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Daily Telegraph
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
State of Origin: NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley ‘privately furious' over Queensland Maroons penalty count, Ashley Klein
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Blues coach Laurie Daley is said to be 'privately furious' over the lopsided penalty count in Game 2, with one pundit believing referee Ashley Klein was 'refereeing one side' in the first half. The Blues were on the wrong end of an 8-0 first half penalty count, which turned into 9-0 after 45 minutes. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. During that time, the Maroons forged a 26-6 lead, which they almost coughed up in the second half but were able to hold on to force a decider. The Daily Telegraph's Phil Rothfield tweeted '3 votes Klein' during Wednesday night's game, sarcastically implying Klein was the best on ground due to his impact with the whistle. Laurie Daley was tight-lipped after the Game 2 defeat. Picture David Clark Rothfield was on Thursday night's episode of NRL360 where he shared that Daley wasn't happy with the referee's performance. Daley didn't wish to comment on the penalty count during his post-match presser. 'Laurie will look at the video and find out what he wants to talk to the NRL about and then take it to adjudication,' Rothfield said. 'He was furious after the game. Privately furious, but he knows he can't come out and say anything. Not just for the fine, but because it'll look like poor sportsmanship.' Rothfield went onto say that in his mind, the officiating wasn't the reason the Blues were defeated, but the veteran journalist was at a loss as to why New South Wales didn't cop one single penalty in the first 45 minutes. 'I think NSW were ill-disciplined and I don't have too many problems with the nine penalties they conceded,' he said. 'The problem I do have is that anyone can look at a replay of that first half and find 4-5 areas of the game where Queensland could quite easily have been penalised as well. 'In my eyes, he was refereeing one side for the majority of the first half. Referee Ashley Klein was in the spotlight after the lopsided penalty count. (Photo by) 'I know we were ill-disciplined and I'm not blaming it for the loss … but you cannot be perfect in Origin for 45 minutes. Impossible. 'It's outrageous that Queensland can play 45 minutes in State of Origin and that intensity, mistakes are made, high speed, high intensity and not one penalty. That cannot happen.' 'There were a couple I thought were dubious but what I'm trying to say is that all the 50-50 calls went Queensland's way,' NRL360 host Braith Anasta added. 'You're not going to see that again. You're not going to see a 8-0 penalty count again.' Originally published as Blues coach Laurie Daley 'privately furious' over Origin 2 penalty count
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Blues coach Laurie Daley ‘privately furious' over Origin 2 penalty count
Blues coach Laurie Daley is said to be 'privately furious' over the lopsided penalty count in Game 2, with one pundit believing referee Ashley Klein was 'refereeing one side' in the first half. The Blues were on the wrong end of an 8-0 first half penalty count, which turned into 9-0 after 45 minutes. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. During that time, the Maroons forged a 26-6 lead, which they almost coughed up in the second half but were able to hold on to force a decider. The Daily Telegraph's Phil Rothfield tweeted '3 votes Klein' during Wednesday night's game, sarcastically implying Klein was the best on ground due to his impact with the whistle. Rothfield was on Thursday night's episode of NRL360 where he shared that Daley wasn't happy with the referee's performance. Daley didn't wish to comment on the penalty count during his post-match presser. 'Laurie will look at the video and find out what he wants to talk to the NRL about and then take it to adjudication,' Rothfield said. 'He was furious after the game. Privately furious, but he knows he can't come out and say anything. Not just for the fine, but because it'll look like poor sportsmanship.' Rothfield went onto say that in his mind, the officiating wasn't the reason the Blues were defeated, but the veteran journalist was at a loss as to why New South Wales didn't cop one single penalty in the first 45 minutes. 'I think NSW were ill-disciplined and I don't have too many problems with the nine penalties they conceded,' he said. 'The problem I do have is that anyone can look at a replay of that first half and find 4-5 areas of the game where Queensland could quite easily have been penalised as well. 'In my eyes, he was refereeing one side for the majority of the first half. 'I know we were ill-disciplined and I'm not blaming it for the loss … but you cannot be perfect in Origin for 45 minutes. Impossible. 'It's outrageous that Queensland can play 45 minutes in State of Origin and that intensity, mistakes are made, high speed, high intensity and not one penalty. That cannot happen.' 'There were a couple I thought were dubious but what I'm trying to say is that all the 50-50 calls went Queensland's way,' NRL360 host Braith Anasta added. 'You're not going to see that again. You're not going to see a 8-0 penalty count again.'
