分类： sports

For the Manly Sea Eagles, the narrative used to be simple: when star fullback Tom Trbojevic was sidelined, the team collapsed. But under first-year coach Kieran Foran, that long-held narrative is being rewritten, thanks to a breakout performance from an unlikely hero that sealed a tense 12-10 victory over the Gold Coast Titans on a rain-soaked Sydney night.

Manly headed into the clash missing no fewer than four of their most impactful players. Tom Trbojevic was already out of action, while two other established fullback options—Lehi Hopoate (suspension) and Tolu Koula (State of Origin representative duty)—were also unavailable. To make matters worse, star forward Haumole Olakau’atu and winger Jojo Fifita were also watching from the stands. For a side that once relied entirely on their superstar fullback to deliver results, the odds of extending their recent winning run looked stacked against them.

Step up Clayton Faulalo, the Sea Eagles’ fourth-choice fullback playing just his second senior NRL start in the position. The young utility produced two moments of individual magic that changed the course of the game. In the first half, he delivered a pinpoint, sharp pass to fill-in winger Blake Wilson that set up the opening try of the match. Later, he ran a brilliant line onto a perfectly timed inside ball from Ben Trbojevic to cross the line himself, stretching Manly’s lead and putting the Titans on the back foot.

With just 21 minutes left on the clock, Faulalo absorbed a heavy hip drop tackle but shook off the impact to see out the full 80 minutes. By the final siren, he had racked up an impressive 238 running metres, turning in a career-best performance that has already sparked speculation he could become a targeted signing for rival clubs when his contract comes up in 2028.

For the Titans, the match was supposed to be a celebration for one of their most beloved stalwarts. Mo Fotuaika entered the game poised to become the Gold Coast’s most capped player in club history, earning the record with his 174th appearance, breaking Mark Minichiello’s long-standing mark. But any hopes of a fairy tale upset quickly faded, as the visitors produced one of their most lethargic, error-ridden performances of the season.

The Titans’ bad luck started early, when an opening try from Jaylan De Groot was ruled out for an earlier knock-on. By the final whistle, the side had conceded 16 unforced errors, even with key Manly stars sidelined. While they got a late consolation try through AJ Brimson in the final minute to set up a nervous closing few seconds, they could not complete the comeback, falling just short of what would have been a shocking comeback win. Even with their starting wingers each running for more than 200 metres, the Titans forward pack failed to step up in the absence of captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, leaving the side stuck in second-last place on the premiership ladder heading into their upcoming bye.

For Manly, the win pushes them back into the top four on the NRL ladder, and extends their extraordinary run of form under Foran: the club great-turned-coach has now notched seven wins from just eight matches in charge, an incredible start to his senior coaching tenure. The result is even more notable given Foran only signed with the Titans as a player just 10 months prior to taking the Manly coaching job.

There was one sour note for Manly to end the night, however. Ben Trbojevic, who ran for 122 metres and was one of Manly’s most dangerous players on the left edge, suffered a head clash in the second half while carrying the ball. Initially classified as a category two concussion, the injury was later downgraded to category one—but the star back-rower will still be forced to miss the Sea Eagles’ next clash against the Cronulla Sharks this coming Friday, joining brother Tom on the sidelines in a major late setback for Foran’s side.

The State of Origin rugby league series has long been defined by its iconic “mate against mate, state against state” ethos. Nowhere is this dynamic more apparent than in the 2026 opening clash, where two of the National Rugby League’s most storied club rivals are putting decades of inter-club animosity aside to share the blue jersey for New South Wales for the first time.

Cameron Murray of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Victor Radley of the Sydney Roosters have grown up competing against each other, their clubs’ century-long rivalry ingrained in them from the earliest stages of their junior careers. Yet for the upcoming three-game series, that decades-long hatred is taking a backseat to shared state pride as the pair prepares to take the field as teammates.

For Murray, a mainstay of the Blues lineup since his 2019 State of Origin debut, the 2026 series marks a much-anticipated return to representative rugby. A devastating Achilles injury forced him to miss the entire 2025 campaign, an experience that gave him a new perspective on how much the jersey means. “You don’t really know how much you miss something until it’s gone,” Murray shared in pre-series comments. “Sitting out and watching from the sidelines was always hard. It makes you miss everything – the good and the bad bits, the highs and the lows. It’s all part of what makes rugby league such a great game, and what we do so special. I missed it a lot, I’m grateful that I’m back in, and I’m just working hard to do my best and prove to everyone – but more so prove to myself – that I’m ready to be back in the Origin arena.” The NSW side has openly missed Murray’s signature leg speed and rapid play-the-ball ability during his absence, and his return adds a critical dimension to the team’s forward lineup.

For Radley, the series marks a long-awaited debut. A recent change to State of Origin eligibility rules cleared the way for the English-born international to represent the state he has always called home, fulfilling a lifelong dream. The 28-year-old enforcer has built a reputation over his career as a fearless, boundary-pushing player whose aggressive style and relentless tenacity have made him a nightmare for opposition offenses.

