Latest news with #WallyLewisMedal
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Lockyer doesn't regret losing Dearden
Broncos director Darren Lockyer says he doesn't regret the club's decision to let Wally Lewis Medal winner Tom Dearden leave the club to join the Cowboys.
The Age
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
Lockyer doesn't regret losing Dearden
Broncos director Darren Lockyer says he doesn't regret the club's decision to let Wally Lewis Medal winner Tom Dearden leave the club to join the Cowboys.
7NEWS
12-07-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Canterbury Bulldogs shake off double HIA drama to outlast Cowboys
Canterbury have displayed true grit and fight to outlast resolute North Queensland 12-8 in an old-fashioned war of attrition in Townsville. Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo pulled a masterstroke by leaving playmaker Lachlan Galvin off the bench to boost his forward stocks. The visitors omitted Galvin and included forward Kurtis Morrin on the bench to give them forward depth with NSW prop Max King backing up from State of Origin. Morrin was superb, as were big guns Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney. The win entrenched Canterbury in the top four after two straight losses. The second half was scoreless and went right down to the final play when Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz tapped a Tom Dearden kick dead. Canterbury rested State of Origin representatives Stephen Crichton and Kurt Mann and gave winger Jethro Rinakama his NRL debut. Rinakama was superb and scored late in the first half after great work on the inside by Burton to give his side a 12-8 lead at half-time. There was huge drama in the 59th minute when Burton and Morrin both went off for HIAs. In the ensuing minutes Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater lost the ball in the process of scoring with Bulldogs star Viliame Kikau knocking the ball loose with a desperate tackle against his former club. Burton and Morrin both returned and helped their side hang on. Canterbury were clunky in attack early but that was a tribute to the hosts' best defensive mentality of the season. North Queensland centre Zac Laybutt, who had an ACL injury last year, stepped his way with great confidence to score the opening try. Burton, back in his favoured No.6 position, laid on a try for back-rower Jacob Preston with a deft kick late in the half before Rinakama gave them the lead. Mahoney tackled like a demon against the club he will join next year. Cowboys co-captain Dearden, after winning the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series for Queensland in State of Origin, was dominant and involved early in attack and defence. The Bulldogs were not at their best but they are past masters at winning ugly. The Cowboys, on 17 points and three wins outside the top eight, are in danger of missing the finals.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Hang their heads in shame': Broncos torched after Queensland Origin triumph
Prominent Queensland journalist Peter Badel has declared Brisbane Broncos officials should "hang their heads in shame" for allowing Tom Dearden to leave the club. Dearden is the toast of the NRL world after winning the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series in State of Origin. The halfback scored two tries and was sensational on Wednesday night as Queensland beat NSW 24-12 to reclaim the State of Origin shield. Dearden is now a two-time Origin series winner and starred as the Kangaroos won the Pacific Championships last year. The 24-year-old's heroics on Wednesday night have once again exposed the Broncos' massive mistake in not retaining him. Dearden debuted for the Broncos as a teenager in 2019, and was part of the 2020 Brisbane side that finished last. In 2021 he was dumped to reserve grade, and the Broncos effectively gave up on him when they allowed him to sign with North Queensland mid-season. At the time, the Broncos opted to prioritise other players like Brodie Croft, Anthony Milford and Tyson Gamble - a decision that looks very foolish in hindsight. The Cowboys recognised Dearden's potential and threw him a lifeline, and it's paid off in spades. Dearden is now the Cowboys' captain and has helped turn them into a finals-calibre team since joining. Speaking on SEN radio on Friday, Courier Mail journalist Padel turned the blowtorch on the Broncos and once again questioned why they let him leave. 'I've got to say that the Broncos should hang their heads in shame over this,' Badel said. 'He was in their system, he was in the Broncos academy, they were bringing him through. He was identified as a 15-year playmaker and he was just let go. 'In the end, they just lost faith in him, even though he was 21 at the time, and they were not convinced he would take the next step. And it's a credit to the Cowboys and Todd Payten, their coach, that they picked him up on a mid-season transfer. His confidence was absolutely shot, and they showed faith in him, they showed patience in him. 'I spoke with Todd Payten, who said they could have put him in reserve grade, but he chose to keep in the NRL to get his confidence back. So well done to the Cowboys because the Broncos have lost a generational talent.' Dearden's heroics came after Maroons coach Billy Slater made the incredibly brave call to axe captain and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans after Game 1. Dearden vindicated the call and proved it to be a masterstroke. Broncos and Maroons legend Wally Lewis said on SEN: '(The selection of Dearden) turned out to be a wonderful call made by the selectors and the coach, and it worked. That's one of the best performances I've seen from a guy that was under enormous pressure, and he certainly deserves plenty of credit.' RELATED: Billy Slater's genius laid bare after exposing NSW State of Origin star NRL world rallies around Queensland Origin legend after worrying news Dearden's Origin triumph has sparked questions about whether he might take Nathan Cleary's No.7 jumper for the Kangaroos in the Ashes series later this year. Dearden and Mitchell Moses were the halves pairing when the Kangaroos won the Pacific Championships last year, but Cameron Munster and Nathan Cleary were out injured. Conventional wisdom says Munster and Cleary will be 6 and 7 in the Ashes, but Dearden might have put his nose in front of Cleary. His combination with Munster that won Queensland the Origin series will also come into consideration when the Kangaroos team is picked.
