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NRL’s Hughes, NRLW’s Kelly voted best in 2024 by peers

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Jahrome Hughes has added the Players’ Champion award to his Dally M Medal, voted the best player in the NRL in 2024 by his peers.

Hours before the NRL grand final against Penrith, Hughes became the first Melbourne player in history to win the players’ union’s major men’s honour.

Sydney Roosters captain Isabelle Kelly claimed the women’s award, also hours before she was due to lead her side in the NRLW grand final against Cronulla.

Best of NRLW 2024, Isabelle Kelly
Isabelle Kelly of the Roosters on her way to scoring a try during the NRLW Round 3 match between the Sydney Roosters and the St. George Illawarra Dragons at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Thursday, August 3, 2023. (AAP Image/Mark Evans)

Both Hughes and Kelly have been standouts this season.

Hughes’ maiden Dally M Medal on Wednesday night came after a season in which he took charge of the Storm’s attack.

The No.7 then flourished upon Cameron Munster’s return from injury, with the pair’s combination a big part of the reason they finished first on the ladder and are in the decider.

The Kiwi halfback beat out fellow finalists in Roosters second-rower Angus Crichton, Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake and Canterbury centre Stephen Crichton for the latest award.

“This is a massive honour for me to be voted the Players’ Champion,” Hughes said.

“I really hold this in high regard, and I think it is definitely one of the best individual accolades you can get.

I’m so honoured to be able to receive it, and just to get the praise from the players that you go against week in, week out.

“For them to vote for this, it is truly massive for myself. I’m super grateful and really honoured to win the Players’ Champion.”

Voting for the Players’ Champion awards is done at the end of each regular season, on a 3-2-1 system open to all contracted NRL and NRLW players for their respective competition. 

Kelly’s award was also her first, following a year in which she shifted from fullback to the halves and then to centre for the Roosters.

The NSW State of Origin star was expected to feature prominently in the Dally M race last week, but was outgunned by her Roosters teammate Olivia Kernick.

But in the eyes of the players, Kelly has now risen to No.1 in the women’s game after a season in which she broke the line nine times and averaged 198 metres per game.

She won the players’ award ahead of fellow finalists Kernick, Parramatta’s Abbi Church, Brisbane’s Julia Robinson and Newcastle’s Tamika Upton. 

“Looking at the calibre of players who have won this award before is super special for me,” Kelly said. 

“Being voted by the wider playing group is something that I am honoured with and I’m really grateful for all the girls who voted for me.”

“When you look at those (previous winners), they’ve been pioneers within our women’s game. 

“To be alongside them and have my name with theirs is a massive honour and something I don’t take very lightly and something that I am super proud of.”

Written by: Scott Bailey © AAP

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2020 grand final of little use to Storm now: Bellamy

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Storm Coach, Craig Bellamy says there is nothing but “nice memories” to take from Melbourne’s 2020 NRL premiership win as he leads the new-look Storm into the grand-final rematch against Penrith.

Rarely in the ensuing four seasons have triple-reigning premiers Penrith been as comprehensively outplayed as they were by the Storm in the 2020 decider.

Playing his last match, NRL great Cameron Smith skippered the Storm to a 26-0 lead early in the second half, with the side eventually holding on for a 26-20 win and fourth premiership.

Fuelled by their heartbreak, the Panthers twice eliminated the Storm from finals in the years that followed, before the two undisputed best sides of 2024 booked in a grand-final date for Sunday.

But while much has been made of roster changes undergone at Penrith over the past four years, the Storm have been undergoing their own regeneration.

Just four players from the Storm’s 2020 grand final team – Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Christian Welch – will face Penrith at Accor Stadium.

And while Penrith’s squad is now largely comprised of players who came through their famous junior nursery, nine of the Storm’s 17 were recruited after the 2020 triumph.

“I was just looking at the last team we had in a grand final in 2020. Nine of those 18 played against us this year,” Bellamy said.

“Having lost them and obviously Cameron (Smith) being the big loss, our side has changed a lot in four years. It’s changed a heap.”

Newly-minted Dally M Medallist Hughes, wily five-eighth Munster and athletic fullback Papenhuyzen were all in the spine on grand final day in 2020, with the last of that trio winning the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match.

But with Smith still the chief architect at the time, Bellamy said the team had undergone a shift since 2020, and was quick to point out injuries had meant the current spine was only just clicking into gear. 

