分类： sports

The National Rugby League (NRL) finals race is heating up, and this weekend’s round of matches is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated of the season, with several star superstars set to make their return from lengthy injury layoffs. Headlining the list of potential comebacks is South Sydney Rabbitohs powerhouse Latrell Mitchell, who has been named in the number 19 jersey on South Sydney’s extended 6-man bench for their upcoming clash against the Gold Coast Titans.

Mitchell’s road back to the field has been a slow one: he was named to the extended bench last week ahead of the Rabbitohs’ match against the New Zealand Warriors, but was ultimately ruled out hours before kickoff due to lingering fitness concerns. This time, however, club insiders and coaching staff have indicated the star back is on track to take the field, with a special NRL rule exception clearing the way for a pre-planned swap that will open up a spot for him. Starting forward Jai Arrow was named in the starting lineup solely to hit the 100-game milestone for the Rabbitohs, and will exit the game immediately after kickoff. Skipper Cameron Murray, also named to the bench, will move into the starting lock position, while Mitchell is expected to slot into left centre, shifting current starter Tallis Duncan to the back row.

Mitchell has not seen competitive NRL action since Round 11, sidelined by a combination of back and calf injuries that have kept him out for months. His return could not come at a better time for the Rabbitohs, who are gearing up for a push into the final series and have been eager to get their most dynamic playmaker back on the field. Duncan, who is set to shift positions to accommodate Mitchell, praised the star’s unique impact on the squad following a rainy Tuesday training session in Sydney. “He brings X-factor, he’s Latrell,” Duncan said. “Any time you get to share the field with a player like that, you know he delivers when it matters most. When the game is on the line, he’s the guy that will come up with the play we need.”

Along with Mitchell, the Rabbitohs have named Jamie Humphreys to the bench as an extra goal-kicking option, ahead of a Titans side that will be without key forward Beau Fermor, who remains sidelined with a rib injury.

Elsewhere across the league, defending premiers Penrith Panthers have made a surprise selection call following the suspension of starting five-eighth Jack Cogger. Cogger will remain out of action until Penrith’s second finals match, and coach Ivan Cleary has opted to give 2025 squad member Jack Cole the starting spot over young talent Blaize Talagi. Talagi’s inconsistent defensive performances over recent weeks cost him the starting role, despite high expectations for the young playmaker. Cole, who is set to move to the North Sydney Bears in 2027, has only featured in two first-grade matches this season, but will now take on the high-stakes role of partnering Nathan Cleary in the halves as Penrith fights to secure a top-two finish on the season ladder ahead of the finals.

In Canterbury, the club’s recent COVID-19 outbreak has not forced late changes to the team sheet, with all eight players who tested positive cleared to take the field on Friday. The only confirmed absence for the Bulldogs is Kurt Mann, who remains out with a groin injury.

Over at the Sydney Roosters, captain James Tedesco has once again been named in the match day squad, though questions remain over whether he will actually take the field after multiple late scratches in recent weeks. Hooker Reese Robson told reporters that Tedesco has progressed well in his injury recovery, and joined the full squad for training on Tuesday. “He’s getting better every week, the medical staff are doing everything right to manage him, and he’s tracking along really nicely,” Robson said. “Seeing him back out running with the group today is definitely a step in the right direction. We’ll get a clearer picture closer to kickoff, but things are looking good.”

North Queensland Cowboys have earned a major double boost ahead of their weekend clash, with representative stars Tom Dearden and Jeremiah Nanai both cleared to return from their respective injury layoffs. Dearden will slot straight into the starting halfback role, forcing a positional shuffle that sees Jaxon Purdue move to centre and Zac Laybutt shift out to the wing, replacing Murray Taulagi who is currently following concussion protocols.

Other late team changes around the league include Jahrome Hughes earning a starting spot for Melbourne Storm ahead of their match against the Brisbane Broncos, who will be without halfback Adam Reynolds for the remainder of the season after a season-ending injury. The Newcastle Knights will start Harrison Graham at hooker after Phoenix Crossland was ruled out, with Dom Young and Tyson Frizell also sidelined, but have welcomed centre Dane Gagai back into the squad for their clash against the New Zealand Warriors, who are getting halfback Te Maire Martin back from injury.

In a result that has sent ripples through the NRL premiership race, one of the competition’s form teams, the Sydney Roosters, has suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of the struggling Wests Tigers, ending their eight-match consecutive winning run. Veteran Roosters playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans has opened up about the team’s post-loss review, saying he believes the upset could prove to be the exactly reality check the side needs to sharpen up ahead of the approaching finals series.

