Latest news with #AshleyKlein
Daily Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
NRL news: Josh Kerr reprimanded for Ashley Klein comments, Queensland Maroons, NSW Blues, result, video
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Maroons extended squad member Josh Kerr has labelled Origin referee Ashley Klein a 'double agent' in an all-time interview following Queensland's series-deciding win in Sydney. The Dolphins forward was in good spirits on Thursday morning when he fired a light-hearted barb at Klein over his officiating in game three, with the NRL handing down a breach notice alleging Kerr's comments were 'detrimental to the best interests of the game'. 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 > The Queensland squad member was also deemed to have 'undermined the credibility of match officials', being given five days to respond before a potential punishment is handed down. Watch Josh Kerr's cheeky post-Origin interview in the player above. Josh Kerr labelled Ashley Klein a 'double agent' and has now been punished. 'I'm not sure how much trouble I could get into for saying it but I thought Ash Klein did a bit to try and, you know, even it up or make it a bit closer,' Kerr told Fox Sports News. 'We were sitting there going, 'it's rorted, the game's rorted'. 'I haven't got the best eyesight at times but I'm watching four passes and sh*t. 'We were all on the sideline just going, 'oh, no, it's a double agent'. 'It makes it more exciting, doesn't it, and it brings out the Queenslander in all those players.' Klein came under fire after game two in which the Blues were on the wrong end of a lop-sided 10-2 penalty count. That was reversed in the decider where the Blues won the count 7-3. The Maroons were too strong for the Blues in the series decider, winning 24-12 at Sydney's Accor Stadium. The visitors led 20-0 at halftime, scoring three unanswered tries through Xavier Coates, Tom Dearden and Harry Grant. Blues centre Stephen Crichton scored the first try of the night for the hosts at the 55th minute, before Dearden went in for his second of the night at the 73rd minute, to seal the result. NSW winger Brian To'o scored a consolation try at the 79th minute. It was Maroons coach Billy Slater's third series win from his four in charge, going back to 2022. Originally published as 'The game's rorted': Maroons forward who labelled Origin ref 'double agent' reprimanded
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Maroons forward reprimanded for extraordinary comments about Origin ref: 'Double agent'
Maroons player Josh Kerr has been hit with a breach notice for labelling Origin referee Ashley Klein a 'double agent' following Queensland 's victory last week. The Dolphins star made the extraordinary comments when stopped by media on Thursday morning. 'I'm not sure how much trouble I could get into for saying it but I thought Ash Klein did a bit to try and, you know, even it up or make it a bit closer,' Kerr told News Corp outside the team hotel. 'We were sitting there going, "it's rorted, the game's rorted". 'I haven't got the best eyesight at times but I'm watching four passes and sh*t. 'We were all on the sideline just going, "oh, no, it's a double agent". 'It makes it more exciting, doesn't it, and it brings out the Queenslander in all those players.' The NRL have responded to the remarks, stating that Kerr's comments have contravened the code of conduct and are 'detrimental to the best interests of the game'. Kerr has been given five business days to respond. Klein was heavily criticised after game two for awarding eight penalties for the Maroons - and none for Laurie Daley's men across the opening 40 minutes. In the series decider, Queensland left New South Wales stunned as they won back State of Origin bragging rights with a 24-12 victory against the Blues. Emotional scenes erupted at full-time as players and coaches from both sides rallied around Maroons captain Cameron Munster, who returned to guide his side to the epic victory, following the sudden passing of his dad, Steven. Tom Dearden was crowned the Player of the Series and once again stood up for the Maroons, scoring twice either side of half-time, with Xavier Coates and Harry Grant also crossing the whitewash. New South Wales had looked a shadow of the side that had won the opening fixture of the series, with the Maroons running out a 20-0 lead by half-time. It was coach Billy Slater's third Origin series victory.
News.com.au
12-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘The game's rorted': Maroons forward who labelled Origin ref ‘double agent' reprimanded
Maroons extended squad member Josh Kerr has labelled Origin referee Ashley Klein a 'double agent' in an all-time interview following Queensland's series-deciding win in Sydney. The Dolphins forward was in good spirits on Thursday morning when he fired a light-hearted barb at Klein over his officiating in game three, with the NRL handing down a breach notice alleging Kerr's comments were 'detrimental to the best interests of the game'. The Queensland squad member was also deemed to have 'undermined the credibility of match officials', being given five days to respond before a potential punishment is handed down. Watch Josh Kerr's cheeky post-Origin interview in the player above. 'I'm not sure how much trouble I could get into for saying it but I thought Ash Klein did a bit to try and, you know, even it up or make it a bit closer,' Kerr told Fox Sports News. 'We were sitting there going, 'it's rorted, the game's rorted'. 'I haven't got the best eyesight at times but I'm watching four passes and sh*t. 'We were all on the sideline just going, 'oh, no, it's a double agent'. 'It makes it more exciting, doesn't it, and it brings out the Queenslander in all those players.' Klein came under fire after game two in which the Blues were on the wrong end of a lop-sided 10-2 penalty count. That was reversed in the decider where the Blues won the count 7-3. The Maroons were too strong for the Blues in the series decider, winning 24-12 at Sydney's Accor Stadium. The visitors led 20-0 at halftime, scoring three unanswered tries through Xavier Coates, Tom Dearden and Harry Grant. Blues centre Stephen Crichton scored the first try of the night for the hosts at the 55th minute, before Dearden went in for his second of the night at the 73rd minute, to seal the result. NSW winger Brian To'o scored a consolation try at the 79th minute. It was Maroons coach Billy Slater's third series win from his four in charge, going back to 2022.
