Cronulla Sharks star Nicho Hynes has been praised by NRL fans after delivering a moving speech in his post-game interview.
Hynes and the Sharks secured a 36-12 victory over the Wests Tigers, but Hynes’ mind was elsewhere.
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The star halfback instead turned his focus towards Paul Green who’s death rocked the rugby league community this week.
“Can I just give a quick shout out to Paul Green’s family. All of us here at the Sharks are thinking of you,” Hynes said on Fox.
“He was an important part of this club and I just want to pay my respects and condolences to you guys, we’re thinking of you.”
Hynes then went on to highlight the upcoming ‘RU OK’ day, but said more needs to be done towards mental health.
“There’s ‘RU OK’ day every year and it’s coming up soon but I think we need to have ‘RU OK’ day every single day of the year,” he said.
“We need to think about it a bit more and spread the message of mental health. It’s such an important thing at the moment.
“Once again our love to you guys.”
Ten News journalist Veronica Eggleton wrote: “Class act.”
Fox NRL journalist Darcie McDonald wrote: “All class, well said Nicho Hynes.”
Without regular halves partner Matt Moylan or free-running fullback Will Kennedy, Hynes was the central fulcrum for all that was good about Cronulla’s attack. He ran 23 times for 205 meters (33m post-contact) and broke two tackles. As a playmaker he recorded one try assist and two linebreak assists. I have kicked 13 times for 291m.
Brisbane faces Newcastle at Lang Park, while Cronulla and the Sydney Roosters enjoy their respective victories.
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Broncos vs. Knights
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Sharks outclass Tigers
Cronulla’s Cameron McInnes offloads against the Wests Tigers.(Getty Images: Matt King)
Kade Dykes scored his maiden NRL try in just his second match as Cronulla retained its spot in the top-four with an uncompromising 36-12 win over Wests Tigers at Scully Park in Tamworth.
Dykes is the Sharks’ first third-generation player after his father Adam and grandfather John played for the club.
He played his part in Cronulla’s eighth win in their past nine matches with his 21st-minute try after chasing a kick back on the inside from winger Lachie Miller.
The win also ensured the Sharks leapt over the top of the Melbourne Storm into third place on the ladder as they search for a home final with just three rounds left.
The Sharks continued to show no mercy to the joint-venture club this year after belting them 30-4 in round five.
The Sharks scored four tries in the first half — three off kicks — as they got their attack humming off the back of a 61 per cent possession rate for a 26-6 lead at the break.
Their second half brought another two tries as they made it an uncomfortable night for the out-of-luck Tigers.
Both Matt Ikuvalu and Miller were playing just their third match for Cronulla this year, coming in for the injured Siosifa Talakai and Will Kennedy respectively.
And both wings scored in the opening 10 minutes.
The Wests Tigers disrupted the flow with hooker Fa’amanu Brown, who spent three seasons at the Sharks, barged over from dummy-half to give his team a sniff at 12-6.
But then prop Royce Hunt ran right over the top of fullback Dane Laurie and Dykes had his piece of personal history and the game was indeed getting away from Brett Kimmorley’s side.
It only took Cronulla just 13 minutes to score the first points of the second half — another prop barging over, this time Braden Hamin-Uele dragging three defenders with him for a 32-6 lead.
But it lit a small fuse in the Tigers with back rower Luke Gardner getting on the outside of Dykes for a 20-meter dash to the line.
However, Jesse Ramien crossed for his ninth try of the year just before things started to turn sour for the Sharks.
They lost two players to injuries — Toby Rudolf (knee) and Miller (head injury assessment) — and then back rower Teig Wilton was sin-binned for a late tackle on Laurie.
Wests Tigers winger Brent Naden waltzed through flimsy defense to cross the line but the try was over-ruled because of obstruction.
It just was not the Tigers’ night and it does not get any easier for them as they face the Sydney Roosters next Saturday.
Roosters Down Cowboys
Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary (right) attempts to beat Chad Townsend’s tackle.(AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
The race for the top eight is all but over after the Sydney Roosters ran through North Queensland 32-18 at the SCG.
