MAGIC ROUND 2021 ROW VOLUME 2 · ISSUE 10 Time to Build Victorian Rugby League Gets a Huge Boost
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The FRONTMAGIC ROUND ROW VOLUME 2 · ISSUE 10 2021 Time to build Victorian rugby league gets a huge boost Tricks of Enough is the trade enough Phoenix Crossland's It's time for rugby league secret mentor to make a stand DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? ALL 16 TEAMS HEAD TO BRISBANE FOR A FESTIVAL OF RUGBY LEAGUE! INSIDE: NRL Round 10 program with squad lists, previews & head to head stats, Round 9 reviewed What’s inside From the editor THE FRONT ROW - VOL 2 ISSUE 10 Tim Costello From the editor 2 We made it to Magic Round! Magic Round - Event Guide 3 After its cancellation due to the pandemic in 2020, it's so good to have Magic Round back on the calendar this year - and that we've Opinion Enough is Enough 4 reached it in spite of the odd COVID outbreak here and there. News Victorian Centre of Excellence 5 Whether it stays in Brisbane or moves in future years, Magic Feature Phoenix Crossland 6-7 Round is already an important part of the calendar - if for nothing else than the fan experience. If you get the chance to NRL Ladder, Stats Leaders. POTY standings 8 attend it either this weekend or in future years - do it. It's a great event. GAME DAY · NRL Round 10 9-25 On the field, here's hoping the recent crackdown on dangerous LU Team Tips 9 contact and a range of other rules doesn't distract from the on-field spectacle. FRI Wests Tigers v Newcastle 10-11 Inside our mag - we've got important stories on the Jarryd Manly v Brisbane 12-13 Hayne sexual assault verdict, the new Centre of Excellence in Victoria, as well as Newcastle rookie Phoenix Crossland. Happy SAT Canterbury v Canberra 14-15 reading! Cronulla v South Sydney 16-17 Sydney Roosters v North Queensland 18-19 SUN Warriors v Parramatta 20-21 The FRONT ROW Melbourne v St George Illawarra 22-23 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Gold Coast v Penrith 24-25 We’d like to thank RugbyLeagueProject.org for their support and use of QRL Teamlists 26-27 various statistics throughout this publication. Intrust Super Cup R7 26 Magazine content originally appears on LeagueUnlimited.com © 2021 unless otherwise noted. Interested in advertising with The Front Row BHP Premiership Women's R6 26-27 or LeagueUnlimited.com, or just want to provide feedback? Contact us by email [email protected] U21 Hastings Deering Colts R5 27 MANAGERS Steven Williams & Coby Delaney NSWRL Teamlists 28 EDITOR Tim Costello Knock-On Effect NSW Cup R10 28 CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Ferguson Paul Jobber Joshua Wells City-Country Rep Games 28 Robert Crosby Josh Robertson NRL Match Review & Judiciary - Round 9 28 Adam Huxtable Hamish Parker Andrew Jackson Jason Hosken UK Watch 29 Emile El-Azar Justin Davies Lachy MacCorquodale Sam Bourke NRL Round 9 Wrap 30-33 Tricia Mifsud Match Centre: NSWRL & QRL results 34-35 2021 NRL Draw 36-37 2 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 10 IT'S TIME TO BELIEVE IN MAGIC GET THE LOWDOWN ON THIS WEEKEND'S EVENTS AT SUNCORP STADIUM elcome to Magic Round Brisbane! Eight games The entertainment in three days awaits as Suncorp Stadium At halftime in every clash across the weekend, fans will Wplays host to the tenth round of the NRL be entertained by three bands: season. On Friday, Sneaky Sound System are on hand; Saturday The concept - borrowed from the English Super League sees the Stafford Brothers spinning the decks; then on who began the concept of 'Magic Weekend' back in Sunday, Busby Marou takes the stage. 2007 - had its first iteration in Australia in 2019 when Brisbane hosted Magic Round. Due to repeat in 2020, The fun and games the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent re-fixturing There'll be plenty to do both inside and outside Suncorp meant we missed out on the event last year. Stadium throughout the weekend. Kids Zones, Chill Zones, Food Trucks and Bars will all be available on the But fear not - save for an unprecedented outbreak exterior of the ground, while a range of activations between the time we publish this magazine and 6pm including exclusive seating areas will be available inside. Friday - Magic Round is back! Also in the Stadium Precinct keep an eye out on Sunday night for Fox League's Late Show with Matty Johns The schedule which will be filming on-site. The Tigers and Knights kick off action at that time, followed by the Sea Eagles and Broncos to round out The history opening night. 