A horror injury, a True Blue Origin star accepts a new position and a new super sponsor; it was a mixed bag for the NSWRL in the final week of the pre-season.
B-MOZ SIDELINED
NSW VB Blues and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs mainstay Brett Morris has battled a knee injury throughout the off-season and it was reported last Friday that he would have to go under the knife for another round of surgery. That was to put the regular Blues winger out for around a month, but complications with the surgery on Monday extended that to up to four months, all but slashing Morris’s Origin hopes for 2016.
It’s obviously a huge blow for the NSW Blues and speculation has already begun about who will fill the 29-year-old’s shoes this year. How both the Bulldogs and Blues respond will be telling.
NSWRL WELCOMES SUPER SPONSOR
It is the dawn of a new era for NSWRL’s highest senior competition, as Intrust Super was officially unveiled as the major sponsor for the next three years. The announcement was made to a room of excited stakeholders and players at the NSWRL season launch, as Intrust Super CEO Brendan O’Farrell furthered the company’s support of state Rugby League. Intrust now sponsor the premier competitions of both Queensland – the Intrust Super Cup – and New South Wales – to be known as the Intrust Super Premiership NSW.
NSWRL have launched new Twitter (@IntrustSuperPrm) and Facebook (/IntrustSuperPremiership) accounts to ring in the significant change.
CROSS THE BOSS OF NSW WOMEN
Former NRL and VB Blues prop Ben Cross has taken up a position as Head Coach of the NSW Women’s Origin side, with the task of leading them to an inaugural victory in this year’s Women’s State of Origin series. Cross, who played for twice for NSW and 95 NRL games, was excited about the opportunity after most recently filling an assistant coach role at the Newcastle Knights.
JUNIOR REPS ROLL ON
Round 3 of the Harold Matthews and SG Ball competitions is over, with some exceptional tries scored and some standout teams emerging. The Parramatta Eels and Newcastle Knights are the only undefeated teams in the Harold Matthews, while the Penrith Panthers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Illawarra Steelers and Canberra Raiders are three from three in the SG Ball. Stay up to date on all the latest junior representative action at NSWRL.com.au.
DIRTY REDS READY
Possibly the oldest Rugby League club in Australia are gunning for a nostalgic return to NSWRL competitions in 2017 – and they have the support of the community to do it.
The Glebe Dirty Reds never won a NSWRL premiership and were booted out of the competition in 1929, but 87 years later they feel they have unfinished business. Playing out of their traditional home at Wentworth Park, the Dirty Reds are hoping to field either a Sydney Shield or Ron Massey Cup team next year and eventually field junior teams as well. They also have a Twitter account for supporters of the cause (@glebedirtyreds).
