Latest news with #MagicRound
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
The legacy Maroons must learn from or perish in Perth
Queensland's 16th and newest captain Cameron Munster wants to apply the champion attributes of the great Cameron Smith to resurrect his side's State of Origin hopes. The Maroons play NSW in Perth on Wednesday night in game two of the Origin series as they aim for their first win in the Western Australia capital. They played dumb football in the 18-6 loss to the Blues at Suncorp Stadium in game one. The Maroons were ill-disciplined, defensively fragile and lacking in a clear attacking plan. Smith, who captained the Maroons to six series wins out of seven in a stellar career, was always a step ahead of NSW in planning and performance. Munster made his Origin debut under Smith and won two NRL titles (2017 and 2020) at Melbourne when the maestro was skipper. It is why he deferred to the retired champion when asked what kind of captain he wanted to be after becoming the new skipper in the wake of the Maroons' third consecutive Origin loss. "I couldn't go past Cameron Smith. He led in all the right directions," Munster said. "There's a reason why he's played 42 games for Queensland and I don't think anyone's ever going to beat that record. "It's pretty special and he's a lifetime kind of generational player. "Everyone talks about x-factor. He didn't have the x-factor but he had the capacity to be able to break teams down with his mind and his smarts. "You don't really get those blokes in rugby league anymore." The "smarts" Munster referred to, so typical of a Smith display, were missing in game one as the Maroons gave away penalties early, missed key tackles and did not have an attacking plan or structure to break down their opponents. Coach Billy Slater has made changes and elevated Melbourne forward Trent Loiero to the starting side after he came off the bench in game one. Loiero has been guilty at the Storm of ill-discipline, as he was in the Magic Round loss to Canberra when giving away late penalties. Touted as an "enforcer", he said the Maroons must play with Smith-like smarts. "It's a physical game. You need to be physical, but by the same token it's not all argy-bargy," Loiero said. "You've got to be able to play with a bit of brains, and we didn't do that last game. We played a bit silly, made a few dumb mistakes and gave away a few stupid penalties. That ended up hurting us, and we've done our review and we'll be writing our wrongs." That sentiment would be music to Smith's ears, so long as the Maroons follow through. "We did our review and (Slater) was pretty stern as he should be. We were stern with each other," Loiero said. "There were a few hard conversations as there should be after a hard loss. We've learned our lessons, and we'll be looking to move forward in game two. "To play this game, everyone's got to have that aggression. You have to be tough to play rugby league so it's in all of us. "But I think you've got to use it in the right way. As a team we've got to use it in the right way together. We'll get the best out of each other if we do it together." Queensland's 16th and newest captain Cameron Munster wants to apply the champion attributes of the great Cameron Smith to resurrect his side's State of Origin hopes. The Maroons play NSW in Perth on Wednesday night in game two of the Origin series as they aim for their first win in the Western Australia capital. They played dumb football in the 18-6 loss to the Blues at Suncorp Stadium in game one. The Maroons were ill-disciplined, defensively fragile and lacking in a clear attacking plan. Smith, who captained the Maroons to six series wins out of seven in a stellar career, was always a step ahead of NSW in planning and performance. Munster made his Origin debut under Smith and won two NRL titles (2017 and 2020) at Melbourne when the maestro was skipper. It is why he deferred to the retired champion when asked what kind of captain he wanted to be after becoming the new skipper in the wake of the Maroons' third consecutive Origin loss. "I couldn't go past Cameron Smith. He led in all the right directions," Munster said. "There's a reason why he's played 42 games for Queensland and I don't think anyone's ever going to beat that record. "It's pretty special and he's a lifetime kind of generational player. "Everyone talks about x-factor. He didn't have the x-factor but he had the capacity to be able to break teams down with his mind and his smarts. "You don't really get those blokes in rugby league anymore." The "smarts" Munster