Teenage sensation Joseph Suaalii starred with a big first half, while Sam Verrills scored a double just days after confirming he was leaving the Roosters.
Flags were flown at half-mast for the late Paul Green and the Cowboys were gutsy in the circumstances with 10 players still left from the former coach’s his time in charge of the club.
But ultimately the Roosters were too classy, virtually ending North Queensland’s hopes of top spot on the ladder and handing the minor premiership to Penrith.
At the other end of the top eight, the finals race has also become clearer.
The Roosters looked in serious danger of missing the finals a month ago but have now won five straight since their round-17 bye.
Realistically, the only way they could now miss the top eight is if they lost their last three matches and Canberra win their last four.
And with the way the Roosters are playing ahead of their next game against Wests Tigers, that looks unlikely.
The Roosters controlled the match perfectly, quickly extinguishing any sniff the Cowboys had when they drew back to 10-4 and 20-10 deficits.
Matt Lodge and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves were influential in the middle as both scored tries.
And while they each topped 150 running meters, only Luciano Leilua reached three figures in the Cowboys’ pack.
Suaalii was also in everything early.
He claimed the Roosters’ first try courtesy of an under-arm harbour-bridge pass from Victor Radley.
The winger also jammed in on Scott Drinkwater and Griffin Neame with powerful hits, the second of which forced an error and line dropout before the Roosters scored soon after.
And if that was not enough, the 19-year-old also put the Roosters on the attack later in the half with another linebreak out of his own end.
Radley also had a high involvement. After the lofted ball for Suaalii’s try, I laid on a nice short pass for Lodge to stroll over along the posts.
The Roosters’ other first-half points came via Daniel Tupou on the left wing, after Murray Taulagi had briefly given the Cowboys some hope with his own try.
There was controversy, with the Roosters stretching the lead to 20-6 after the break when the Cowboys claimed Lodge had held Griffin Neame back in a scrum as Verrills went over untouched.
Cowboys captain Chad Townsend approached referee Ashley Klein after the try was given to protest but the bunker opted not to intervene and the try was confirmed.
Ultimately, the Roosters’ strength with Verrills and Waerea-Hargreaves crossing late before a consolation try for the Cowboys came via Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Knights playmaker Jake Clifford is reportedly considering an early exit from his contract, while the Panthers links to Jock Madden are heating up.
Meanwhile, Manly forward Ethan Bullemor is considering a shock career move.
Read on for all the latest NRL Transfer Whispers.
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MANLY STAR EYEING SHOCK CAREER MOVE
Manly forward Ethan Bullemor is reportedly considering early retirement from rugby league to take up a career in finance.
The Daily Telegraph reported Bullemor is weighing up cutting his rugby league career short to take up a job at a fund manager in Sydney.
The 22-year-old has scored four tries in 34 NRL games since his debut for the Broncos in 2020, including nine games since his move to Manly this season.
The versatile back-rower is a bright kid away from footy and could opt to use his skills and knowledge of the financial sector over his obvious prowess on the sporting field.
Bullemor is contracted to Manly until the end of the 2023 season, but is weighing up retiring at the end of 2022 to make the shock career switch.
The promising forward has struggled for consistent opportunities at Manly, but with Andrew Davey reportedly moving on at the end of the season and Josh Schuster switching to five-eighth, Bullemor could be a key player next year for Des Hasler.
Haumole Olakau’atu and Ben Trbojevic loomed as his main competition next season, but Bullemor could opt to trade it all in for an opportunity in finance.
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Ethan Bullemor could be set for early retirement from rugby league.Source: Getty Images
KNIGHTS PLAYMAKER EYEING EARLY EXIT
Out of favor Knights playmaker Jake Clifford is reportedly considering cutting his stay at Newcastle short.
The Daily Telegraph reported Clifford’s lack of game time in 2022 could see him exit the club despite being contracted until the end of 2023.
The 24-year-old has scored 11 tries and 187 points in 67 games since his NRL debut for the Cowboys in 2018, but has only managed 12 games in 2022.
