Sign up now!!! <\/a><\/p>\nA slimmed-down Selwyn Cobbo will feature for the Dolphins for the first time in his new team\u2019s trial against the Gold Coast.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
THE RABBITOHS AND THEIR HALVES DEPTH<\/p>\n
It\u2019ll be a familiar sight for the St George Illawarra Dragons this weekend when they come up against two of their former juniors.<\/p>\n
Former Gerringong Lions product Ashton Ward will be in the five-eighth role for Souths, while Jonah Glover \u2013 who guided the Dragons\u2019 New South Wales cup side to a grand final last year \u2013 will be in the halfback jersey ahead of another former Dragon in Jayden Sullivan.<\/p>\n
This game gives Glover and Ward a chance to at least push for selection for Rounds 1 and 2, as likely first choice half Jamie Humphreys will be out for two games through suspension. <\/p>\n
Roosters legend Braith Anasta says the Bunnies are spoiled for halves depth but in his mind, it\u2019s clear who is starting halves should be when Humphries returns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve (South Sydney) got firepower on that left edge. (Cody) Walker is lethal and always has been and will continue to be. Even at the back end of last year, when he was coming off the bench, he was dangerous.\u201d Anasta said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully that works for them, but if it doesn\u2019t they have good depth.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Jonah) Glover has big wraps on him, I would be leaning towards him. He has got a lot of potential.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Humphries out, Sullivan is the favourite to lead the Bunnies around in the opening two rounds, but Anasta has reservations. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sold on Sullivan, I think he has played enough games now and I haven\u2019t seen enough,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Walker, who has dealt with several injury issues over the past few seasons, will not feature in the Charity Shield match at WIN Stadium this weekend and may likely be saved for South Sydney\u2019s season opener against the Dolphins. <\/p>\n
CAN TITANS YOUNG GUN LIVE UP TO THE HYPE?<\/p>\n
Any player caught in a tug of war between his club and the Melbourne Storm obviously can play, but is Titans prodigy Cooper Bai ready to live up to the hype? <\/p>\n
Bai backflipped on an agreement to join the Storm in 2027, after an 11th hour bid from Josh Hannay to keep him at the Titans succeeded. <\/p>\n
Bai was set to join the club his dad Marcus Bai made his name at, before deciding to continue his development at the Titans by inking a one-year extension for 2027. <\/p>\n
Bai senior thought his son might be better served developing under master coach Craig Bellamy at the Storm, but the young lock decided to stay loyal. <\/p>\n
However, a one-year extension doesn\u2019t exactly mean Bai will be at the Titans long-term, so the challenge now is for the club to show the youngster that the Gold Coast is the place for him to get the best out of himself and his career. <\/p>\n
The 19-year-old debuted off the bench for the Titans in their last round win over the Tigers last year, running for 66 metres from six runs to go with three tackle busts, a linebreak, 14 tackles and four misses. <\/p>\n
The Titans are resting a raft of players, so Bai will be given a chance in the run on side for this Thursday\u2019s trial against the Dolphins. <\/p>\n
Given his age and experience, there is bound to be growing pains as Bai learns how to be a consistent first grader over the next couple of seasons. <\/p>\n
But due to his raw ability and skills and power game, Bai could be the focal point of the Titans\u2019 pack for the next decade. <\/p>\n
Cooper Bai has enormous potential.Source: Supplied Source Known<\/p>\n
NQ HALVES HEADACHE SEEMINGLY SOLVED<\/p>\n
Todd Payten may have made his mind up on the club\u2019s big halves question.<\/p>\n
Payten has two options in Jaxon Purdue and Jake Clifford to partner Tom Dearden in the halves this season.<\/p>\n
The pair wore the six and seven jersey respectively in the Cowboys\u2019 opening trial against the Bulldogs, with Clifford outplaying Purdue.<\/p>\n
Premiership-winning halfback Cooper Cronk said in commentary that Clifford was \u201cthe difference\u201d between the two sides and was \u201ca class above\u201d.<\/p>\n
Purdue, meanwhile, struggled to make an impact.<\/p>\n
Purdue has a desire to play in the halves, despite being a dangerous centre who comes into his third NRL season as a star player who cannot be left out of this Cowboys side.<\/p>\n
however, for this weekend\u2019s trial against the Panthers, Payten has named Purdue at centre while Clifford will partner superstar Dearden.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean the problem is solved, although a strong showing from Clifford this weekend and Payten will have no choice but to keep the 28-year-old in the halves for the club\u2019s Vegas opener.<\/p>\n