Heading into Sunday’s clash, the ladder did not lie: the Roosters entered the game riding a hot eight-game winning streak, sitting comfortably atop the premiership table and heavily favored to hand the Tigers another loss. For the Wests Tigers, meanwhile, the game came on the back of their own eight straight defeats, leaving most analysts and fans predicting a one-sided blowout win for the Roosters. But what unfolded on match day defied all pre-game expectations. A late match-winning field goal from Tigers playmaker Jock Madden secured the underdogs a historic victory, widely labeled the upset of the NRL season. For the Roosters, the defeat dropped them from first place to third on the ladder, with just a fortnight remaining before the finals kick off.

Unlike many heavy losses that are marked by unforced errors and repeated penalty concessions, Sunday’s result was not a case of a side imploding. Still, the end result left the Roosters underperforming by their own high standards. Speaking after the team’s video review of the match on Tuesday, Cherry-Evans admitted the footage made for uncomfortable viewing.

“It’s not ideal (and it was) hard to watch,” Cherry-Evans told reporters. “But part of being in this industry is owning when you haven’t played a good game. There are a fair few of us in that room that found it hard to watch, but we owned it. We gave credit to the Tigers, and it’s as simple as that. You take your lessons and you move on. It’s too late in the season to be worrying too much.”

The Roosters have long held themselves to some of the highest standards in the NRL, and Cherry-Evans said the playing group was quick to acknowledge their underperformance without making excuses. “We are high standards of each other and of ourselves, so we’re our own harshest critics. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. We weren’t searching for anything in the video today; it was really clear we weren’t good enough. The Tigers played really well, and you’ve got to own that. It’s certainly refocused us, that’s for sure.”

Now, the Roosters face a challenging final two games of the regular season that will serve as their final tune-up for the finals. They host the Dolphins at their home ground this Saturday, before wrapping up the regular season against the Rabbitohs in the final round. Earlier this 2024 season, the Dolphins handed the Roosters a heavy loss in a match that was impacted by State of Origin representative commitments, leading many to frame Saturday’s rematch as a key test of how quickly the Roosters can bounce back from the Tigers upset. But Cherry-Evans said the side is not focused on framing the game as a litmus test, instead prioritizing fixing their own flaws ahead of the finals.

“I haven’t looked at it that way. I haven’t looked at who we need to play to feel like we’re ready for finals,” Cherry-Evans said. “We are continually on a path of improvement, and on the weekend we didn’t get the result we wanted. I can assure you that our focus has gone back on what needs to be fixed, what areas needed to be rectified, and then we move on from there. But I wouldn’t say I’ve looked at the opposition and thought I’ve had to play a certain opposition leading in.”

He added that accountability to internal standards is the most important priority for the side at this late stage of the season, saying the club’s leadership group and coaching staff have not shied away from addressing the issues laid bare by the upset loss. “It’s the standards that you hold yourself to among your teammates and with your coaching staff that’s most important this time of year. And our coaches and leaders didn’t let us walk past anything that happened on the weekend, that’s for sure.”

A long-held theory in rugby league holds that a timely loss ahead of the finals can serve as a valuable wake-up call, shaking complacency out of a side that has been on a long winning run and reigniting their hunger for premiership success. While many in the code dismiss this idea as nonsense, Cherry-Evans says he aligns with the theory, and believes the Roosters’ upset defeat will serve exactly that purpose for his side.

“Only time will tell, but I definitely believe it is,” he said. “Did we want to lose? Absolutely not. But it’s happened, and the most important thing now is you take your lessons and you move on really quickly. I do believe that was done today by the whole group.”

The National Rugby League (NRL) community has been left reeling after the Brisbane Broncos blocked fan-favourite halfback Adam Reynolds from a farewell appearance at Suncorp Stadium, a decision that has drawn disappointment from current and former players across the league.

Reynolds, who led the Broncos to a historic premiership win last year ending a 19-year title drought, had aggressively pushed to take the field for one final home game against the Melbourne Storm this Thursday. When the club’s medical team and head coach Michael Maguire ruled him ineligible for selection last week, Reynolds announced publicly on Monday that his 15-year professional playing career had already reached its end.

Cody Walker, who built a formidable halves pairing with Reynolds during their 126-game run together at the South Sydney Rabbitohs before Reynolds’ 2021 move to Brisbane, opened up about his disappointment in an interview this week. Walker said he grew emotional watching Reynolds’ choked-up interview with Triple M, a moment that brought back memories of their years playing side-by-side.

