Souths have ruled Walker out of the Eels match with a “low-grade calf strain” sustained against North Queensland at Magic Round.

“He is expected to be fit for the round 14 game against the Titans, and it’s expected he could play in the first State of Origin game for New South Wales if he is selected in the squad on Sunday night,” the Rabbitohs said via a club statement.

Walker has had high-level backing to be retained by the Blues, most notably from Immortal halfback Andrew Johns, despite middling form for the last-placed Rabbitohs. Penrith’s Jarome Luai shapes as a leading contender for the No.6 role, with Canterbury’s Matt Burton and Roosters veteran Luke Keary also mooted options.

Latrell Mitchell will captain the Rabbitohs for the third time in Walker’s place, leading the club in this weekend’s Indigenous Round.

Racism saga will only unite Rabbitohs: Shaquai Mitchell

South Sydney’s Indigenous star Shaquai Mitchell wants First Nations people to continue spreading their culture, insisting the racist abuse directed at his brother Latrell and Cody Walker will unite the Rabbitohs.

On the eve of the NRL’s annual Indigenous Round, Shaquai spoke about the abhorrent language hurled at South Sydney players during a clash against the Dragons at Kogarah this month.

The NRL indefinitely banned two spectators after another fan reported racist terms such as “black bastard” being shouted from the hill.

Asked about the racism saga, Shaquai said: “It’s very disappointing. We’re not strangers to it and grew up around it in a country town, and it’s very disappointing in 2024 we’re still copping it.

“It’s not us as Indigenous people, it’s everyone of a different creed, background or colour. Racism is racism at the end of the day. We don’t stand with it, the club doesn’t stand with it and I’m hoping society doesn’t stand for it, because we don’t need it.

“For many years, our people have been suppressed, but we want to share our beautiful culture. It’s your culture too, as Australians. At the end of the day, we all bleed red and we’re all human. We’ve all got our different beliefs.

“As long as we stick together, we should be sweet.”

Shaquai will miss the Rabbitohs’ Indigenous Round showdown with the Eels at Accor Stadium on Saturday due to injury. It’s the second straight year he hasn’t been able to feature in the celebratory match, but he represented the club at the NRL’s Indigenous Round launch on South Maroubra beach on Wednesday.

Shaquai was unsure if Latrell would make himself available for State of Origin selection. NSW coach Michael Maguire will pick his game one team after this weekend’s round of matches.

“I can’t speak for him, mate,” Shaquai said. “That’s something between him and Madge [Maguire]. That’s a decision he’s got to make. He’s my little brother and I love him to bits, but it’s his choice. That’s good enough for me.”

One player who definitely won’t be there is Roosters utility Connor Watson, who will miss the Raiders clash due to a throat injury.

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Watson had shot into the Origin frame after an outstanding start to the season, but came reeling out of a tackle on Sharks winger Sione Katoa during Magic Round.

He played the final 26 minutes of the match but was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

“If you do push it, you can potentially lose your voice,” Watson said.

“It’s disappointing because it was such an innocuous hit. He spun on me and I just mistimed it. I basically got my body height wrong. I did play the rest of the game with it and I felt like I could play the rest of the game.

“[Origin] is what every kid dreams of so of course I wanted to put my hand up and give myself every opportunity to do that.”

Su’A inks new Dragons deal as Flanagan ups ante in chase for Talagi

The Dragons will turn their attention to boom Eels rookie Blaize Talagi after coach Shane Flanagan hailed the re-signing of Jaydn Su’A as a “huge piece of the puzzle”.

Su’A, one of the NRL’s most in-demand free agents after David Fifita’s backflip to stay the Titans, has agreed to a two-year extension to stay at St George Illawarra after months of protracted negotiations.

The 26-year-old is pushing for a State of Origin return with Queensland next month, and has finally sorted his club future with the Red V.

“He’s an important and huge piece of the puzzle for us,” Flanagan said. “We still think he’s got the ability to play Origin again and it gives us strike on either edge with Luciano Leilua, as well as Moses Suli in the backline too. We see him as a vital part of our forward pack over the coming years.”

Having re-signed Su’A, the Dragons will escalate talks with Talagi, the Parramatta rookie who is exploring his options after the Eels signed St George Illawarra star Zac Lomax on a four-year deal from 2025.

Talagi didn’t trigger an option in his deal to stay at Parramatta next year, preferring to negotiate over a longer term and more lucrative deal.

