NRL
SportAustralian Associated PressMiller's Knights move sets Ponga switch in motion
Kalyn Ponga's long-term NRL future looks to be at five-eighth after Newcastle confirmed the signing of Cronulla's Lachlan Miller on a three-year deal.Miller will join the Knights with immediate effect, paving the way for Ponga to make a heavily touted switch to the halves.
SportAustralian Associated PressTurbo ready for NRL return as Seibold dismisses critics
Manly star Tom Trbojevic is on track to play in round one of the NRL season and his coach Anthony Seibold has laughed off suggestions the club would ever look to part ways with the injury-plagued fullback.Trbojevic has just returned from a stint in the US with reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles after aggravating a recurring hamstring issue.
SportAustralian Associated PressTaupau a Bronco after 'really crazy 24 to 48 hours'
Marty Taupau admits his journey from unemployment to a Brisbane Broncos contract came after "a really, really crazy 24 to 48 hours".AAP has been told rugged prop Taupau was on the physio's table getting a medical at Parramatta with a view to possibly signing there when the Broncos called his manager asking about his potential availability.
BusinessAustralian Associated PressNRL denies rejecting league pregnancy and leave policy
The NRL and Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) are continuing to spar over the collective bargaining agreement and the inclusion of a pregnancy and parental leave policy.After reports they had tried to block a new policy, the NRL issued a statement on Tuesday rejecting such claims and saying they had been working with NRLW clubs and the RLPA since October 2022 on the new framework.
SportAustralian Associated PressMatterson denied bid to convert NRL ban into fine
Ryan Matterson will be forced to sit out the first three games of the NRL season after Parramatta failed in their bid to have his suspension changed to a fine.Matterson drew controversy last October when he opted to take a three-game ban for a crusher tackle on Dylan Edwards in the Eels' grand final loss, rather than cough up a $4000 fine.
SportAustralian Associated PressDolphins name Katoa, 'Big Val' for trial
The Dolphins have named exciting Tongan playmaker Isaiya Katoa and wrecking ball centre Valynce Te Whare in their inaugural team to play CQ Capras in a trial in Gladstone.The 18-year-old Katoa, formerly in Penrith's system, is regarded as the most promising young player on the new NRL club's list.
SportAustralian Associated PressNRLW high priority in renewed CBA talks
The NRL and the Rugby League Players Association are set to meet on Tuesday as they aim to end the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) stalemate.A CBA for NRLW players is around the top of the agenda of the RLPA, who last week requested to meet with the NRL after becoming increasingly frustrated by League Central's lack of movement.
SportAustralian Associated PressNiu start for Dolphin under wise Woolf
New Dolphins signing Tesi Niu says playing under his Tonga national coach Kristian Woolf will help him regain confidence and consistency after a difficult 2022 season at the Brisbane Broncos.Dolphins assistant coach Woolf gave Niu his international debut for Tonga in 2019, when he was just 18, in a 14-6 win over Great Britain.
SportAustralian Associated PressMitch pitch: Brooks' Tigers plea to Moses
Luke Brooks has rolled out the red carpet for his old mate Mitchell Moses, urging him to return to Wests Tigers as he considers his future at Parramatta.Moses took the Eels to their first NRL grand final in more than a decade last year but remains unsigned by the club beyond this season.
SportAustralian Associated PressFifita calls for better NRL medical help
Battered, bruised and needing six operations in a 12-month period after his gruelling NRL career, Andrew Fifita says he's a perfect example of why the players' union is fighting for better medical assistance for recently-retired players.A new medical support fund is one of the key battlegrounds for the Rugby League Players Association in the stalled collective bargaining agreement negotiations with League Central.
SportAustralian Associated PressBulldogs unveil unique captaincy structure
Canterbury have unveiled an unorthodox leadership structure for 2023 that features Matt Burton and Reed Mahoney as their "game day on-field captains" and Raymond Faitala-Mariner as their "club captain".The newly re-signed Burton and recruit Mahoney will be in charge of inspiring the Bulldogs on the park, while second-rower Faitala-Mariner is tasked with helping to develop the club's off-field culture.
SportAustralian Associated PressNick Meaney re-signs with NRL's Storm
Melbourne have rewarded utility Nick Meaney for a career-best season by signing him to a contract extension to the end of 2024.The Storm relied on Meaney's versatility in his first year at the club to help combat a string of injuries.
