INSIDE ❘ TEAM LISTS ❘ STAT ATTACK ❘ SCORES AROUND THE COUNTRY KANE ELGEY ❘ BOYD CORDNER ❘ MICHAEL ENNIS ❘ LATRELL MITCHELL POSTER + MORE ROUND 24 Volume 99. No.24. August 23-29 2018 Twitter&Facebook: @bigleaguemag ROGER READY RTShashissights on a finals return Townsville so OF favourite YOUNG GUNS THE prepares t Thebestrookiesof G the 2018 season take his final bo KICKING DAVID OFF PIEPERS F I close my eyes and search my memory Iit doesn’t take long to wind up back at the 2015 NRL Grand Final. I can see the clock winding down as Johnathan Thurston scrambles from left to right, the passes that led to Kyle Feldt’s try and the eternity that led to Thurston’s conversion attempt. The drama, the tension, it was all superb – and when that ball hit the post you wondered how many more twists and turns there could possibly be. When Thurston kicked that match-winning field goal in golden point, his place in history was well and truly secured. Not only did it mean a lot to the man himself, the team’s subsequent victory tour, spanning thousands of kilometres of north- western Australia, showed how much it meant to the Cowboys community – and just how big that community is. What Thurston has brought to that region, on and off the field, is a testament to the game’s power RACE FOR THE TOP: to affect the landscape of this country, and The Roosters last won perhaps the most important part of his a minor premiership in 2015. legacy. Unfortunately, the Cowboys won’t be fighting for the premiership this year. In fact, they’re doing quite the opposite, fighting to avoid a wooden spoon. Is it a fitting end to one of the most important careers of our Roosters remain time? Of course not, but as ‘JT’ prepares to say farewell to Cowboys fans this week, it won’t matter as we remember a 14-year relaxed despite journey that contains so much more. S some amazing careers end, others Aare beginning, and how quickly is Lachlan Lewis rising? His try and match- tussle at the top winning field goal on the weekend serve as a good reminder that we might already OOSTERS co-captain Boyd “Obviously after a weekend like that, be watching the next generation of stars Cordner insists his side isn’t we need to get back to training and in action, we just dont know it yet. For our Rconcerned about the minor prepare the best way we can to iron out review of the 2018 rookie field, check out premiership, despite a three-way tie a few things before the Broncos game.” our feature on Pages 22-23. at the top with two rounds remaining. Arch-rivals South Sydney are In what shapes as the tightest season also in the hunt for their first on record, for and against is the only thing minor premiership since 1989, but that separates the Storm, Roosters and workhorse Cameron Murray says Rabbitohs after 23 rounds, with three their focus also lays elsewhere. other sides just two competition points By MARTIN The Bunnies have been one of the GABOR FEATURES behind them in the race for September. @martinjgabor form teams in the NRL this season, Just like a proverbial game of Snakes but a crippling backline injury toll has 10 MICHAEL ENNIS and Ladders, all it takes is one win to see a team seen them drop consecutive matches to slip to 16-17 THURSTON’SFAREWELL rocket up the competition table, while a loss can third ahead of games against the Raiders and 18 KANE ELGEY send them spiralling out of the top four and have Wests Tigers. 20-21 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK critics quickly put the red pen through them. For Murray, the next two weeks represent 22-23 ROOKIES OF THE YEAR The Roosters dropped to second spot an opportunity to get back to their best footy, 24 FIBROS VS SILVERTAILS ORIGIN after they had their five-game winning and what happens after that is a bonus. streak snapped by the Raiders last week, but “It’d be nice to finish in that number one according to Cordner, ladder positions mean spot with the minor premiership, but I feel like UPFRONT 3-15 little for the Tri-colours as they gear up for our goal isn’t so much result driven. It’s more CLUB NEWS 26-29 another premiership tilt. about putting our best 80 minutes on the park LITTLE LEAGUE 30-31 “We haven’t spoken about the minor and the results will come on the back of that,” premiership,” he told Big League. “In the long he told Big League. NRL TEAMS 36-51 run, it doesn’t really mean much anyway. It “It’d be nice to finish on top because we OTHER COMPS 52-56 means a home semi-final and it recognises haven’t done it for a while as a club, but to RESULTS 56-57 good form throughout the regular season, but get there, we’ll need to focus on the process DRAW 62 the finals is a whole new season altogether. because games aren’t won by thinking of the Metcalfe/Getty Mark Images “So although it’s a good feather in the cap, outcome. They’re won by the process and COVER PHOTOS: IAN HITCHCOCK/GETTY IMAGES (THURSTON); DAVID ROWLAND (TUIVASA-SHECK) it’s not the be-all or end-all. doing the little things right for 80 minutes.” PHOTO: Round 24 BIG LEAGUE 2018 3 The Dragons sure of a top four finish By MICHAEL BLOK TGEORGEIllawarrahooker Cameron McInnes believes the SDragonscanputaturbulent month behind them and make achargeforthepremiership followingabreakthroughwin overWestsTigerslastSaturday. ThewinreturnedtheDragons tothetopfour,givingMcInnes theconfidenceoffinishingthe regularseasonthere. “Wealwaysknewwe’dbeback in the top four,” McInnes told Big League.