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Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels, Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Mitchell Moses, Cam Smith

Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels, Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Mitchell Moses, Cam Smith

NRL legend Cameron Smith believes Nathan Cleary’s lengthy ban leading into finals will provide “a blessing in disguise” for the Panthers.

Cleary flipped Penrith’s season on its head when he was sent off for a dangerous lifting tackle on Eels playmaker Dylan Brown last Friday.

The New South Wales Origin star copped a five-match suspension and won’t return for the competition leaders before the finals.

Five-eighth Jarome Luai is also out set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines, after suffering an MCL injury against the Sharks.

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Without the two experienced playmakers leading the team around the park, the Panthers will have to rely on some relatively inexperienced combinations until the finals.

Penrith have turned Jaeman Salmon and Sean O’Sullivan for Saturday’s clash with Canberra, with the Panthers currently six competition points clear of second with five games to play.

But Smith said the break for the duo can become a positive for the reigning NRL premiers.

“I think it can work in their favour,” Smith said on SEN’s The Captain’s Run on Thursday.

“I actually think that giving this football side an opportunity side to play a month or five weeks without Cleary in particular and Jerome Luai, their two main men, it’s their go-to men in attack, I actually think when they return they’ll both be fresh.

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“Nathan Cleary, he’s going to have fresh legs, he’s going to be fresh mentality. He hasn’t had to get up for games for five weeks.

“You could see as soon as he made that tackle he knew he’d let the team down, and the club and the fans. He’s going to come out in that final series and think ‘I’ve got to repay this footy club and my fans for missing five weeks’.

“This footy side can benefit so much from these two guys not being there and guys like Api Koroisau and Isaah Yeo… they’re going to have to shoulder more responsibility now with the way the football team plays.

“I just think they’re going to be a stronger footy side again.”

Penrith have one hand on the minor premiership just over a month out from finals, but they could quickly lose that grip with a couple of losses on the bounce.

The Cowboys are their closest rivals in the race for pole position, but the Sharks are also an outside chance – but are four games back and they have a significantly worse points difference.

Open your eyes! Roosters Scold Walker | 00:31

North Queensland host the Panthers in the final round of the regular season, and although it’s unlikely, it’s possible that the two teams clash with the minor premiership on the line.

It’s potentially a season defining a few weeks for the Panthers, who are looking to defend their NRL crown.

“Let’s just say the top four doesn’t change, they take on Melbourne. If they finish first, they’ll be taking on the Storm,” he added.

“The biggest difference this year is they’ll play their first game at home. They’ll be playing at Penrith.

“Whereas last year and I know it was a neutral ground for the Sydney sides, but they played the Rabbitohs up in Townsville and got beaten. They’re a different footy side at home.

“They’ve lost one game there in a thousand years.”

Parramatta are another side who will be without a key player for a majority of their remaining regular season games.

Star playmaker Mitchell Moses has been ruled out with a finger injury, and will spend at least a couple of weeks watching on from the sidelines.

The Eels could potentially drop out of the top eight if they have a bad month, with the Raiders just four-point behind them.

“(Moses) He’s leading the competition for try assists. He’s got 20 try assists, so now with him out, plus his goal kicking, so now they need to find someone to produce points for them.

“They’re going to have to find some points somewhere. Whether Gutho stands up a little bit more, I think Jake Arthur may be playing in the halves this week.

“These remaining five games are crucial.”

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NRL 2022: Nathan Cleary spear tackle ban, Penrith Panthers, Paul Kent, Billy Slater, Phil Gould, news

NRL 2022: Nathan Cleary spear tackle ban, Penrith Panthers, Paul Kent, Billy Slater, Phil Gould, news

Origin coaches Billy Slater and Brad Fittler have come under fire for suggesting Nathan Cleary be handed a lighter suspension due to his character and standing in the game.

Cleary accepted a five-week ban following his send off for an ugly lifting tackle on Eels star Dylan Brown over the weekend.

