The bye week offered no shelter for the Parramatta Eels with both Mitchell Moses and Jonah Pezet succumbing to hamstring injuries. It puts the Eels in a familiar, albeit perilous, situation as their roster is stretched once again to its absolute limits in Round 13. Sixties and Forty20 sift through the latest carnage that also includes massive status downgrades for Junior Paulo and Will Penisini.
Huge news hit the NRL on Monday with reports quickly confirming the immediate departure of NRL CEO Andrew Abdo. He is taking up the same role within Tennis Australia in a shocking midseason development that leaves a huge vacuum at the executive level for rugby league.
State of Origin kicks off tomorrow night as the Blues host the Maroons. Ethan Strange has been drafted into the starting side to replace Moses while the Queenslanders have enjoyed a smooth preparation for the looming battle. The boys call their shots for the big game and settle on whether Nathan Cleary can finally find his feet at the representative level.
The Warriors have worn another blow as the curtain seemingly comes down on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s illustrious NRL career following confirmation he has sustained an ACL injury. The Cowboys have raided the Sharks with the dual signings of Jesse Ramien and Sione Katoa for 2-years a piece. The market is much cooler for Gehamat Shibasaki with the Broncos reportedly only offering the off-contract centre a $300,000 extension.