“It’sbeenatoughmonth, butmonthslikethathappenin Althoughhewasrelievedto “Finalsisadifferentball footy. Some of our scorelines collect the two competition points game–everyoneknowsthat,”he wereprettyembarrassing,tobe against Wests Tigers, McInnes said.“Youwanttobeatyourbest honest, but we never lost faith. admitted the performance goingintothefinalsandwehave “Weactuallyneverlosefaith wasn’t pretty and there’s plenty twoweekstobuilduptothatand becauseweknowhowgoodwe areasateamandwealways of improvement needed. putourselvesinthebestposition.” work hard for each other.” “Whatweshowedisagood TheDragonsfinishtheseason The Dragons rake said it was startandwe’relookingtoback with games against the Bulldogs toughlosingfiveofsixmatches, that up week by week. We didn’t and the Knights. butisnowconfidenttheycando do anything fancy but we were “We’reconfidentwecanbeat theirsupportersproudforthe tough and worked for each them, but it’s got nothing to do rest of the season. other,”hesaid.“Witheverything with where they are on the table,” “Therearealwaysdoubters,and that’s been going on, it was headded.“It’sjustthatwe’rereally youalwayswantyourfansbehind averygutsyvictory,butwe confidentgoingintoanygame. you, but reality is sometimes they’re didn’t play to our potential.” “We’ll take Bulldogs first, put our not,”McInnessaid.“Wehadn’tbeen With two weeks remaining best effort into that game, and then playingwellandwedeservedthe in the regular season, McInnes weplaytheKnightsgoingintothe criticism. Our job is to bounce back knows it’s important to go into finals and really look to cement that and finish the year well.” the finals with momentum. top four because that’s our goal.” Rhyse Martin doubles down for the Dogs By DARCIE MCDONALD “I needed to qualify for the Martin has been a shining light finals,soIplayedforaboutfour infirstgradesincetakingoverthe ULLDOGSback-rowerRhyse seconds. We kicked off then had goal-kicking duties, with a success BMartinturnedheadsonSunday a quick interchange. It was all rateof97percent,andis15goals whenhemadeafour-second approvedbytheNRL,soitwas away from equalling the most appearance in NSW Cup before goodtogetthatdoneandnow consecutiveintheNRL–35,held Icanfocusontherestofthe by former Bulldog Hazem El Masri. playing80minutesinfirstgrade. year,” Martin told Big League. “I’mgladIgotthejobandI’m Themovewasmadebytheclub The PNG international’s happythey’regoingthroughthe toensuretheycanmakeuseof appearance left the Bulldogs NSW sticks, but I’m working hard every thegun25-year-oldinthereserve Cupteamwithonelessinterchange week.Itisgoal-kickingandthey gradeteam’supcomingfinals for the rest of the game. He felt guilty allcan’tgetthrough,butIbelieve matches,whentherestofthetop for the inconvenience, but knew it Icangetthemall,”hesaid. squadfinishuptheirseason. wassomethingthathadtobedone. “I practise at least two times Martin–whomadehisNRL “Iknewforacoupleofdaysthat aweek,butIcan’tkickeveryday debutinRound9–wasonematch itwashappening,soIwasfeeling becauseIputeverythingintomy awayfrombeingeligibletoappearin alittlebitsorryfortheboysbyonly kicks,soIgetreallytightinmyquads Jenny Evans/Getty Images Costello (Inglis); (McInnes); Brett theNSWCupfinalsbeforeSunday’s playingforacoupleofminutes, andhips.Itrytominimiseitasmuch cameo, but can now reunite with his but I’m glad they won. It kind of asIcan,butwhendokick,Itryto looks bad, but it is what is,” he said. keep everything really consistent.” PHOTOS: (Holmes) Trouville/NRLPhotos.com Grant former reggies team-mates. Penrith have won six of their past seven games against the Warriors. UU Parramatta have conceded the fewest points of 4 BIG LEAGUE 2018 Round 24 ISSN: 0311-175X Editor: David Piepers Subeditor: Bronwyn Thompson IDERS Staff Writers: Michael Blok, Martin Gabor, Darcie McDonald Contributors: Fiona Bollen, Michael iththemuntilunder-17sand Burgess, Will Evans, Michael raham and Cameron Murray. Ennis, Ben Everill, Adam Long, forSouths,butImovedmid- DavidMiddleton,KateSymons, yparents’decision.Ihadno Andrew Voss butwhentheyweremyage, Art Director: Craig Loughlin-Smith edecisions.Mydadmoved Designer: Tina Colwell tartanewlife,andhetoldme General