The pair’s history stretches back to their childhood: they have been competing against and occasionally alongside each other since they were 8 years old, and shared a Junior Kangaroos lineup back in 2017, when Murray started at lock and Radley came off the bench. Even so, Murray says he has only played one or two representative games alongside Radley across their entire careers, with almost all of their matches seeing them on opposite sides of the field.

“I’ve had a lot of respect for Victor and what he’s been able to achieve and the type of footy that he plays,” Murray said. “I don’t think I’d be alone in saying that he’s built for an arena like this, and he’ll bring his best and he definitely deserves his shot. I’m really looking forward to running out alongside him.”

Both players have been named as reserves for next Wednesday’s series opener at Accor Stadium in Sydney. NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley selected the pair specifically for their above-average mobility and strong ball-playing skills, attributes that he views as critical to matching the frenetic pace of modern top-flight rugby league in 2026.

When asked about how evolving NRL rule changes might impact the pace and structure of next week’s Origin clash, Murray noted that the high-intensity representative fixture often looks different from regular season club play. “It’ll probably be a bit of a guessing game because the club competition has shown one thing, and Origin might show another,” he explained. “I’m not sure if Origin is going to be similar to the regular NRL season or the same old Origin that we all know it can be. You can overthink it a little bit if you try to plan for every outcome, but we’re all just going to be trying to bring our best, and I think we’ve got the talent in the team that if we can all play to our strengths and if we can play to our best ability, we’ll be able to get the job done.”

While the two forwards have very different on-field personas – with Radley’s aggressive, edge-of-the-rules play contrasting with Murray’s more controlled style – Murray says he has full confidence that Radley will find the right balance for Origin, where a single costly penalty can swing the result of a tight match. Murray himself knows the risk of overstepping the line: he was sin-binned for involvement in a melee during the 2024 series, an incident he jokes saw him channelling Radley’s signature intensity. “I think Victor’s been around the game long enough now and I think his maturity levels are at an all-time high, and he’ll just go out there and be Victor,” Murray said.

Blues star halfback Nathan Cleary got a firsthand look at Radley’s toughness during a training session this Thursday, and said he is equally excited to share the field with the Roosters forward. “It wasn’t much fun wrestling with him, I’ll tell you that,” Cleary laughed. “But Victor’s another one that I’ve never been able to play alongside him, but I’ve always admired him from afar. Just his competitive nature, his tenacity, and his will to win has always impressed me. Now getting to take the field with him, I’m really looking forward to it. He’s not afraid of putting his body on the line and doing what’s best for the team, and that’s shown so far.”

The Australian National Rugby League community has been thrown into mourning after beloved 30-year-old forward Jai Arrow announced an early retirement this week, following a life-altering diagnosis of motor neurone disease. Now, current and former players from across the league are rallying around the former South Sydney Rabbitohs and Queensland Maroons star, pushing league officials to launch a new national fundraising initiative to support Arrow and his young family. The proposed ‘Try for Jai’ campaign would revive the spirit of the league’s old Try July fundraising drive, which was scrapped earlier this year over ties to gambling sponsorship.

Cameron Murray, captain of Arrow’s former club the Rabbitohs and a representative for NSW Blues, could barely contain his emotion when speaking about his ex-teammate ahead of a Blues training session in Gosford. Murray, who has worked alongside Arrow since the forward joined South Sydney in 2021, said Arrow has displayed extraordinary resilience in the months since he first began experiencing symptoms.

“What I will say is that over the last couple of months he’s shown an incredible amount of strength, and it’s really unbelievable what he’s been going through,” Murray shared. “And the strength that he’s shown in the face of such a cruel disease has been amazing. He’s definitely left his mark on rugby league for sure, and particularly since he got here in 2021 at the club, he’s left his mark on all of us. We’re all better people for knowing Jai and we’re all right behind him, and it’s really good to see the support that he’s got throughout the wider rugby league community and even past that. I think it just speaks about his character and the impact that he’s had on everyone that he’s come into contact with. There’s no better bloke and we’re all behind him. We all love him, so we’ll be there with him through this fight. Life can be pretty cruel sometimes.”

Arrow, a fan favorite respected across both the Queensland and NSW representative sides, has earned widespread respect for his decades of commitment to the sport, and players across all clubs have rushed to express their support. Blayke Brailey, a young rising star for the NSW Blues, says he is eager to join the proposed ‘Try for Jai’ campaign, calling on league officials to move forward with the initiative quickly.

“I think that would be a great initiative,” Brailey said. “I think if we can all do our part and help out in some small or big capacity, I would love to get on board with that. Hopefully the NRL and the clubs can sort something out because I think that’ll be an amazing initiative for him. I haven’t had too much to do with him, but just like everyone else, I’m really shocked and saddened by the news. I know Cam and everyone’s getting around him and the Souths staff there, so he’s got all our support. No matter if you’re a Souths fan or if you know Jai, you’ll send your love and your prayers to him and hopefully he can get through this tough time.”

