WALTERS URGES CIRALDO TO GIVE MAHONEY MORE GAME TIME

Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters has called on the Bulldogs to use dummy half Reed Mahoney more as the finals series nears.

Mahoney, who came off the bench, only had 13 minutes of game time against the Storm at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Friday night, as the Bulldogs went down 20-14 in a tight contest.

Starting hooker Bailey Hayward played the other 67 minutes in the position.

But Walters felt the Bulldogs looked “their most dangerous” when Mahoney went onto the field.

“I think Reed Mahoney can play a bigger role with the Bulldogs as well,” Walters said on Fox League after the game.

“(When Mahoney was on was) probably when they looked at their most dangerous.

“So maybe there’s a period earlier in games where he can either get on the field or maybe he could start?

“I’m not sure but I feel like he could have a big impact for the Dogs at the back end of the season.”

“I’m not sure but I feel like he could have a big impact for the Dogs at the back end of the season.”

Mal Meninga said he wasn’t sure how coach Cameron Ciraldo would handle the Hayward-Mahoney rotation come finals time.

“It’s going to be interesting, how they do that mix,” Meninga added.

“I don’t know how they’re going to fit it all in, to be honest with you.”

Michael Ennis praised Mahoney’s performance against the Storm.

“Mahoney finished the game really strongly,” Ennis said.

SILVER LINING IN SOUTHS’ HORROR SEASON AFTER RECORD DRAGONS ROUT

The silver lining to Souths’ horror injury woes in 2025 is it has unearthed some real stars of the future for the club that can only help them when they get back to full strength.

Ashton Ward and Tallis Duncan were excellent in Souths’ 40-0 thrashing of the Dragons in Round 25, while Jye Gray continued his stunning season.

Gray had 277 metres, a linebreak assist and a try, while Duncan finished with 173 metres, a linebreak, a linebreak assist, a try assist and a try and Ward had 67 run metres and was involved in a couple of try assists.

Matty Johns believes Souths will be a better club in 2026 for fast-tracking their young guns this season.

“40-0 that was the biggest win by Souths over a Dragons side ever,” Johns said on The Late Show with Matty Johns.

“If there is a silver lining for all these injuries Souths have had this year, it is all these young blokes getting a chance.

“The young fellas for Souths tonight were fantastic.

“Ashton Ward the young fella, he looks like Lachlan Galvin’s nephew. He looks about 14, but he looks fantastic. He has a nice little left foot dink and a good kicking game.

“It is so good for a young bloke before the end of the season to get a chance.”

Johns has been impressed with Duncan’s ability to cover multiple positions, but sees him as a lock long-term.

“I reckon the best football I have seen Tallis play is as a lightweight middle,” Johns said.

“But he can play anywhere. He is just a footballer.”

Bryan Fletcher praised Gray and Ward, while also taking aim at the Dragons’ horror display.

“The two smallest players on the field Jye Gray and Ashton Ward, they were superb,” Fletcher said.

“But in saying that the Dragons were equally as bad and it’s unlike what we have seen from the Dragons the last month.

“I did not see this coming. They should have beat the Bulldogs and they beat the Raiders. This was a very inept performance.”

Billy Moore warned the young guns will only get better with another off-season working with Cody Walker and Wayne Bennett.

“You imagine how much those guys are going to learn from Cody Walker,” Moore said.

“Over the off-season they will come back bigger, better and stronger.”

Moore believes the Rabbitohs will likely only have one more year with Walker and Mitchell together, so 2026 could be their season.

“Tallis Duncan the edge back-rower who is playing in the centres is a high quality player,” Moore said.

“If you are a Souths fan you look at that youth and Bennett is there for the next two years, if they don’t have this amount of injuries, we all thought they would be contending for the top eight.

“I think they have shown they have got the ability. But Cody Walker and Latrell they haven’t got too many more years left as a combination. 2026 might be the time they deliver.”

STRANGE STUNS IN CRAZIEST GOLDEN POINT FINISH EVER

Another week, another huge performance from Ethan Strange.

The Raiders young gun has been one of the form players of the competition in recent weeks and he masterminded a golden point win over the Panthers in Round 25.

Adding to his career-first hat-trick against the Sea Eagles on August 8, Strange orchestrated a staggering effort in extra time.

He broke away down the sideline against the Panthers after a Nathan Cleary field goal struck the post, calmly finding speedster Kaeo Weekes on the inside who zipped away to score.

When put on the spot post-match regarding whether the 21-year-old had a passport ahead of the Kangaroos’ Ashes tour, Kevin Walters delivered a telling response.