“It’s a different era with those guys,” he said.

“These guys are just basically starting together. They’ve still got a bit to go, to be quite honest.”

While Sunday’s fixture marks only the second grand final rematch of the NRL era, Bellamy is looking at the two deciders as separate from one another.

“Four years is a long time in life, four years is a real long time in footy,” he said.

“At the end of the day, that was a great result for us back then but I can hardly remember it to be quite honest. 

“What’s important is now. In the past, they’re nice memories, but halfway through next week we’d like to have a nice memory of what happens (on Sunday) too.”

Written by: Jasper Bruce © AAP

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Melbourne Storm prepares to halt Penrith dynasty

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Craig Bellamy has revealed how a sit-down meeting with Melbourne’s new ‘big four’ has put the Storm on the cusp of marking a fresh era in the club’s history and ending Penrith’s stranglehold on the NRL premiership.

The Storm return to their first grand final since the 2020 decider when fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen stole the show and Cameron Smith signed off with a premiership as Melbourne knocked off the Panthers.

In the time since Smith followed Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk into TV punditry, the Storm have fallen short and Penrith have risen to take their mantle as the game’s premier club with three-straight premierships.

Despite Penrith’s success-laden run, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary still humbly refers to Melbourne as “the benchmark” in the NRL.

But after some relatively lean years, Bellamy heads into his 10th grand final with a side believing they can mark the start of a successful post-Smith era against a Penrith team aiming to become the first since St George (1956-1966) to claim four consecutive titles.

It sets up a grand final for the ages.

Like Melbourne’s champion sides of old, the 2024 iteration is underpinned by workaholic forwards and a spine that can make magic happen.

Halfback Jahrome Hughes won the Dally M Medal earlier this week and hooker Harry Grant has begun to add more craft to his dummy-half play.

Crucially, too, five-eighth Cameron Munster and Papenhuyzen look back to their best after wretched runs with injury over the last two seasons.

They got a reminder of what they could achieve when after an unconvincing 28-16 win over South Sydney in round 23, Bellamy sat his ‘big four’ down for a heart to heart.

“(I said) we need you guys to go above and beyond what we usually do or what we’ve expected to do if we’re going to have success this year,” Bellamy said.

“We can wait until next year, but no one wants to do that. Let’s do it now.

Storm head coach Craig Bellamy speaks to media following a Captain’s Run training session, ahead of the 2024 NRL Grand Final at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Saturday, October 5, 2024. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Storm head coach Craig Bellamy speaks to media following a Captain’s Run training session, ahead of the 2024 NRL Grand Final at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Saturday, October 5, 2024. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

“It’s not all physical, it’s about talking about it and watching a bit of vision together. It was about putting a bit more time and effort in, and then going from there.”

Remarkably, Sunday’s grand final at Accor Stadium will just be the 20th time the quartet of Papenhuyzen, Grant, Munster and Hughes have played together at NRL level.

Grant said the meeting with Bellamy went a big way to explaining the Storm’s added attacking spark at the end of the year, their preliminary final win over the Roosters highlighting the synergy between their awesome foursome.

“Sometimes you feel things and you assume things,” Grant said.

“But that conversation just cleared a few things up for each other, and set us on the straight and narrow for the back end of the year, which was really important at that time.”

Melbourne will begin the grand final as slight favourites even accounting for Penrith’s experience of appearing in five straight deciders and the absence of Nelson Asofa-Solomona due to suspension.

Sunday’s grand final (7.30pm kick-off) will be the final Panthers game for prop James Fisher-Harris and five-eighth Jarome Luai.

“If there is any sort of that energy where it’s my last year amongst the group then I want this to be a positive one,” Luai said.

“You never really take it lightly, the effort and the achievement it is to be here.

“But between winning and losing there’s a big difference on how you look at your season, so I really want to win this one.”

Written by: George Clarke © AAP

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To Hull and back: Panther Schneider eyes NRL redemption

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A little over 18 months ago, Brad Schneider was given a week’s notice to pack up his life and head to the Super League knowing his dream of becoming an NRL player could be over.

Fast forward to Sunday’s grand final against Melbourne and the 23-year-old Panthers utility has the chance to come off the bench and cap his second coming in Australia with a premiership ring.

