said on Tuesday that you can \u201crule a line through\u201d<\/a> Bula joining the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n‘Back on the right’ Braith on Crichton | 01:41<\/p>\n
PANTHERS EXTEND YOUNG GUN<\/p>\n
In other signing news, the Panthers have confirmed 21-year-old rising forward Zakauri Clarke has extended with the club for another two years.<\/p>\n
Clarke, brother of emerging Storm star Cooper and formerly in the Wests Tigers system, is enjoying a successful season in the NSW Cup this year and will remain in the club\u2019s top 30 squad until at least the end of 2028 now.<\/p>\n
Panthers General Manager of Football Shane Elford said the club \u201clooks forward to his continued development over the coming year\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cZakauri is a hardworking forward who has continued to develop his game and perform consistently this season,\u201d Elford added.<\/p>\n
WARRIORS ANNOUNCE BIG EXTENSION<\/p>\n
The Warriors have announced a major signing coup, extending lock forward Erin Clark for an extra two years.<\/p>\n
Clark was already locked in on a deal until the end of 2027, meaning his new contract will see the 28-year-old remain across the ditch until the end of the decade.<\/p>\n
The former Titans forward is coming off a standout season which saw him crowned Dally M lock of the year, recording career-high numbers in both average run metres (124) and tackle busts (74).<\/p>\n
\u201cErin has been exceptional ever since he returned,\u201d said Warriors head coach Andrew Webster.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we lost Tohu Harris and then Dylan Walker last year, Erin stepped straight in to fill the role at 13.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been fantastic, I love what he does for us and he fits in so well with the boys. The thing is he has even more to give. He\u2019s a great asset.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erin Clark of the Warriors. (Photo by Matt Blyth\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
STORM \u2018NOT UP TO STANDARD\u2019 ACCORDING TO SKIPPER<\/p>\n
Storm skipper Harry Grant says his side is \u201cdefensively not up to standard\u201d after they slumped to a fourth-straight loss on the weekend, but he insists all hope is not lost after seeing Penrith recover from a horror start last year to almost win the title.<\/p>\n
Melbourne has been the most feared team in the NRL for the past two decades but they were bullied at home by the Warriors on the weekend, with the visitors snapping a 17-game losing streak against them in the process.<\/p>\n
A shocking run of injuries coupled with several key departures in the off-season has left the Storm exposed for the first time in years, with coach Craig Bellamy forced to play middles on an edge, while they lack strike out wide.<\/p>\n
Grant backing Storm to bounce back | 01:24<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s defensively where they\u2019ve really struggled, with Melbourne conceding 158 points through the opening six rounds, including 116 in their past three games. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a level that we need to be performing to, and we\u2019re certainly not there at the moment with application on the field,\u201d Grant said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been preparing really well for games and there are answers in the team and in the coaching squad, but it\u2019s up to us to put in practice for performances on the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Club legend Billy Slater questioned their attitude after the Warriors loss, while Brad Fittler described their defence as \u201cterrible\u201d on the Sunday Footy Show.<\/p>\n
Grant said all criticism of the team was fair leading into Friday\u2019s showdown with the Raiders, but he wasn\u2019t going to be driven by it after seeing people\u2019s opinions of the Bulldogs change quickly after they stunned Penrith. <\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone changes their tune week after week,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they had the Bulldogs written off a few weeks ago, but after the weekend they\u2019re probably back in the loop.<\/p>\n
Harry Grant is blocking out the outside noise as the Storm try to turn things around against Canberra on Friday night. Picture: Robert Cianflone\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that, it\u2019s eliminating all the outside noise. We\u2019ve got all the answers in the club here with the playing group and the coaching staff, but it\u2019s just about applying it.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople can have their opinions, but it doesn\u2019t mean too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Storm have traditionally started seasons well to give them breathing room around the Origin period, but they can\u2019t afford that now with just two wins.<\/p>\n
But they haven\u2019t given up yet and only have to look at the Panthers who were last after 12 rounds before they turned it around to get within one game of the grand final. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou can certainly take inspiration from other teams and where they\u2019ve been,\u201d their skipper said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s a different team, a different environment, and it\u2019s us that\u2019s in it and it\u2019s us that can make it happen. It\u2019s not just going to happen because it\u2019s happened in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to go out there and create it and make it happen yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
All eyes will be on forward Joe Chan on Friday after he was hooked in the second half against the Warriors following three errors and a penalty despite being given a bake by Bellamy in the sheds at halftime. <\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s been in those shoes at times as a player,\u201d Grant said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just need Joey at his best. When he brings his strengths to the team and is at his best, he\u2019s a great asset to the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important that he gets back to that this week and prepares well. You can single one player out, but it\u2019s not just one player. It\u2019s a collective 30-man squad, and that\u2019s what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is this the end of the Storm dynasty? | 00:58<\/p>\n
FAMILIAR FACE COULD PLOT ROOSTERS\u2019 DOWNFALL<\/p>\n
Plenty of assistants have made the big leap into head coaching and have struggled early on, but Justin Holbrook has made an immediate impact at the Knights as he prepares to return to Sydney where his side will take on the Roosters.<\/p>\n
Holbrook spent a couple of seasons at the Roosters as their attack coach after he was let go by the Titans, with players from the Sydney glamour club regularly praising him for making them one of the most prolific teams with the ball.<\/p>\n
He was rewarded with the Knights gig where he\u2019s turned the worst attack into something a lot more potent, with last year\u2019s wooden-spooners a joy to watch despite being without injured stars Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown.<\/p>\n