referred to, so typical of a Smith display, were missing in game one as the Maroons gave away penalties early, missed key tackles and did not have an attacking plan or structure to break down their opponents. Coach Billy Slater has made changes and elevated Melbourne forward Trent Loiero to the starting side after he came off the bench in game one. Loiero has been guilty at the Storm of ill-discipline, as he was in the Magic Round loss to Canberra when giving away late penalties. Touted as an "enforcer", he said the Maroons must play with Smith-like smarts. "It's a physical game. You need to be physical, but by the same token it's not all argy-bargy," Loiero said. "You've got to be able to play with a bit of brains, and we didn't do that last game. We played a bit silly, made a few dumb mistakes and gave away a few stupid penalties. That ended up hurting us, and we've done our review and we'll be writing our wrongs." That sentiment would be music to Smith's ears, so long as the Maroons follow through. "We did our review and (Slater) was pretty stern as he should be. We were stern with each other," Loiero said. "There were a few hard conversations as there should be after a hard loss. We've learned our lessons, and we'll be looking to move forward in game two. "To play this game, everyone's got to have that aggression. You have to be tough to play rugby league so it's in all of us. "But I think you've got to use it in the right way. As a team we've got to use it in the right way together. We'll get the best out of each other if we do it together." Queensland's 16th and newest captain Cameron Munster wants to apply the champion attributes of the great Cameron Smith to resurrect his side's State of Origin hopes. The Maroons play NSW in Perth on Wednesday night in game two of the Origin series as they aim for their first win in the Western Australia capital. They played dumb football in the 18-6 loss to the Blues at Suncorp Stadium in game one. The Maroons were ill-disciplined, defensively fragile and lacking in a clear attacking plan. Smith, who captained the Maroons to six series wins out of seven in a stellar career, was always a step ahead of NSW in planning and performance. Munster made his Origin debut under Smith and won two NRL titles (2017 and 2020) at Melbourne when the maestro was skipper. It is why he deferred to the retired champion when asked what kind of captain he wanted to be after becoming the new skipper in the wake of the Maroons' third consecutive Origin loss. "I couldn't go past Cameron Smith. He led in all the right directions," Munster said. "There's a reason why he's played 42 games for Queensland and I don't think anyone's ever going to beat that record. "It's pretty special and he's a lifetime kind of generational player. "Everyone talks about x-factor. He didn't have the x-factor but he had the capacity to be able to break teams down with his mind and his smarts. "You don't really get those blokes in rugby league anymore." The "smarts" Munster referred to, so typical of a Smith display, were missing in game one as the Maroons gave away penalties early, missed key tackles and did not have an attacking plan or structure to break down their opponents. Coach Billy Slater has made changes and elevated Melbourne forward Trent Loiero to the starting side after he came off the bench in game one. Loiero has been guilty at the Storm of ill-discipline, as he was in the Magic Round loss to Canberra when giving away late penalties. Touted as an "enforcer", he said the Maroons must play with Smith-like smarts. "It's a physical game. You need to be physical, but by the same token it's not all argy-bargy," Loiero said. "You've got to be able to play with a bit of brains, and we didn't do that last game. We played a bit silly, made a few dumb mistakes and gave away a few stupid penalties. That ended up hurting us, and we've done our review and we'll be writing our wrongs." That sentiment would be music to Smith's ears, so long as the Maroons follow through. "We did our review and (Slater) was pretty stern as he should be. We were stern with each other," Loiero said. "There were a few hard conversations as there should be after a hard loss. We've learned our lessons, and we'll be looking to move forward in game two. "To play this game, everyone's got to have that aggression. You have to be tough to play rugby league so it's in all of us. "But I think you've got to use it in the right way. As a team we've got to use it in the right way together. We'll get the best out of each other if we do it together."