No potential destination for Clifford has emerged with a return to the Cowboys unlikely given their success and depth in the halves.
Making a release request difficult for Clifford is the fact the Knights are losing Anthony Milford to the Dolphins next year, while Phoenix Crossland remains unsigned.
Warriors whack Bulldogs in Auckland | 02:17
If the Knights don’t get Luke Brooks they would be mad to let Clifford go without getting something in return.
Clifford would walk into the Knights’ starting side next year, but has struggled for form in 2022 and fallen behind Milford and Adam Clune in the pecking order.
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Jake Clifford is reportedly eyeing a release.Source: Getty Images
PANTHERS EYE TIGERS HALF AMID PLAYMAKER LOGJAM
Reports Tigers halfback Jock Madden is set to join the Panthers are growing louder amid the playmaker logjam at Concord.
The Daily Telegraph reported the Panthers have emerged as a potential landing spot for Madden and as there is little interest elsewhere, a move to Penrith is growing more likely.
Madden is currently the Tigers’ starting halfback after injuries to Jackson Hastings and Luke Brooks, but remains unsigned beyond 2022.
The 24-year-old has scored two tries in 13 games for the Tigers since his debut in 2021, but has only managed 10 games in his contract year in 2022.
Madden had been linked with the Dolphins, but the signing of Sean O’Sullivan and Isaiya Katoa from the Panthers and Milford has them well stocked in the halves.
That leaves an opening at the Panthers, but the only issue is Madden is looking for more NRL game time and unless injuries strike he won’t beat Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai to a starting spot.
Jock Madden has been linked to the Panthers.Source: Getty Images
Cowboys skipper Jason Taumalolo said there were “no words” to express what he and his teammates were feeling in the wake of Paul Green’s shock death.
The rugby league legend passed away at his Brisbane home on Thursday and tributes have since flooded in for the former North Queensland coach.
Green led the Cowboys to premiership victory in 2015, with Jason Taumalolo starting at lockout, having been coached by the former representative halfback from 2014 to 2020.
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Taumalolo was the only player to take the field on Saturday that was a part of the 2015 grand final team, giving an emotional plea for people to speak out no matter “how big or small the problem is”.
“It has been a big few days given what has happened, no real words really to express what has happened over the last few days,” Taumalolo said in the post-match press conference.
“How it has affected people in the rugby league community, and families, I can’t imagine what Amanda and the kids are going through right now.
“Everyone should have someone to talk to, regardless of how big or small the problem is, no one should have to carry around that pressure with them.
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Fletch lauds Green’s Roosters influence | 03:04
“We have a tight-knit group and I know rugby league teams have their own little groups, I just hope that if anyone is going through something they have someone to talk to about any problems.”
Taumalolo went on to say the loss of their former coach “shocked and rattled” the playing group after the club’s 32-18 loss to the Roosters.
“I think everyone copes with loss and grief differently and yeah, I am not sure about any of the other boys but everyone is affected differently,”
“I’d like to think we are a tight-knit group and we are able to talk to each other whether we are going through a tough time or something really difficult.
“But again, I think just what has happened has really shocked and rattled most of us and it is going to take some time to get over it.”
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Emotional Parker speaks about Green | 03:13
Cowboys coach Todd Payten echoed Taumalolo’s sentiment, revealing NRL powerbrokers have provided the club with necessary resources to deal with the shock loss.
“The club and the league have been great with the resources they have provided us as a group,” Payten said.
“It is my job to make sure that we keep an eye out for each other, that everyone feels comfortable that they can go and see me or someone within the club to get some help.”
During the Cowboys and Roosters clash, both teams wore black armbands to remember Green, who had a lasting impact on both clubs.
Green was assistant to Trent Robinson in 2013, his first year at the helm of the Tricolours club — and in that year they won the premiership.
Green also played 35 games for the Cowboys and 20 for the Roosters during his glittering 162-game playing career.
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Izaac Thompson was at home over the summer with his feet up, not thinking about footy at all.