Penrith fans know how vital the impact of supersub Jack Cogger was to last year’s grand final success and with question marks over Nathan Cleary’s fitness, Schneider has to be ready to step into the fold.

If Schneider gets on the park it will complete a whirlwind period in which he was shown the door by NRL club Canberra and had to resurrect his career in England with Hull Kingston Rovers. 

Signed by the late, great talent scout Peter Mulholland, Schneider was once touted to become a star halfback for Canberra after captaining his school to the national title.

He was named the Raiders’ rookie of the year in 2022, but mid-2023 it began to dawn on him that he was no longer in the Green Machine’s plans.

“I probably wasn’t in contention for any spots, at least it didn’t feel like I was,” Schneider told AAP. 

“I got that feeling pretty quickly and I was pretty lucky that Hull KR came in for me.

“All I wanted to do was play regularly and there was an opportunity in England.

“There was a feeling of ‘holy crap, I’m going to England’, I’d never been before and it happened in a week. 

“There’s a few examples of people who have gone over there and then come back … I always wanted to come back, but whether it would happen or not I really wasn’t sure.”

Luckily for Schneider he started to realise his potential in a 12-match stint with KR.

In his first two games he kicked match-winning field goals, the second of which came in golden point and booked Rovers a Challenge Cup final berth.  

He played at Wembley in a narrow final loss and took the club within 80 minutes of the Super League grand final.

Penrith came calling not long after and Schneider has proven a shrewd acquisition, deputising while Cleary and Luai have been out of the Panthers side at various points throughout this season. 

“Ivan (Cleary) has been awesome for me and my development,” Schneider said. 

“It’s pretty cool having been on that side of the world and then to be part of a grand final team is pretty crazy.

“Seeing what happened last year with ‘Coggs’ and how he went on and handled it, you know you’ve got to be ready for anything.” 

Written by: George Clarke © AAP

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Yemini Pursues Kumuls Dream

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Timon Yemeni

BRISBANE, Australia – Timon Yemini is a rising star of Papua New Guinea rugby league.

A young prospect carving his own path in the rugby league scene in Brisbane, Australia.

It is on the field that Yemini shines as the lock forward for Carina Tigers, a local club in the Brisbane Rugby League Competition.

Now 23, the Carina Tigers lock forward stands 180cm and tips the scale at 102kg; and with some serious pedigree in the sport, has begun to make some noise on the local rugby league scene in the game he so dearly loves.

In 2023, Yemini took to the field with the Kokomo Nines representing Papua New Guinea in the annual Queensland Pacific Cup which they won.

He impressed enough to earn a two-year rugby league contract with the Carina Tigers in the Brisbane Rugby League competition.

As the accomplishments stack up for Yemini, he’s inching closer to realizing his ultimate dream of playing for the Papua New Guinea Kumuls.

As a young boy growing up in Kaundaka village, Upper Mendi in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, Yemini has drawn inspiration from Kumuls players such as Wellington Albert to motivate him in his rugby league journey.

It was in Mendi that Yemini developed his love for the game we call rugby league.

From 2014 to 2017, the schoolboys rugby league competition in Mendi provided the exposure that Yemini needed to kick start his rugby league career.

And in 2019, Yemini impressed selectors during the Ipatas cup and was signed by Hela Wigmen but had to put on hold his rugby to complete his year 12 studies in 2021.

Yemini’s talents were sought after by rugby league franchises in Papua New Guinea who were eagerly awaiting his return to the field.

The young Kaundaka man did not disappoint the selectors with his performance in the Southern Highlands Provincial 9s rugby league competition while playing with the TNT Brothers in Mendi.

In 2021, Yemini was scouted by the Enga Mioks rugby league club and made his debut in the Digicel cup.

His rise in the national rugby league competition would see him play for the Port Moresby Vipers in 2022 for three months before moving to Brisbane.

The journey may be long but Yemini is putting in the work with the Carina Tigers and is determined to be eligible for the Papua New Guinea Kumuls in the coming years.

Written by: Mickey Kavera (Contributor)

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Premiership window wide open: Roosters skipper Tedesco

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James Tedesco wearing a Rooster Jersey standing with his arms crossed in front of the Sydney Opera House.

James Tedesco has laughed off suggestions the Sydney Roosters’ premiership window is closing as the side uses its imminent exodus as motivation this NRL finals series.

