Finals Week 1 Team List Late Mail: Talakai 'looking good', Hughes returns, Manu out, Murray on track

Cronulla have received a massive boost for Saturday’s Qualifying Final against North Queensland with their four stars under an injury cloud looking likely they’ll play.

Big prop Toby Rudolf declared himself a certain starter earlier in the week, fellow forward Dale Finucane and fullback Will Kennedy trained strongly on Thursday and coach Craig Fitzgibbon on Friday said they were all good to go.

NSW centre Siosifa Talakai is still yet to be cleared to play due to his ankle problem but Fitzgibbon said “he got through more work than we expected” at training and is more likely than not to suit up against the Cowboys.

Talakai aggravated an old an ankle injury late in the win over the Knights.

Finucane suffered a rib injury in the Sharks’ Round 23 defeat of Manly, while prop Rudolf left the field against the Wests Tigers in round 22 with a knee complaint. Kennedy has spent the past five weeks recovering from an ankle injury suffered in a hip-drop tackle against South Sydney.

Melbourne will have their chief playmaker back on deck with halfback Jahrome Hughes set to play in Saturday’s Elmination Final against Canberra after missing their final-round loss to Parramatta with a calf injury.

Panthers winger Taylan May was handed a two-game ban by the NRL on Tuesday for an off-field incident in Maroochydore last October but will be allowed to play in the finals, starting on Friday against Parramatta, and serve his suspension at the start of next year.

Roosters centre Joey Manu is out of Sunday’s showdown with Souths after scans revealed he suffered a calf strain in the Round 25 win over the same opponents. Manu will miss 2-3 weeks in another blow for the Roosters who will be without prop Lindsay Collins (suspended) for the playoffs unless they make the Grand Final.

Veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (hamstring) and hooker Sam Verrills (hand) are also under an injury cloud despite being cleared of serious damage and will undergo “intensive rehabilitation this week” in a bid to play.

Daniel Tupou (groin) and Joseph Suaalii (shoulder) are likely to play after resuming training later in the week to prove their fitness by Sunday. Victor Radley has completed the NRL’s HIA protocols and will resume full-contact training after sitting out the win over the Rabbitohs.

Cameron Murray is on track to play in Sunday’s elimination final against the Sydney Roosters with the South Sydney star returning to training on Tuesday after his concussion.

Murray lasted just 19 seconds in last week’s Allianz Stadium opener, taken from the field and immediately ruled out after he got his head in a bad spot when attempting a tackle.

Friday 

First Qualifying Final: (1) Panthers vs (4) Eels, 7.50pm at BlueBet Stadium

Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Taylan May 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Mitch Kenny 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Jaeman Salmon 18. Charlie Staines 19. Matt Eisenhuth 20. J’maine Hopgood 21. Sean O’Sullivan 22. Chris Smith

Nathan Cleary will return from his five-game spear tackle suspension while Ivan Cleary will bring back a dozen first-graders who were rested for the Round 25 trip to Townsville. 

Api Koroisau (ankle) and Spencer Leniu (shoulder) have minor injuries but are both all but certain to be available for Friday’s showdown. Penrith forward J’maine Hopgood, who probably won’t be in the game-day 17, was fined $1000 for a grade-one dangerous throw on North Queensland forward Tom Gilbert. 

Taylan May was handed a two-game ban by the NRL on Tuesday for an off-field incident in Maroochydore last October but will be allowed to play in the finals and serve his suspension at the start of next year.

Eels: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Tom Opacic 5. Waqa Blake 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Isaiah Papali’i 13. Ryan Matterson 14. Makahesi Makatoa 15. Jakob Arthur 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Marata Niukore 18. Nathan Brown 19. Bailey Simonsson 20. Bryce Cartwright 21. Ofahiki Ogden 22. Ky Rodwell

Parramatta will be gunning to show the rest of the competition they are a premiership threat and after consistently failing to fire come finals time.

Brad Arthur has no injury concerns and has retained the same 17 from last week. The Eels are the only side to have beaten the Panthers twice this year and will be confident they can repeat the act on Friday after swatting Melbourne aside last week.

