'Hasn't progressed': Laurie Daley's worrying admission about Blues player for Game 2
NSW coach Laurie Daley has provided a worrying update on Blues winger Brian To'o after admitting his recovery from a hamstring niggle has not progressed as much as medical staff had hoped. Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz was called into Blues camp on Wednesday as a potential replacement for To'o if the Panthers flyer is unable to recover in time for Game 2 in Perth, where NSW will hope to wrap up the series with another win.
To'o has already had two hamstring strains this year and missed the start of the NRL season for Penrith. And while Daley insists the injury hasn't 'flared up' and he remains hopeful the winger will be right to face the Maroons in Game 2, the NSW coach did concede on Thursday morning that the Blues' medical team were concerned the hamstring niggle had not improved as quickly as they expected.
"We thought earlier in the week Brian would be OK ... but it just hasn't progressed as far as what we need him to," Daley told Nine's Today Show. "We're still confident that he'll be OK, but we thought it'd be better off to have Jacob come here on standby if Brian doesn't get up.
"With hamstrings, they're tricky things. You want to make sure they're 100 per cent right to go. You can get through training. But then, of course game night, you don't want to injure yourself and then put the team at risk. We're just going to have to weigh up all those factors towards the end of the week."
Brian To'o is dealing with a hamstring niggle - is expected to play in Origin 2 but NSW have called Jacob Kiraz into camp as cover (via @Danny_Weidler)To'o has already suffered 2 hamstring strains this season - a call on his Origin fitness expected before Kiraz's Round 15 game. pic.twitter.com/jFJLR2gJ3m
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) June 11, 2025
Fellow NSW winger Zac Lomax was more defiant about the prospects of To'o playing in Game 2, and backed the Blues' medical team to ensure he would be good to go in just under a week. "He's obviously a professional and he's going to get the job done," Lomax told Fox League on Wednesday night. "And we've got the best staff in the world here with us so I think he'll sit out tomorrow's training session just in regards to loads.
"But on the flip side it gives someone like Jacob Kiraz a big boost to be able to come in and train with the squad. It's massive for him too, he's been playing unbelievable footy there at the Bulldogs. But for us we need to get 'Bizza' (To'o) right and I think that's him having the day off tomorrow and he'll be flying by Wednesday night."
To'o scored one try and ran for a game-high 225 metres in a standout performance for the Blues in Game 1 at Suncorp Stadium. His tackle-busting ability and willingness to tough carries from the back has frequently helped the Blues get out of their own half and dominate field position against the Maroons and it would be a big blow if To'o was ruled out.
Fortunately for NSW, Kiraz offers many of those same qualities and despite being less of a try-scoring weapon than To'o, he is more of an aerial threat and has an offloading game that could really hurt Queensland. Daley confirmed the Bulldogs star was training with the Blues squad for the first time on Thursday morning. Bulldogs teammate and Blues 18th man Matt Burton is another option to come into the NSW starting side if To'o is ruled out.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bulldogs offer another player to rival clubs in wake of Lachie Galvin's signing
The future of another Bulldogs player looks set to lie away from Canterbury, as the club continues its mid-season shake-up in the wake of Lachie Galvin's signing. is reporting that the Dogs have offered former Warriors young gun Zyon Maiu'u to rival NRL clubs, just four months after signing him on a two-year deal. The 21-year-old prop - who debuted in the NRL with the Warriors last season - was signed with the Auckland-based side until the end of the 2026 season. But he was granted an early release after looking for more opportunities in first grade and the Bulldogs hailed the young middle forward's signing in February. "The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are excited to announce the signing of boom youngster Zyon Maiu'u on a two-year deal, effective immediately," the club said at the time. But four months can be a long time in footy and Galvin's unexpected arrival after being released by the Tigers, has left the Dogs needing to offload players to navigate a tricky salary cap situation. Canterbury agreed to release Kurtis Morrin last week, with the versatile forward joining the Gold Coast Titans for the next two seasons, effective immediately. And it appears that Maiu'u is also surplus to requirements at coach Cameron Ciraldo's Bulldogs, with the club reportedly offering him up to rival clubs after giving the young prop limited opportunities to try and break into their first grade squad. RELATED: Roosters make call on DCE as pressure mounts for club to backflip Queensland Origin twist after ugly scenes for Walsh and Hammer Blow for Titans and Queensland after Origin hopeful ruled out Morrin's departure comes as the Dogs snapped up emerging Dragons forward Finau Latu in another mid-season boost for their premiership hopes. Latu had already signed a three-year deal to join Canterbury from next season, but the clubs agreed on a mid-season switch before the June 30 deadline. Dragons coach Shane Flanagan had already vented his frustrations in April about being unable to hang onto the forward. 'I wanted to keep him and I'm not happy about the negotiation side of it,' Flanagan said in April. 'It's been handled poorly, terribly... The way that it was handled by his management, was handled poorly, really poorly. We've brought that young bloke up the last three or four years and we wanted to keep him and never got an opportunity to.' Galvin's arrival from the Tigers has been the biggest mid-season move from the Bulldogs though, with the 19-year-old playmaker turning the ladder-leading Bulldogs into an even greater premiership threat in 2025. But it has also cast a cloud over the futures of off-contract Bulldogs halfback Toby Sexton and veteran hooker, Reed Mahoney. Sexton's form in particular has been instrumental to Canterbury's rise to the top of the ladder and he was excellent at No.7 alongside Galvin in their round 15 victory over Souths, before the Dogs enjoyed the bye in round 16. Galvin has already forced Sexton to shift into hooker earlier this season and it will be curious to see where Ciraldo plays the pair when first-choice No.6 Matt Burton returns for Thursday night's clash against the in-form Panthers. Mahoney has also seen his future at the Dogs called into question after Galvin's arrival and cut a frustrated figure in the sheds after being taken off in the second half of the teenage recruit's first game for the club. He was also replaced late in the victory against Souths, only to come back on minutes later with the game on the line. Mahoney is contracted with the Dogs until the end of next season but with his future unclear and an extension yet to be tabled, he'll be free to speak to rival clubs from November 1 unless a deal is done before then.