The Roosters will lose around 900 games and eight premierships worth of first-grade experience when they farewell Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joey Manu, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Luke Keary and Sitili Tupouniua this summer.

36-year-old centre Michael Jennings, the NRL’s oldest player, and third-string hooker Zach Dockar-Clay could join that list given neither holds a contract for 2025.

The changes will force the Tricolours to nominate two new first-choice centres, bank on Sandon Smith as Sam Walker’s full-time halves partner and find a new forward pack leader as the influential Waerea-Hargreaves heads to England.

But their ability to contend with on-field reconfigurations will be under the microscope even before then as Walker and Brandon Smith miss the play-offs, starting with Friday’s qualifying final against Penrith.

The Roosters were hot-and-cold beating lowly South Sydney in their first game without the injured pair and Victor Radley, sidelined with a shoulder issue.

James Tedesco of the Roosters makes a break during the NRL Round 27 match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters at Accor Stadium.
James Tedesco of the Roosters makes a break during the NRL Round 27 match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters at Accor Stadium Friday, September 6, 2024. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

“‘Rads’ is still confident that he can be back during the finals some time, we’ve just got to see how it’s healing,” said Roosters captain Tedesco.

“The other two boys are doing it tough but they’re still in good spirits so that’s good.”

The Roosters have made finals in 11 of the last 12 seasons and Tedesco is adamant that even after Keary and co. left, their premiership window would not close.

“No, not at all,” he said laughing.

“(The window) is closing on their time at the Roosters and we want to make the most of that for those guys leaving.”

It nevertheless feels like the end of an era for Tedesco, who played alongside the departing Keary, Waerea-Hargreaves and Manu in the Roosters’ 2018 and 2019 premiership seasons.

Mark Nawaqanitawase’s stunning NRL debut against Souths will have assured the Roosters the ex-Wallaby can become a bonafide starter in the backline next year, while Sandon Smith has the chance to prove himself as an NRL-calibre half replacing Walker this finals series.

Nevertheless, Tedesco admitted it would be difficult for the Roosters to replace their outgoing brigade.

“The guys that are leaving at the end of the year are so big for our club, have been legends of our club now for a number of years now. It is sad to see a lot of those guys go,” he said.

“You can’t just replace guys like that but we’ve talked about that amongst ourselves and at the club that this is a great opportunity for us.

“We won’t be able to play with these guys again (after finals).

“We won’t leave any stone unturned, just go all in at training and away from training and make sure we’re as prepared as we can for Friday.”

WRITTEN BY: Jasper Bruce (AAP)

PHOTO FILE: (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) AAP ©

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Storm sweat on Katoa for finals, Papenhuyzen on track

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Melbourne forward Eliesa Katoa was sin-binned and put on report for a hit on Brisbane fullback Tristan Sailor that could have ramifications for their finals campaign.

The independent doctor ruled that Sailor did not need to go off for an HIA, suggesting he was not hit high with any force. The Storm are hoping that scenario will play out well for them with the match review committee when they investigate the incident that occurred in the 61st minute of their 50-12 thrashing of the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.

“We will be able to use that to our advantage I would imagine,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.

“From where I was sitting I didn’t think it was too bad and I was surprised that he went to the bin.”

Bellamy had good news about first choice fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, who suffered bone bruising to his leg in last week’s loss to North Queensland.

Papenhuyzen is on track to play the first week of the finals after his replacement Sua Fa’alogo tweaked a hamstring against Brisbane.

“At a pinch Paps could have played this week but we didn’t want to take that risk,” Bellamy said.

“We didn’t want him to pull up sore and not train all next week leading into the finals so we thought that was the best way to go.

“The medical staff seem to think Paps will be fine for next week.”

Bellamy said Fa’alogo felt “a pop” in his hamstring but there was hope it was not as bad as first thought.

The pocket rocket, who will go for scans,  ran for 208m and had two try assists in a dynamic 57-minute display. He would be a dangerous bench option later in the finals if he can recover.

“He is a great runner of the footy and like lightning,” Bellamy said.

“The more games we can get him the more he is going to learn about the game and the better player he will be.”

The Storm have had injuries like all clubs this season, including missing star No.6 Cameron Munster for 10 weeks in the middle of the year with a groin problem, but still managed 19 wins to finish top of the table.