Saturday 

First Elimination Final: (5) Storm vs (8) Raiders, 5.40pm at AAMI Park

Storm: 1. Nick Meaney 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Marion Seve 4. Justin Olam 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Harry Grant 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Kenny Bromwich 13. Josh King 14. Brandon Smith 15. Tui Kamikamica 16. Trent Loiero 17. Chris Lewis 18. Young Tonumaipea 19. Jordan Grant 20. Tepai Moeroa 21. Cooper Johns 22. Grant Anderson

There are question marks over the fitness of Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes (calf) but he says he should be fine and Craig Bellamy will need to see more from his pack against Josh Papalii and Joe Tapine after the Storm were outgunned by Parramatta last week.

Kenny Bromwich (head knock) and Nick Meaney (shoulder) are likely to suit up.

Raiders: 1. Xavier Savage 2. Nick Cotric 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali’i 9. Zac Woolford 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Adam Elliott 14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Corey Horsburgh 17. Corey Harawira-Naera 18. Albert Hopoate 19. Ata Mariota 20. Matt Frawley 21. Peter Hola 22. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad

Canberra have Brisbane’s late-season collapse to thank for their rise into the eight along with a 7-1 record at the back end of the season. Ricky Stuart’s men will be confident that they can advance given their record in Melbourne since the start of 2019 reads: played four, won four. Jack Wighton and Elliott Whitehead return after being rested for the win over Wests Tigers.

Corey Harawira-Naera goes back to the interchange with Matt Frawley and Albert Hopoate now among the reserves.

(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Second Qualifying Final: (2) Sharks vs (3) Cowboys, 7.50pm at PointsBet Stadium

Sharks: 1. Will Kennedy 2. Connor Tracey 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Siosifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Toby Rudolf 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Royce Hunt 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Dale Finucane 14. Teig Wilton 15. Cameron McInnes 16. Braden Hamlin-Uele 17. Andrew Fifita 18. Lachlan Miller 19. Aiden Tolman 20. Matt Ikuvalu 21. Jesse Colquhoun 22. Luke Metcalf

Rookie coach Craig Fitzgibbon has guided the Sharks to their highest finish since 1999 and will believe they can advance to a preliminary final. The Sharks have only lost at their home ground once all year.

Toby Rudolf (knee) will be back from injury and Fitzgibbon said fullback Will Kennedy (ankle) and lock Dale Finucane (rib) will join him. A decision on whether Siosifa Talakai (ankle) will play probably be made on game day.

They have all been named in the 17 with retiring prop Aiden Tolman, Matt Ikuvalu and Lachie Miller relegated to the reserves.

Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Peta Hiku 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Reuben Cotter 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 15. Tom Gilbert 16. Coen Hess 17. Griffin Neame 18. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 19. Tomas Chester 20. Jake Granville 21. Brendan Elliot 22. Ben Hampton

North Queensland have enjoyed an incredible revival under Todd Payten in 2022 and the Cowboys will lean heavily on the experience of ex-Cronulla halfback Chad Townsend to get them over the line.

Front-rower Coen Hess returns from a one-game ban, replacing Jamayne Taunoa-Brown.

Sunday

Second Elimination Final: (6) Roosters vs (7) Rabbitohs, 4.05pm at Allianz Stadium

Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Paul Momirovski 4. Drew Hutchison 5. Joseph Suaalii 6. Luke Keary 7. Sam Walker 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Sam Verrills 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Angus Crichton 12. Nat Butcher 13. Victor Radley 14. Connor Watson 15. Egan Butcher 16. Adam Keighran 17. Matthew Lodge 18. Kevin Naiqama 19. Terrell May 20. Oliver Gildart 21. Fletcher Baker 22. Siua Wong

A rematch of the round 25 clash between these two sides looms as a blockbuster end to week one of the finals. The Roosters got the win in the first tussle at the rebuilt Allianz Stadium but Joey Manu is out and there are concerns over the fitness of Sam Verrills, Victor Radley, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joseph Suaalii and Daniel Tupou.

Paul Momirovski is in for Manu at centre, Kevin Naiqama is in the reserves after playing on the wing last week and Adam Keighran has been elevated to the interchange.

Rabbitohs: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Campbell Graham 5. Taane Milne 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Mark Nicholls 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Cameron Murray 14. Kodi Nikorima 15. Hame Sele 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Siliva Havili 18. Blake Taaffe 19. Jaxson Paulo 20. Davvy Moale 21. Michael Chee Kam 22. Josh Mansour

Souths also have a question mark over Cameron Murray after his latest concussion and were blown away by the Roosters in the opening half an hour last Friday. 

Rep hooker Damien Cook (COVID) and centre Campbell Graham (head knock) are back, sending Peter Mamouzelos and Jaxson Paulo to the reserves.

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