“I’m quite disappointed and sad that he’s not going to get the send-off that he probably deserves,” Walker said. “I’m not entirely sure on what the ins and outs are inside those four walls, so I can’t really comment on it, but I think that it’s disappointing that he won’t get to go out on his own shield and in his own way, which is pretty disappointing.”

Walker argued that after 15 seasons in the NRL, including five years leading the Broncos, Reynolds deserved at least a short cameo appearance. He noted that Reynolds had previously come off the bench for limited minutes three times last season while managing soft tissue injuries, pointing to the precedent that could have been followed for the farewell. Walker also drew a comparison to Rabbitohs forward Jai Arrow, who the NRL has cleared to take the field for the opening minutes of his team’s final two matches after his career was cut short by a devastating motor neurone diagnosis, a special arrangement the league approved to honor Arrow’s career.

Broncos veteran playmaker Ben Hunt, who spoke on behalf of the Brisbane playing group, echoed Walker’s sentiment, saying the entire squad was caught off guard by the final call. “We’re all pretty shocked, to be fair,” Hunt told 4BC radio on Tuesday morning. “We knew how hard he’s been pushing the last few weeks and seeing him train out there on Monday and get through that full session, we thought for sure he was going to get another run around.”

Hunt added that the team had been looking forward to honoring their outgoing captain with a final send-off in front of a home crowd. “We were excited to have one of the best players to play our game come back and our captain and play his final game at Suncorp,” he said. “I had a quick message to him just as soon as I found out and asked where he’s going, and he’s obviously disappointed. He’s the little competitor he is. He wanted to get out there, and from what I’m gauging, most of the players are pretty disappointed too. We thought he deserved that send-off.”

While many figures within the league have criticized the decision, Manly Sea Eagles playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans, a contemporary of Reynolds who has competed against him for years, noted that the missed farewell will not overshadow the halfback’s legendary career. “I don’t know the background of the story too well, but I will say that Adam Reynolds has been fantastic and one of the elite playmakers in the game for a long time,” he said. “He doesn’t get his fairytale as such, but I reckon if you asked him, his career is the fairytale. That’s the beauty of playing for so long; he’s got so many memories, so many achievements. He doesn’t get one last game, but he’s had a hell of a career and he’s been an elite playmaker for a long time. It’s been an absolute honour to go up against him so many times.”

As of Tuesday, the Broncos have not released additional details about the medical and coaching conversations that led to the decision, leaving the NRL community divided over the handling of one of the game’s most respected modern players.

As the Australian Football League’s high-stakes wildcard final between the Melbourne Demons and Carlton Blues draws near, four of Melbourne’s top players remain under fitness observation this week, with veteran fan-favorite midfielder Jack Viney leading the group vying for a last-minute selection call. The Demons head into this do-or-die knockout clash after a disappointing round 24 loss to the Western Bulldogs, leaving the club with no margin for error if they hope to advance deeper into the 2024 finals series.

Viney has fought his way back from a season plagued by persistent back and Achilles injuries, logging a successful comeback appearance in the Victorian Football League (the AFL’s reserve development competition) just two weeks ago. Speaking to reporters this week, interim Melbourne coach Steven King confirmed that the tough, hard-nosed on-baller has put himself firmly in contention for a spot in the senior finals side.

King noted that multiple players who turned in strong training performances over the recent weekend are in the selection mix, and Viney is among the leading candidates. “There’s probably five, six or seven players that trained strongly over the weekend that will definitely come into the mix (and) Jack is one of them,” King said. Alongside Viney, fellow aspirants Jake Melksham, Xavier Taylor, Max Heath, and Paddy Cross are all ready to step into the senior side if called upon.

King explained that the VFL run was just the first step in Viney’s comeback, with limited match conditioning after months sidelined. “Last week was a finals-type game as well, it’s probably just more the lead-in (for Viney), playing just the one VFL game and then training. If we had another month up our sleeve we would have a bit more data and we’d sort of know where we’re at a bit more,” the coach added.

Despite the unknowns around Viney’s match fitness, King praised the lifelong Melbourne player’s finals-ready style of play, emphasizing that his competitive intensity will not be in question. “What I do know is that Jack is a Melbourne man – he plays the game in a way that’s built for finals. There will be no questioning whether what he’ll bring will be up to AFL intensity, it will be how long he can sustain it,” King said. He added that the club is prioritizing Viney’s long-term welfare, noting that while the temptation to insert him straight into the line-up is strong, the coaching staff will only select him if they are fully confident he is physically prepared.