Clifford is the more experienced option of the pair and has delivered when called upon in the past, albeit a more traditional style of playmaker.<\/p>\n
Fox League\u2019s Braith Anasta is of the opinion that experience should win out.<\/p>\n
\u201cPurdue had a few shots in the halves last year and was good without being great,\u201d Anasta said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey ended up going back to Clifford anyway. Do they roll the dice with Purdue and just back him or do they stick to the one that they know, which is Clifford. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d probably go with Clifford and Purdue in the centres. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou need stability for Dearden. You don\u2019t want him to have a different half every week. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to have a solid combination in there that they can just stick with all year.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cowboys hold off determined Bulldogs | 03:28<\/p>\n
CAN GALVIN AND BURTON COMBO DELIVER AMID BULLDOGS CONTINGENCY PLAN? <\/p>\n
The biggest question surrounding the Bulldogs\u2019 title chance sin 2026 is can a halves combination of Lachlan Galvin and Matt Burton work or do they need a contingency plan? <\/p>\n
The Bulldogs went from first on the ladder last season to finishing third and going out of the finals in straight sets after convincing losses to tge Storm and Panthers. <\/p>\n
Galvin joined the team halfway through the season after his Tigers exit and was thrust into the unfamiliar halfback role where he will start this season and the trial against the Knights on Saturday night. <\/p>\n
However, doubts remain over his suitability for the halfback role due to deficiencies in his long kicking game and organisational skills. <\/p>\n
Galvin\u2019s best position is five-eighth and he is arguably too similar to Burton to coexist in the halves together. <\/p>\n
Bulldogs premiership winner Braith Anasta revealed new recruit Sean O\u2019Sullivan could be thrust into the halfback role if the Galvin-Burton combination doesn\u2019t click. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a mean-dollar question, the contingency is O\u2019Sullivan,\u201d Anasta said when asked if Galvin can make the halfback jersey his own. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard some mail that he\u2019s just been training really well there and he\u2019s the steady head with his experience. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if Galvin and Burton don\u2019t go to plan in the first month there, I think he\u2019ll be in sooner rather than later. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m just hoping they\u2019ve trained the house down in the pre-season and they\u2019ve worked on that combination and Galvin\u2019s going to ice that No. 7 position and Matty steps it up at No.6. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey deserve first crack. They\u2019re both elite players and they should be the six and seven, but I\u2019d say a Sullivan on standby.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, if O\u2019Sullivan comes in at halfback it begs the question if he is an upgrade on what the Bulldogs had in Toby Sexton? <\/p>\n
And will that mean Galvin switches to five-eighth and Burton to the centres? And can Bailey Hayward play big minutes at hooker? <\/p>\n
Cameron Ciraldo will be hoping the Galvin halfback experiment works because if it doesn\u2019t it will lead to a lot more questions.<\/p>\n
Critta confident of Dogs finals success | 01:04<\/p>\n
POTENTIAL SMOKY FOR THE RAIDERS\u2019 NO. 7<\/p>\n
With Jamal Fogarty off to Manly this season, the halfback jersey is well up for grabs at the Canberra Raiders in 2026.<\/p>\n
Ethan Sanders was tipped as a potential suitor to partner Ethan Strange in the seven jersey this season, but it\u2019s former Panther and Tiger Daine Laurie who will get first crack in the position this weekend.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s made 75 appearances across six seasons in the NRL, featuring in Penrith\u2019s 2024 premiership winning year mainly as a fullback or utility.<\/p>\n
However after signing on with the reigning premiers on a three-year deal, Laurie said he\u2019s happy to suit up anywhere on the field in green.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll play anywhere too\u201d Laurie said to Raiders media.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the good thing about me, I can play a number of roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to play in the halves, probably five-eighth. I can play fullback as well but probably in the halves (I\u2019d prefer).<\/p>\n