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Slater, however, couldn’t fathom Cleary being rubbed out for an extended period of time.

“Do we need to be wiping our best players out of the competition for a quarter of the season for one mistake that they make?” Slater said on Channel Nine’s Billy’s Breakdown.

It was a sentiment echoed by Phil Gould.

“I don’t think we need good players out of the game for six weeks to remind them that that’s not what you do,” he said on 100% Footy.

“That’s just an error of judgement. I know this Penrith tackling technique very well, he’s probably thinking his other two players would support that player a little better than they did. They pulled away from it and he found himself in an awkward position.

“Does Nathan Cleary need six weeks away from the game to learn his lesson that’s the wrong tackle to make? He knew it six seconds after he did it that it was wrong.

“They probably want to send a message to the rest of the competition, they want it to look like the star players don’t get special treatment.”

St George forward Aaron Woods, however, was enraged by the stance.

“Freddy and Billy Slater were coming out and saying ‘he’s a good bloke and we don’t want to be missing these good players before semi-finals’,” Woods said on triple m

“That’s bull crap if you ask me.

“He had a prior charge already on Billy Walters earlier on in the year.

“He would have got four weeks, but he had that and that’s an extra week.

“Freddy came out and said that Liam Martin helped it a bit – no he didn’t. He pulled off the tackle and you see Cleary re-grip and get a hand in between the leg.

“That’s the difference between the one with Karl Lawton at the start of the year…(that tackle) was fully momentum, he got around the waist with both hands and it was just a driving tackle and luckily (Cameron) Murray twisted and landed in a really good position.

“Dylan Brown was still on the ground, you could see how hurt he was and he (Cleary) had all the intent. Just because he comes out on Instagram and says ‘I’m sorry and it was totally out of character’ – that’s what happens on a rugby league field.

“Things can go one way or the other and it obviously had no malice, but that’s just part of the game.

Woods said Cleary was far from a clean skin

“It’s a joke – remember he got in trouble for the TikTok? People forget about that as well. I got 10 in the bin the other week and was like ‘mate you shouldn’t have done that’ but everyone else was like ‘sucked in’.

“If Jared Waerea-Hargreaves does the spear tackle, we’d give him life in this game.

“It just frustrates me, just because they are the players they like – call a spade a spade.”

The NRL360 panel also took aim at those suggesting Clearly be afforded special treatment.

“I heard Billy Slater talking after the game saying how Nathan doesn’t need five weeks on the sideline to realize he’s made a mistake, but you have to put him out,” Paul Kent said on Monday night.

“You just have to do that.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t need five weeks out to learn?,” Braith Anasta questioned.

“Because Nathan’s smart enough to correct it and he knows he made a blue,” Kent replied.

“But why was he saying, why was Billy Slater saying that,” Anasta hit back.

“He wasn’t agreeing with the five week penalty, he was thinking one or two weeks could have been enough,” Kent answered.

“Because it’s Nathan Cleary?” Anasta asked.

“Because it’s Nathan Cleary yes,” Kent said.

The Panthers will now play the remainder of the regular season with Jarome Luai out with a knee injury and Cleary hit with a five match suspension.

Originally published as ‘That’s bull crap’: Freddy, Billy slammed for staggering stance on Nathan Cleary ban

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Patrick Carrigan, NRL judiciary, live updates, hip drop tackle on Jackson Hastings, how long is Patrick Carrigan’s suspension, Brisbane Broncos

Patrick Carrigan, NRL judiciary, live updates, hip drop tackle on Jackson Hastings, how long is Patrick Carrigan's suspension, Brisbane Broncos

The NRL have suggested a five-to-six week suspension for Patrick Carrigan for his “classic hip-drop” tackle on Jackson Hastings — however his defense is hoping for a two-game ban.

The Broncos have called on high profile lawyer Nick Ghabar to handle Carrigan’s case with the star forward to learn his fate on Tuesday night.

Carrigan was referred straight to the judiciary for the tackle.