“I’m sure he has got a passport already, most young people do,” Walters joked.

“But yeah, he’s definitely making some inroads in the competition. As we’ve seen in previous years when Mal (Meninga) was coaching.

“If someone can have a really strong finals series… they can force their way into teams. It’s nice as well he is a young player so he hasn’t experienced any rep football outside of NSW under 19s.

“Certainly, he has got the talent and this try tonight, to win the game for the Raiders, that is pretty big. It’s pretty special and not many players in our game can pull that off.

League legend Michael Ennis also claimed “he will go close to winning the Dally M five-eighth of the year” after what has been a stellar campaign so far.

Previously, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has declared that Strange is a representative player of the future, but that idea looks like more of a reality week by week.

“I have got a very strong opinion of Ethan, I have a very strong opinion of where he’s going to go as a player,” he said.

“You look at his game today to where he started with us a year and a half, two years ago. He’s still only 25-30 games I suppose into his career. He has an unbelievable future in front of him.

“I think he will play for Australia this year and he will be our next five-eighth for NSW.

“I don’t sit here gloating, I don’t sit here as a happy coach saying that. I firmly believe that, he’s got Origin attitude, the way he defends, the way he runs the football.

“He’s got qualities of a representative player already as a young person. I don’t say that outlandishly.”

CAN ROOSTERS TOPPLE HEAVYWEIGHTS WITHOUT WALKER?

The Roosters are in a somewhat precarious position ending Round 25.

Entering the weekend, they were flying high having won three straight games, and were short odds to be apart of the finals.

However, those top eight hopes took a massive hit when they were thrashed by the Eels in the upset of the round.

They still control their own destiny, but the Roosters have two tough games left on the docket, including a date with the Panthers next Friday night.

However, in a mammoth blow, the Roosters will be without their most influential playmaker.

Halfback Sam Walker suffered a concussion in a tackle attempt gone wrong on Eels forward Kelma Tuilagi and will miss at least one game.

Coach Trent Robinson says Sandon Smith will replace Walker.

Smith has had some nice moments this year but without Walker’s creativity in attack, the Roosters’ work against a team as good defensively as Penrith will be cut out for them.

Despite the potentially crippling injury, former Roosters halfback Cooper Cronk says that the good teams just have to find a way at this time of the year.

“Sam Walker got himself in a bad technique position,” Cronk said.

“At this time of year, yes it’s a talking point, and yes you want your best players available but the good times just find a way.

“Whether you’ve got Harry Grant, Isaah Yeo or Nathan Cleary in your side, every team will go through a phase missing players. Look at the Broncos with no Ezra Mam or Reynolds.

“You just have to find a way and eventually the good players will come back and add that cream on top.

“They’ll go down to Melbourne and they just have to get the job done.”

Rugby league legend Mal Meninga is optimistic the Roosters will be right sans Walker.

He noted that the halfback has missed most of the season anyway. In games Walker missed with a knee injury, the Roosters have won seven of 15.

“If you believe the external noise, it’s going to have a huge impact but as Trent said, Sandon Smith will come in and partner Hugo Savala,” Meninga said.

“To be honest, they’ve done it without Sam Walker for most of the year. They are where they are because of major contributions from Sandon Smith.”

There’s no doubt that even without Walker, the Roosters have the firepower and talent to beat the Panthers.

But the recent history is damning. The Roosters have beaten Penrith just once in the last 13 meetings between the two sides.

“I always like to look at things positively but the Roosters haven’t beaten Penrith or the Storm in the last couple of years,” Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters said.

“Next week might be a good time to start.”

RYLES CONTINUES EELS REBUILD WITH HUGE ROOSTERS SCALP

Not many people gave the Eels a chance against the red hot Roosters, but Jason Ryles proved his rebuild is on track with an upset 30-10 victory to shake up the finals race.

The Eels won’t be playing finals, but they can finish as high as 10th, which would be a massive effort given they are in a rebuild and have been without Mitchell Moses for much of the year.

Cooper Cronk believes the win over the Roosters, which has hurt their chances of making the finals, is Ryles’ best win in his rookie season.

“In his debut coaching season, that was probably his best coaching performance,” Cronk said.

“They obviously moved the ball laterally not taking on the middle forwards of the Sydney Roosters and the combination of Dylan Walker and Mitch Moses unlocks everything,

“They speed and the execution they played at was very impressive and they were dialled in from the start.

“Jason Ryles did something in the lead up to this game to get the Eels to play their best football because the Roosters were in great form. The Eels played one of their best games on a big stage.

