38 SPORT THURSDAY MAY 9 2019 Call for Smith to ride to Maroons’ rescue

PETER BADEL chairman Bruce Hatcher out- following injuries to incum- corp Stadium for Game One Axing lining his desire for the Storm bent Andrew McCullough and on June 5. THE Rugby hooker to again captain the Roosters veteran , “It would be manna from League has opened the door Maroons. Maroons stakeholders are Heaven if Cameron decided to for a Origin It was almost a year ago sweating on the prospect of a come back,” Hatcher told fairytale, appealing for the that Smith dropped a bomb- Smith comeback. News Corp. Storm champion to come out shell on Queensland, with Ori- Smith said on Sunday he “Queensland needs Camer- of representative retirement to gin’s most-capped player would “never say never” to a on Smith. We would love to leaves save the injury-hit Maroons. revealing on May 15 he would Maroons return and the have him back. The push for Smith to res- walk away from the Maroons Queensland “The Queensland Rugby urrect his glittering Origin ca- on the eve of the 2018 series. last night declared it would League would have no issues at reer has now reached the But with Queensland’s give the green light to the 35- all. We would rubberstamp corridors of power, with QRL hooking stocks at crisis point year-old running on to Sun- Cam’s return in a heartbeat.” Roberts Cronulla rookies furious take heat PETER BADEL off injured JAMES Roberts is on a colli- sion course with Broncos “The Broncos MATT ENCARNACION coach Anthony Seibold, with the strike centre “ropeable” at need to get CRONULLA coach John his axing for tomorrow night’s Morris admits he can be more Magic Round clash against Jimmy conservative with his injured Manly. involved” stars if his class of rookies keep News Corp can reveal Rob- winning NRL games. erts is so furious at his treat- EX- STAR The Sharks will still be ment by Seibold it could CHRIS WALKER without , Shaun represent the final straw for his Johnson, and career at the Broncos after but Walker believes Bennett when they open weeks of speculation “The Jet” holds the key to extracting the Magic Round against Gold is ready to take off from Red best of the Origin speed ma- Coast tonight. Hill. chine. Moylan, who is recovering Roberts’ free fall comes as “Looking at his body lan- from a hamstring issue, is con- former Brisbane star Chris guage, James seems unhappy sidered a chance of returning Walker suggested the incum- and that’s where Wayne Ben- next week, with Johnson, also bent NSW Origin centre re- nett is the master,” Walker nursing a hamstring com- unite with his trusted mentor said. plaint, the following round. Wayne Bennett at South Syd- “Wayne did so much for me But Morris suggested their ney in a bid to revive his splut- in my career, he is really in return dates could be pushed tering career. touch with his players and back if the likes of 20-year-old Brisbane’s No.1 centre Jimmy blossomed under half Kyle Flanagan and 18- under Bennett for three years, Wayne. year-old centre Bronson Xerri Roberts has fallen out of “Jimmy should consider a continue to perform. favour with Seibold to the ex- change because under Seibold “We’ve got some very key tent that he was not named in the Broncos aren’t using him in TITANS players who are on the side- the Broncos’ 21-man squad for the way they should. SHARKS lines,” Morris said yesterday. the Sea Eagles showdown at “He needs to get the ball SUNCORP STADIUM, 7.20PM TONIGHT “So if the guys are getting the Suncorp Stadium. more regularly. If I was an in- Michael Gordon 1 job done now, that helps us Roberts trained at Red Hill side back, I’d be feeding Rob- 2 manage when we bring those yesterday wearing a blue vest erts the ball every set. 3 Bronson Xerri players back... hopefully we running with the reserves in an “He is going to make more Brian Kelly 4 Josh Morris don’t have to rush them back. opposed session against the metres taking on an opposition Dale Copley 5 Aaron Gray If the team’s getting the job NRL team. centre than what a forward AJ Brimson 6 Kyle Flanagan done, we can be a little bit With no Intrust Super Cup would making a simple hit-up. Ash Taylor 7 more conservative with their games this weekend due to the “The Broncos need to get 8 approach. Residents clash, Roberts has Jimmy involved.” 