The Advertiser
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Blues out to avoid repeat of stop-start Perth contest
NSW have conceded the onus is on them to clean up their discipline and limit stoppages in the State of Origin decider, believing set-for-set football will advantage them. The Blues' first-half penalty count emerged as the major talking point of NSW's loss in Perth, after they conceded eight before the break to trail 26-6. Referee Ashley Klein has been retained by the NRL for Wednesday night's decider despite intense scrutiny after Queensland's win in Perth. Blues Coach Laurie Daley pointed out on Tuesday there was only 52 minutes of ball-in-play time at Optus Stadium, compared to 58 in NSW's series opening win in Brisbane. NSW do believe set-for-set football can benefit them, given their side is structured to win the yardage battle. Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o and Zac Lomax are three of the best early-yardage backs in the NRL, while Payne Haas is close to the NRL's most powerful prop. For those players to kick into gear in Sydney, the Blues need less stop-start football, something captain Isaah Yeo said was NSW's responsibility to create. "It suits the way we want to play, but that's up to the players, isn't it?" Yeo said. "If they're giving away penalties or dropping the ball, there are going to be stoppages. "That puts an onus on you as a team that you want to be able to make sure you're completing high, you're disciplined. "Then off the back of that, you'd like to think you get the game you want on." Yeo noted neither game in this year's series had been free-flowing, with the Maroons also ill-disciplined and completing poorly in the Suncorp Stadium opener. The Blues skipper said he did not know if Queensland would attempt to disrupt the flow of Wednesday's game, a suggestion the Maroons knocked back on Tuesday. "Not necessarily. I don't think that," coach Billy Slater said when asked if Queensland wanted a stop-start game. "The game is the game, and we need to play our best football. That's what our focus is. We can't control anything outside of that." Regardless, Yeo said it was also on him to steady the Blues if things did spiral on Wednesday night, as they did in the first half three weeks ago in Perth. "The way we responded at half-time, the way we came together, I was really proud of," Yeo said. "But you can't be doing that in a big game, so we've definitely had internal conversations. "There's some ownership on myself there too, if things are going wrong, to try and right the ship and get around our spine." NSW have conceded the onus is on them to clean up their discipline and limit stoppages in the State of Origin decider, believing set-for-set football will advantage them. The Blues' first-half penalty count emerged as the major talking point of NSW's loss in Perth, after they conceded eight before the break to trail 26-6. Referee Ashley Klein has been retained by the NRL for Wednesday night's decider despite intense scrutiny after Queensland's win in Perth. Blues Coach Laurie Daley pointed out on Tuesday there was only 52 minutes of ball-in-play time at Optus Stadium, compared to 58 in NSW's series opening win in Brisbane. NSW do believe set-for-set football can benefit them, given their side is structured to win the yardage battle. Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o and Zac Lomax are three of the best early-yardage backs in the NRL, while Payne Haas is close to the NRL's most powerful prop. For those players to kick into gear in Sydney, the Blues need less stop-start football, something captain Isaah Yeo said was NSW's responsibility to create. "It suits the way we want to play, but that's up to the players, isn't it?" Yeo said. "If they're giving away penalties or dropping the ball, there are going to be stoppages. "That puts an onus on you as a team that you want to be able to make sure you're completing high, you're disciplined. "Then off the back of that, you'd like to think you get the game you want on." Yeo noted neither game in this year's series had been free-flowing, with the Maroons also ill-disciplined and completing poorly in the Suncorp Stadium opener. The Blues skipper said he did not know if Queensland would attempt to disrupt the flow of Wednesday's game, a suggestion the Maroons knocked back on Tuesday. "Not necessarily. I don't think that," coach Billy Slater said when asked if Queensland wanted a stop-start game. "The game is the game, and we need to play our best football. That's what our focus is. We can't control anything outside of that." Regardless, Yeo said it was also on him to steady the Blues if things did spiral on Wednesday night, as they did in the first half three weeks ago in Perth. "The way we responded at half-time, the way we came together, I was really proud of," Yeo said. "But you can't be doing that in a big game, so we've definitely had internal conversations. "There's some ownership on myself there too, if things are going wrong, to try and right the ship and get around our spine." NSW have conceded the onus is on them to clean up their discipline and limit stoppages in the State of Origin decider, believing set-for-set football will advantage them. The Blues' first-half penalty count emerged as the major talking point of NSW's loss in Perth, after they conceded eight before the break to trail 26-6. Referee Ashley Klein has been retained by the NRL for Wednesday night's decider despite intense scrutiny after Queensland's win in Perth. Blues Coach Laurie Daley pointed out on Tuesday there was only 52 minutes of ball-in-play time at Optus Stadium, compared to 58 in NSW's series opening win in Brisbane. NSW do believe set-for-set football can benefit them, given their side is structured to win the yardage battle. Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o and Zac Lomax are three of the best early-yardage backs in the NRL, while Payne Haas is close to the NRL's most powerful prop. For those players to kick into gear in Sydney, the Blues need less stop-start football, something captain Isaah Yeo said was NSW's responsibility to create. "It suits the way we want to play, but that's up to the players, isn't it?" Yeo said. "If they're giving away penalties or dropping the ball, there are going to be stoppages. "That puts an onus on you as a team that you want to be able to make sure you're completing high, you're disciplined. "Then off the back of that, you'd like to think you get the game you want on." Yeo noted neither game in this year's series had been free-flowing, with the Maroons also ill-disciplined and completing poorly in the Suncorp Stadium opener. The Blues skipper said he did not know if Queensland would attempt to disrupt the flow of Wednesday's game, a suggestion the Maroons knocked back on Tuesday. "Not necessarily. I don't think that," coach Billy Slater said when asked if Queensland wanted a stop-start game. "The game is the game, and we need to play our best football. That's what our focus is. We can't control anything outside of that." Regardless, Yeo said it was also on him to steady the Blues if things did spiral on Wednesday night, as they did in the first half three weeks ago in Perth. "The way we responded at half-time, the way we came together, I was really proud of," Yeo said. "But you can't be doing that in a big game, so we've definitely had internal conversations. "There's some ownership on myself there too, if things are going wrong, to try and right the ship and get around our spine."
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Billy Slater calls out glaring truth as NRL makes call on Ashley Klein for Origin 3
Amid all the controversy surrounding Ashley Klein's performance in State of Origin 2, Billy Slater has pointed out that Queensland were on the wrong side of the count in Game 1. And the Queensland coach believes his side won Game 2 because they addressed their ill-discipline. Klein handed the Maroons nine-straight penalties in Origin 2, and the count eventually finished 10-2 against the Blues. The NRL has since reportedly decided that Klein will retain the refereeing duties for the series decider, despite plenty in NSW calling for him to be axed. Speaking on the NRL Footy Show on Sunday, Slater was asked about the penalty count in Game 2. And according to the Maroons coach, it came about because his side put an emphasis on their discipline after losing the count in Game 1 (9-6). "We found ourselves in that situation on Game 1," he said. "That was one area that we really needed to address going into the Game 2 camp - the penalties that we gave away and the ill-discipline. We handled that better than we did in Game 1 and that's a huge part of the game." View this post on Instagram A post shared by NRL on Nine (@nrlonnine) On Sunday, it was also reported that Klein will keep the whistle-blower duties for Game 3 in Sydney. NSW officials will reportedly meet with the NRL this week to discuss Klein's performance in Game 2, but it won't be enough to see him axed. Veteran reporter Phil Rothfield revealed on Sky Sports radio on Monday morning that Klein is 'clearly superior' in 'just about every category' that the NRL uses to assess its referees. A KPI (key performance indicators) system looks at play-the-ball speed, decision-making, communication, game understanding, accuracy, communication with other officials, consistency, identifying infringements, positioning, game management, ruck communication, positioning, fitness and endurance. 'I think we got beaten by the better side in Perth, but it didn't help the penalty count,' Rothfield said. 'For the life of me, I still can't believe 45 minutes a team is perfect in Origin football. But I think we're going to have to live with Ashley for the decider." Former Blues player Matty Johns declared last week that NSW only had themselves to blame. 'Us New South Welshmen, most people will point to that (penalty count) and go 'look at that'. But I tell you what, we were f***ing undisciplined,' he said. 'That's it. Don't blame the referee. We were undisciplined.' And NSW captain Isaah Yeo said the same on the night. "There were certainly a few we were shooting ourselves with and they're just penalties," he admitted in the press conference. "Some others were 50-50s. Some nights you get them and some nights you don't. But what you can't do is just go drop the ball in the next set when you've got the ball. You would obviously like that to be a bit more even, but we were our own worst enemies at time." RELATED: Origin ramifications after Queensland players caught in ugly scenes Cruel blow for Titans and Queensland as Origin hopeful ruled out Queensland great Corey Parker said a total of 12 penalties in an Origin game is too many, regardless of who received them. 'I just don't think you need 12 penalties and 10 of those going in the way of one team," he said on SEN radio. "I think it's a concern for the game personally."