“The guys that have come in have done such a good job, like Wishy (Tyran Wishart), Grant Anderson and Jack Howarth,” Bellamy said.

“They have really performed. Sometimes you put a player in and he is not ready for first grade but these guys after a week or two have grabbed the opportunity, run with it and made a success of it.”

Bellamy has won three premierships as Storm coach and is in a strong position to challenge for a fourth.

“You would love to win a grand final,” he said.

“They are hard to win and hard to get to. You have to do a lot of things right. Hopefully we can play our best footy in the next month.”

The win over the Broncos was his 400th in charge of the Storm.

“It is a nice milestone but I sit up in the box,” he said.

“I have some sort of influence during the week I suppose but it is the players that have gone out and done all the hard work.”

The Storm will host a qualifying final next week against the fourth-placed team. 

Written by: Joel Gould (AAP)

Photo file: (AAP Image/Jono Searle )AAP ©

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Demetriou’s appointment a crucial step in PNG’s NRL bid

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Papua New Guinea rugby league bosses believe hiring Jason Demetriou as coach of the national team is a “really positive” step on the path to inclusion in the NRL.

Demetriou will take charge of the Kumuls for the Pacific Championships in October, his first coaching job since being axed as South Sydney’s head coach in April.

The appointment comes as an Australian government-backed bid from Papua New Guinea firms as the likeliest candidate for the NRL’s 19th license, set to be granted in 2028.

“Everything we are doing is in preparation for becoming an NRL team and we believe Jason’s appointment is another really positive step towards that goal,” said PNG NRL bid chief executive, Andrew Hill.

“Having someone of Jason’s standing in the game take on the Kumuls head coaching role is another great step towards becoming part of the NRL.”

Off the side headshot of Rabbitohs head coach, Jason Demetriou. Wide-eyed Caucasian man with brown hair and stubby nose.
Rabbitohs head coach, Jason Demetriou speaks to media during the post match press conference following the NRL Round 3 match between the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Friday, March 22, 2024. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Demetriou could remain in charge for the 2026 World Cup, by which time the prospective franchise’s preparations for entry into the NRL would be in full swing.

“We are interested in building a long-term relationship with Jason leading up to the 2026 RLWC and have been in talks with Jason and are looking forward to finalizing this soon,” said PNGRFL chief executive Stanley Hondina.

Souths fired Demetriou following a 1-6 start to the 2024 season and the side’s capitulation from finals contention the previous year, when they had led the premiership through 11 rounds.

The 48-year-old’s coaching tenure became dogged by suggestions he struggled to manage the bigger personalities on the roster, tensions which contributed to club legend Sam Burgess’ abrupt exit from the coaching staff in 2023.

Demetriou had previously been Wayne Bennett’s protege at Brisbane and then Souths, taking over from the master coach in 2022 and leading the Rabbitohs to a preliminary final that year.

He has also held assistant coaching roles at St George Illawarra and North Queensland, including during the Cowboys’ drought-breaking 2015 premiership season.

As a player, he spent his entire career in the United Kingdom. He is currently working as a commentator for radio station Triple M.

Demetriou noted he was “excited about what lies ahead” with Papua New Guinea, who count Justin Olam, Alex Johnston and Jack de Belin among their NRL talents.

“The game in PNG is going from strength to strength and it is a fantastic opportunity to work with such a talented squad,” said Demetriou.

“I have watched the team with interest in recent years and they have a passion for the game that shows itself every time they pull on the Kumuls jersey and represent their country.

“I know that a tremendous amount of work is being done at school and academy level to help prepare the next generation of players and I’m incredibly excited to be able to work off the back of that with the senior team.

“It is a great time to be involved in the game in this country.”

Written by: Jasper Bruce_AAP ©

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Panthers insist hunger remains despite Cleary doubts

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Penrith Panthers players insist their desire for a fourth consecutive premiership has not waned despite suggestions from coach Ivan Cleary the Panthers are lacking hunger on the run to NRL finals.

Saturday’s surprise 22-18 loss to Canberra marked Penrith’s first back-to-back defeats since April last year, the Panthers struggling for cohesion without injured halfback Nathan Cleary.

The timing of the slump is unfortunate for the triple reigning premiers, who now sit fourth on the ladder – lower than at any point in the second half of a season since 2019.

