Superstar fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has cruised through Melbourne’s captain’s run to push his case for his long-awaited inclusion in the Storm side to face Gold Coast on Saturday.
Missing from the NRL for 13 months after shattering his knee-cap in a tackle, Papenhuyzen looked sharp as he ran with the reserves in their AAMI Park hit-out on Friday.
He has come through three games unscathed with feeder side Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Queensland Cup and with just a Thursday night clash against heavyweights Brisbane remaining before finals, this game appears the perfect opportunity.
But Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy would give no guarantee the fan-favourite would get a run in their clash with the Titans, saying it would depend on his recovery from the session.
“We’ll see how he pulls up from training today and then if he pulls up OK, and I mean 100 per cent OK, there’s a good chance that we will put him in somewhere tomorrow,” Bellamy said.
“We’re not going to take any chances now – since he’s been playing there’s a couple of sessions he’s pulled up real sore from so he mightn’t of trained the next session or being in doubt for the Queensland Cup.
“We’re still not expecting too much of him so we’ll see how he goes today and then go from there.”
On paper the fourth-placed Storm should have no trouble accounting for the Titans who are in 13th on the ladder, though the visitors did win their previous encounter 38-34.
Bellamy said he was “surprised” to see Parramatta, who are out of finals contention, upset competition leaders Penrith 32-18 in their Thursday night clash.
He said taking on a team out of the running for the play-offs could prove dangerous.
“Teams that can’t make the finals, they’ve got nothing to lose, so they probably throw the ball around a little bit more than what they generally would as it frees them up.
“If you don’t go out and defend that well, that’s when you really get hurt.
“If they play that ad-lib footy and the passes stick it’s hard to handle.”
Trent Robinson has declared Sam Walker “all systems go” for his much-anticipated comeback in the Sydney Roosters’ latest must-win game against NRL cellar-dwellers Wests Tigers.
Walker will play his first game for the Roosters since Robinson dropped the gun young playmaker in round seven, before he suffered an ACL injury that sidelined him for more than three months.
Coach Robinson is confident the 21-year-old will emerge as a more complete player following his lengthy lay-off and had no hesitation thrusting Walker back into the fray for his side’s do-or-die encounter at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
A loss to the last-placed Tigers will officially end the Roosters’ finals hopes before a last-round derby with arch-rivals South Sydney.
“It was important to get him back in the reserve grade and get that flow going and little things like organising the team and kicking-in-games scenarios,” Robinson said on Friday.
“And then training this week there’s always that little bit of raise in intensity that comes with the first game back in a while and it was good to see. Yeah, all systems go. Let’s get back out there.”
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Walker’s future was clouded in uncertainty when axed following a poor start to the season.
But Robinson is convinced the NRL’s 2021 rookie of the year will have grown during his time on the sidelines.
“There were some things that I wanted to improve on the field back then and we’ve discussed them, worked on them and now it’s time to play,” Robinson said.
“The time off is often a good thing for players at a young age. Usually it comes in an off-season. For him, it was four months in the middle of the season.
“When you’re playing week to week, you’re in the middle of it when you can take one or two steps back and observe, there is some growth that can happen and I feel like that’s happened with Sam.
“I’ve seen it on the training pattern in the last couple of weeks.”
Robinson acknowledged Walker’s injury came at a cruel time when the half would have wanted to play his way back into form. “He hasn’t been able to get the game time under his belt like he probably wanted to,” the coach said.
“That’s the good thing about the time off, though. It wasn’t you need to improve your speed or you need to improve your kicking or it wasn’t any of that.
“It was just the maturity as a half in the game, so playing would be the ideal way to do that. But also taking a step back and observing is another way to do it.”
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has ruled out Tevita Pangai jnr returning to the club should he wish to have another crack at the NRL next year.
Pangai will leave Canterbury at the end of the season to take up a boxing career, but there is an expectation in the game that he will seek to return in the near future.
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett, who coached Pangai at Brisbane, has already said he would be interested in talking to the 27-year-old should he wish to return to rugby league.
Pangai left the Broncos in 2021, during a period at the club where Walters rejigged his roster to get the balance of his squad right and the personnel in place to challenge for a title.
Brisbane are second on the ladder and have re-signed middle forwards such as Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan long-term. The Broncos are in great shape and Walters said Pangai was not on his radar.
“There wouldn’t be (interested in Pangai) because we don’t have any room in our salary cap,” Walters said.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
“We signed Payne Haas a couple of weeks ago Pat Carrigan and the (other props) are our middles and we wouldn’t be able to finance Tevita.
