Official 2026 NRL General Discussion

Jason Saab will be putting his hand up for selection for Lebanon at this years World Cup.

Kaeo Weekes & Ethan Strange are being looked at by NZ as options for there end of season squad.
 
Gumby said:
Jason Saab will be putting his hand up for selection for Lebanon at this years World Cup.

Kaeo Weekes & Ethan Strange are being looked at by NZ as options for there end of season squad.
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I know he didn’t play, but Ethan Strange was just on a Kangaroo tour. Maybe guys with dual eligibility like Brailey and Strange it might’ve been a good idea to give them 5 minutes of game time to sure them up in the green and gold.
 
Capital_Shark said:
I know he didn’t play, but Ethan Strange was just on a Kangaroo tour. Maybe guys with dual eligibility like Brailey and Strange it might’ve been a good idea to give them 5 minutes of game time to sure them up in the green and gold.
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Someone at the Kangaroos probs did Fitz a favour by bringing Blayke into the squad with no actual intention of giving him a proper go now or even in the future

cause.... Shark
 
Capital_Shark said:
I know he didn’t play, but Ethan Strange was just on a Kangaroo tour. Maybe guys with dual eligibility like Brailey and Strange it might’ve been a good idea to give them 5 minutes of game time to sure them up in the green and gold.
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Haha not a play bad. Personally I don’t see Strange being included in another Australian for the foreseeable future. Only reason he was on the last one was because of how many players were injured from memory.
 
Gumby said:
Haha not a play bad. Personally I don’t see Strange being included in another Australian for the foreseeable future. Only reason he was on the last one was because of how many players were injured from memory.
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He is only like 21 I think. He absolutely has something about him that says to me he will be a representative player. I am a big fan. Struggling to find his feet on the right at the moment I think. Not sure I would have moved him and broken up the combination he’d formed with Young on the left.
 
Capital_Shark said:
He is only like 21 I think. He absolutely has something about him that says to me he will be a representative player. I am a big fan. Struggling to find his feet on the right at the moment I think. Not sure I would have moved him and broken up the combination he’d formed with Young on the left.
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Think he's also struggling a bit without Fogarty, they're really missing a halfback. The other Ethan isn't the answer, at this stage, anyway.
 
Totally agree. Fogarty was always going to be a big loss for them I thought. His big boot took so much pressure off them and kept them in the field position battle. Unless it’s some try of the year 100 m effort, their backs aren’t too great out of their own end, but his boot gave them more attacking opportunities.
 
Capital_Shark said:
Totally agree. Fogarty was always going to be a big loss for them I thought. His big boot took so much pressure off them and kept them in the field position battle. Unless it’s some try of the year 100 m effort, their backs aren’t too great out of their own end, but his boot gave them more attacking opportunities.
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Yeah the loss of Fogarty was amplified by forcing Strange to switch sides too, as you’ve mentioned.
Wouldn’t be as bad if it was no Fog OR switch, but both has set him back a bit
 
Capital_Shark said:
Totally agree. Fogarty was always going to be a big loss for them I thought. His big boot took so much pressure off them and kept them in the field position battle. Unless it’s some try of the year 100 m effort, their backs aren’t too great out of their own end, but his boot gave them more attacking opportunities.
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Their kicking game against Souths was dreadful, so bad. I remember one bomb almost went backwards.

Also against us, they had so much ball and field position in the last 15 minutes but were completely rudderless. They probably beat us with Fogarty.
 
Capital_Shark said:
He is only like 21 I think. He absolutely has something about him that says to me he will be a representative player. I am a big fan. Struggling to find his feet on the right at the moment I think. Not sure I would have moved him and broken up the combination he’d formed with Young on the left.
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100% agree. If he was to play for the Kiwis he can still be eligible for the Blues. I think he may go down that path.

for the kiwis, Weekes would be up against Kini for the 1 jersey so not sure if he makes the squad. Don't think Weekes can really play another position.
 
Gumby said:
100% agree. If he was to play for the Kiwis he can still be eligible for the Blues. I think he may go down that path.

for the kiwis, Weekes would be up against Kini for the 1 jersey so not sure if he makes the squad. Don't think Weekes can really play another position.
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With the amount of balls that get left to bounce against Canberra, I’m not sure Weekes is playing his current position too well. No doubt he is ****ing electric when he gets his hands on the thing though. Not that Kini is much/any better under the highball.
 
Gumby said:
www.foxsports.com.au

Dragons put to shame by Cowboys-Payten waiting game as crisis deepens — Crawls

Dragons shamed by rival’s smart contract move as Flanno crisis deepens — Crawls
www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au
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Bit of a Flanno hit job but if it is true that both more than a few players are unhappy (you can make a case Sua and Loko leaving not equalling an issue, but it could, and if there are more...) and players are unhappy with preferential treatment of Kyle (it does appear he is in the top 2 NRL capable halves they have) then he's in big trouble.

I'm not so sure their Cup team going well necessarily means any of them should be playing NRL which the article suggest

I've not watched them but
- 4th for points is Kade Reed, an apparently 80kg just turned 20 year old
- equal 21st for points is Tyrell Sloan, he is Tyrell Sloan
- equal 8th for tries is David Fale, someone they promoted on form who got suspended from NRL for kicking
- 6th for tackle breaks is David Fale, see above, equal 18th is Peckham-Harris and Halangahu
- equal 5th for offloads is... Fale
- 25th for offloads with 5 in one game is Kerr
- at equal 15th line break assists Sloan, Kade and LKT all have 3, two have struggled in NRL and the third is a tiny rookie
- 8th for tackles is Jacob Webster, a middle forward, their strength in NRL
- leading intercepts with 2 is Nathan Lawson, a winger they have tried in the past. Fale, Buchanan, and Reed all have 1
- 5th for run meters Peckham-Harris, 12th Fale, 21st Webster, 46th Loko

Just turned 21 year old Tyler Peckham-Harris maybe the only one worth a look, I haven't seen him, but he's not even the Cup first choice fullback, Sloan is. Otherwise, statistically, nobody in Cup is jumping out that hasn't already been given a fair crack besides Reed.

Now if Reed is physically up to the task and Flanno is just playing Flanju ahead of him, then definitely fire him. Otherwise there is nobody obvious in Cup that should be playing. Even down on form Val is still better than Buchanan based off the game he played recently.
 
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