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News.com.au
4 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Don't cop that': Braith Anasta ‘put on spot' over Dragons saga, NRL outcast
Debate has reignited over Kyle Flanagan's continued selection for St George Illawarra, with Braith Anasta reluctantly weighing in on what it's been like for his client Lachlan Ilias as he struggles to get back into the team. The club is in a unique situation with Kyle the son of coach Shane Flanagan, leading to plenty of scrutiny during what has been a disappointing campaign. 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? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Furthermore, backup halves Ilias and Jonah Glover have been knocking the door down in reserve grade, leading the Dragons' NSW Cup team to 10 wins from their past 12 games. Glover and Ilias missed out once again this weekend, with Flanagan picked at halfback for this weekend's clash against Canberra. Ilias, who joined the Dragons from Souths in the off-season, has played in seven NRL games in 2025. After a heavy loss to the Roosters in Round 8, Ilias was dropped and hasn't been able to win his spot back. Paul Crawley believes Flanagan simply wouldn't be continued to be picked if his dad wasn't the Dragons' coach. 'I would argue if Flanno wasn't the coach, I don't think Kyle would still be in the team,' Crawley said on NRL360. 'Because you've got to own up to the fact he tries his guts out – no one ever accuses him of not trying his guts out. But his kicking game hasn't been great. His game management hasn't been great. He doesn't pose a great attacking threat. 'You've got Ilias, who Shane Flanagan brought to the club – he brought him to the club to play halfback. He got dropped because of his game management. He (Ilias) went back and did what he had to do in reserve grade. 'They've lost their last four games and Flanno has dug his heels in and he's not gonna change. He's just not gonna change. But is that because Kyle's his son? Or because Kyle is just a player that he really believes is really playing to the best of his ability and Lachie can't come in and do something better?' Ilias is managed by NRL360 host Braith Anasta. Anasta said he was 'put on the spot' by a question from The Daily Telegraph's Dean Ritchie, who asked Anasta how Ilias was going 'emotionally and form wise'. 'That's a tough one. That's a tough one to ask,' he responded. 'I can't win here … Shane and the Dragons will think I'm having a crack – but if you want my honest opinion, he's gone back and did everything he's asked of. They've won 10 out of 11 games. And then pretty much because they lost one on the weekend, that's why he's not playing this week? I don't cop that. 'I've sat pretty quiet here. I don't want to get involved. It's hard for me. But he couldn't do any more. 'Unfortunately for him, I'm trying to keep him up because he's losing hope. I'm sure the other kid there, (Jonah) Glover is as well. 'Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I had to – because that's how I feel.' Earlier this week, the Dragons officially announced the hiring of former NRL coach Daniel Anderson to be the club's Head of Recruitment. One of Anderson's biggest tasks this off-season will be to search for the club's next marquee halfback. Rather bluntly, Dragons CEO Tim Watsford has publicly said that Flanagan won't be the club's halfback next season. 'Kyle was brought in as a 14 or utility to play a role,' Watsford said earlier this month. 'At the time, we had two halves in Benny Hunt and Junior Amone. That was where the club was heading. 'At the end of last year, we signed Daniel Atkinson from the Sharks and he will come in and play half in 2026. 'Kyle is there fulfilling a role for 2025 and fulfilling it well. Now, we're in the market and we'll be in the market for a marquee halfback. However, Crawley believes that Flanagan's continued insistence on selecting his son at halfback is 'doing the club damage' as the veteran journalist said it could be sending potential free agent targets a poor message. 'There's another layer to that too – another layer to the story in the fact the Dragons senior management has come out in recent weeks and said they're chasing a top line number 7,' Crawley said. 'Well, you'd have to question of the young guys coming through would you want to send a young 7 to the Dragons knowing that there's every chance Kyle stays at 7? They've shown no trust in the bloke they bought last year to play 7. 'I think it's doing the club damage – they might not want to admit it, but it's the truth.'