Key points:
Rabbitohs winger Izaac Thompson did not play a single game of football between the end of 2017 and the start of 2022
A chance call from Souths prop Hame Sele earned him a chance in the pre-season for the Rabbitohs
Thompson has gone on to make his NRL debut at 25 and score two tries in his first two matches
Why would he be? He hadn’t played a game since 2017, when he was running around for the Dragons NSW Cup team. He hadn’t laced on a boot in anger since, not a single game. He did not really miss it either, he was too busy living his life.
That’s when he got the call that changed everything, from close friend and former Dragons teammate Hame Sele. It started a journey that has led Thompson to making his belated NRL debut and scoring tries in back-to-back weeks for the high-flying Rabbitohs.
“He called me and asked how I was going. I was fat as, I lied to all of them, I said I’d been training but I wasn’t doing anything,” Thompson said.
“But as soon as I got the call I put my head down and tried to work.
“I wasn’t playing anything. Nothing at all. The last time I played was 2017. The game’s a bit faster now, but the work I’ve put in is what’s got me here and now I’m reaping the rewards.”
Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou and his assistant Ben Hornby had coached Thompson as a junior at the Dragons and brought him in for pre-season.
From there, Thompson has gone from strength to strength. He scored 20 tries in 16 games for South Sydney’s NSW Cup side before getting the call for his first-grade debut with last week’s win over the Warriors.
Thompson dotted down on debut, crossed again in Friday night’s big win over Parramatta and generally looked like he’d been on the cusp of first grade for some time.
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Given most mature-age rookies spend years slogging it out in reserve grade before they earn a shot at the big time, Thompson’s return from his sabbatical is one of the most extraordinary rises of any NRL debutant in recent times.
“I just needed time off. I just had my little one and some stuff happened, I just needed to get away from the game. Footy is a busy sport and you’re away from your family a lot,” Thompson said.
“I got to spend four years with my daughter, so it was good for me.
“I was pretty happy, I didn’t really want to come back to be honest. But my daughter, I wanted to do it for her, I was trying to make ends meet and I’m just lucky I’m good at football .
“I was doing heaps of different jobs, anything I could, and then JD [Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou] and Ben Hornby saved me. They gave me the lifeline and I grabbed it with both hands.”
Thompson had a lifetime to prepare for his first NRL game compared to just six days for his second, but he might be waiting a week or two for his third.
With Campbell Graham pushing to return from injury for next Thursday’s grand final rematch with the Rabbitohs, Thompson is expected to drop out of South Sydney’s 17.
But he’s shown he can cut it at the highest level — this time around there won’t be anything like a five-year wait for his return.
“The trust that JD and the rest of the boys have in me, I’m thankful for that. I don’t want to waste this opportunity,” Thompson said.
“It means the world. The boys I’m with now, it’s so different, the energy they bring every day, it sets a standard and I want to live up to it.
“I just want to play consistent footy. I had a few errors out there against Parra, so I have to sort that out. There’s a World Cup at the end of the year, I’d love to play for Tonga, so that’s a bit of a goal. But that starts with being consistent.”
Veteran rugby league referee Ben Cummins has opened up about his infamous mistake during the 2019 NRL grand final, confessing he felt “ashamed” and “worthless” after the incident.
Scores were tied at 8-8 late in the second half of the decider between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders when Cummins called “six again” after a Raiders attacking kick came off one of their players.
Canberra five-eighth Jack Wighton grabbed the ball and charged into the defensive line believing it was the first tackle of the set, but Cummins reversed his call as the tackle was being made, meaning Canberra had to hand over the Steeden.
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Moments later, Sydney fullback James Tedesco dived over to give the Roosters a 14-8 lead at Sydney Olympic Park.
It was undeniably a major turning point in the contest.
“I realized I stuffed up big time and I tried to correct the call – which would have been the right call,” Cummins said.
“But Jack Wighton didn’t see that and he got tackled and the Roosters get the ball and go down the length of the field in the next set and score.
“I realized then that this was big at eight-all in a grand finale.
“It doesn’t get much bigger than this.