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
From rattled to Origin return: Blues prop's wild month
Stefano Utoikamanu has revealed he was left rattled by Craig Bellamy's almighty Magic Round spray that had the potential to cost him a NSW State of Origin jersey. Utoikamanu will play his first game back in blue on Wednesday night since his 2023 debut, after being called on to come off the bench for NSW at Optus Stadium. The front-rower has made no secret of the fact that his move to Melbourne has helped him win back his spot, playing in an Origin-like system under Bellamy. But it also could have hurt him dearly last month, after he cost the Storm victory at Magic Round against Canberra. Bellamy's post-match criticism made headlines, after Utoikamanu was penalised for striking out with his boot after playing the ball as Melbourne set up for a field goal. The Storm coach is an advisor to Laurie Daley in this year's Blues camp, while also assisting with selections. "At the time, after the game, I was pretty rattled," Utoikamanu said of Bellamy's dressing down. "I walked into the sheds and he started spraying me. He got into me a bit. But when you actually go back and look at it, it was probably a hard call. "If I didn't put myself in that position in the first place we'd probably end up nearly winning that game. "It was a bit tough but he spoke to me after the game and we had a good chat about it and it was sweet." Melbourne lock Trent Loiero also felt the brunt of Bellamy's anger for conceding the match-deciding penalty, but has also since won a Queensland jersey. Utoikamanu said his mind did not immediately go to Origin implications and he and Bellamy moved on quickly, with the prop keeping his spot for the following week. "I just brushed it off after we spoke about how he actually looked at it and it probably was a pretty harsh call," Utoikamanu said. "But there were a few things leading up to it that I could have helped stop." NSW prepared for their shot at a second straight series win by having their first training session in Perth on Monday at HBF Park. Western Australian royalty watched on, with cricket greats Justin Langer and Mike Hussey, Socceroos goalkeeper Liam Reddy and UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena watching on. Utoikamanau's NSW return comes after he debuted for the Blues in Origin II in 2023 as a 23-year-old. But the prop was then dropped for the next game, when the Blues took an eye to the future for the dead rubber in Sydney but went without the young front-rower. "It was a bit confusing at the time, but they needed to win," Utoikamanu said. "I want to be honest, I felt disappointed. "But at the same time you need to look at the performance. I was only on there 12 minutes. "As an impact player you need to get on there and try to make a difference. If I looked at myself honestly, I didn't do that." Stefano Utoikamanu has revealed he was left rattled by Craig Bellamy's almighty Magic Round spray that had the potential to cost him a NSW State of Origin jersey. Utoikamanu will play his first game back in blue on Wednesday night since his 2023 debut, after being called on to come off the bench for NSW at Optus Stadium. The front-rower has made no secret of the fact that his move to Melbourne has helped him win back his spot, playing in an Origin-like system under Bellamy. But it also could have hurt him dearly last month, after he cost the Storm victory at Magic Round against Canberra. Bellamy's post-match criticism made headlines, after Utoikamanu was penalised for striking out with his boot after playing the ball as Melbourne set up for a field goal. The Storm coach is an advisor to Laurie Daley in this year's Blues camp, while also assisting with selections. "At the time, after the game, I was pretty rattled," Utoikamanu said of Bellamy's dressing down. "I walked into the sheds and he started spraying me. He got into me a bit. But when you actually go back and look at it, it was probably a hard call. "If I didn't put myself in that position in the first place we'd probably end up nearly winning that game. "It was a bit tough but he spoke to me after the game and we had a good chat about it and it was sweet." Melbourne lock Trent Loiero also felt the brunt of Bellamy's anger for conceding the match-deciding penalty, but has also since won a Queensland jersey. Utoikamanu said his mind did not immediately go to Origin implications and he and Bellamy moved on quickly, with the prop keeping his spot for the following week. "I just brushed it off after we spoke about how he actually looked at it and it probably was a pretty harsh call," Utoikamanu said. "But there were a few things leading up to it that I could have helped stop." NSW prepared for their shot at a second straight series win by having their first training session in Perth on Monday at HBF Park. Western Australian royalty watched on, with cricket greats Justin Langer and Mike Hussey, Socceroos goalkeeper Liam Reddy and UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena watching on. Utoikamanau's NSW return comes after he debuted for the Blues in Origin II in 2023 as a 23-year-old. But the prop was then dropped for the next game, when the Blues took an eye to the future for the dead rubber in Sydney but went without the young front-rower. "It was a bit confusing at the time, but they needed to win," Utoikamanu said. "I want to be honest, I felt disappointed. "But at the same time you need to look at the performance. I was only on there 12 minutes. "As an impact player you need to get on there and try to make a difference. If I looked at myself honestly, I didn't do that." Stefano Utoikamanu has revealed he was left rattled by Craig Bellamy's almighty Magic Round spray that had the potential to cost him a NSW State of Origin jersey. Utoikamanu will play his first game back in blue on Wednesday night since his 2023 debut, after being called on to come off the bench for NSW at Optus Stadium. The front-rower has made no secret of the fact that his move to Melbourne has helped him win back his spot, playing in an Origin-like system under Bellamy. But it also could have hurt him dearly last month, after he cost the Storm victory at Magic Round against Canberra. Bellamy's post-match criticism made headlines, after Utoikamanu was penalised for striking out with his boot after playing the ball as Melbourne set up for a field goal. The Storm coach is an advisor to Laurie Daley in this year's Blues camp, while also assisting with selections. "At the time, after the game, I was pretty rattled," Utoikamanu said of Bellamy's dressing down. "I walked into the sheds and he started spraying me. He got into me a bit. But when you actually go back and look at it, it was probably a hard call. "If I didn't put myself in that position in the first place we'd probably end up nearly winning that game. "It was a bit tough but he spoke to me after the game and we had a good chat about it and it was sweet." Melbourne lock Trent Loiero also felt the brunt of Bellamy's anger for conceding the match-deciding penalty, but has also since won a Queensland jersey. Utoikamanu said his mind did not immediately go to Origin implications and he and Bellamy moved on quickly, with the prop keeping his spot for the following week. "I just brushed it off after we spoke about how he actually looked at it and it probably was a pretty harsh call," Utoikamanu said. "But there were a few things leading up to it that I could have helped stop." NSW prepared for their shot at a second straight series win by having their first training session in Perth on Monday at HBF Park. Western Australian royalty watched on, with cricket greats Justin Langer and Mike Hussey, Socceroos goalkeeper Liam Reddy and UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena watching on. Utoikamanau's NSW return comes after he debuted for the Blues in Origin II in 2023 as a 23-year-old. But the prop was then dropped for the next game, when the Blues took an eye to the future for the dead rubber in Sydney but went without the young front-rower. "It was a bit confusing at the time, but they needed to win," Utoikamanu said. "I want to be honest, I felt disappointed. "But at the same time you need to look at the performance. I was only on there 12 minutes. "As an impact player you need to get on there and try to make a difference. If I looked at myself honestly, I didn't do that."
The Age
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
No time for a hose down: NRL double-header poses logistical challenge bigger than Magic Round
It is shaping up as one of the biggest logistical challenges in Suncorp Stadium's history, but organisers are confident they can pull off this month's NRL double-header. The Dolphins' cyclone-affected fixture against South Sydney has been rescheduled for 7.50pm on Saturday, June 28 – just a few hours after the Broncos v Warriors match, with its 3pm kick-off, is due to end. Given they will be two distinct crowds, as many as 100,000 could pass through the stadium precinct on the day – almost double an Origin crowd. That could make it Caxton Street's biggest day in years. Traders are at the same time salivating at the potential revenue, and apprehensive about the challenge ahead. 'I think Castlemaine Brewery better start pumping some beer quickly, because they're going to be cleaned out again after they got wiped out over the Magic Round,' Caxton Street Development Association president Sarosh Mehta said. Mehta, who ran the erstwhile Casablanca club on the famous strip for years, said Caxton Street's reputation would be 'on the line' as it heaved under the weight of two Suncorp Stadium crowds. 'We'll just have to take a deep breath and just try our best,' he said. 'I will try my best to get across to every single trader on the street to say please, please, please, be prepared – get sure you have enough stock, staff, whatever it takes, because there's no way you're going to run up to the market to get more ice or whatever else. 'You better be damn prepared.'