Perth Now
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
How Slater pulled off another Origin miracle
The blowtorch is being applied to Laurie Daley and the Blues after they capitulated to lose the State of Origin decider, but it's time to shine a light on Billy Slater after the Queensland legend put on a coaching masterclass to win back the shield. His future was being questioned from the moment they lost the opener in Brisbane, and the pressure only intensified when people saw the squad for Perth and wondered whether he had lost the plot. Daly Cherry-Evans was dropped as captain, stars were moved to the bench and veterans recalled in what appeared to be a final throw at the stumps. But while they seemed like gambles, the man who grew up working with horses seemed to pull the right rein every single time as he engineered one of the great series upsets despite being faced with plenty of obstacles along the way. THE MUNNY MAN No coaching manual could have prepared Slater for how to deal with Cameron Munster after the superstar five-eighth lost his father just days before the Origin decider. But he took the coach's hat off and defaulted to being the friend that played with Munster at the Storm and was there as he starred on debut for the Maroons in the 2017 decider. The tears they shed on the field after the game were a reflection of their tough bond and the shared pain they've gone through this year. 'I won't do it justice, but it starts as being a friend,' Slater told the NewsWire in the Accor Stadium sheds after the 24-12 win. 'The moment he told me on the phone, to me turning up in his room, I felt the sadness and I felt the loss. But I also know what he was feeling because I was there four or five months ago. 'He was very unsure about a lot of things, but the only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to play on Wednesday night. 'He didn't know what to do after that, so that's why I pretty much told him what we was going to do. He had to go home and he needed to be with his mum and sister – that was his priority. 'Going through a couple of tragedies over the past few months like I have, I knew he had to be with his family, and that's where we got him.' The decision to drop Daly Cherry-Evans was justified after Tom Dearden guided the Maroons to Origin glory. NRL Photos Credit: Supplied NOT A CHERRY PICKER Dropping veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans will go down as the series-defining move, with Slater backing Munster as captain and elevating Tom Dearden into the starting side. It was a bold call, it was a tough call, but it was the right call, as Dearden dominated the final two games to win the Wally Lewis Medal. The famed pick-and-stick policy had to change given they weren't winning, with Slater also rewarded for bringing back Josh Papalii for the decider, while the choice to pick Robert Toia after just 10 NRL appearances also worked a treat. 'I don't look for justification,' Slater said, beaming with pride after Gehamat Shibasaki set up a try after earning a shock call-up to make his Origin debut in the decider. 'I knew we had to go and help the Queensland Origin team. When I made that decision with my family, I made it for the right reasons. 'Every decision that I'm a part of is for the right reasons. 'There's scrutiny, there's debate and there's conversation, and I get that. I'm in the media so I completely get it because it's a part of the excitement and attraction of our game. 'But until you're sitting in this position and your opinion means something and you have to live by it … I watch so much footy because that's what this job and the players deserve, so when I make a decision, it's not a guess. It's a calculated decision on what I really feel.' PRIDE OF THE STATE Slater doesn't like ranking career achievements, but this one has to be right up there after they achieved a breakthrough win in Perth to keep the series alive and then ambushed their rivals in Sydney with a faultless first 40 minutes. While the Blues were overly loyal in their selections, Slater was never afraid to make the tough calls that all came off as his troops lifted to bring him another series win. 'This footy team is so special,' he said. 'It was special when I was 10, it was special when I was wearing a pair of footy boots and playing in the team, and it's special now. 'I just love the joy from the players after they achieve something, and then you think about the 5½ million Queenslanders that are inspired by these men. 'There are so many inspirational stories here tonight from Gehamat Shibasaki to Cameron Munster and Josh Papalii. 'There are so many Queenslanders inspired by individuals and collectively inspired by this team's resilience, and that's how Queenslanders live. 'It's no disrespect to anyone else, but that's who we are.'