Penrith are at serious risk of forfeiting the top-two finish that appeared a formality only a fortnight ago. With another loss, they could fall out of the top four altogether.

The elder Cleary said on Monday there was “probably a question mark” around Penrith’s desire to keep their winning ways going, but players refuted that claim on Wednesday.

“I’m not satisfied with what we did last year, I definitely want to win again this year,” said second-rower Luke Garner, who plays his 100th NRL game against South Sydney on Friday.

“The hunger is still there, I think it is with all the crew. We’ve just got to maybe change a few things and hopefully we’re on the way to being there at the end of the year again.

“We’re still a good team. We’re still in the top four. I think if we can gain some momentum in the next two games, hopefully the finals can look good for us again.”

Prop Lindsay Smith said it was “disappointing” the Panthers could not win their first game since co-captain Cleary aggravated his shoulder injury in the round-24 loss to Melbourne.

But he remained confident in their premiership credentials.

“Obviously it’s not great to ever have two losses in a row at any stage of the season, whether it’s the start of the season or the end of the season but there’s obviously learnings there,” he said.

“People will be externally questioning our belief but I think internally we’ve got all the belief in the squad that we’ve got.”

The Panthers have made three changes for their penultimate match of the regular season, welcoming Mitch Kenny back from suspension to replace Luke Sommerton at hooker.

Sunia Turuva returns to the right wing after two weeks working on his defence in NSW Cup, with Paul Alamoti back from a broken arm to replace rookie Casey McLean at left centre.

Right centre Izack Tago, below his best in recent weeks, felt Turuva’s recent axing was a wake-up call for the rest of the Panthers.

“Everyone here is a professional athlete so it’s pretty hard,” he said.

“Everyone’s pushing for a spot and it’s just the way things worked out. I’m sure Tito’s grateful to be back in. It’s well-deserved.”

Written By: Jasper Bruce_AAP ©

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Stuart: Horsburgh could still play for Raiders in NRL

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Ricky Stuart needs all hands on deck as the Raiders push for a finals spot. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

By: Jacob Shteyman (AAP)

Want-away prop Corey Horsburgh may have another chance to prove his worth at Canberra, with coach Ricky Stuart claiming the former Queensland State of Origin representative still has a job to do.

Horsburgh has this year failed to match the lofty heights of his impressive past two seasons.

The Raiders enforcer has made just two NRL appearances off the bench in an injury-disrupted 2024, with the majority of his football limited to reserve grade.

It was playing in the NSW Cup that the 26-year-old received an ignominious three-game ban for headbutting and punching Warriors forward Jacob Laban in June.

Since his return from suspension Horsburgh has remained on the outer, with Stuart preferring 23-year-old Simi Sasagi on the bench against Manly on Saturday in place of the injured Zac Hosking.

Ricky Stuart needs all hands on deck as the Raiders push for a finals spot. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
Ricky Stuart needs all hands on deck as the Raiders push for a finals spot. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Horsburgh, who has been given permission to speak with other clubs despite being contracted to the Raiders until the end of the 2027 season, has been named only on the extended bench.

But Stuart said he still saw the former fan favourite playing a role in the NRL this season.

“Yeah I do. We need everybody available, fit and healthy,” he said.

The Raiders could do with reinforcements, likely needing four wins from their remaining five matches to make the finals.

Horsburgh has impressed in the NSW Cup – brawling notwithstanding – and could be a handy addition to the side after Hosking was ruled out for the season.

Hosking will undergo surgery next week after re-injuring his shoulder in the Raiders’ 22-18 loss to Canterbury on Sunday.

It was a disappointing blow for the rangy second-rower after only recently returning from a long-term injury lay-off, Stuart said.

‘He’s a new boy to the club, started the season extremely well,” he said.

“And unfortunately, the injury early in the piece to his shoulder forced him into a really long, arduous rehabilitation campaign.”

Teen five-eighth Ethan Strange comes back into the starting line-up after he was rested from the Bulldogs match.

The promising playmaker has been forced to shoulder substantially more game time than Stuart had initially planned this season, in the absence of Jamal Fogarty.

But with the experienced halfback back in the squad, Stuart felt the time was right to give Strange a much-needed breather.

“It was something that you learn as a coach from experience in regards to how a young boy feels physically and mentally, too,” he said.

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