“I walked into the tunnel and cameras were all on me… my heart sunk.”
Referee Ben Cummins. Photo by Matt King/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Referee mistakes are not uncommon, and Cummins inevitably copped a tsunami of abuse from disgruntled rugby league fans for the error; even Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe joined the pile-on.
But the veteran referee, who has officiated more than 400 NRL games, has also revealed his teenage daughters were targeted after the ordeal.
“When you sign up to referee at the top level, you know that it comes with fans who are passionate, and people can say things about your performance,” he explained.
“But when it brings in your family and your home, it’s sort of to a different level. I found that really hard.
“I can’t say it was easy for them. My son was copping a lot of abuse at school and my daughters (were) online – because they are on social media. That was really tough.
“I basically locked myself in my house for a week.
“It was pretty dark times. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about it. I had some thoughts about what I wanted to do with my life and they were pretty negative.
“You feel ashamed and worthless, embarrassed. I wasn’t sleeping. I just wanted everything to go away.”
Radio presenter Gus Worland, founder of mental health charity Gotcha4Life, spoke to Channel 9 about the importance of mental strength among Australian men after former Queensland coach Paul Green was found dead in his Brisbane home on Thursday morning, the day after his son’s ninth birthday.
“It was so sad to hear this morning about Green,” he said on Thursday evening.
“This is a line in the sand moment for us as sport and us as a nation to say, ‘Enough is enough’.
“Let’s stop talking about awareness, let’s put some action into place.
“It’s all about manning up and speaking up now, Not manning up and shutting up, which is what we’ve been told all our lives to do.
“This is an opportunity to build some emotional muscle, put you hand up if you need some help and support. That’s the bravest thing you can do.
“Why are we so good in this country at helping people, but not good at asking for help?
Veteran rugby league referee Ben Cummins has opened up about his infamous mistake during the 2019 NRL grand final, confessing he felt “ashamed” and “worthless” after the incident.
Scores were tied at 8-8 late in the second half of the decider between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders when Cummins called “six again” after a Raiders attacking kick came off one of their players.
Canberra five-eighth Jack Wighton grabbed the ball and charged into the defensive line believing it was the first tackle of the set, but Cummins reversed his call as the tackle was being made, meaning Canberra had to hand over the Steeden.
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Moments later, Sydney fullback James Tedesco dived over to give the Roosters a 14-8 lead at Sydney Olympic Park.
It was undeniably a major turning point in the contest.
“I realized I stuffed up big time and I tried to correct the call – which would have been the right call,” Cummins said.
“But Jack Wighton didn’t see that and he got tackled and the Roosters get the ball and go down the length of the field in the next set and score.
“I realized then that this was big at eight-all in a grand finale.
“It doesn’t get much bigger than this.
“I walked into the tunnel and cameras were all on me… my heart sunk.”
Referee mistakes are not uncommon, and Cummins inevitably copped a tsunami of abuse from disgruntled rugby league fans for the error; even Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe joined the pile-on.
But the veteran referee, who has officiated more than 400 NRL games, has also revealed his teenage daughters were targeted after the ordeal.
“When you sign up to referee at the top level, you know that it comes with fans who are passionate, and people can say things about your performance,” he explained.
“But when it brings in your family and your home, it’s sort of to a different level. I found that really hard.
“I can’t say it was easy for them. My son was copping a lot of abuse at school and my daughters (were) online – because they are on social media. That was really tough.
“I basically locked myself in my house for a week.
“It was pretty dark times. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about it. I had some thoughts about what I wanted to do with my life and they were pretty negative.
“You feel ashamed and worthless, embarrassed. I wasn’t sleeping. I just wanted everything to go away.”
Cummins’ revelation comes after former Queensland coach Paul Green was found dead at his Brisbane home on Thursday morning, the day after his son’s ninth birthday. It has been confirmed he took his own life from him.
Radio presenter Gus Worland, founder of mental health charity Gotcha4Life, spoke to Channel 9 about the importance of mental strength among Australian men.