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Shane Flanagan fires back at ‘ridiculous' Dragons nepotism claim as son Kyle's form called into question
St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan has defended his son and Dragons playmaker Kyle Flanagan amid claims he would have been dropped if not for nepotism. The Red V have lost their last two games and looked completely lost in both attack and defence. They were run off the park by a rampant Dolphins 56-6 before going on to throw away a halftime lead against the Sharks, in their 30-18 loss on the weekend. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. After similar struggles earlier in the season, Flanagan decided to drop halfback recruit Lachlan Ilias instead of his son, promoting young gun Lykhan King-Togia in his place. On the weekend, King-Togia was one of their best, but the combination with Flanagan has been underwhelming, winning just two of their six games together. And it saw veteran journalist Phil Rothfield mention the elephant in the room, that Flanagan appears to remain off the chopping block for one main reason. 'It can be really difficult when the coach, no one can ever question Shane Flanagan's coaching credentials, but his son Kyle is not one of the leading halves in the competition,' Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast on Monday. 'They have been belted by the Dolphins, then had a second-half capitulation against the Sharks on Thursday night. 'Lachlan Ilias, who was dropped at halfback, is going well in NSW Cup. They have won six straight games since he has been there. 'The fans have gone ballistic on social media. Shane Flanagan will pick the best side to win every week, but there is a debate out there about whether Kyle Flanagan should be in the side. 'He's never going to be the flashiest halfback, he's solid, he's steady … halfbacks aren't paid to tackle, but he's the best defensive halfback in the competition.' In response Flanagan came out firing in defence of his son, declaring claims his position is anything but safe 'ridiculous'. 'To say Kyle is under pressure is ridiculous,' Flanagan said to Code Sports. 'I think people are looking in the wrong direction. 'He's been among our best players all year. It's not me, ask the other players and coaches. I'm probably harder on Kyle than any other player.' Flanagan has the fewest missed tackles of any No. 7 this season at an average of just 1.3 and also has 18 try involvements. However, the claims of 'nepotism' won't be going away any time soon as the reality is irrespective of what the stat sheet shows, the Red V are clearly lacking direction and Flanagan is hardly an offensive spark. 'You've got to look at what other alternatives are there. You can bring Lachlan Ilias in, do you drop Kyle to the bench?' Rothfield said. 'The season is slipping away quick and because it's such a congested competition table, they aren't done yet. A lot of teams who have struggled are still an outside chance. 'But at the end of the day St George should be in the market for a really big playmaker. 'Nepotism is such a tough claim, a father naturally loves his son and we went through this with Brad Arthur and Jake up at Parramatta. 'I'm glad Ricky Stuart has brought his boy into the side, Jed Stuart. The senior players in the Canberra side before they went to Las Vegas had to approach Ricky because it can work in reverse. 'Because these guys are dads, they can often make it harder for their son because they don't want to be seen as doing any favours.'
News.com.au
09-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Up yours to the fans': Slater, QRL boss under fire over controversial Mam Origin selection
Queensland's selection of Ezra Mam has created a stir given the Broncos five-eighth missed nine games of the season due to a serious off-field incident. Maroons coach Billy Slater dropped a couple of bombshells when naming his team for the must-win game two in Perth including naming Mam in the extended squad after playing just three games this season. Mam missed the first chunk of the season after he was handed a nine-game suspension and a total of $120,000 in fines from the Broncos and NRL combined following a car crash while he was driving with drugs in his system and without a current licence. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer > Slater told reported on Monday that the 22-year-old is 'the right person for that position right now' and 'we feel the squad will benefit from him being there.' But not everyone is on board with the controversial selection with veteran journalist Phil Rothfield declaring the selection is an insult to NRL fans. 'Ben Ikin, the CEO of the Queensland Rugby League and Billy Slater have not read the room under these circumstances,'' Rothfield said on NRL 360. 'You saw Mam run onto Brookvale Oval and the entire crowd booed him. He is very, very lucky to be playing NRL football this year. I'm not going to go through the crime again. 'I think we've had to wear him coming back to play NRL this year. The NRL made the mistake there and so did the Broncos. 'But to put him on the highest stage of our game — extended bench or not — is going to the fans 'up yours'.' Proud Queenslander and Maroons legend Gorden Tallis defended the decision by saying Mam 'has served his punishment' and that it was the NRL's fault that he was back playing and free to be selected. 'Don't blame Queensland for picking him. He's playing the game, he should be allowed to be chosen,' he declared. But Rothfield went as far as suggesting Mam shouldn't have been allowed to play again this year. 'This was the most serious off-field indiscretion for a very long period of time, driving with drugs and drink in his system and putting a little girl into hospital,' he said. 'He does not deserve to be any part of Origin this year. 'In this situation I think he was entitled to a greater punishment. I would've been happy if he didn't play again this year. 'I'm just surprised Ben Ikin of all people, so smart, so clever, has not read the fans on this occasion.' Tallis continued to argue that it's not Mam's fault that he was selected, to which the panel agreed. But News Corp journalist Brent Read also backed up Tallis on his belief that it's also not the QRL's fault that Mam was free to be picked. 'Once the NRL gave him the sanction and he was cleared for Origin, I don't think you can blame the QRL,' he said. However Rothfield doubled down on saying the selection offends fans. 'Do you think the QRL understand the fan outrage that he's even playing footy this year? They've gone to the fans 'up yours',' he said.
News.com.au
03-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Brad Fittler Set to Replace Mal Meninga as Kangaroos Coach
Brad Fittler is set to replace Mal Meninga as Kangaroos coach, with Mal heading to the Perth Bears. Phil Rothfield broke the story on the Off the Record podcast alongside Andrew Webster. Here's what we know.
