Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Melbourne Storm know fullback Sua Fa’alogo has the potential to be a superstar but captain Harry Grant has shut down comparisons to Reece Walsh ahead of their grand final replay with Brisbane Broncos on Friday night.
The Storm and Broncos meet for the first time since Walsh led the Brisbane side to a comeback win in last year’s NRL grand final when they face off at AAMI Park.
Hat-trick hero: Storm fullback Sua Fa’alogo.Credit: Getty Images
Following Ryan Papenhuyzen shock departure at the end of 2025, Fa’alogo has taken over the starting fullback role and the young flyer has impressed in the opening two rounds including a hat-trick in Storm’s 46-20 win over St George-Illawarra on Saturday.
“That was Sua’s second full 80-minute performance for the Storm and people are comparing him to Reece Walsh and asking him to do those things,” Grant said on Tuesday.
“I always find those things hard, I think we should just let Sua be Sua and not have any expectations as he has only played two full games of NRL [at fullback]. Let’s see if he can continue to train well and prepare well and that will give him the best chance to play well.”
While Grant is protecting the young flyer, teammate Tyran Wishart said Fa’alogo had won over the club’s senior players with his grasp of the defensive side of playing fullback.
“The big one is in defence. I’m sure he has always been comfortable in what he can do attacking wise but what he has done defensively in the last 12 weeks has been massive,” Wishart said.
“If he can keep building on that, anything is possible for him.”
Wishart said the Storm would keep putting Fa’alogo in position to break lines and create tries.
“It has taken a lot of people by surprise but not us. We’ve always known what he was capable of and he has shown glimpses with some of the tries he has scored in the last couple of years, some of them have been crazy,” Wishart said.
“People might not see what he’s doing for us defensively because of those crazy, highlight tries but he’s working really hard in defence and he’s been doing that the whole preseason.”
Knights lose $2.7m of talent with Ponga and Brown’s injury verdicts
Dan Walsh
Newcastle captain Kalyn Ponga will be sidelined for up to two months by the high-grade hamstring injury he suffered in their stirring win over Manly on Sunday, while fellow million-dollar man Dylan Brown is facing a month on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Scan results on the Knights’ highest earners – Ponga is estimated to be on a $1.4 million salary while Brown’s 10-year deal averages out at around $1.3 million each season – have returned devastating news for the pair and new coach Justin Holbrook.
The Knights have surprised many by springing upset wins over the Cowboys and Sea Eagles after taking the wooden spoon last year, but now face a season-defining period without Ponga, who had been in scintillating form to start the year.
The star custodian is expected to be out for between six and eight weeks, according to the club, “dependent on his response to rehabilitation”.
A two-month recovery for Ponga would also impact his lead-in to Queensland’s State of Origin campaign, with Billy Slater due to pick his Maroons squad after round 11.
Incumbent Kangaroos No.1 Reece Walsh and Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (who was Queensland fullback in Origin III last year) both have strong Origin claims, and if Ponga is out for eight weeks he would be left with just a May 17 game against the Titans to prove his fitness.
Dylan Brown’s knee injury will sideline him for a month.Credit: NRL Photos
Ponga grabbed at his right hamstring after scoring a first-half try against Manly on Sunday and initially tried to play through the injury before coming from the field.
Brown went down with a left knee injury eight minutes later, and scans on Monday confirmed he has suffered a grade 2 MCL strain.
The Kiwi international will miss the next four weeks, robbing Newcastle of approximately 23 per cent of their $11.95 million salary cap with both he and Ponga sidelined.
Fletcher Sharpe will return from his own knee injury against the Warriors on Saturday as Brown’s replacement and is set to slot into the halves alongside utility Sandon Smith. Fletcher Hunt impressed in Ponga’s place at fullback against Manly and is expected to be retained in the No.1 jersey.
Fletcher Sharpe leaves the field at Allegiant Stadium.Credit: Getty Images
After hosting the Warriors in their first game at Newcastle this year, the Knights face a particularly difficult run without their two attacking linchpins. Clashes with Canterbury and 2025 minor premiers Canberra follow, before a round-six trip to Campbelltown to face Wests Tigers.
A four-week recovery would then have Brown in line for a potential round-seven return against the Roosters on Sunday, April 19. Ponga is then expected to miss at least the following week’s home game against Penrith and a round 9 clash with South Sydney.
Newcastle’s round 12 bye – the first of their season – falls nine weeks after the 27-year-old went down, and may factor into his return date given the potential for an extra fortnight of recovery.
The Knights’ luckless injury run has also been compounded by news back-rower Brodie Jones will also be out for the next eight weeks after being plagued by inflammation from arthritis in his foot.
Jones had successful surgery last week on the injury to remove a bone causing him regular pain every time he ran.
Billy Smith will miss two big games due to his e-bike crash. The Roosters have had enough
Christian Nicolussi
Injured Sydney Roosters centre Billy Smith was one of the few players who walked to and from training on Sunday as his teammates revealed the two simple rules they now needed to follow when it comes to the use of e-bikes and scooters.
Smith was ruled out of Friday’s clash with South Sydney after he suffered a concussion in an e-bike fall on Thursday.
The club and Smith’s teammates were disappointed because the crash ruled him out of not only the South Sydney clash, but also Friday’s blockbuster against Penrith, due to NRL’s concussion protocols.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson said after the 26-18 win over Souths that Smith was embarrassed, and the club would review the use of the popular form of transport around Allianz Stadium.
There are no allocated parking spots at the Moore Park venue for players, who have to park at the nearby Entertainment Quarter. They walk more than a kilometre along Driver Avenue to get to training, hence the heavy reliance on bikes and scooters.
“There’ll be discussions around that [use of e-bikes and scooters], but you don’t want to control all parts of life either,” Robinson said after the game. “People can be individuals, but a little bit better care might help get him [Smith] on the field.”
Billy Smith on an e-bike last week, with Egan Butcher, who walked away unscathed from the same crash.Credit: Instagram
Prop Lindsay Collins, who lost his front tooth riding a bike when he was younger, told this masthead on Sunday the club had made it clear all players need to wear helmets and take no unnecessary risks.
“It was unfortunate to lose Bill the other night, especially after his game against the Warriors [in round one] – everyone knows how good a player he is,” Collins said. “He’s definitely feeling it now; and he definitely knows he let down the boys.
“He’ll get his lesson – we’ll all get our lesson from it. The little kid comes out inside you and you can muck around a bit on it. But you need to realise these things are actually dangerous, and you need to be sensible on them.
“It definitely woke me up. I lost my tooth on a bike when I was a kid. There were no electric bikes back then. I’m a scooter man now. I was a walker for a long time, but I bit the bullet this year, and it has been great [since].”
Daly Cherry-Evans parks his scooter while talking to Wayne Bennett on Driver Avenue last year.Credit: Sam Mooy
Winger Mark Nawaqanitawase, who is a “walker”, said: “Nobody is in the good books at the moment with that [use of e-bikes].
“It’s been addressed. It was an unfortunate situation. E-bikes are a part of society, they are everywhere, but we need to do the right thing and wear a helmet. Most of the boys wear helmets anyway.
“There also can’t be any silly business. Just ride normally and get to the ground. That’s what you need to do.”
Junior Pauga was a late inclusion against Souths at left centre and will have the job of stopping Panthers duo Paul Alamoti and Brian To’o.