“They played for their coach tonight. The players really delivered.”

Braith Anasta lauded the Eels’ attack which is troubling some of the best defences in the game in recent weeks.

“That’s what is so good about the Eels, the evolution in attack compared to the start of the year,” Anasta said.

“Their ability to offload, throw the ball around and test their hand. They’ve come a long way.”

Mal Meninga believes it is no coincidence the Eels have found their best footy with Moses back guiding the team around the park.

“It’s not ironic that when Mitch comes back into the team and all of a sudden they click and all of a sudden the team’s kicking game comes to the fore,” Meninga said.

WHY THERE’S STILL HOPE FOR THE KNIGHTS

The Knights’ season is over, and has been for several weeks.

But still, there’s hope in the Hunter and the fans of the Newcastle club showed their support in droves on Sunday afternoon.

With a six-game losing streak coming into their clash against the Broncos, Knights fans almost sold McDonald Jones Stadium out in their final home game of 2025.

It’s an impressive achievement, considering how lacklustre the Knights have been on the field.

“What a day up there, it was a sell out. They are running 16th,” Bryan Fletcher said on the Matty Johns show.

“I just think they are a marvel, they should get all the wraps they deserve the Newcastle crowd.

“Because they had nothing to play for, but they still get out there and support their team.”

With the fans still backing them, the Knights can do their best to deliver for the supporters in their final two games of the season.

Adam O’Brien urged the fans to stick with his struggling side, and also paid tribute to the fans who flocked to the Broncos clash.

“The last couple of weeks has really tested us clearly, but they’ve got pride in their jersey,” O’Brien said.

“No one feels it more than the playing group, when they let that (happen). To have that place packed, sell out, after only winning two games this year.

“I reckon every club in the land would be envious of that. So the weight of letting them down weighs heavily with the playing group.

“But they’ve got pride, they love playing with their club and their teammates so they are professionals, that’s what they get paid to do.

“But they actually have a love for the club.”

While O’Brien’s future is up in the air, no one can deny the Knights will welcome a host of talented stars to the club and back into their side.

Fletcher Sharpe, Dylan Lucas and Kalyn Ponga will both be fit, being three of Newcastle’s best players.

Meanwhile, multimillion-dollar playmaker Dylan Brown is also set to arrive in the Hunter, potentially solving what has been a consistent headache for O’Brien in the halves.

Throw in the mix Peter Hola, Pasami Saulo, Asu Kepaoa, and Lachlan Crouch and there’s an argument the Knights’ depth improves.

However, there’s no denying losing the likes of Leo Thompson and Kai Pearce-Paul will put a dent in their forward pack.

HOW HUNT HAS PROVED TO BE THE PERFECT SIGNING

Losing your halves pairing is a finals death sentence — for most teams.

When Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam went down against the Storm in Round 23, Brisbane’s chances of winning a premiership were slashed.

While Reynolds will return ahead of the finals series, Mam is set to be sidelined for the season.

Regardless, Michael Maguire had a huge trump card up his sleeve in veteran recruit Ben Hunt, who has proven to be the perfect signing for a Brisbane side brimming with talent.

The 35-year-old enjoyed his 350th NRL appearance with a win on Sunday and was clearly emotional when speaking post-match.

“It feels like a dream, it really does. I’ve had this week to reflect on it and I still can’t come up with the words to describe how special it is,” Hunt said post-match.

“From a little boy from the bush, the dream was to play one game. To clock up 350 and to do it with this great club it’s something I am very proud of.

“I think about the rollercoaster most weeks… I just love it mate, I love the game so much. As long as I can keep contributing at a high level I am going to keep playing.

“This game has given me everything so I am going to enjoy it while I can.”

Having Hunt, a player with experience only few NRL players can match, has allowed the Broncos to continue their finals charge and momentum.

He has slotted in at halfback seamlessly and will equally be able to shift into the No.6 when needed to make that move.

Hunt has also laid out a blueprint for Reynolds when he returns as to how to best unlock the skills of Reece Walsh, who has been electric during the club’s regular No.7’s absence.

Walsh scored one and assisted two more tries against the Knights, while Hunt also assisted three in a staggering attacking showing.

In tribute to Hunt’s milestone match, Walsh was glowing of the veteran’s influence when asked what he brings to an already stacked squad.

“He’s awesome mate, I feel like once he came to this club he was driving standards from pre-season,” Walsh said.

“He is maturing some of us younger boys up, giving us tips and telling us where we need to be. It’s awesome to have someone like that in your team.”