Roosters players raved about the impact Justin Holbrook had on their attack. Picture: SuppliedSource: News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a really good man manager,\u201d Roosters forward Angus Crichton said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows how to get the best out of his players, and it\u2019s impressed me seeing him go across and still be happy. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou see a lot of great assistants go across, and it helps when you\u2019re winning, but he looks like he\u2019s learnt a lot from his first head coaching gig. I\u2019m so happy for him, he\u2019s such a great bloke. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of time for \u2018Justo\u2019. He really got us humming, so it\u2019ll be a good test for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Roosters will host Newcastle on Sunday after they stormed home to beat the Sharks in Perth on a day they couldn\u2019t hold on to the ball for the first 20 minutes but steadied things in the second half to kick clear. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re still so far from our best and we\u2019re nowhere near where we want to be yet,\u201d Crichton said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got so much work to do, and we were back working hard again out there today. We are still nowhere near where we want to get to; we\u2019re super aware and not running around thinking we\u2019re world beaters yet.<\/p>\n
DCE leads Roosters to huge comeback | 02:53<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just still breaking it down today, looking at some of our timing and some of our shapes. We\u2019re still not in the right spots at the right times, and I think that\u2019s only going to come with a little bit more game time together and continuity. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll keep building those combinations and making sure that everyone\u2019s doing their job.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Roosters won last week\u2019s game by 12 points but it could have been more had Robert Toia not been denied a clear try by the Bunker for a disrupter which sparked plenty of outrage and led to an admission from the NRL that the call was wrong.<\/p>\n
Toia missed training on Tuesday as he recovers from the flu, with Crichton joking that mid-season interpretations are nothing new. <\/p>\n
\u201cHow long have you been in rugby league for? You shouldn\u2019t be surprised. This is what we do!\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not surprised. This stuff happens every year; there are always different things that pop up, and it\u2019s just how as a team you can get around it, understand it, and practise it best. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no point in having a sulk and crying about it. The only way you move forward is by adapting to it and making sure you\u2019re across it, and then when it changes back, you\u2019re ready to go. Hopefully in the next couple of rounds, we\u2019ll be back to where it needs to be.<\/p>\n
Angus Crichton and his partner welcomed their first child into the world earlier this month. Picture: Paul Kane\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of chat about it, and the NRL came out and said that they got that one wrong. It\u2019s good that hopefully they can try and stamp it out and a bit of common sense will prevail in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Crichton is getting used to fatherhood after he and his partner welcomed Sullivan into the world on Easter Sunday. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe went in there (the hospital) on Saturday night, and he arrived Sunday morning,\u201d Crichton said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe club was great. The boys were meant to train on Monday, but I called the coach on Sunday and he let me have Monday off. I came in on Tuesday and just did the bare minimum; I did field, missed all the meetings, did some gym, and cruised home after that. <\/p>\n
\u201cI went back to the hospital, and then the boys travelled to Perth on Wednesday. I got to stay an extra night to make sure they were home and settled before I took off on Thursday. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe club was great, it was a special time, and it\u2019s good to be back at home now so I can help out.\u201d<\/p>\n
TOWERING TONGAN STAR TO CLASH WITH IDOL<\/p>\n
Taniela Paseka grew up idolising Jason Taumalolo when he was in school, but the towering Sea Eagles prop will have to put his emotions to the side when he takes on his Tongan comrade in a heavyweight bout on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Taumalolo played a key role in the Tongan revolution nearly a decade ago when he and Andrew Fifita made the big call to play for the tiny nation at the 2017 World Cup.<\/p>\n
Stars have followed ever since and the international game has benefited greatly, with Paseka playing three Tests alongside the veteran forward at the 2024 Pacific Championships.<\/p>\n
Taniela Paseka (back right) got the chance to play with Jason Taumalolo for Tonga in 2024. Picture: Hannah Peters\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesJason Taumalolo of Tonga has been a hero for Taniela Paseka, but not when they clash this weekend. Picture: Hannah Peters\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
There is plenty of Tongan talent in the current Manly side headlined by Paseka, Haumole Olakau\u2019atu, Tolu Koula and Lehi Hopoate, with the awesome foursome to go against one of the country\u2019s most influential figures.<\/p>\n
Taumalolo has been in fantastic form to start the year and is having his best yardage season since 2020, with the fearless forward coming off 219 metres against Brisbane last week.<\/p>\n
Paseka is also returning to his best after suffering a devastating Achilles rupture that ruled him out for most of the 2025 campaign, with the big men to clash in the middle. <\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying against Jason, I\u2019ve literally looked up to him since I was in school,\u201d he told the NewsWire. <\/p>\n
\u201cI remember the first time playing against him, I went home and told my family, \u201cI\u2019m playing against Jason Taumalolo!\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s always good to play against your fellow Tongans, but also it\u2019s a good challenge for us to try and put it on top of them and try and win the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not thinking too much about individuals; I\u2019m just thinking about me doing my job for my team and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt used to be (weird playing against him). But now I\u2019ve been in the game for a fair bit, it\u2019s just another game to me. I don\u2019t look at individuals too much, but he is a pretty cool player to play against and with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason Taumalolo is coming off one of his best games in years. Picture: Chris Hyde\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The pair will likely be teammates at the World Cup later this year, with Tonga looking to bounce back after a disappointing Pacific Championships in 2025, while they feel they could have gone deeper at the previous World Cup where Samoa stole the show. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo, we\u2019ve had no chat. Nothing\u2019s been mentioned yet (about the World Cup),\u201d Paseka said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all club footy at the moment. Maybe when it gets closer to the end of the year, there might be a bit of chat, but I think this is very early. <\/p>\n
\u201cFirst of all, you\u2019ve got to make the team. I don\u2019t want to say I\u2019ve made the team, but first play good footy and then hopefully make the team.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Bulldogs have effectively ruled themselves out of a potential bid for Tigers fullback Jahream Bula after announcing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":380009,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[111,139,69,213],"class_list":["post-380008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380008"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380008\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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