bulldogs have another coach on the rise in former captain Josh Jackson. He is developing well in the system underneath Cameron Ciraldo. Robbo's northern exposure Trent Robinson is a new-age coach and is always looking at different ways to develop his players and himself. During their bye week, the Roosters coach ditched his phone and went camping with strangers in a remote part of the Northern Territory. He is comfortable roughing it and being alone with his thoughts. It's something many of his colleagues may not be happy doing. Trell's golf game up to scratch It is easy to see that Latrell Mitchell has an ambition to become a scratch golfer, such is his dedication to the sport. In the freezing cold at Leura in the Blue Mountains, and on a waterlogged course, as soon as the Blues finish training and recovery, Latrell will go to the course by himself and play until it gets dark. He also has his own golf video blog, which he puts out now and again. He has been off the drink and on the course this season, and has never been happier. His fitness is also the best it has been. Last we checked, he was off a handicap of 10, and that is heading down. Mitchell has also taken on another role: the coffee man for the Blues. Jack be nimble, and so is Baxter Jack Elsegood was a dynamic winger in the 1990s, and we may start to see him at Bulldogs games. His nephew, Baxter Warner, has just signed with Canterbury from the Roosters. He is an emerging centre who can also play wing and fullback.