Hastings will undergo ankle surgery and will miss the rest of the season as a result of the tackle, while Carrigan faces a nervous wait after entering a guilty plea to the dangerous contact charge.

The panel comprises of ex-player Dallas Johnson and former player and referee Henry Perenara as well as judicial chairman Justice Geoff Bellew.

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Carrigan’s hip drop injuries Hastings | 01:01

CARRIGAN’S DEFENSE RESPONSES

Ghabar — Carrigan’s defense — proposed a two-game suspension.

I have conceded that Carrigan is guilty of “low to moderate carelessness” but pointed out how the two other Broncos players in the tackle impacted Carrigan’s position.

“(Ghabar) admits that Carrigan was not in the ideal position but says the two other tacklers in that tackle actually contributed significantly and overwhelming to the injury,” Jake Duke told NRL 360.

“He also argued that Carrigan lifted his hips as he goes to the ground to actually protect Jackson Hastings… once he realized that tackle had gone wrong and that weight was coming down, he lifted his hips to try and help Hastings.

“They referred to a tackle by Josh McGuire last year, he got five games, they said that tackle was far more careless and far more reckless than Pat Carrigan.”

NRL COUNSEL FRONTS PANEL

The NRL’s legal counsel, Patrick Knowles fronted the panel and referenced Hastings’ injury.

The Tigers star has undergone surgery on a fractured fibula and surgery for syndesmosis. He is looking at three months minimum on the sidelines.

According to NRL.comKnowles said he is not after an “eye for an eye” and has put forward a five or six-week suspension for Carrigan.

CARRIGAN ARRIVES AS POTENTIAL BAN REVEALED

Patrick Carrigan had the option to appear via Zoom but chose to attend the hearing in person, along with team manager Steve Walters.

Fox League’s Jake Duke told NRL 360 that the NRL have put forward a five-to-six week ban for Carrigan, taking into consideration the severity of Hastings’ injury.

“We haven’t heard from his defense yet but we do believe that they will talk about the effect the two other Broncos players in the tackle had on Pat Carrigan and they will reference a tackle in relation to Josh McGuire from Round 10 last year against theStorm. Josh McGuire received five weeks for that tackle,” Duke said.

“The council of the NRL has spoken this even and they are pushing for a five-to-six week penalty for this.

“The NRL’s council are arguing that it is a classic hip-drop tackle, they are citing Jackson Hastings’ medical report and they are suggesting that the serious nature of this offense is why Patrick Carrigan should serve a lengthy stint on the sidelines.”

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The judicial hearing begins at 6pm on Tuesday at NRL headquarters.

Follow the updates in our live blog below. If you can’t see it, click here.

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Nathan Cleary speak tackle ban; Penrith Panthers, suspension, five games, six weeks, NRL 360, Paul Kent, match review committee

Nathan Cleary speak tackle ban; Penrith Panthers, suspension, five games, six weeks, NRL 360, Paul Kent, match review committee

Origin coaches Billy Slater and Brad Fittler have come under fire for suggesting Nathan Cleary be handed a lighter suspension due to his character and standing in the game.

Cleary accepted a five-week ban following his send off for an ugly lifting tackle on Eels star Dylan Brown over the weekend.

Slater, however, couldn’t fathom Cleary being rubbed out for an extended period of time.

Clearly accepts five game ban | 00:45

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“Do we need to be wiping our best players out of the competition for a quarter of the season for one mistake that they make?” Slater said on Channel Nine’s Billy’s Breakdown.

It was a sentiment echoed by Phil Gould.

“I don’t think we need good players out of the game for six weeks to remind them that that’s not what you do,” he said on 100% Footy.

“That’s just an error of judgement. I know this Penrith tackling technique very well, he’s probably thinking his other two players would support that player a little better than they did. They pulled away from it and he found himself in an awkward position.

“Does Nathan Cleary need six weeks away from the game to learn his lesson that’s the wrong tackle to make? He knew it six seconds after he did it that it was wrong.