“I’m not sure where he will end up next year. Boxing might be a good opportunity for him but I think you will find him back in league somewhere.
“He is coming back to southeast Queensland. It won’t be us but maybe Redcliffe (the Dolphins) or the Titans would entertain him.”
Brisbane’s priorities on the signing front will be extending their own players. Halves Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds are off-contract at the end of next year, as is hooker Billy Walters.
Coach Walters addressed reports that his own former club Canberra, the Broncos’ opponents away on Saturday night, were keen on securing the electrifying Mam. He said CEO Dave Donaghy and recruitment chief Simon Scanlan were on the case to ensure he would not leave.
“Ezra is another one coming off (contract) and we have obviously got plans for him to be here long term,” Walters said.
“Simon and Dave are working through that and making sure he does continue on here. I know he loves playing here. He’s been through our academy system and into first grade.
“I’ve got nothing but respect for the Raiders but Ezra will be in a maroon jersey in the next few years, not a green one.
“The plan will be to (re-sign Mam) before November 1. We will get through the season and then lock down Ezra.”
Walters said keeping his on-fire spine of Reece Walsh, Reynolds, Mam and Billy Walters together was a priority.
Brisbane will take on the Sydney Roosters to kick off both the NRL season and the bold Las Vegas venture next season after the NRL locked in the dates and match-ups for the historic double-header.
Manly have been slated to clash with South Sydney in the other match at the 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium which will be played on March 2 on a Saturday local time, which will mean they will be broadcast on Sunday in Australia with the time zone differences.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys travelled to America in May to investigate the feasibility of the fixtures.
It took an additional three months to plan the games, with the league currently liaising with the four clubs over logistics.
They are hoping the fixtures provide an an opportunity for Australian rugby league to break into the lucrative American sports gambling market, and to convert fans of the similarly gladiatorial NFL.
The NRL is hoping to use the high profiles of Souths co-owner Russell Crowe and celebrity Manly fan Hugh Jackman to sell the game to Americans.
Penrith rookie Jesse McLean was the only player charged from Thursday’s clash with Parramatta with the young centre hit with a grade-one careless high tackle offence for a hit on Maika Sivo.
He clocked the Eels winger as he scored in the 20th minute but as it is his first offence, he has been fined $1000-$1500 depending on whether he pleads guilty or contests the charge.
Corey Oates will line up for his 200th NRL game for the Broncos with his future at the club still to be decided.
With the 28-year-old winger due to play against Canberra away on Saturday, AAP has been told Oates has a one-year extension offer on the table from the Broncos.
It is a virtual ‘take it or leave it’ scenario although negotiations are ongoing with his management.
Newcastle are looming as an option if Oates opts to leave the Broncos with the Knights looking to replace Roosters-bound speedster Dominic Young.
Oates would have hit his 200th milestone against Canterbury in round 20 but missed out after sustaining a meniscus injury to his knee at training.
Ahead of that game he expressed his desire to remain at the Broncos and be a one-club player – his dream ever since he joined the club as a teenager. “To finish up here would be great,” he said.
Corey Oates. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Oates had an option in his favour for next year, and another for 2025, but he rescinded those. The Broncos have offered him more money for 2024 than the agreed deal on the now-defunct option but less than the salary he is on this year.
Brisbane back-rower Jordan Riki said he hoped a deal could be struck to keep Oates at the club. “I’d be gutted (if he left) but I guess that is rugby league. It is part of the game sometimes … but I love Corey,” Riki said.”I’d love to have him around as long as possible.”
Famed for being full of life at all times of day, Oates brings plenty more to the table than just his dynamic running and personality. “He is one of those people who took me under his wing when I first came in,” Riki said.
“He had a lot of experience and debuted at a young age so he definitely related to a lot of us young boys coming through.
“He’s had his ups and downs in his career and is someone I have leant on with my mental (approach) and how to cope with things.
“I am definitely excited for Corey to have his 200th. He deserves it at this club.”
Last year Oates earned a State of Origin recall for Queensland and scored a career-high 20 tries for the season to take his overall tally to 118, just 24 behind club legend and record holder Steve Renouf. He is yet to score a try this season but opportunities have been scarce.
It has been a frustrating 2023 for Oates, who has played just seven games after sustaining a broken jaw and a grade-two posterior cruciate ligament injury earlier in the year.
with AAP
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