SportAustralian Associated PressBulldogs pay up for wantaway Oloapu
Teenage talent Karl Oloapu has signed a four-year NRL deal with Canterbury to finalise a messy divorce with Brisbane.The 18-year-old will join the Bulldogs, who paid the Broncos a transfer fee for the former Australian schoolboys captain, immediately.
SportAustralian Associated PressRamsey out as Dragons suffer NRL blow
St George Illawarra have been dealt a massive blow with fullback Cody Ramsey ruled out for the entire NRL season.The club issued a statement on Wednesday, saying Ramsey had undergone bowel surgery which would require multiple follow up procedures, ruling him out for the season.
SportAustralian Associated PressMitchell returns, Ponga out of All Stars
Latrell Mitchell will make his return for the Indigenous All Stars next month as the first game in New Zealand looks set to be shorn of some of its biggest Maori stars.Mitchell missed last year's pre-season game with suspension, but will form part of an impressive Indigenous side which includes Brisbane's Selwyn Cobbo, Canterbury winger Josh Addo-Carr and Canberra five-eighth Jack Wighton in Rotorua on February 11.
SportAustralian Associated PressManly on Turbo-charged fact-finding trip
Manly physio Andrew Lowndes says Tom Trbojevic's time in the United States can assist the whole club, as the superstar fullback reaches the halfway point of his stint with reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles.Trbojevic remains on track to play in the Sea Eagles' NRL opener against Canterbury on March 4, three months after suffering his latest hamstring setback during pre-season training.
SportYahoo Sport AustraliaWally Lewis' sad revelation after stepping down from Channel 9 role
Wally Lewis has been a constant presence on Channel 9 since his retirement. Read more here.
SportAustralian Associated PressNRL warned to brace for player strikes
Leading NRLW star Ali Brigginshaw has told the NRL to prepare for a "hairy couple of weeks", issuing a fresh warning to the governing body that male players are willing to go on strike.Brigginshaw, who was named player of the match in Australia's World Cup final win last year, said both male and female athletes were tired of waiting for a resolution to protracted collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.
SportAustralian Associated PressBennett tip to teenaged Aitken comes true
When Euan Aitken was a 15-year-old he received a tip from his new Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett to stay a centre and not dabble in back-row play.That conversation has proven prophetic in a way because Aitken, now 27, is back training in the centres under Bennett at the Dolphins after playing the entire 2022 NRL season at the New Zealand Warriors in the second row, where he was player of the year.
SportAustralian Associated PressRisk worth reward in new NRL trial format
With $100,000 in prize money up for grabs, NRL sides will focus on playing attacking football as part of the game's newly rebranded pre-season tournament.The two-week Pre-Season Challenge - headlined by the return of the World Club Challenge between Penrith and Super League champions St Helens - will reward teams willing to take risks.
SportAustralian Associated PressCherrington's big fear ahead of All Stars
Jillaroos prop Kennedy Cherrington is risking her rugby league future to honour her Maori culture in next month's All Stars clash in Rotorua but it's a choice she insists she shouldn't have to make.Cherrington, like all the players in the February 11 game, are taking part at great personal risk.
SportAustralian Associated PressCarrigan has Broncos lost time to make up
Broncos prop Pat Carrigan is a fan of The Man in the Arena speech by former US president Theodore Roosevelt, and this year he wants to spend more time in the arena of club football than he did last season.If Carrigan can get the 14 NRL games he played last year up beyond 24 he will be a happy man.
SportAustralian Associated PressCrichton signs with NRL's Bulldogs
Stephen Crichton has signed a four-year contract with Canterbury just days after telling Penrith teammates he would be leaving the club at the end of the 2023 NRL season.The dual-premiership winning centre will be at the Bulldogs from 2024 and appears set to transition to his preferred position of fullback, a spot Dylan Edwards has occupied at the Panthers since before Crichton made his NRL debut in 2019.
SportAustralian Associated PressRugby league pioneer Bremner retires
Women's rugby league pioneer Sam Bremner has announced her retirement from the sport.Bremner made her debut for Australia in 2013 and made a triumphant return to the green-and-gold jersey last year as a mother of two.
SportAustralian Associated PressTaupau to join Broncos on one-year deal
Brisbane are set to sign former Manly prop Marty Taupau for the 2023 NRL season in a huge boost to the middle forward rotation depth.AAP has been told that the 32-year-old agreed to terms on Friday after a flying visit from Sydney to Brisbane where he toured facilities.