9 “It’s valuable for us to per- nowhere to play. The problem for Roberts is 10 Matt Prior form while they’re out.” It is understood Roberts’ there’s no guarantee he would 11 Briton Nikora While Graham (knee) and demotion was designed to receive a lifeline from Souths. 12 Woods (foot) are unlikely to spark him into action, but it While Bennett is a fan, other Jai Arrow 13 return until after Cronulla’s INTERCHANGE has done the opposite. powerbrokers at the Rabbitohs Jesse Arthars 14 Round 12 bye, Morris is hoping Known as a complex and are not convinced Roberts 15 he can still be careful with his sometimes fragile character would add value to the club. Keegan Hipgrave 16 Jack Williams other two key men. who took strength from the Broncos skipper Darius Max King 17 Braden Hamlin-Uele Moylan hasn’t played since mentoring of Bennett, Roberts Boyd hopes Roberts is not lost 18 Round 3, while Johnson has does not have the same con- to Brisbane. missed one game. “Their re- nection with Seibold and it “He has ties with Wayne REFEREES Grant Atkins, Dave Munro turn dates are always a bit could ultimately convince him but Brisbane is good for him LADBROKES HEAD TO HEAD Gold Coast heart-in-mouth type stuff. to seek a release. and the club has been good for $2.24, Cronulla $1.65 TV Channel 9, FOX With hamstrings you’ve got to Roberts is contracted to the him and I’d like to see him Cronulla’s Bronson Xerri celebrates with halfback Chad Townsend after scoring a cracking breakaway make sure you get it right,” Broncos until the end of 2021, repay that favour,” he said. try against the Panthers in Round 6 Picture: JASON McCAWLEY/GETTY IMAGES Morris said. Tenacious Nikora comes in from cold to turn dream into reality with Sharks IN the pitch black of winter, of a train bound for Wolli end of 2015. Problem was, Ni- sat the entire Cronulla NRL The piece of paper resem- when he was nine, was also Briton Nikora would stand Creek, shut his eyes and ask kora required an agent to gain coaching and recruitment bled the beginning for the Kee- named in the ’ waiting for the 4.07am train how a boyhood dream ever a start. staff, including former elite de- bra Park High student. But in 2017 team before progressing from Sutherland station. came to this. “So the coach who I was velopment coach and current reality, he hadn’t even got to the NSW Cup with Cronul- The then-teenager stood Boasting more tackle busts playing for at the time for head coach John Morris. started. la’s feeder-club Newtown last cold, alone and cursing a deci- than and more Tweed Heads, Paul Stephen- “He played about 60 min- In Cronulla’s premiership season. sion to ever leave his close-knit linebreaks than Blake Fergus- son, he called his old manager utes in the centres and back year of 2016, Nikora played Now he’s on the radar of family on the Gold Coast. on in 2019, Nikora is the epit- (Sam Ayoub),’’ Nikora said. row. We all noticed him. He park footy for local A-Grade New Zealand Test coach Mi- Working two jobs — a bag- ome of sacrifice. “I’m thankful to Stepho and was making breaks, scored a side Cronulla-Caringbah, chael Maguire. “When I look gage handler at airport Playing in the back row for Sam because two days later I try and was very impressive,” earning just one game for the back at it now, I’m just glad and collecting $25-an-hour at the Tweed Seagulls in the booked my own plane ticket to Morris said. The next day, for- Under-20 Sharks that season. that I didn’t take that one-way a Woolworths online ware- under-20s as a 17-year-old, Ni- the trial.’’ mer Sharks football manager But the Tauranga-born 21- flight back home,” Nikora said. house in Mascot — Nikora kora had heard there was an In the Andrew Ettingshau- Darren Mooney forwarded a year-old, who moved to the “Now my dream has come would rest his head on the seat open trial at Cronulla at the sen grandstand at Shark Park $5000 contract to Nikora. Gold Coast with his family true, I’m just so happy.’’

NTNE01Z01MA - V1