USA Today
17 hours ago
- USA Today
Ranking Georgia football's 2025 home games from worst to first
The Georgia Bulldogs have a great home schedule for the 2025 season after having a pretty pedestrian home slate in 2024. Georgia's top home games are against Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas. Georgia fans have a lot to of interesting games to look forward to in 2025. The Bulldogs play three non-Power Four opponents and four SEC foes at home. Georgia enters the 2025 college football season on a 31 game home winning streak, which is the longest in the country. Georgia's last home loss came to the South Carolina Gamecocks in double overtime on Oct. 12, 2019. Since Georgia's last home loss, the Bulldogs have won two SEC championships and two national championships. However, Georgia will have a tough time going undefeated at home in 2025. Ranking Georgia football's 2025 home games from worst to best 7. Austin Peay Governors Austin Peay is Georgia's only Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent this fall. The Governors lost to Georgia 45-0 in Athens back in 2018. There's no reason to think this game will be competitive. With a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff, Georgia fans in attendance will likely be battling the heat. Austin Peay is Georgia's second straight non-Power Four opponent to open the season, but doe not come with the excitement of the season opener. Fans tuning in on TV may not like the channel selection for this one either. Date: Sept. 6 at 3:30 p.m. (all times listed at ET)TV: ESPN+/SEC Network+ 6. Charlotte 49ers The Charlotte 49ers have just one bowl appearance in their short school history (since 2015). The 49ers play in the American conference and likely won't be competitive with Georgia, but it will be UGA's last home game of the season, so it will be celebration for Georgia's senior class. As an added bonus, we like the 12:45 p.m. kickoff time for two reasons. First of all, Georgia plays Georgia Tech on Friday, so it gives the Bulldogs a bit of extra rest. Secondly, Georgia fans will be able to get some sunlight on what is likely to be a cool November day. Date: Nov. 22 at 12:45 SEC Network 5. Marshall Thundering Herd Marshall is the best of Georgia's three non-Power Four opponents this season. Georgia plays Marshall in the season opener, so it is must-watch action for Bulldog fans to see how the 2025 edition of UGA looks. Marshall won at Notre Dame back in 2022 under current head coach Charles Huff. The Thundering Herd are coming off a strong 10-3 season where they won the Sun Belt Conference championship. However, Marshall opted out of the Independence Bowl after too many players entered the transfer portal. Marshall is capable of making things interesting with Georgia in Week 1. Date: Aug. 30 at 3:30 ESPN 4. Kentucky Wildcats Now we're getting into the good games. Georgia plays Kentucky in their second SEC home game of the season. Georgia plays the Wildcats a week after Alabama, so the Bulldogs could be dealing with a big game hangover. Kentucky always smells like a trap for Georgia and 2025 is no different. Kentucky has given Georgia a lot of trouble over the years, but Georgia has won 15 straight games over the Wildcats. Georgia fans should expect another physical, low-scoring battle against the Wildcats. Date: Oct. 4 at noonTV: ESPN or ABC 3. Ole Miss Rebels Georgia fell at Ole Miss 28-10 last season after dominating the Rebels in Athens during the a convincing 52-17 win in 2023. Ole Miss back up quarterback Austin Simmons shredded the Georgia defense on one drive after Jaxson Dart briefly left in the 2024 matchup. Simmons is expected to start for coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels in 2024. Georgia-Ole Miss should be a very entertaining game. Both teams will look very different than their 2024 versions as both teams had at least eight players picked (Ole Miss 8, Georgia 13) in the 2025 NFL draft. Date: Oct. 18 at flex kickoff time (afternoon or night)TV: To be determined 2. Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama game is technically Georgia's only scheduled home night game of the season (both Texas and Ole Miss are flex games), but we'd be surprised if the Bulldogs don't get at least two night home games. Last season, Alabama beat Georgia 41-34 after the Bulldogs mounted a furious comeback. The 2025 edition of Georgia-Alabama will feature two new quarterbacks and no Nick Saban, but the Dawgs and Crimson Tide are still two of the top programs in college football. Both schools are looking to make a name for themselves in 2025 and as usual a lot will be on the line when Georgia and Alabama meet. Georgia and Alabama have combined to win five of 11 national championships during the College Football Playoff era (they faced off in two national title games during this time span) and 10 of the last 11 SEC championships (they met in three of those 10 SEC championship games). Date: Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. TV: ABC 1. Texas Longhorns Arch Manning and Texas will travel to Athens for the first ever time as a member of the SEC. Texas is projected to be the preseason No. 1 team. The Longhorns played Georgia twice in 2024 with the Dawgs winning both meetings including the 2024 SEC championship. Both teams are expected to contend for the national championship and the winner of the Georgia-Texas game could clinch a berth in the SEC championship. The Georgia-Texas game has a little more intrigue than the Georgia-Alabama game because Georgia has never played Texas in Sanford Stadium and because it is later in the season. The Georgia-Texas game could also effectively eliminate the loser from the College Football Playoff depending on how the season shakes out. If we could only go to one UGA home game this season, then we'd pick the Georgia-Texas game. Date: Nov. 15 at flex kickoff time (afternoon or night)TV: To be determined