NSW Blues superstar Nathan Cleary echoed the widespread shock across the league, noting that Arrow’s diagnosis has served as a sobering reminder that professional football is secondary to what matters most in life. “I just want to pass on my best wishes to Jai and also his family. It’s devastating news and you never want to see anyone go through that, just as human beings. So I want to definitely pass on my best wishes to him and his family,” Cleary said. “I think it’s rocked not only our team, Queensland’s team, the whole NRL, but also just everyone in general. It just goes to show how precious life is and you’ve got to make the most of it. There are moments that happen throughout life that make you realise that there are things bigger than football and this is one of those. It’s just what we do at the end of the day, but there’s definitely more to life.”

The original Try July campaign, which raised millions of dollars for ailing former players over its five-year run, was cut by the NRL this year due to its sponsorship partnership with gambling company Sportsbet. Proponents of the new ‘Try for Jai’ campaign say a reworked, gambling-free version of the annual initiative would provide critical financial support for Arrow and his family as he navigates treatment, and current stars have already pledged their full participation.

It was a night to remember for the Canterbury Bulldogs at their home ground on Friday, as a ferocious second-half comeback overturned a 12-point deficit to claim a vital win over the Melbourne Storm – snapping a frustrating five-match losing skid that had dominated rugby league headlines for weeks. Now, head coach Cameron Ciraldo is hitting out at what he calls unfair and overblown external commentary that has hammered his club, players and staff throughout their losing run.

For the better part of 12 months, Canterbury’s attacking structure and overall on-field performance has been under intense scrutiny from fans and pundits alike. After crashing out of last year’s finals and dropping down the ladder in 2026 – despite a stunning upset victory over the reigning premier Panthers earlier in the season – every loss has amplified calls for roster and coaching changes. Friday’s win, however, has silenced many of those critics, at least temporarily, while piling more defeat-fueled pressure on the struggling Storm.

The match itself was sealed by winger Jacob Kiraz, who marked his return from injury with a dominant performance: racking up 256 running metres, seven offloads and crossing for the match-winning try, a play highlighted by the NRL as its Telstra Moment of the Match. While the victory came at a cost, with promising back-rower Jacob Preston ruled out after suffering a broken forearm, it was the standout displays from two under-fire players that defined the result: Bronson Xerri and Matt Burton, whose futures at the club have been the subject of constant off-field speculation for months. The pair combined for a massive 420 running metres, controlling the tempo of the game after halftime to power the Bulldogs’ comeback. Ciraldo called Friday’s effort the best game both men have turned in all season, amid ongoing rumours linking Burton to a move to the expansion Perth Bears.

Speaking to reporters post-match, Ciraldo made clear his frustration with the toxic external noise that surrounds the club during losing runs, saying the constant speculation and unfair criticism takes a particularly heavy toll on the team’s younger players. “That’s probably the hardest thing around this club is that when we do lose a game, there’s a lot of outside noise,” Ciraldo said, adding he was also frustrated by some of referee Wyatt Raymond’s on-field decisions during the clash. “So for us (we need) to manage that and try to keep the boys off their phones and off TV because our wins are extreme. Our wins are awesome. We just get so much energy out of them, but our losses are even more extreme. Even when we perform well and lose, the outside noise becomes quite debilitating for young guys.”

To combat the constant barrage of criticism, Ciraldo said the club has worked hard to keep the squad focused on internal goals rather than outside commentary. “What we’ve done really well is try to focus on what opinions matter within our four walls. That’s going to be really important after a win – a really good win tonight – that we don’t listen to what’s being said on the outside and we focus on what we did well tonight, which was a lot, and what we can do better, which is still a bit as well.”

Halfback Lachlan Galvin, who joined the Bulldogs from the Wests Tigers last year, has been a particularly frequent target for critics during the losing streak, while the club’s recruitment and retention strategy has also faced constant public scrutiny. While the coaching staff has encouraged players to step back from social media to avoid unsubstantiated stories and personal attacks, Ciraldo admitted it is impossible to shield the squad from outside noise entirely.

“As much as we say to try to block it out, I think it’s hard to ignore all of it. Not just the outside noise, but the rumours that circulate and the bullshit that gets made up,” he said. “I feel really proud of this group that they just kept turning up and trusting in what we were doing. But I felt a lot for them that they’ve had to sort of go through that as well.

“I think these five weeks we’ve been through will be a blessing in disguise. You find out a lot about people. What I’ve found out about our group – players and staff – is that we’ve got a really tough group. Some of the stuff that’s been said about some of our players and our staff is totally unfair. I’m just glad we got a performance tonight that we can enjoy, and hopefully some people get a lot of credit for that.”

Addressing the constant rumours surrounding Burton’s future, Ciraldo hit out at the made-up speculation that follows the club during losing runs. “People make up rumours about players on the outer and getting sold here,” he said. “Matt Burton’s one that gets tossed up a lot, doesn’t he? So it’s really disappointing when you’re going through a losing streak and people decide to make up rumours about your players, and it’s hard for us to defend them. When Burton plays like that, we win a lot of games.”

Ciralaldo also reserved praise for his under-fire coaching staff, who have faced their own share of public criticism during the five-match skid, adding: “Some people are copping a lot of unfair criticism as well. I feel really proud of our coaching staff with how connected they’ve stayed together and how much they’ve trusted in what we’re doing and how hard they’ve been working.”