分类： sports

As the Canterbury Bulldogs enter a critical off-season period that will force the club’s leadership to make several high-stakes decisions about player contracts, 33-year-old utility Kurt Mann has left no ambiguity about his next goal: he wants to extend his tenure at the Belmore-based club beyond the 2026 NRL season. A well-traveled veteran closing out a 13-year top-flight career that has included stints at the Melbourne Storm, St George Illawarra Dragons, and Newcastle Knights before joining the Bulldogs, Mann has established a reputation as one of the league’s most versatile and reliable role players — a trait that has already drawn quiet interest from other Sydney-based clubs should a new deal with the Bulldogs not come to fruition. A move to a Western Australian franchise has been ruled out as a potential option for the experienced playmaker. Mann’s current contract, a one-year extension signed in March 2025, is set to expire at the end of the upcoming season, leaving his playing future after that point still unconfirmed. In a recent press interview, the veteran opened up about his approach to contract talks and his desire to remain in blue and white. “I haven’t really looked into it too much,” Mann said. “I’m 33 this year, so I’m sort of just playing it by ear and really focusing on how I’m playing at the moment. The rest of that will take care of itself. I’d love to stay at the Dogs, or if that doesn’t eventuate then I don’t know how many more years I’ve got left in me at the moment. I’m really enjoying playing footy at the moment and I’m still loving it. I’m still competing, so I’m still really enjoying it.” Mann’s on-field form this season has backed up his claim that he still has plenty to offer at the top level, with a recent standout play against the Parramatta Eels — where he outran young Eels fullback Joash Papalii to secure a kick — serving as proof he can still match the pace of the league’s younger generation. Now, Mann and the Bulldogs are looking to rebound from an unexpected upset loss to the Eels this weekend, when they face off against an injury-depleted Brisbane Broncos squad on Friday night. Beyond his club commitments, Mann is also quietly gunning for a second call-up to Queensland’s State of Origin side, after a dream debut run in 2024 helped the Maroons pull off a stunning series comeback from a 1-0 deficit to claim the Origin shield. Mann came off the interchange bench in games two and three of last year’s series, and the introduction of new expanded six-man benches for 2025 makes his versatility as a utility an even more ideal fit for the Maroons’ game plan. He already met with Queensland head coach Billy Slater earlier this year at a Maroons training camp, and remains a leading contender to retain his spot in the squad when selections are announced. “He keeps his cards pretty close to his chest until it gets pretty close to selection time, so you never hear too much from him until then,” Mann said of Slater. “Any time you get the chance to pull on the Maroons jersey, you grab it with both hands. It’s something you dream of as a little kid and you get to represent your family, your community where you’re from, and everyone in Queensland. It’s a lifetime memory I’ll have now. I thought all that sort of stuff was past me at my age, and to get the call-up was definitely a dream come true.”

Rugby league fans, players and pundits are once again debating the consistency of officiating in the National Rugby League (NRL), after a contentious last-minute decision by the league’s video review system, the Bunker, triggered an official clarification on high contact rules that many are calling a potential defining moment for future officiating.

The controversy unfolded during a tight clash between the Melbourne Storm and Canberra Raiders on Friday night. With just 66 seconds left on the clock, the Storm trailed by four points and held attacking position when winger Will Warbrick was struck across the face by Raiders halfback Ethan Sanders. No penalty was called by on-field officials, and Melbourne opted to use their captain’s challenge to overturn the call.

However, Bunker official Liam Kennedy upheld the on-field decision, concluding the contact to Warbrick’s head was only incidental and dismissing the challenge. The ruling immediately sparked outrage, particularly when observers drew comparisons to a nearly identical incident just days earlier on Easter Monday, when Parramatta Eels captain Mitchell Moses secured a match-changing penalty after a successful challenge for a similar high contact.

This inconsistent application of the high contact rule is far from an isolated case this season. Earlier in the year, Sydney Roosters captain James Tedesco successfully challenged for a penalty after a glancing high contact from Cronulla Sharks playmaker Braydon Trindall, resulting in a penalty that many argued was disproportionate given the minimal contact. Even more notably, two years ago, a high contact penalty against former Dolphins captain Jesse Bromwich for a hit on Manly Warringah Sea Eagles star Tom Trbojevic drew widespread public criticism over inconsistent officiating standards.

Beyond the Warbrick incident, a second controversial call marred the closing stages of the Storm-Raiders clash. Melbourne fullback Sua Fa’alogo was forced off the field for a mandatory head injury assessment after a high hit from Raiders forward Hudson Young, yet Young was permitted to remain on the pitch for the rest of the match. The NRL later acknowledged that the officiating team made an error in not sin-binning Young, a mistake that cost the Storm a critical one-player advantage as they pushed for a game-winning try. Young was ultimately handed a two-match suspension for the hit.

In response to the widespread backlash over the Warbrick decision, NRL officials have formally confirmed that Bunker officials retain discretionary authority to judge whether high contact warrants a penalty. Many in the rugby league community now view this clarification as a potential line-in-the-sand moment for officiating, setting a clear precedent that not all contact to the head will automatically result in a penalty. Supporters and players alike have stressed that their core demand moving forward is not stricter or more lenient calling, but consistent application of the rules, with officials weighing the force of contact rather than just penalizing every incidental touch to the head.

The Western Bulldogs are facing a race against time to get two of their key stars, captain Marcus Bontempelli and veteran big man Rory Lobb, over the fitness line for their high-stakes Thursday night clash against the Sydney Swans, head coach Luke Beveridge has confirmed.

