The 40 stitches that failed to stop Dolphins hooker Jeremy Marshall-King

The Dolphins are creating waves after three weeks of all-time premiership form and hooker Jeremy Marshall-King is just happy to be part of it after surgery.
The 29-year-old missed five games with leg lacerations that required surgery after getting infected. His last two matches have been 58-4 and 56-6 wins over North Queensland and St George Illawarra respectively after he missed the previous 44-8 win over Canterbury.
Those victories made the Dolphins only one of six teams in premiership history to have won three straight games by 36 points.
Marshall-King suffered bad cuts against Penrith in round six and came back too soon in round nine against Sydney Roosters before missing the following four games.
ABC Sport is live blogging every round of the AFL and NRL seasons in 2025.
On Tuesday he spoke about his ordeal for the first time.
"Everyone thought it was just a little scratch but it was two cuts on my leg that were pretty deep," he said.
"It got infected at one point and probably didn't heal enough when I came back. I reopened it and had to go back in and get surgery.
"They had to clean it out because it got infected and I had over 40 stitches in my quad — inside and outside.
"It wasn't nice but I had to get it done. It is a little setback in my footy this year but it is good to be back playing and getting the wins."
It is the way the sixth-placed Dolphins are winning that is such a joy.
Their attack is on fire and defensively they have been elite, despite missing Daniel Saifiti, Max Plath and Tom Gilbert to season-ending injuries.
"It's been really fun and enjoyable the last three weeks and breaking those records as well," he said.
"It is all about our connection as a group but it comes back to our defence. The last three weeks we have kept teams to 18 and not many teams do that.
"Adversity has been part of this club since we started. We've had a lot of setbacks but us boys bond and connect a lot better when things happen like [injuries]. We've got to keep going and be consistent in what we do."
The Dolphins will miss captain Felise Kaufusi to suspension for the next fortnight with hooker Harrison Graham set to come onto the bench against Newcastle in Perth on Saturday afternoon.
That will allow stand-out utility Kurt Donoghoe to play longer minutes at lock and not have to slot in at hooker when Marshall-King has a rest.
"Kurt's a great player. His ball playing around the middle opens up our edges as well and that is something we had probably been missing," Marshall-King said.
"It takes pressure off our halves. He's done a wonderful job."
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Gorden Tallis slams Broncos' ‘disrespectful' Selwyn Cobbo move

News.com.au

2 hours ago

News.com.au

Gorden Tallis slams Broncos' ‘disrespectful' Selwyn Cobbo move

Gorden Tallis has criticised the Broncos for prioritising re-signing two veteran halfbacks over Selwyn Cobbo, who is potentially the future of the club. Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt will both play for the Broncos in 2026 in what looms as their final seasons in first grade, but at 23, Cobbo looks like being forced out of a club he doesn't want to leave. Tallis believes the Broncos have been disrespectful to Cobbo by not leaving enough funds in their salary cap to re-sign him. 'The Selwyn Cobbo one is a bit funny to me because I think he is the future of the club,' Tallis said on NRL 360. 'They have re-signed Kotoni Staggs. They have got two 35-year-old No.7's that they re-signed as a priority and they re-signed another hooker when they have got five. 'Then they have got this young talent and they leave $300,000, which I think is a little bit disrespectful for a State of Origin player and I don't think he has lost that much mojo. 'In my opinion when Reece Walsh was out and he went back to fullback, he kept them in a The Daily Telegraph's Phil Rothfield believes Reynolds may have forced Cobbo out of the club. 'The interesting thing is Adam Reynolds said he would not sign a new deal until the other boys had because he didn't want to force anyone out, well he has,' Rothfield said. 'I'm not blaming him, but it was a difficult decision.' Rothfield revealed the Dragons were close to making a play for Cobbo and his asking price shows how far the Broncos are from keeping him. 'Selwyn Cobbo was in Sydney two weeks ago and he visited St George Illawarra and he spoke to coach Shane Flanagan,' Rothfield said. 'They were asking for about $650,000 to $700,000 and St George were quite keen to do a deal for a little bit less than that if they could get him this year because they have had injuries in the outside backs. 'I don't think it is going to happen, but what it does show is how far the Broncos are off the pace with what the kid and the manager are looking for. They are not even halfway there.' Braith Anasta added: 'Let's be honest they think they are still a chance of keeping him, but really they are not.' The Daily Telegraph's Brent Read believes the Broncos could find more room to up their offer to Cobbo, but the problem is his best form has been in a position they don't need him to play. 'Not unless they find another $200,000 or $300,000 and clubs can do that sometimes when they need to,' Read said. 'They can move a couple of blokes and juggle some funds around, but at the moment, I know he played well at fullback for a couple of games, but they don't need a fullback. 'They need him to play well when he is on the wing and he hasn't been playing well, so that's why he is in reserve grade and the kid who has come in Josiah Karapani is doing really well.' 'Maybe he is busted,' Tallis interjected. Rothfield believes Hunt is an interesting signing because he will be trying to break into the hooker rotation when he returns from injury. 'You talk about the old halves they signed and it is an interesting one with Ben Hunt because when he comes back from injury I don't think he is going to play five-eighth,' Rothfield said. 'Ezra Mam is comfortable there and he is obviously the future, so signing Hunt for those two years, not necessarily the Reynolds extension, might be what costs Selwyn Cobbo a spot at that club long-term.' However, Read believes the Broncos are eyeing Hunt as their hooker until Blake Mozer develops into his replacement in 2027. 'I think they are looking at their spine next year with Ben Hunt at hooker and he is a pretty good hooker Ben Hunt,' Read said. 'He is probably the best hooker they have got on their roster. Obviously Cory Paix is not killing it because they are not re-signing him. 'They have obviously made a decision that Ben Hunt will be their hooker and they have got young Blake Mozer on a long-term deal.' Tallis believes the Broncos may have been better off blooding young gun Coby Black at halfback, who led the Maroons to a win in the under 19s Origin last Thursday. 'It's nothing against the two 35-year-old halfbacks, but the future of the club are not two 35-year-old halfbacks,' Tallis said. 'Queensland won the State of Origin with a young 19-year-old halfback that could sit there and get some experience.' 'He will learn off those guys and at some point he will get an opportunity,' Read interjected. 'Yeah, but it is better playing,' Tallis countered. 'It is better getting a taste and you look at the Roosters with their young halves, there is no better way to learn than at the coalface.'