“It was so sad to hear this morning about Green,” he said on Thursday evening.
“This is a line in the sand moment for us as sport and us as a nation to say, ‘Enough is enough’.
“Let’s stop talking about awareness, let’s put some action into place.
“It’s all about manning up and speaking up now, Not manning up and shutting up, which is what we’ve been told all our lives to do.
“This is an opportunity to build some emotional muscle, put you hand up if you need some help and support. That’s the bravest thing you can do.
“Why are we so good in this country at helping people, but not good at asking for help?
Junior Paulo has handed the Kangaroos a major blow as the Parramatta prop confirmed he will play for Samoa at the World Cup.
The 28-year-old male is yet to represent Australia at international level but has nine State of Origin games for New South Wales under his belt.
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Paulo also has nine caps for Samoa to his name and although he was “torn” between the blue shirt of the nation or the green and gold of Australia, it was a quote from Phil Gould that ultimately swayed his decision.
“Gus Gould really hit the nail on the head when he said, ‘What nation do you cry for when you sing the anthem,’” Paulo told 9News.
Johnson double dummy MELTS Dogs | 01:05
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“That plays a big part for me, and for me that’s being proud of my home, and that’s Samoa.”
Paulo joins Canberra forward Josh Papalii as well as Panthers duo Brian To’o and Jarome Luai as NRL stars who have confirmed they will represent Samoa instead of Australia at the World Cup.
The Parramatta star also hopes that by not choosing to play for the Kangaroos, it could inspire several youngsters to be proud of their home nation when it comes to representative footy.
“I want to be able to inspire the next kid who is coming through the ranks and will be at home, or whether they’re in the islands watching that World Cup thinking they want to be able to represent their country,” Paulo said.
The Blues star is also hoping that by playing for Samoa, he can make his family proud as punch.
“I’ve got my two grandmothers, who are both overseas and while they’re still alive I want to make them proud,” Paulo said.
NRL great Cameron Smith believes Raiders coach Ricky Stuart got off lightly after he received a one game ban for a post-match spray about Panthers playmaker Jaeman Salmon.
Stuart was also issued with a $25,000 fine after calling Salmon “a weak-gutted dog” after Canberra’s 26-6 to Penrith last Saturday.
The veteran coach will miss his side’s crunch match with St George on Sunday, as the Raiders look to keep their dwindling hopes of finals football alive.
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As reported by Fox Sports’ James Hooper, Stuart also can’t attend training sessions or contract anyone at the club for seven days from when the punishment was handed down.
speaking on The Captains Runformer Melbourne Storm captain Smith said that he was expecting Stuart to be issued with at least a two-game suspension for his spray.
“With the Salmon family situation, are they still seeking some legal advice on the situation? That’s always an option for them because without a doubt it’s defamation, every day of the week,” Smith said onSEN 1170 Radio.
“I was shocked Kempy (Denan Kemp), I was really shocked. I don’t know how you felt about it but I was extremely shocked when I heard the comments from Ricky.
“We’ve all seen him have his say in post-match press conferences and at times he has certainly pushed the boundaries as far as comments and remarks around officials and what happened on the game.
“That was just a clear crossing of the line. You just don’t go there in that forum.
“He said as much in the days post the comments that he made that it was the wrong thing to do. Now he’s coped a week for it.
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“I thought that it was quite light to be honest, one week. Fairly significantly fine involved, $25,000, it’s a lot of money.
“I actually thought it was going to be more around a minimum of two weeks suspension from the club.”
While Stuart has never been afraid to express how he’s feeling after a match, both Smith and co-host Denan Kemp agreed that a line had been crossed.
Kemp said that a one match suspension was still “reasonable” considering how the Raiders are placed on the ladder, but still felt that the comments had fallen into a “no go zone”.
“If I’m being honest, I used to enjoy his blow-ups. I really did. As a footy fan I thought it was great that we had this guy that sometimes crossed the line, but I think the key for me was always it was about the football with professionals,” Kemp said.