Sydney Morning Herald
12-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
No time for a hose down: NRL double-header poses logistical challenge bigger than Magic Round
It is shaping up as one of the biggest logistical challenges in Suncorp Stadium's history, but organisers are confident they can pull off this month's NRL double-header. The Dolphins' cyclone-affected fixture against South Sydney has been rescheduled for 7.50pm on Saturday, June 28 – just a few hours after the Broncos v Warriors match, with its 3pm kick-off, is due to end. Given they will be two distinct crowds, as many as 100,000 could pass through the stadium precinct on the day – almost double an Origin crowd. That could make it Caxton Street's biggest day in years. Traders are at the same time salivating at the potential revenue, and apprehensive about the challenge ahead. 'I think Castlemaine Brewery better start pumping some beer quickly, because they're going to be cleaned out again after they got wiped out over the Magic Round,' Caxton Street Development Association president Sarosh Mehta said. Mehta, who ran the erstwhile Casablanca club on the famous strip for years, said Caxton Street's reputation would be 'on the line' as it heaved under the weight of two Suncorp Stadium crowds. 'We'll just have to take a deep breath and just try our best,' he said. 'I will try my best to get across to every single trader on the street to say please, please, please, be prepared – get sure you have enough stock, staff, whatever it takes, because there's no way you're going to run up to the market to get more ice or whatever else. 'You better be damn prepared.'
The Advertiser
04-06-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
New Penrith prodigy being likened to Spencer Leniu
It took one training session with Penrith's top squad for powerhouse prop Luron Patea to knock back a Japanese rugby deal and pursue a contract in the NRL. Patea has emerged as Penrith's next big thing in the past month, with the 20-year-old providing the Panthers much needed power and impact off the bench. The Panthers junior has already been compared to Spencer Leniu, after announcing himself as a genuine talent with a barnstorming performance in Magic Round. But while he has been a breakout star in the NRL for the past month, Patea's talent has been known on the global stage for some time. The son of a rugby union coach who also played overseas, Patea played both codes as a teen and represented Australian schoolboys in the 15-man game in 2022. He also had an offer to move to a top-tier Japanese rugby club in 2023, which would have brought with it his first professional contract. But the front-rower instead opted to stick with Penrith, taking a punt on trying to crack into a squad that had already won two straight premierships. "There was nothing really promised of training full time," Patea told AAP. "I had the opportunity to go to Japan and play rugby overseas. But I spoke to my manager and family and decided I wanted to try and stick with rugby league. "It was just go in and try and play my best footy and try and get that opportunity. And fortunately I did after that year. "Now when I get the chance to sit back after games, I think about doing my family proud. "But I'm also proud of myself for making the decision to stay and backing it." Patea said his main motivation had come from training one day with Penrith's squad in 2022, as part of their Pearls program. There, the top picks of talent from U19s and U17s experience a full day training with the NRL squad, and are handed the same kit and schedule as full-time players. "I spent that day with Moses (Leota) and Spencer," Patea said. "Talking to them, they were telling me about the club and how they came through. I wanted to experience that for myself. "It made me just want to stay." More of a rugby union watcher growing up, Leota and Leniu are now the men Patea look up to for their work ethic and aggression respectively. It's also the kind of player the Panthers need right now, after losing Leniu and his bench impact after 2023. "I hear a lot of people say I am like another, Spencer," Patea said. "That's a good thing for me. Spencer's obviously a really good player and what he did for the club when he was here, I want to do as well. "There are similarities in the way we run ... But I'm just trying to build confidence to play my game and not be compared to anyone else." It took one training session with Penrith's top squad for powerhouse prop Luron Patea to knock back a Japanese rugby deal and pursue a contract in the NRL. Patea has emerged as Penrith's next big thing in the past month, with the 20-year-old providing the Panthers much needed power and impact off the bench. The Panthers junior has already been compared to Spencer Leniu, after announcing himself as a genuine talent with a barnstorming performance