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Prep baseball: Dodgers deny Jaeger 300th win
OTTUMWA — Thursday night was a perfect example of what can happen when the Ottumwa baseball team plays flawless baseball. It also provided what can happen when the Bulldogs are anything but flawless. Ottumwa connected on timely hits early in the opening game of an Iowa Alliance doubleheader at John Hart Stadium before backing up Dawson Weller with errorless defense, putting away a 2-0 win over Fort Dodge to move head coach John Jaeger on the verge of earning a milestone victory. The Bulldogs could not complete the sweep, however, as multiple miscues helped the Dodgers put away a 14-3 win earning the split in Wapello County preventing Jaeger from earning his 300th career head coaching victory. Advertisement "When we're focused, when we have a good mindset, we can play really well," Jaeger said. "As soon as we let our guard down and don't focus as well as we need to, we don't do things like we should. We had really good focus at the plate in the first game and hit the ball well. In the second game, we did not have the mental state. Baseball is hard because you have to stay in it for a long period of time." Ottumwa jumped on top in the opening inning. Christian Allar, back at the top of the Bulldog batting line-up for the ninth time in the past 10 games, opened the doubleheader with a single back up the middle before stealing second base, setting up Cameron Manary for an RBI double to left giving Ottumwa a 1-0 lead. "I like being able to see what the pitcher is throwing and kind of helping the guys batting behind me out," Allar said. "When I got that early hit, I didn't even know what I was doing, but once I got it I had confidence that I saw it once and I can just see what the pitcher is throwing and see if I can do the same thing as before." Allar proved to be the toughest out on Thursday in the Ottumwa line-up, reaching base five times in the doubleheader including twice in game one. The Bulldogs doubled their 1-0 lead as Mason Gravett scored after opening the second inning with a double lined out to center before coming home on an RBI single off the bat of Matthew Mitchell, opening a two-run opening-game lead for Ottumwa. Advertisement "It was just all flowing for us in the first game," Gravett said. "The team chemistry was all there. The dugout was loud. We were hyping each other up on the field. The hitting was all there, the defense was good and pitching was really good." That pitching would feature six shutout innings from Dawson Weller, who retired eight of the first nine Fort Dodge hitters in the doubleheader. The Dodgers (15-9) would threaten that shutout string by putting runners in scoring position in three of the final five innings, loading the bases in the sixth as Weller neared the end of his night facing Bo Marsh while nearing 90 pitches. "I started to get tired and my pitches started going everywhere but the strike zone," Weller said. "I just had to settle in and bear down. Those situations make you better as a pitcher." Weller responded, pumping his 93rd and final pitch of the game past Marsh to record his fifth and final strikeout preserving Ottumwa's 2-0 lead. Landon Boney recorded his first save by pitching a scoreless seventh, working around a two-out infield single by Royce Peterson by coaxing Jaxson Dencklau into a game-ending groundout to Brayden Larkin at first base clinching Jaeger's 299th career head coaching win. Advertisement "I was just hoping to get out of that inning and give my team a chance to win the game," Weller said. "I knew the game was in my hands at that point. I just had to throw strikes and trust my defense." That proved to be more problematic in the second game as Mitchell struggled on the mound early with command, walking three batters in the first two innings while allowing Fort Dodge to score the first run in the first inning on a balk. Ottumwa would commit four errors in the field against the Dodgers in the nightcap while four different Bulldog pitchers were responsible for 11 walks, four hit batters, two balks and four wild pitchers that allowed runners to score from third in the final three innings. "You've got to mentally stay in this for over four hours in a doubleheader, which is a long period of time," Jaeger said. "It's also about life lessons. You have to stay focused in life as well even when things don't go your way. You've got to figure out how to regroup." Ottumwa (15-6) heads to Des Moines Lincoln on Monday for an Iowa Alliance Conference south division doubleheader starting at 3:30 p.m. The Bulldogs also travel to Iowa City Liberty on Tuesday night for a final doubleheader before the release of the Class 4A substate pairings.