“They probably want to send a message to the rest of the competition, they want it to look like the star players don’t get special treatment.”

St George forward Aaron Woods, however, was enraged by the stance.

“Freddy and Billy Slater were coming out and saying ‘he’s a good bloke and we don’t want to be missing these good players before semi-finals’,” Woods said on triple m

“That’s bull crap if you ask me.

“He had a prior charge already on Billy Walters earlier on in the year.

“He would have got four weeks, but he had that and that’s an extra week.

“Freddy came out and said that Liam Martin helped it a bit – no he didn’t. He pulled off the tackle and you see Cleary re-grip and get a hand in between the leg.

“That’s the difference between the one with Karl Lawton at the start of the year…(that tackle) was fully momentum, he got around the waist with both hands and it was just a driving tackle and luckily (Cameron) Murray twisted and landed in a really good position.

“Dylan Brown was still on the ground, you could see how hurt he was and he (Cleary) had all the intent. Just because he comes out on Instagram and says ‘I’m sorry and it was totally out of character’ – that’s what happens on a rugby league field.

“Things can go one way or the other and it obviously had no malice, but that’s just part of the game.

Clearly MARCHED in 18th minute! | 00:45

Woods said Cleary was far from a clean skin

“It’s a joke – remember he got in trouble for the TikTok? People forget about that as well. I got 10 in the bin the other week and was like ‘mate you shouldn’t have done that’ but everyone else was like ‘sucked in’.

“If Jared Waerea-Hargreaves does the spear tackle, we’d give him life in this game.

“It just frustrates me, just because they are the players they like – call a spade a spade.”

The NRL360 panel also took aim at those suggesting Clearly be afforded special treatment.

“I heard Billy Slater talking after the game saying how Nathan doesn’t need five weeks on the sideline to realize he’s made a mistake, but you have to put him out,” Paul Kent said on Monday night.

“You just have to do that.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t need five weeks out to learn?,” Braith Anasta questioned.

“Because Nathan’s smart enough to correct it and he knows he made a blue,” Kent replied.

“But why was he saying, why was Billy Slater saying that,” Anasta hit back.

“He wasn’t agreeing with the five week penalty, he was thinking one or two weeks could have been enough,” Kent answered.

“Because it’s Nathan Cleary?” Anasta asked.

“Because it’s Nathan Cleary yes,” Kent said.

The Panthers will now play the remainder of the regular season with Jarome Luai out with a knee injury and Cleary hit with a five match suspension.

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Reserve grade wrap, NSW Cup, Queensland Cup, stats, Tony Pellow, Melbourne Storm injuries, Tony Pellow, Dane Aukafolau

Reserve grade wrap, NSW Cup, Queensland Cup, stats, Tony Pellow, Melbourne Storm injuries, Tony Pellow, Dane Aukafolau

Oliver Gildart, who will finish the season at the Roosters, was handed a big challenge — playing in the halves for the first time in his career after a 20-minute crash-course — and remarkably he didn’t look out of place at all .

Meanwhile, a gun fullback could help solve some of the Storm’s injury woes and there’s a 194cm, 95kg beast with footwork to boot that is yet to be picked up by an NRL club.

Read on for the latest Reserve Grade Wrap.

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ALL EYES WERE ON…

Oliver Gildart lined up at five-eighth for the Magpies on Saturday and although they were defeated 36-24 by Mounties, he proved his worth as a versatile backline player, before sealing a loan move to the Roosters this week.

Gildart is primarily a center but has had a taste of fullback in the New South Wales Cup and now the halves.

The 25-year-old proved to be one of the Magpies’ most important players and his willingness to take on the line saw him set up two tries, get a linebreak, a linebreak assist, four tackle busts and 158 running meters.

Gildart told Fox League the last time he played in the halves was when he was 11-years old so he got a quick refresher in Friday’s captain’s run.