Beyond Viney’s comeback bid, the Demons are also closely monitoring the fitness of three other key players – defender Jake Lever, midfielder Daniel Turner and forward Matt Jefferson – who picked up knocks during last week’s bruising round 24 loss to the Bulldogs. Initial concerns over Turner’s injury have eased following medical assessments, and all three players have until Thursday’s training session to prove they are fit enough to take on Carlton.

King shared that Turner will get a light training run on Monday, while Lever and Jefferson are currently managing more significant soreness. “But from what we thought initially, it’s a lot better. We’ll give them to later in the week to see where they’re at (after) they’re off legs today,” King said. “Turner will train a little bit this morning, but obviously with a seven-day break, we get the opportunity to wait until Thursday to really see where they’re at.”

The coach confirmed that all three remain in contention for selection, after scan results ruled out the worst-case injury scenarios. “I think they’re all a chance – the feedback initially was that they might be on the more severe side, but after getting them scanned, we’ll just see how they respond,” he said. King stressed that the club will not risk selecting any player who is not fully fit, both for the individual player’s welfare and the team’s chances of pulling off an upset win. “I am not going to put anyone that’s in any doubt out there in a final for their own welfare but also for the team. We’ve got to make sure we pick a team that’s (healthy) … it’s going to be a fairly intense game,” he added.

One of Australia’s most dominant National Rugby League (NRL) franchises, the Melbourne Storm, has confirmed it has no objections to serving as test participants for a groundbreaking new kick-off rule when the club faces the Brisbane Broncos in a primetime Thursday night matchup. The fixture carries a strange full-circle context: exactly 12 months prior, these two powerhouse clubs clashed in rugby league’s highest-stakes decider, the NRL Grand Final. Today, the narrative could not be more different. Brisbane sits 15th on the 2024 premiership ladder, while Melbourne will miss the top-eight finals for the first time since 2010, leaving both sides out of title contention and the league free to test the experimental rule without disrupting the season’s title race.

League officials notified both clubs of the trial plans on Monday. The proposed rule change, which was first floated during a pre-season gathering of the sport’s top head coaches, reverses the traditional post-scoring restart dynamic. Currently, the team that has just conceded points (whether via a try, penalty goal, or field goal) is required to kick the ball back to the scoring side to restart play. Under the new rule, the conceding team will gain the option to either kick off to the opponent or choose to receive the kick themselves, taking possession immediately after points are conceded.

The rule’s core objective is to break up lopsided stretches of continuous possession by one team, which often result in a quick avalanche of unanswered points that can end a game’s competitive tension long before the final siren. Though the trial has drawn mixed reactions from across the league, NRL officials have framed the Thursday clash as the ideal test case: two high-quality, well-resourced clubs playing in a nationally televised primetime slot, with nothing to lose in the premiership race.

Melbourne Storm’s general manager of football, Frank Ponissi, told media that the club has fully embraced the trial. “Earlier in the year, we would have opposed the rule being brought in mid-season, but we certainly support trialing it,” Ponissi said. “I think the NRL should be congratulated on the way they’ve gone about it. Trialling it in such a high-profile game is the correct approach. While both teams can’t make the finals, both are quality teams and it’s a prime-time TV game, so it’s the perfect time to trial such a thing. We certainly didn’t have any objection to being involved.”

Despite the club’s willingness to participate, a key question remains unanswered: there is no clarity on whether any side would actually choose to kick off and voluntarily surrender possession after conceding points. Ponissi admitted that even the Storm have not pre-planned their strategy for the new rule, noting that there are potential scenarios where kicking off could benefit a side. For example, in extreme wet or windy conditions, a team may opt to kick long to gain valuable field position rather than defend a short kick from the opponent. “We don’t know what we’ll do, it’s all new to us,” Ponissi said. “We’re going in with a very open mind and will see how it goes. We’re not having any premeditated notions of ‘we’ll do this or we’ll do that’. We’re just going in with an open mind and seeing how it evolves. Maybe when you do it a second time, that’s when you might do things differently, but it’s going to be new to us.”