in Magic Round. But while he has been a breakout star in the NRL for the past month, Patea's talent has been known on the global stage for some time. The son of a rugby union coach who also played overseas, Patea played both codes as a teen and represented Australian schoolboys in the 15-man game in 2022. He also had an offer to move to a top-tier Japanese rugby club in 2023, which would have brought with it his first professional contract. But the front-rower instead opted to stick with Penrith, taking a punt on trying to crack into a squad that had already won two straight premierships. "There was nothing really promised of training full time," Patea told AAP. "I had the opportunity to go to Japan and play rugby overseas. But I spoke to my manager and family and decided I wanted to try and stick with rugby league. "It was just go in and try and play my best footy and try and get that opportunity. And fortunately I did after that year. "Now when I get the chance to sit back after games, I think about doing my family proud. "But I'm also proud of myself for making the decision to stay and backing it." Patea said his main motivation had come from training one day with Penrith's squad in 2022, as part of their Pearls program. There, the top picks of talent from U19s and U17s experience a full day training with the NRL squad, and are handed the same kit and schedule as full-time players. "I spent that day with Moses (Leota) and Spencer," Patea said. "Talking to them, they were telling me about the club and how they came through. I wanted to experience that for myself. "It made me just want to stay." More of a rugby union watcher growing up, Leota and Leniu are now the men Patea look up to for their work ethic and aggression respectively. It's also the kind of player the Panthers need right now, after losing Leniu and his bench impact after 2023. "I hear a lot of people say I am like another, Spencer," Patea said. "That's a good thing for me. Spencer's obviously a really good player and what he did for the club when he was here, I want to do as well. "There are similarities in the way we run ... But I'm just trying to build confidence to play my game and not be compared to anyone else." It took one training session with Penrith's top squad for powerhouse prop Luron Patea to knock back a Japanese rugby deal and pursue a contract in the NRL. Patea has emerged as Penrith's next big thing in the past month, with the 20-year-old providing the Panthers much needed power and impact off the bench. The Panthers junior has already been compared to Spencer Leniu, after announcing himself as a genuine talent with a barnstorming performance in Magic Round. But while he has been a breakout star in the NRL for the past month, Patea's talent has been known on the global stage for some time. The son of a rugby union coach who also played overseas, Patea played both codes as a teen and represented Australian schoolboys in the 15-man game in 2022. He also had an offer to move to a top-tier Japanese rugby club in 2023, which would have brought with it his first professional contract. But the front-rower instead opted to stick with Penrith, taking a punt on trying to crack into a squad that had already won two straight premierships. "There was nothing really promised of training full time," Patea told AAP. "I had the opportunity to go to Japan and play rugby overseas. But I spoke to my manager and family and decided I wanted to try and stick with rugby league. "It was just go in and try and play my best footy and try and get that opportunity. And fortunately I did after that year. "Now when I get the chance to sit back after games, I think about doing my family proud. "But I'm also proud of myself for making the decision to stay and backing it." Patea said his main motivation had come from training one day with Penrith's squad in 2022, as part of their Pearls program. There, the top picks of talent from U19s and U17s experience a full day training with the NRL squad, and are handed the same kit and schedule as full-time players. "I spent that day with Moses (Leota) and Spencer," Patea said. "Talking to them, they were telling me about the club and how they came through. I wanted to experience that for myself. "It made me just want to stay." More of a rugby union watcher growing up, Leota and Leniu are now the men Patea look up to for their work ethic and aggression respectively. It's also the kind of player the Panthers need right now, after losing Leniu and his bench impact after 2023. "I hear a lot of people say I am like another, Spencer," Patea said. "That's a good thing for me. Spencer's obviously a really good player and what he did for the club when he was here, I want to do as well. "There are similarities in the way we run ... But I'm just trying to build confidence to play my game and not be compared to anyone else."