”I got a 20-minute session yesterday at captain’s run so I was a bit clunky but you get your hands a lot more on the ball so I enjoyed that side of the game… I’ve got a lot to learn in this position that’s for sure,” he said.

Parramatta’s Nathan Brown continues to put pressure on coach Brad Arthur with another standout performance in reserve grade. The 29-year-old NRL veteran set up a try, got a linebreak assist, two tackle busts and ran for 206 metres. He also made 32 tackles with two misses in the Eels’ one-point loss to the Panthers.

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Carrigan’s hip drop injuries Hastings | 01:01

STANDOUTS

Dane Aukafolau’s performance would have caught the attention of NRL clubs in Mounties’ win over the Magpies.

At 194cm and 95kg, he cuts an imposing figure while playing in the second row but after a history in the centres, Aukafolau has the footwork to catch his opposition off guard.

Aukafolau stunned with a try, a try assist, a linebreak, two linebreak assists and seven tackle busts as well as 17 tackles with two misses.

Mounties are made up of majority part-time players like Aukafolau and he couldn’t be proud of their efforts this season.

“Being one of the senior players I needed to step up so I just try and do what I can,” he told Fox League.

“These boys, day-in, day-out, their efforts are unreal. It’s good to see part-time footballers bringing that contest up to the level of these (full time) guys. It shows a lot.”

Dane Aukafolau was a standout for Mounties. Credit: Knock on Effect NSW Cup Instagram.Source: Instagram

Still on Mountains, Tim Simona wound back the clock to show he still has what it takes to play first grade.

Simona scored a double, got four linebreaks, three tackle busts and 169 running meters in the centres.

Penrith escaped with a one-point win in which the craftiness of hooker Soni Luke was on show. The 26-year-old, who got an NRL debut earlier this season, scored a try, set up two more, got a linebreak, four linebreak assists, six tackle busts and 112 running meters.

A couple of Panthers forwards were equally impressive and dominated on both sides of the ball.

The soon-to-be Eel J’maine Hopgood showed his future club what they can look forward to, with a try, two linebreaks, nine tackle busts, four offloads and 214 running meters, while also making 41 tackles with just two misses.

Meanwhile, the highly-regarded Lindsay Smith finished with 227 running meters, five tackle busts and 38 tackles with two misses.

There wasn’t a lot to smile about for Dragons fans over the weekend, but their reserve grade side bagged an important 30-18 win over the Raiders to keep their final hopes alive.

Michael Molo starred in the win, notching up a try assist, a linebreak assist, three tackle busts and 167 meters while also making 34 tackles with just one miss. Meanwhile, jackson ford finished with 141 running meters and a season-high 10 tackle busts.

Competition leaders, Newtown, seem to be getting better and better each week and with a fairly simple run home they are the favorites to claim the minor premiership.

half-back Braydon Trindall starred in their 42-18 win over the Rabbitohs on Saturday, having a hand in FIVE tries (one try and four assists). He also got four linebreak assists, three tackle busts and ran for 82 metres. Trindall also had a perfect day on the boot, slotting seven goals from seven attempts but on the flip side, he did miss five tackles.

Mawene Hiroti had a day out in the centres, scoring a try, setting up two more and getting two linebreaks, a linebreak assist and five tackle busts to go with his 185 running metres.

There were some good performers for the Bunnies though with five-eighth Jack Campagnolo, who guided Wynnum Manly to the Queensland Cup grand final last year, setting up two tries, as well as getting a linebreak assist and five tackle busts. And workhorse lock james hasson notched up 128 running meters and made 23 tackles with zero misses — he was the only Rabbitoh to not miss a tackle.

Clearly accepts five game ban | 00:45

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

The Storm’s Nick Meaney has been cleared of a serious shoulder injury but has to pass concussion protocols to play in Friday’s Titans clash.

Craig Bellamy has already conceded his backline stocks are running very low, but a fullback at one of the Storm’s Queensland Cup feeder sides has put his hand up over recent weeks to come into consideration.

