NRL 2022

Todd Payten's men have won five from seven away games in 2022 so a trip to Manly's spiritual home shouldn't faze them, although the loss of young gun Heilum Luki for the season presents a significant challenge after a relatively injury-free run to date.

The Sea Eagles have had their own setbacks with superstar Tom Trbojevic and workhorse Karl Lawton gone for the season but Des Hasler won't be making any excuses if his team misses out on finals for the second time in three years.

In his second season at the Dragons after 260 games at Brisbane and eight in Newcastle, the 32-year-old got through a team-high 37 tackles and made 38 running metres in his milestone match.

The win was the Dragons' seventh of the season and carries them into the top eight for the time being at least.

The signs were bad for the Rabbitohs early when Lachlan Ilias spilled the kick-off and they continued to make errors through the opening 15 minutes as the Dragons took control.

After winning just seven games last season and three the year before, Brisbane have already chalked up nine wins this year on the back of Adam Reynolds' poise and the power of Pat Carrigan and Payne Haas, but they'll have to make do without their skipper at AAMI Park after he injured his ribs against Canberra.

The Storm were pushed all the way by the Roosters on Saturday but found a way to win even with three players backing up from Origin and Xavier Coates sidelined by an ankle injury.

Kumuls Head Coach Stanley Tepend said all the players named have been in contact with him for the past few weeks and they are aware of the short camp coming up ahead of the test match against Fiji Batis.

“There are six Hunters players named, even though we haven’t been doing well but I feel that the players have earned their position. 
“We will all get into camp on Tuesday the 21st, we will assemble in to Campbelltown, and so it’s easier for us.”

However, newly appointed Kumuls Head Coach, Stanley Tepend is hopeful the lock will accept a call-up later in the year. 

Tepend and his predecessor Michael Marum have held discussions with De Belin about representing his grandmother’s birth nation over the last 12 months.

De Belin only returned to the NRL last year and hasn’t played representative football since 2018, with the 31-year-old ruling himself out of Kumuls selection ahead of next week’s Test at Campbelltown.

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf named a 25-man squad ahead of the June 25 Test, with Tupou named on the wing and Staggs at five-eighth - despite the pair playing for the Blues in last week's opening Origin match.

Manly second-rower Haumole Olakau’atu and Cronulla centre Siosifa Talakai, who have both been mentioned as contenders to join the NSW squad for Origin II in Perth on June 26, have also been included along with the likes of Jason Taumalolo, Addin Fonua-Blake and Tevita Pangai jnr.

Under international eligibility rules, players can play for both their state and Tonga.

New Zealand coach Michael Maguire has named a 25-man wider squad to travel home to Aotearoa to face their Pacific rivals at Mt Smart Stadium on June 25 and there was no place for Johnston or Kodi Nikorima among the playmakers.

Brown is set to partner Melbourne Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes at the scrum base, with Manly veteran Kieran Foran also in the squad.

Eight of the squad are potential Kiwi debutants, including Ellerslie Eagles junior Ronaldo Mulitalo, who leads the NRL with 20 linebreaks for the Sharks this season, and Eels playmaker Dylan Brown.

The Papua New Guinea Kumuls star, who has locked down Storm’s left centre position in the past three seasons, joins captain Christian Welch, Jahrome Hughes, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Harry Grant, Xavier Coates, Reimis Smith and Jack Howarth in committing to Storm long-term in recent months.

One of the most damaging ball runners and hardest hitters in the NRL, Olam’s renewed contract runs until the end of the 2026 season, bringing his time with Storm to 10 seasons.

The Bati squad features 15 NRL players, with Sydney Roosters winger, Kevin Naiqama, named captain and Panthers player, Viliame Kikau, named vice captain.

Other NRL players include, Issac Lumelume, Braydon Wakeham and Penioni Tagituimua (Caterbury Bulldogs), Sunia Turuva (Penrith Panthers), Semi Valemei (Canberra Raiders), Mikaele Ravalawa (St George Illawarra Dragons), Maika Sivo (Parramatta Eels), Vuate Karawalevu and Tui Kamikamica (Melbourne Storm), Taane Milne (South Sydney Rabbitohs) and Iosefo Masi, Taniela Sadrugu, and Laitia Moceidreke (Queensland Cowboys).

Sitting third on the ladder with a differential of +160, Todd Payten's men have set themselves up perfectly for the demanding State of Origin period, which saw them go in against the Titans without four of their stars but still win comfortably.

A win for the Dragons would serve notice they deserve to be mentioned in the 'contenders' conversation and put a spring in their step ahead of two home games at WIN Stadium against the Rabbitohs and Raiders.