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Braith Anasta hits back over cruel comments about his appearance - as he announces exciting career news
Braith Anasta has proven once again that success really does come with a golden glow. The former NRL star turned sports presenter has officially extended his deal with Fox Sports through to the end of the 2028 NRL season – and he's celebrating the news with some trademark humour. Taking to Instagram on Monday, the 43-year-old shared an emotional post thanking his supporters and reflecting on his journey from footy field to prime-time punditry. 'DREAM BIG KIDDOS, block out the noise, surround yourself with good people and work your f**king a**'s off!' he wrote. 'Always striving to be the best I can possibly be. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Thank you to my family, friends, work colleagues and everyone who has and is supporting me along this incredible journey. There is no way in the world I'd be here without every single one of you.' But it was what happened in the comments that had fans in stitches. Underneath the heartfelt post, Aussie beer brand Bloke In A Bar cheekily wrote: 'The more success you have the better your tan gets.' Never one to miss a beat, Braith fired back with a tongue-in-cheek reply: 'My tan = my driving force ' - proving he's got just as much wit as he does work ethic. Anasta - who retired from the NRL in 2014 - has carved out an impressive second act as the host of NRL 360, which he took over in 2022. Ratings have surged since, with insiders crediting his fresh, confident style. Anasta - and his fellow Fox Sports host Matty Johns - have recently signed upgraded deals that will see them through to the end of the 2028 NRL season as streaming giant DAZN makes moves after buying Foxtel. The global streaming giant's recent purchase marked a huge shake-up in Australian sports media, with the company expected to soon begin negotiations for a broadcast deal with the NRL. Anasta, who retired from rugby league in 2014, has transitioned seamlessly to working in the media and has become a household name among footy fans. In 2022, he took over as the host of NRL 360 and ratings have been on the up ever since. 'We didn't realise Braith was going to be this good,' Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley told News Corp. 'He's done a remarkable job, and I have a suspicion he's going to continue to get better.' Anasta's deal is said to be lucrative, but the exact figures remain undisclosed. 'When you put hosts in, sometimes they think they've got to present like the people before them,' Crawley said. 'With Braith, he's got a new way of presenting sport that is very much a 2025 contemporary way. 'They've got to be themselves. His work ethic is unbelievable, and he's world-class. 'We're delighted to have him for another three years.' Anasta took to social media over the weekend to confirm that he was extending his contract and thank those who have helped him along the way. 'Dream big kiddos, block out the noise, surround yourself with good people and work your f**king ass's off,' he posted. 'Always striving to be the best I can possibly be. 'Thank you to my family, friends, work colleagues and everyone who has and is supporting me along this incredible journey. There is no way in the world I'd be here without every single one of you.' Beyond his role as a Fox Footy pundit, Anasta also runs the sports management company Searoo, which represents NRL stars including Cameron Munster and Lachlan Ilias.
Courier-Mail
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
NRL 2025: Tallyn da Silva set to leave Wests Tigers before June 30 deadline, contract, latest transfer news and rumours
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Wests Tigers have been dealt another 'kick in the guts', with young hooker Tallyn da Silva set to join a long list of juniors who have left the club in the past decade. Fox League's James Hooper reported on Wednesday night that Silva is a chance of being released from the club before the June 30 deadline, having met with three rival NRL coaches. Todd Payten, Jason Ryles, Anthony Seibold have already sat down with da Silva while the Tigers hooker is set to meet Newcastle coach Adam O'Brien on Saturday. 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. Hooper described it as an 'absolute kick in the guts' for the Tigers considering the big-name juniors the club has failed to keep, headlined by James Tedesco, Mitchell Moses, Aaron Woods, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Josh Addo-Carr and, more recently, Lachlan Galvin. The Daily Telegraph's David Riccio, meanwhile, said da Silva 'could have been the future of the Wests Tigers'. But NRL 360 co-host Braith Anasta pushed back on the idea the Tigers could have done much more to keep da Silva while even Hooper conceded the development exposed the 'tough' reality for some of the league's struggling clubs. 'There's been so many false dawns at that club over the course of the last decade, off the back of three wooden spoons,' Hooper said. Tallyn da Silva is set to be the latest youngster to leave the TIgers. Image: Getty 'The local juniors are something that, they give you a bit of hope and they give you a bit of belief. You look at the stronger clubs, the Panthers are the best example, they've got the biggest junior nursery. They hum off the back of that procession line. 'For the Tigers to just continually get beat to the punch in that respect, it's a tough pill to swallow. '... I'll tell you what's really tough. If you look at the Storm when they had Cameron Smith and Harry Grant. They found a way to make that work. X SUBSCRIBER ONLY 'You see it at the stronger clubs at this point in time with the way the competition's set up, the teams that are down the bottom are just getting bent over all the time. They just get cherry-picked with all of their top talent.' While Anasta said it was far from a 'simple call' for the Tigers given da Silva didn't want to stick around for another year playing under Koroisau, he did add that using Melbourne as a comparison, younger players are happy to stick around sometimes at the NRL's powerhouse clubs. Tallyn Da Silva is itching for a Tigers exit as his path into the starting team is blocked by Api Koroisau. (Photo by) To prove his point, Anasta used one of his clients, Jonah Pezet, as an example. 'He's happy to stay there, do his apprenticeship, play under the players. He would have been playing first grade at any other club a year or two ago, but he sits back,' Anasta said. Da Silva is signed until the end of 2026 but has been granted permission to talk with rival clubs, with Tigers coach Benji Marshall recently admitting he was 'not sure' if the hooker would leave Concord before the June 30 transfer deadline. Originally published as 'He could have been the future': Wests Tigers torched after yet another young gun eyes exit
News.com.au
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Shane once again sticks by son Kyle
NRL: The NRL 360 panel looks into Shane Flanagan's decision to continue to play son Kyle despite a rough run of form.
News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Is it time to move Nicho from seven?
NRL: The NRL 360 panel look into if the Sharks should move Nicho Hynes from halfback after a tough start to the season.