Four years after hanging up his professional tennis racket for good, 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is gearing up for a long-awaited, emotionally charged homecoming to one of the sport’s most iconic venues: New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium. Speaking at a press conference Monday ahead of Tuesday night’s exhibition match, Federer opened up about what this special appearance means to him, revealing he jumped at the chance to finally give the New York fanbase that has supported him for decades the proper farewell they were never able to get.

Federer’s last competitive match at the US Open dates back to 2019, when he fell to Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals. At the time, he had every intention of returning to compete in future editions of the tournament, but a string of persistent injuries derailed those plans. He was forced to sit out the 2020 and 2021 tournaments, before playing his final professional match at the Laver Cup in September 2022, leaving New York fans without the ceremonial sendoff that other legends like Andre Agassi and Serena Williams received when they retired. This exhibition, held during the US Open’s annual ‘fan week’ ahead of the main tournament kicking off Sunday, will finally fill that gap.

Tuesday’s match will see Federer team up in a doubles exhibition against a roster of the sport’s all-time greats: former rivals Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi, alongside tennis icon John McEnroe. Combined, the four athletes have claimed an unprecedented 12 men’s singles US Open titles, bringing together a generation of tennis legends for one night of celebration. The appearance also comes ahead of a major milestone for Federer: his formal induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, scheduled for later this week in Newport, Rhode Island.

Federer noted that the timing of this return worked out perfectly for his family, as his four children — two sets of twins aged 12 and 17 — are now old enough to travel and experience their father playing on one of the sport’s biggest stages. “It really gives me a true opportunity to say thank you,” the 20-time major winner said of the event. Federer emphasized that the night will be low-key and focused on fun rather than intense competition: the match will not follow the grueling best-of-five set structure used in professional Grand Slam play, and he expects a relaxed, respectful tone that prioritizes celebration over competition. “I hope it’s going to be a lot of fun for us and the same for the fans to just see us back out playing,” he added.

Despite the excitement surrounding his return, Federer was firm in shutting down any speculation of a full professional comeback. When asked repeatedly if he would consider accepting a wildcard entry into the main 2024 US Open draw, Federer answered “no” no fewer than nine times, making clear that his competitive playing days are behind him. “There’s just way too many obstacles, and I’m too busy,” he explained. “All good and just just a fan now, just enjoying watching.”

In a chaotic, high-stakes west London derby at Craven Cottage on Monday, Xabi Alonso kicked off his tenure as Chelsea manager with a pulsating 3-2 opening victory, powered by debut goals from record-signing Morgan Rogers and a lightning-fast early strike from Joao Pedro. The result carries extra weight for Alonso, who was hired this offseason to pull Chelsea out of a disappointing slump that saw the club finish 10th in the Premier League last term. For the former Real Madrid head coach, the win also serves as an immediate response to his unceremonious sacking from the Spanish giants after less than eight months in charge, ending his tenure at the Bernabeu earlier this year. The match carried even more narrative subtext: Alonso faced off against new Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa, a long-time teammate who played alongside the Chelsea boss for seven years at both Real Madrid and Liverpool, and also represented Spain at the international level. In a striking twist of fate, Arbeloa was promoted from his role leading Real Madrid B to replace Alonso immediately after his dismissal in January. Chelsea got off to a historic fast start, with Joao Pedro finding the back of the net just 31 seconds into the contest. The goal came from a deft flicked pass from Cole Palmer, who controlled a header from Levi Colwill before playing Pedro through on goal, and the central forward finished coolly past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno. The lead did not hold long, however, as Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez — already under scrutiny after a string of shaky performances last season — made the first of two costly errors, fumbling a relatively routine strike from Josh King in the 23rd minute to gift Fulham an equalizer. Alonso’s aggressive 3-4-3 formation left Chelsea’s defense exposed on multiple occasions throughout the match, but the Blues’ new attacking trio clicked into place almost immediately to produce clinical, purposeful going forward. The summer’s biggest signing made his mark before halftime: Morgan Rogers, who moved to Chelsea from Aston Villa for a British record £117 million ($159 million) in the offseason, put the Blues back in front in the 41st minute. The goal was a product of quick combination play: Palmer pulled off a clever turn to find new defender Maxence Lacroix, who burst forward unexpectedly to play a low cross into the path of Rogers, who slotted a clinical finish past Leno from 10 yards out. After scoring, Rogers celebrated with the viral “ice-cold” gesture popularized by Palmer, his close friend and new attacking teammate. The pair, who already had a strong off-pitch relationship, gelled instantly to lead Chelsea’s dynamic attacking push. Palmer extended Chelsea’s lead just four minutes after halftime, capping off a strong build-up from Pedro, who held up play long enough for Palmer to burst into the box and slot a low shot past Leno from a tight angle. The goal marked a determined start for Palmer, who missed out on a spot in England’s World Cup squad during a disappointing 2023/24 campaign and looked eager to prove his quality this season. Fulham hit back quickly, however, as a second error from Sanchez allowed the Cottagers to pull one back. The Chelsea keeper weakly parried a shot from Timothy Castagne straight into the path of Gonzalo Garcia, another Real Madrid-linked debutant, who headed home the rebound in the 54th minute. The match saw one other notable off-pitch moment: Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was greeted with deafening boos from Fulham fans when he came off the bench, a reaction to his controversial role in Argentina’s World Cup semi-final win over England several years ago. In a frantic final 35 minutes, Fulham pushed hard for an equalizer: King nearly leveled with a long-range rocket that fizzed just wide of the post, and Antonee Robinson’s lob over Sanchez drifted narrowly off target. Chelsea held on to secure the full three points, giving Alonso a dream start to his reign at Stamford Bridge. For Chelsea fans, the performance offers early optimism heading into the new season: keeping attacking stars Rogers and Palmer fit and in form could be the critical factor that pushes the club back into contention for a Champions League qualification spot, a goal the club has missed in recent campaigns.