Brisbane Tigers’ Tony Pellow stunned in their 32-18 win over Ipswich with two try assists, two linebreak assists and 221 running metres.

It was only two weeks ago that 25-year-old Pellow came up with a clutch play in the final four minutes to steal his side a four-point win over Souths Logan. Pellow received the ball from a scrum 10 meters out from his own line, found a gap, palmed off a Magpie, ran 70 meters and then put a cross-field grubber in for Jayden Nikorima to score.

Pellow, a St Johns Dubbo junior, joined the Tigers this season from the Dragons and spent eight weeks training with the Storm during pre-season.

Tony Pellow has been in red-hot form for the Brisbane Tigers. Credit: Margie_13InstagramSource: Instagram

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SPOTTED

Out-of-favor Wests Tigers hooker JJacob Liddle played lock for the Magpies over the weekend. Coach Wayne Lambkin had limited options and had to pick a couple of players out of position to fill gaps. Liddle, who is reportedly set to sign with the Dragons, finished with 93 running meters, two tackle busts and 35 tackles, but had six misses.

rising star Kade Dykes didn’t feature in Newtown’s big win because he was 18th man for NRL. With Will Kennedy out for the next six weeks, it’s assumed Locky Miller will step into the No.1 jersey but don’t be surprised to see Dykes get his NRL debut at fullback. Coach Craig Fitzgibbon will have a headache of the good kind when deciding who fills in for Kennedy.

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David Klemmer Eels transfer blocked, mid-season move, Knights prop, Parramatta Eels, Newcastle Knights, loan deal, transfers, contracts, news

David Klemmer Eels transfer blocked, mid-season move, Knights prop, Parramatta Eels, Newcastle Knights, loan deal, transfers, contracts, news

The Parramatta Eels reportedly were blocked in their attempts to sign Knights enforcer David Klemmer for the remainder of the 2022 season on a loan deal.

Reports circled Sea Eagles prop Marty Taupau would make the short move, but that play was rejected by Manly coach Des Hasler.

Brad Arthur then turned his attention elsewhere in a bid to secure a front rower before the August 1 deadline but Knights powerbrokers also denied the request according to The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield.

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“They contacted Clint Zammit, who took it to Adam O’Brien and the senior management at the Knights… they made the decision, and they made it about an hour ago that they would not realize him,” Rothfield said on NRL360.

Rothfield revealed there were a number of sticking points that were unable to be negotiated, including the length of the deal.

The Eels reportedly wanted Klemmer on a short-term loan, but the bustling prop wanted a longer contract to extend his stay at Parramatta past 2022.

“I think there were too many issues involved in the deal, David Klemmer, to join Parramatta for these five games, wanted two years, not just the last year of his contract,” Rothfield said.

“And there were a lot of things like this they couldn’t sort their way through.”

Is O’Brien under pressure at Knights? | 05:59

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“So he would have gone for the remainder of this season and then another couple of seasons on top of that,” Fox League’s James Hooper said.

While the 28-year-old has been one of Newcastle’s best in 2022, Rothfield believes a move for Klemmer was entertained by Newcastle powerbrokers and could have been finalized.

Knights coach Adam O’Brien was said to have met with club bosses on Monday afternoon who reportedly “wouldn’t have fought too hard to keep him”.

“I can’t sit here and say that definitely, but what I am hearing within the club they wouldn’t have fought too hard to keep him,” Rothfield said.

“If the right deal could have been done, why would that have been? He is only 28, he has been around, he has played Origin, he has played Test matches.

V’landys moves transfer deadline | 03:02

“I think there is a feeling around the club that Klemmer hasn’t fitted into game plans like they’d probably hope he had had this year.

“That he might take one or two too many carries each half, when Joey has trained them during the week to switch it or spin it or whatever.

“I just think he can be a hard guy to coach, and that is why I am saying that I don’t think they would have tried overly hard, they wouldn’t have kicked him out the door, but that is why they entertained it today.”

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