“Whether he’s having a crack at the refs or whoever it was, they’re professionals, they’re apart of the game, and he’s having his opinion on that situation. That’s where I can go ‘you know what, I kind of like the passion’.
“The line is when it’s not at football, and once you get across that line, it’s a no go zone.
Cleary backs NRL over Stuart suspension | 02:44
“The reason why I’m a bit surprised he only got one week was because he obviously has formed, he’s got I think it was $160,000 worth of fines now.
“I’m still happy with a week. His team is at a very crucial point in the season right now, they need to win every single game pretty much.
Canberra are still in with a chance of playing finals football this season as they continue the run home with four games left to be played.
They’re two competition points behind eighth-place Sydney Roosters, but have a significantly worse point’s differential which could work against them.
Smith thinks that they’ll overcome the loss of their coach to incredibly make the finals, as they have the “softest run” of any team currently in the mix.
Broncos coach and Kevin Walters have pleaded for the NRL to increase its mental health support in the wake of the shock death of Paul Green.
The representative halfback and legendary Cowboys coach died at his Brisbane home on Thursday, leaving the entire rugby league community in mourning.
Queensland police issued a statement after Green’s death and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.
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“Police were called to a Wynnum residence just after 10am this morning after a 49-year-old was located unresponsive,” a Queensland police spokeswoman said.
“He was declared deceased by emergency crews a short time later.”
Walters, who were Queensland teammates, reflected on his 30-year relationship with the premiership-winning coach and called on the NRL to do more to support players, coaches and support staff.
“It’s very sad news,” Walters said on Friday morning.
“I was fortunate enough to play Origin football with ‘Greeny’ and had many battles against him during his days at the Sharks and Cowboys.
My feelings go out to his family, friends and everyone involved with Paul. It’s just so sad.
“It’s important we check on each other each day – particularly with the mental health side of things.
“It’s something I believe the NRL needs to put more focus on, particularly around our players, coaches and support staff. Everyone that’s involved in the game.
“We need to make sure there’s someone there for you if you want to reach out.”
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys earlier delivered a heartfelt plea to the NRL world in the wake of Green’s death.
Some of the 49-year-old former teammates took the opportunity to share anecdotes, which spoke to his character — both on and off the field.
V’landys did similar in paying tribute to Green on 2GB Radiuson Friday morning but also wanted to send a strong message in the wake of the tragedy.
“[It is] extremely sad. We were devastated yesterday when we heard the news,” V’landys said.
“It just shows you how fragile life is and that we should take care of each other. If there’s a message here is if people self-doubt themselves or have problems, it is normal human reaction. Speak about it, talk about it.
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“We all go through doubting ourselves, we all go through some terrible times but it doesn’t hurt to talk to somebody about it and this is a classic example. If anything comes out of this, which is one of the saddest things I’ve been involved in rugby league, it is that people do reach out if they have troubles.”
V’landys described Green as a “champion” on and off the field, with a “heart bigger than himself”.
“Paul was a very intelligent person, always passionate, witty, happy-go-lucky and he was the last person in the world you would expect to have these troubles,” he said.
“But as I said, we all go through this, we all have self-doubt. Look, I remember Paul as a player, he was a brilliant player and he was a great coach. Who could forget the 2015 premiership that he won and took them again to the semi-finals in 2017.
“He was a champion in his field. He was short in stature but had a heart bigger than himself and was able to go to the elite level of the game. But just as important, he was a great father and a husband, we are just in complete and utter shock.”
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V’landys urged the rugby league community to get behind the Gotcha4Life charity to honor Green’s memory while also encouraging anyone who is struggling to speak up.
“I think you’d be lying if you didn’t say that at times you feel down and have self-doubt because you do and I do,” he said.
“People think that I’m as strong as a wall but at times you’re human and doubt yourself, you lack self-esteem and confidence. We all go through that. But I talk about it to people.
“I’m not embarrassed to talk about it. When you’re feeling down, you have to let those emotions out. It can happen to anyone. Don’t be proud because you have people who love you and should reach out.
“I think we need to support Gotcha4Life… that will go well for the memory of Paul Green.”