\u201c(Ethan) Strange has been killing it there (at five-eighth), but I\u2019m going to try and fit in to the 17 somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanders is the red-hot favourite to be Canberra\u2019s halfback for their Round 1 clash against Manly but Laurie\u2019s presence gives the Ricky Stuart some much-needed depth and a potential option to turn too if Sanders struggles. <\/p>\n
Another new recruit in Coby Black is also in the frame, but he\u2019s still quite raw and young. The former Bronco is also under an injury cloud to start the season.<\/p>\n
Daine Laurie.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
IS KADE REED WORTH BRINGING STRAIGHT INTO THE DRAGONS HALVES? <\/p>\n
The Dragons\u2019 biggest dilemma coming into the season is which halves combination will help them score enough points to push for a finals berth. <\/p>\n
The Dragons showed last season that they have a toughness and resilience in defence and could have finished higher than 11th if a few close games had gone their way. <\/p>\n
But the halves combination of Kyle Flanagan and Lyhkhan King-Togia just didn\u2019t create enough try-scoring opportunities to win more games and there are doubts if recruit Daniel Atkinson will help them improve in that area. <\/p>\n
At 25, Atkinson has only scored eight tries in 36 games in the NRL and remains untested as a full-time NRL halfback, while Flanagan has more experience but hasn\u2019t nailed a starting role at any of his clubs to date. <\/p>\n
They are also very similar players, which could be exposed when they come together for the first time against the Rabbitohs in The Charity Shield this weekend. <\/p>\n
King-Togia offers a point of difference, while 19-year-old Kade Reed had a sensational debut against the Knights last weekend. <\/p>\n
Reed had two linebreak assists, two try assists and a try and impressed with his desperation in defence and skills in attack both with his kicking and passing against the Knights. <\/p>\n
Braith Anasta believes the Dragons halves were already feeling the heat heading into the season before Reed\u2019s stunning debut. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re already under pressure, really whether anyone likes it or not,\u201d Anasta said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of last year and the situation at the Dragons, there\u2019s going to be all eyes on that combination with Flanagan and Atkinson and whether Atkinson is a No. 7 or not. <\/p>\n
\u201cReed\u2019s not ready yet. He was outstanding the other night. It\u2019s great for them and their depth and potential moving forward and they know they\u2019ve got another option there if it doesn\u2019t work, which is good for them. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe showed potential to be a future first-grader, but it\u2019s hard as to go off that one trial in understrength teams. <\/p>\n
\u201cI love watching him play and he\u2019s got X factor and he looks sort of first-grader. <\/p>\n
\u201cI would go with Atkinson and Flanagan, but all eyes will be on them, so they\u2019re under pressure before a ball\u2019s kicked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kade Reed was terrific in the Dragons\u2019 opening trial match.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"South Sydney\u2019s Payne Haas coup has dominated the NRL news cycle this week but attention now turns to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":473726,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,689,241548,241546,183850,8089,11096,240014,222174,25853,763,12099,2485,82640,36272,39271,4590,18387,222177,241549,4459,11551,4746,4466,761,762,1736,4495,158,677,241547,701,241551,240012,18658,241550,85,11375,7663,241545,11089,18558],"class_list":["post-473725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-bai-senior","tag-bombshell-means","tag-break-season","tag-craig-bellamy","tag-daniel-nuttall","tag-disappointing-finals-flop","tag-ethan-lee-chalk","tag-fan-favourite","tag-fox-league","tag-game-time","tag-gold-coast","tag-grade-debut","tag-growing-pains","tag-halves-pairing","tag-joey-walsh","tag-josh-hannay","tag-lee-chalk","tag-long-term-halfback-hope","tag-luke-brooks","tag-marcus","tag-mark-st-john","tag-melbourne-storm","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-new-zealand","tag-newcastle-knights","tag-nrl","tag-oceania","tag-pre-season-talking-points","tag-queensland","tag-reserve-grade-apprenticeship","tag-season-previews","tag-season-ending-shoulder-injury","tag-spine-direction","tag-sports","tag-tackle-busts","tag-talking-points","tag-titans-young-gun","tag-tom-sargeant","tag-world-health-organization"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=473725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/473726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=473725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=473725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=473725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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