2019's inaugural event was held over four days - a Thursday match attracted a small crowd involving the On Saturday, Canterbury and Canberra get things going Titans, then crowds of 41,000 piled in on Friday and at 3pm, with Cronulla v Souths wedged in the middle at Saturday before 34,500 finished the round on Sunday, 5:30pm, finishing up with the Roosters and Cowboys as making a 134,677 aggregate crowd for the weekend. the 7:45pm nightcap. STILL TO COME... Sunday's triple header gets underway at 1:45pm, the The NRL still has a few themed rounds ahead: Warriors hosting the Eels. The centrepiece match • R12: Indigenous Round - 27-30 May on the final day is Melbourne v St George Illawarra • R15: Beanies for Brain Cancer Round - 17-20 June at 4:05pm before the Titans and Panthers close • R22: Women in League Round - 12-15 August proceedings at 6:25pm. LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 10 | 3 ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IN THE WAKE OF LAST WEEK'S GUILTY VERDICT, RUGBY LEAGUE NEEDS TO MAKE A STAND OPINION JOSHUA WELLS ugby league is back in the media for all the wrong Last week, he committed the toughest act. Speaking up. reasons at the moment. R He said that anyone convicted of a domestic violence And the game needs to take a very long, hard look at offence should be banned from the game forever. itself. And I agree. It is time to stop giving out ‘redemption’ stories. This should not be our image, and it should never be again. Playing professional sport is a privilege. It is not, and never will be, a right. If you are good at kicking a footy A former player, who will remain unnamed, was around, you should be given societal special treatment. convicted of a heinous crime and sentenced to at least three and a half years in prison. Once the legal Over the past few years, some players – players with system plays out, I believe the game should remove this convictions – have been given second chances. The NRL person’s individual accolades. needs to stop this entirely. In defence of this player, another player had their There is room for redemption when the outside world contract torn up in a strong stance by North American sees rugby league as a sport for thugs and criminals. Rugby League club New York. Another player is being reviewed by their club in England. We have a NRLW competition on the rise, more women entering the commentary space and female referees Despite all of this, the game needs to say – enough is both in the NRL and through the ranks. enough. We have mothers, sisters, nieces and aunties playing Convicted criminals have been allowed to play NRL footy every weekend. football. One player was booed every time they touched the ball before the COVID-19 break because of a terrible They all deserve to feel safe. They all deserve to crime they committed. And rightly so. make their way through the ranks with no outdated viewpoints. It is time rugby league puts victims first. It is time rugby league becomes a safe space for every single person. Lets come together as a rugby league community and say ‘enough is enough’. It is time rugby league realised that this is political. There are young men watching and they will follow the lead of NRL players – they look up to them whether you like it or not. This article appears thanks to our Former Clive Churchill Medalist and NRL premiership friends at The Inner Sanctum. winner Willie Mason, who plied his trade for the You can read the Bulldogs, was a polarising player. A win at all costs, original by clicking here. tough player. 4 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 10 GAME CHANGER CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NRL WOMEN’S AND GRASSROOTS IN VICTORIA STORY TRICIA MIFSUD eabrook Reserve in Broadmeadows will become “We thank the Victorian Government for its support the home of rugby league youth development – this new centre and administrative hub will give the Ssquads and in due time, the base for Melbourne sport a real boost in Victoria and even better define the Storm’s women’s team as work begins on a $16.9 pathway for our next generation of champions,” Silva million hub. said. The construction of the Rugby League State and The Seabrook reserve is currently home to the Community Centre was made possible with a $12 million Northern Thunder Rugby League Club. The club has investment made by the Victorian State Government. a number of women’s teams including Girls Tag team, The NRL has contributed $1.4 million, and the Storm a Women’s Tag Team and Women’s Tackle that will benefit further $1 million. from the upgrades. At a turning of the soil gathering To support the Thunder’s at Seabrook Reserve, Minister training and playing for Community Sport Ros facilities, the City of Spence said that the investment Hume has also committed is record-setting for Victorian $2.5 million to the rugby league.