With less than 48 hours until the first bounce, Beveridge revealed the club will give both Bontempelli, who is managing a knee complaint, and Lobb, who is carrying a hamstring knock, every possible minute to prove their match readiness, with the team list not due to be submitted until Wednesday. The coach emphasized that the club’s priority will always be player long-term health over short-term results, confirming no star will be risked if there is any chance of their existing soreness worsening into a more serious injury.

“We’ll give him right up until the death,” Beveridge told reporters of Bontempelli’s fitness timeline, noting the team’s tight fixture schedule that has included two back-to-back six-day turnarounds between matches. “There’s a couple of boys who are sore and ultimately they’ll play if there is no risk that they’ll injure what they’re sore with anymore. But if there’s any concern they’ll be impeded or in discomfort that might turn into an injury, they won’t play. We won’t take any risk.”

As of Tuesday training sessions, Bontempelli was moving better than Lobb during on-field run-throughs, but both remain in doubt for the encounter. A loss of Lobb would put particular pressure on the Bulldogs’ defensive unit, which is already reeling after season-ending injury to young key position player Sam Darcy, who suffered a ruptured ACL last week.

Beveridge said Lobb responded well to initial treatment after his knock, and remains on track to push for selection. “He got a knock but he looks like he’s moving. There’s a couple of days to go and we don’t need to name a team until tomorrow. He’ll go to the line I think,” the coach said. He added that the club has adjusted its selection procedures this week to accommodate the injury delays: with VFL affiliate Footscray playing on Friday, the Bulldogs will be able to bring three emergency players to Thursday night’s fixture, creating flexibility for late selection changes if needed.

Off the field, there is positive news around Darcy, who attended the club’s Whitten Oval base on Tuesday just days after scans confirmed his ACL rupture, which will rule him out of action for roughly 12 months. Beveridge said the young forward-key defender is in excellent spirits despite the devastating season-ending setback, with surgery scheduled for later this week once initial swelling subsides.

“Darcy is a great character, as you know, so he’ll come back and be a player that will continue to improve and grow,” Beveridge said. “We’re going to miss him for a little while, but we’ve got to deal with that and others need to step up to fill the gap he leaves behind.”

The club is also taking a cautious approach with hard-nosed midfielder Tom Liberatore, who sustained his fifth concussion in four seasons during last weekend’s match. Liberatore has pulled up well from the incident, reporting no lingering symptoms including headaches or sleep disruption, but remains in the league’s concussion protocols. Beveridge confirmed the club will not rush Liberatore’s return, even if that means sidelining him for additional matches beyond this week.

“We’re pretty conservative looking after our players who have had a head knock or two,” Beveridge said. “if there’s any sign that Tom needs a bit longer, I am sure our medical crew won’t let him play. He seems to be OK, but he hasn’t been to any specialist concussion panel yet for full clearance.”

Amid the raft of injury concerns, the Bulldogs have a potential boost on the way: veteran midfielder Adam Treloar is poised to return to the senior side after a strong performance in the VFL last weekend, where he collected 41 disposals. Treloar has missed the last several weeks with his own injury setback, and will only be selected if he gets through his final two training sessions without issue. If he passes that test, he will make an immediate return to the senior line-up for the Sydney clash.

AFL superstar Nick Daicos of Collingwood has cemented his status as one of the league’s most dynamic young talents after a match-winning standout performance against Carlton, and he’s now pushing to retain his flexible dual-position role that draws direct advice from his football royalty father Peter Daicos.

In a tense Thursday night clash, Daicos turned the tide of the game in a spectacular final-quarter comeback that lifted the Magpies to a narrow five-point win over the Blues. While primarily a starting midfielder, Daicos spent stretches of the decisive final term resting inside Collingwood’s 50-metre arc as a forward, a tactical shift that paid immediate dividends for his side. He notched one goal from his own boot as a midfielder, and played a critical role in setting up two more majors to spark the Magpies’ late comeback.

For Daicos, experimenting with the forward role is more than just a tactical adjustment: it’s a chance to put guidance from his father, legendary AFL forward Peter Daicos, into real-game practice. “I love playing up forward and I think it gives us a different look as a team,” Daicos told reporters post-game. “It also allows more players to roll through the midfield for us. We’ve got so many strong midfielders. Being a dynamic team, players switching positions, it works in our favour and whatever the coach thinks, wherever he thinks my best position, I’m happy to play.”

The young star added that he has learned the nuances of forward play directly from his father’s decades of experience in the league. “I get a lot of forward craft from Dad and I love it. I think anytime I watch his highlights, he was an amazing forward with such good craft. Anytime he gives me footy advice in general I love listening because I think he’s one of the smartest football people I’ve come across. I am very lucky to have him in my corner.”

Collingwood’s comeback relied on a seven-goal final quarter that overcame a sluggish start in front of goal that had left the side trailing heading into the final break. Daicos acknowledged that while the team’s ability to deliver under pressure is a major strength, the playing group will review why their attacking momentum has failed to materialize earlier in recent matches.

“Absolutely, that’s something we’ll definitely look through today, is how do you find that balance of trying to attack,” Daicos said. “We don’t want to be down heading into the last quarter … we want to be proactive with it, come out this week in the first quarter and kick seven goals. We’ll work out the mental side of things and why that is happening, but the ability to kick seven goals (in a quarter) when the game is on the line is also a strength as well.”