What Caught Our Attention from the Weekend

– Penrith’s chances of a 4 peat got better after scans suggested Nathan Cleary could be back for the finals after injuring his shoulder in the loss to Melbourne. Kick to the Corners believes Nathan would have nailed the 2 point field goal in the dying seconds.

– Teddy and Brandon Smith winding back the clock in the Roosters win over the Eels but what is going on with the drainage at Allianz? Gutherson described the recently renovated field as “one of the worst I’ve played on.”

– Wests Tigers staying in the fight to avoid the wooden spoon after almost throwing another game away.

– Kieran Foran walking around the field like a tradie who has been on the tools for 40 years while playing his 300th match after debuting for Manly in 2009. Jake Trbjojevic and Mitchell Pearce were on hand to witness the milestone.”

– It was all about the ‘blockers’ as the Sharks and Knights traded field goal attempts before Cronulla converted one legally in Golden Point.

– New Zealand rugby 7s Olympic Gold Medallist Stacey Waaka scoring the winning try for Brisbane against Canberra in the NRLW. Australian rugby 7s veteran Shani Smale (nee Williams) debuting for Cronulla. The Sharks are the only undefeated team in the NRLW after four rounds.

London Calling

Despite knowing they won’t be in Super League next season due to IMG gradings, bottom placed London Broncos pulled off a win at Magic Weekend over Hull FC after also defeating the Catalans Dragons recently. While London teams have had a chequered history and struggled over the years, Kick to the Corners believes there needs to be a London team in the Super League.

🗣️| A 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 watch press conference with Mike Eccles as he discusses the current issues the club is facing.

“This is a sliding doors moment for London Rugby League.

“It’s pretty tough behind the scenes at the moment.

“We were losing one player a week now we’re losing 2 a… pic.twitter.com/oEwZY2SkJq

— London Broncos (@LondonBroncosRL) August 18, 2024

Magic Puzzle

The decision to hold the Super League Magic Weekend at Elland Road Leeds lacked the vision that has been displayed in the past when venues have included Cardiff, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. While lower costs were believed to a motivator for choosing the venue it is a lost opportunity to showcase the sport outside the heartlands and provide a weekend away for fans. Newcastle, Dublin, Nottingham, Paris and Cardiff are believed to be options for next year.

East Meets West in the USA

The USA rugby league will hold their Grand Final next weekend when Washington DC Cavalry (East) come up against Provo Broncos (West). Both teams come off big scoring finals with Washington defeating South West Florida Copperheads 64-50 in overtime while the Utah based Broncos won 56-32 over the Los Angeles Bandidos. Provo are the early tip to take the premiership over the longer established Washington team captained by former Toronto Wolfpack and Barrow Raiders player Ryan Burroughs.

Irish Fight for a Win in Wales

The Wales Grand Final resulted in a 21-18 win for Aberavon Fighting Irish over previously unbeaten South Wales Jets. It reversed the result from last season.

Twin Jets

Two iconic second tier clubs have joined together to launch a bid to become the 20th NRL club. The Sydney based Newtown Jets and the QLD team Ipswich Jets, who can boast Alfie Langer and the Walters brothers as former players, are proposing a club to be called the Jets with no geographic reference as per the Dolphins. The team would be based in Ipswich with one home game in Sydney and an NRL trial at Henson Park. If this and the Western Bears bids are successful we will see two foundation clubs return to having a stake in the NRL after a number of years in the wilderness.

The Newtown Jets have made a statement about the recent news of our involvement in an NRL bid.https://t.co/y2qtNE6ZQk

— Newtown Jets (@newtownrlfc) August 18, 2024

International Rugby League Gets Commercial

On the back of appointing John Nicholl as Head of Commercial and Operations based in Sydney, the International Rugby League (IRL) has launched an invitation to tender (ITT) for a strategic commercial partner or partners. This is an ambitious goal but there is a good product there if managed properly. The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by Australia and it is sure to figure prominently in any discussions.

French Youth to Tour

Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII will send an under 19s team to Australia and New Zealand at the end of the season in a bid to prepare players for the 2026 World Cup. The decision to tour comes on the back of France going down 15-8 to England Community Lions in the recent under 19s European Championship in Serbia.