NRL News: Eddie resolves coaching feud, Ponga off to Canada for high-tech testing, Hammer vs Walsh for Maroons spot

Manly coach Anthony Seibold credits current Wallabies boss Eddie Jones for helping him bury the hatchet in a feud with Rabbitohs counterpart Jason Demetriou that dated back four years.

Demetriou and Seibold first clashed when the latter beat the former to replace Wayne Bennett as coach of Brisbane in 2019.

Having lost out, Demetriou became an assistant under Bennett at the Rabbitohs, where Seibold had coached until he won the Broncos job.

Ahead of the first meeting of the Rabbitohs and the Broncos the following season, Demetriou ignited a war of words by claiming teams had “worked (Seibold’s) style out” during a disappointing end to the 2018 finals for South Sydney. 

Seibold fired back, questioning whether Demetriou had been left bitter by missing out on a maiden head coaching job.

Anthony Seibold and Eddie Jones. Photo: Getty Images

The pair first led teams against each other in August 2020, when Demetriou stood in for Bennett while the master coach isolated for 14 days following a COVID-19 breach.

But as they prepare to clash for the first time on an equal footing, both men insist there is no bad blood between them.

Seibold said 16 months working under Eddie Jones as defence coach of the England rugby union side had helped him grow and move on.

“One of the people who really helped me with that was Eddie Jones, spending time with Eddie for two years and seeing how he handles things,” Seibold said.

“At different times, you could handle things better or differently but I’ve moved on. All that stuff (with Demetriou) is in the past.

“I’ve only met Jason once and he seemed like a really good guy, and obviously a really sharp coach.”

Demetriou suggested the tiff may have been born out of difficult circumstances.

Jason Demetriou. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

While the current Rabbitohs boss had been disappointed to miss out on a head coaching job, the Broncos regressed during Seibold’s two years in charge.

Seibold’s sacking came in August 2020 amid the club’s worst season on record and a torrent of social media abuse directed at the coach.

“The way the Broncos thing ended, it was an emotional time for all of us,” Demetriou said.

“It was brutal in Brisbane. Not only that, but the abuse he copped on the web, for his family as well, no one wants to see that. There’s a real importance for coaches to have each other’s backs. We’ll battle it out on game day and we’ll want to get one over each other. 

“But outside of that, we need to support each other, otherwise we’re on our own. It can be a lonely job, head coaching. It’s good to see him back in NRL coaching.”

The match marks Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic’s first time clashing as fullbacks and will also provide a chance to honour the legacy of late Rabbitohs great John Sattler, who died this week.

“It’s not about the coaches in any case, it’s always about the players,” Seibold said.

“The battle between Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic is something to look forward to, but also the battle of players like Cody Walker, Daly Cherry-Evans, Josh Schuster, Damien Cook.”

Ponga jets off for specialist treatment

Newcastle will only provide a return-to-play timeline for Kalyn Ponga once he returns from a trip to Canada, where he will seek specialist treatment for the latest in a string of concussions. 

The Knights co-captain’s immediate playing future has been in serious doubt since he knocked himself out attempting a tackle early in the round-two win over Wests Tigers.

The concussion was Ponga’s fourth in 10 months and provided a final push for the NRL to change its head-injury protocols, mandating an 11-day lay-off for any player who suffers a head knock.

Ponga missed the final six weeks of last season recovering from concussion, and this time around the Knights have been reluctant to put a timeline on his comeback as head-injury management remains a hot-button topic in the NRL.

While Ponga continues his recovery, the Knights have been consulting with Professor Chris Levi of the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute. 

On Friday, the club shared the most significant update on his condition since round two.

Following discussions with Professor Levi, the Knights determined Ponga would fly to Canada on Friday with the club’s chief medical officer Dr Jin Lee to seek specialist treatment.

In Vancouver, Ponga will undergo testing using a device measuring brain activity that is not yet available in Australia.

Only after the Knights receive the results of these tests will the club begin considering when Ponga might make his return to the NRL.

“Management of concussion is a complex issue for everyone involved, we see this as an opportunity to gather additional information to assist Kalyn in his recovery,” Knights head of football Peter Parr said.

Kalyn Ponga leaves the field. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“Our broader aim, under the guidance of Professor Levi, is to develop a model of care that will advance our capacity in supporting players with concussion.

“Kalyn remains in good spirits and wishes to thank everyone who has enquired about his health.”

Ponga’s trip to Canada follows similar recovery missions to the USA by rival fullbacks Tom Trbojevic, Latrell Mitchell and Ryan Papenhuyzen in the past 12 months. 

All three consulted with Philadelphia-based specialist Bill Knowles in a bid to shake off long-standing leg issues.

Hammer vs Walsh for Queensland jersey

Reece Walsh and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow have a chance to seize the moment when they clash in the NRL’s Battle for Brisbane on Friday night.

With incumbent Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga currently out of action amid concussion concerns there is an opportunity for Brisbane’s Walsh and the Dolphins’ Tabuai-Fidow to give Queensland selectors a view of the depth in their position.

Tabuai-Fidow starred in his only Origin game at centre in 2021 while Walsh was in the Maroons squad the same year and on the cusp of a Queensland debut before pulling out with injury.

Queensland Rugby League general manager Rohan Sawyer said recently that Ponga’s health and wellbeing was the biggest concern.

It is a view shared by QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher who told AAP that the selectors and coach Billy Slater wanted all Maroons-eligible players to be making a case for selection.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“We want as many guys as possible vying,” Hatcher told AAP. “Billy’s philosophy is that he identifies talent, tells them what they have got to do and if they perform he picks them. He wants consistency, passion and drive.

“Hamiso has already played one Origin game and Reece was in the squad and had to pull out injured. They are on the fringes. Both of them have got versatility too.”

Both players have been sensational this season with Walsh scoring three tries and providing two try-assists in two games.

Tabuai-Fidow has scored four tries in three matches and been stellar in defence under the high ball, which is no surprise to current Dolphin and former North Queensland teammate Tom Gilbert.

“I have always known that about Hamiso. He stands up on the big stage,” Gilbert told AAP.

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“The most impressive thing about Hamiso this season is that he has put himself in the contest with quality touches and efforts.

“He puts the team first and adds the Hamiso touch on it at the same time.”