In a defiant, high-energy first public introduction as Essendon Football Club’s new senior coach, Mark McVeigh stepped into the spotlight at the club’s training facility The Hangar to a thunderous standing ovation, laying out his clear vision for the club while addressing the two biggest talking points surrounding his appointment: beating club legend James Hird to the top job and deciding the future of star midfielder Zach Merrett.

Opening his remarks to a packed room, McVeigh directly appealed to the club’s loyal supporter base, known as the Essendon armada. “I don’t ask for your patience — I ask for your reliance to our club,” he said. “This is a significant day for our football club and I can’t wait to start.”

Widely framed as the most high-stakes role in the Australian Football League (AFL), McVeigh’s appointment came after he beat out Hird, one of Essendon’s most beloved former players and coaches, for the top position. The outcome split the club’s fanbase, with many diehard supporters calling for Hird’s return. But instead of shying away from the divide, the former Essendon player turned new head coach embraced the passion of Hird’s backers and opened up about his decades-long friendship with the club icon.

“I love James Hird, he is one of my best mates, and it was difficult to go through the process against a friend,” McVeigh shared. “I don’t fear those people; I actually embrace how they feel and I understand it. He’s been a constant in my life since I was 17 years of age, and we spoke this morning. The way he spoke to me about how proud he was of this moment for me, it hasn’t broken us; we’re still together. I understand and embrace the feelings of the people who love James Hird because I do too.”

In a move designed to bridge the fan divide, McVeigh revealed that Hird tops his list of candidates to join his rebuilt football department. The legend recently returned to coaching at the lower-league Port Melbourne, and McVeigh said formal conversations about a role at Essendon will happen in the coming weeks.

“Going forward I will have those discussions with James, absolutely; I need to know where his footy journey is going to go from here,” McVeigh said. “Ultimately, it will be up to James, and I will respect that. All those conversations are open with him and I, we speak regularly, we always have. Once I found out that I got the role, he’s certainly on the top of my list.”

McVeigh positioned himself as a “no-ego coach” and said that on-field improvement will be the fastest way to unify supporters and bring lapsed fans back to the stands. “I think what they need to see is improvement and they need to see who I am as a person, what I am about,” he explained. “I know the position on the ladder doesn’t suggest it should be the happiest place, but it’s pretty amazing what they’ve got here. That gives me great confidence and it should give our supporters great confidence. I hope in the next few weeks, months, that the supporters who perhaps are not aligned with us now see great change.”

McVeigh’s appointment is effective immediately, and he will begin meeting with players this week for end-of-season exit reviews. The most high-profile of those meetings will be with Merrett, who requested a trade away from the club last year that ultimately fell through, leaving his long-term future with the Bombers uncertain.

McVeigh said he will approach the conversation with an open mind, prioritizing the star captain’s feelings. “Zach and I have just met earlier as I walked in. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Zach, he’s done so much for the club,” McVeigh said. “You must respect your champions — I’m big on that. Zach and I will sit down at the appropriate time, I think it’s really important we understand the player’s feelings. It’s not just about the club’s feelings, it’s about his feelings and where he’s at. I respect him, I want him to be here but I will listen to him as well.”