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A host of Australian sporting superstars arrived at KIA Arena keen to test themselves in a range of activities that mimicked what players may see at the combine, which draft prospects participate in before being selected by NFL teams.<\/p>\n
Representing the NRL was Dragons duo Valentine Holmes and Damien Cook, while Tom Lynch and Jai Newcombe repped the AFL. <\/p>\n
Former NFL defensive end Adam Gotsis and AFL listed player turned NFL practice squad member Patrick Murtagh also featured along with Matildas great Lydia Williams and former Socceroos keeper Mitchell Langerak. <\/p>\n
South East Melbourne Phoenix pair Dash Daniels and Skylar Mar also competed along with Melbourne Vixens duo Kiera Austin and Jo Weston, who placed second.<\/p>\n
But in the end it was Suaalii and Slipper who came out on top, with Suaalii setting the tone early as he became the first player to land all five passes inside the targets during the passing challenge. <\/p>\n
It was a showdown between rugby and netball.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Daniels also impressed, getting four before his shot at the bucket in the far right corner of the field rimmed out.<\/p>\n
Holmes also made four of his five passes and hit the bucket with one of his long-range attempts at the end. <\/p>\n
Suaalii was \u201cblowing them out of the water\u201d early according to Fox League\u2019s Jake Duke, who provided running commentary for the event, with the catching drills up next. <\/p>\n
It required participants to first complete a two-handed and then one handed catch before a behind the shoulder grab and finally a diving effort onto a few padded mats.<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly Murtagh, who was a tight end on the practice squad for a number of NFL teams as part of the international pathways program, looked the best of the lot and celebrated his final catch with a griddy, the celebration of Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. <\/p>\n
The final challenge was a passing one, which saw players from the Australia and New Zealand flag football sides play offence and defence while the athletes tried to thread the needle and find an open man or woman for the touchdown. <\/p>\n
Suaalii impressed for the rugby team.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Holmes, who previously chased his NFL dream before returning to the NRL, had a beautiful spiralling touchdown pass dropped with Langerak, Gotsis, Austin and Newcombe all finding an open receiver in the end zone. <\/p>\n
Cook, meanwhile, backed up so much he would have been sacked for a big loss of yards in the NFL before being picked off on his pass attempt.<\/p>\n
In the end, it was a third-place showdown between NRL and AFL in a reaction test with Holmes beating out Lynch to secure bragging rights for the Dragons. <\/p>\n
The rugby boys then just pipped the netball girls for the top prize on a relay, which started with a sled hook and then required players to pass into a target before catching five balls at once. <\/p>\n
Former Rabbitohs star Jai Arrow, who has captured the hearts of the rugby league community, made an appearance and was very generous in his time as he took multiple selfies with fans.<\/p>\n
Jai Arrow made an appearance.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
EX-BRONCOS ACE GETS SHOT WITH 49ERS<\/p>\n
Former Broncos player Ben Te Kura has been given a tryout with the San Francisco 49ers while they\u2019re in Australia for their week 1 clash at the MCG.<\/p>\n
Te Kura worked out for the Niners this week as he continues his push to become the second ex-NRL player to make it into the NFL, after Jarryd Hayne.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old was released from his contract with Brisbane last July, hoping to get a chance as an offensive lineman thanks to his 140kg and 205cm frame.<\/p>\n
Te Kura made five first-grade appearances including two during the Broncos\u2019 2025 premiership season.<\/p>\n
He has previously worked out with the Seahawks, Bears and Dolphins.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I can make it, and making the decision to walk away from my Broncos contract should send the message that I am all in,\u201d he said last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery workout was different and I learned something from every one of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing inside those environments and seeing the level of detail, professionalism and knowledge involved has only made me hungrier.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Te Kura gets an opportunity it\u2019s likely to come through the NFL\u2019s International Player Pathway program, which allows teams to sign non-American players to an extra practice squad spot.<\/p>\n
Benjamin Te Kura of the Broncos takes on the defence during the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge match between Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans at Clive Berghofer Stadium on February 16, 2025 in Toowoomba, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
RAMS\u2019 25,000KM GAMBLE BEGINS<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Rams have officially landed in Melbourne ahead of their blockbuster clash against the San Francisco 49ers at the MCG.<\/p>\n
Their unique approach to getting here has raised eyebrows around the sporting world, but will it prove to be the right plan when the two teams face off?<\/p>\n
The Rams have concluded their 14-hour and 52-minute flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, travelling 12,748 kilometres.<\/p>\n
The team will now have roughly 28 hours to rest, recover, settle into their hotel rooms, wake up and then play the game, before getting back on the plane to head home.<\/p>\n
Their strategy included renting out a Qantas Airbus A380, reportedly the largest and most expensive commercial passenger airliner ever built, according to Joe Pompliano.<\/p>\n
The plane had enough lie-flat seats on board for every player and some coaches, with Rams linebacker Byron Young showing off the luxury setup in a video posted to social media with the caption: \u201cfeel very boujeeee\u201d.<\/p>\n
The A380 also has a cabin altitude of around 5,000 feet compared to roughly 8,000 feet on many passenger aircraft, while higher humidity levels and a quieter cabin are designed to improve comfort and rest during long-haul flights. <\/p>\n
The Rams have now completed the opening steps of their travel plan, which included practising in LA on Tuesday morning before departing for Australia that night.<\/p>\n
Following the near 15-hour journey, the Rams touched down in Melbourne on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
The Rams are electing to stay on West Coast time whilst in Australia and landed in Melbourne at 7am local time, with the plan to sleep in the early afternoon and wake up in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n
Kick-off is at 10:35am on Friday in Melbourne and, at the conclusion of the game, the Rams will head straight back to LA and embark on another 15-hour flight.<\/p>\n
According to the Los Angeles Times,<\/a> the Rams sent players to Australia during the offseason, with the group describing themselves as \u201cguinea pigs\u201d as the franchise prepared for this trip.<\/p>\n \u201cThey kind of used us as guinea pigs,\u201d offensive lineman Kevin Dotson told the Times.<\/p>\n Rams & 49ers different travel plans | 02:15<\/p>\n Dotson travelled to Australia with teammates Kyren Williams, Tyler Davis and Xavier Smith, with their physical and mental experiences throughout the flight taken into consideration by the team.<\/p>\n Their mental and physical reactions were also monitored when they returned home from the trip.<\/p>\n Tyler Davis told the LA Times he slept \u201ceight to 10 hours\u201d during the flight to Australia in the offseason.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, once we landed, I was able to rock and roll,\u201d he said, describing his positive experience on the flight.<\/p>\n \u201cYou feel like you\u2019re at home going to sleep,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n The extraordinary travel plan has unsurprisingly sparked plenty of reaction across the NFL world.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/p>\n \u2018Ask one f***ing question about Hayne…\u2019: What it was like covering polarising Aussie\u2019s wild NFL ride<\/a><\/p>\n