St George Illawarra is hopeful of locking down fullback Tyrell Sloan, while offering Jack de Belin a 12-month extension.

Now that Su’A has committed to the Dragons, Roosters star Angus Crichton remains the highest profile back-rower on the market, with coach Trent Robinson hinting they would work towards a deal in the next month.

Dragons offer Sloan deal

St George Illawarra have tabled Tyrell Sloan a two-year, $1 million contract in a bid to retain the off-contract fullback.

Sloan has already made 46 NRL appearances and has made noticeable improvements to his game this season under coach Shane Flanagan. The 21-year-old has scored seven tries and is averaging 115 running metres per game this season after cementing the No.1 jersey.

The club has been involved in ongoing negotiations with his management and only recently tabled their first offer. A Steelers junior, Sloan is keen to stay put if he is furnished with a deal that reflects his status as the Dragons’ long-term fullback.

Sloan’s form has been a bright spot for a side performing above most pundits’ expectations, having won five of their 10 games before this weekend’s bye. Another of the Dragons’ main attacking threats, Zac Lomax, will leave the club for Parramatta at the end of the season.

Sharks roll the dice on Vegas

The Sharks have made an aggressive 11th-hour pitch to be one of the four teams travelling to Las Vegas next year after offering to take one of their home matches to the United States.

With the NRL preparing to announce next month which teams will be locked in for the season-opening double-header, Cronulla have made a huge concession to play their first NRL competition match outside of Australia or New Zealand.

Three-time defending premiers Penrith had already told the NRL it would sacrifice a home match in Sydney to be part of the Las Vegas trip, a decision almost borne out of necessity with BlueBet Stadium to be refurbished in 2025.

The Panthers will play the majority of their matches at Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium while their stadium undergoes a $309 million revamp.

But the NRL was hunting for another team who would be willing to make the state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium, which hosted this year’s Super Bowl, a home venue for one week – and the Sharks have expressed an interest.

Craig Fitzgibbon’s table-topping side are seen as an attractive proposition for the NRL given their strong start to the season.

They also boast one of the game’s most marketable stars in former Dally M Medal winner Nicho Hynes.

Cronulla has also struck up an association with lifelong fan and American-based billionaire investment guru Mike Dorrell, who had pledged to contribute $5 million to the club.

The NRL would be keen to tap into Dorrell’s network in the United States to promote rugby league if the Sharks head to Las Vegas.

The Storm, Warriors and Eels are other teams strongly linked with playing in Las Vegas next year, but some have been hesitant to designate it as one of their home matches.

“We’re thinking about Las Vegas 2.0 and we’re very excited about it,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said. “Like Magic Round, we want the second edition to be even bigger and better. I think you can expect an announcement some time in June, which is when we’d like to have that finalised.”

Manly and the Roosters were the first two teams to take matches to Las Vegas this year, and both returned to Australia with wins over the Rabbitohs and Broncos respectively. They lobbied to return to Las Vegas in 2025, but the NRL wants to provide an opportunity for other clubs to kick off the season as they try to increase the sport’s reach in the United States.

Two fans banned indefinitely over South Sydney racial slurs

Two fans have been banned from NRL matches indefinitely for hurling racial abuse at South Sydney stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.

The NRL announced on Wednesday it had issued the sanctions under the league’s code of conduct after another spectator reported crowd members were using taunts such as “black bastard” and “dirty dog”.

The NRL’s integrity unit launched an investigation in the aftermath of the Dragons’ win over the Rabbitohs at Kogarah’s Netstrata Jubilee Stadium and confirmed two fans would be banned indefinitely after the “disparaging comments”.

“Racism must be called out in all its forms because the standard you walk past is the standard you accept,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said. “Abusive behaviour directed at players will not be tolerated. I commend the fans that acted on this and brought it to our attention. With this information, we have been able to take action.

“Attending a rugby league match should be a positive, welcoming and respectful environment for everyone. We want everyone to feel welcome and enjoy the experience.

“The spectator code of conduct has been set up specifically to deal with instances like this and we will continue to take action against any patron who displays offensive or anti-social behaviour.”

The NRL, St George Illawarra and South Sydney were all involved in the investigation.

Both fans will have five business days to respond to the breach notices.

“We welcome the NRL’s stance and the banning of these two perpetrators,” South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly said. “We applaud the members of the public that stood up and called out this disgraceful behaviour. We hope more people show the bravery that this person has shown to call out racism in an effort to eradicate it from our society.

“We thank the NRL, the St George Illawarra Dragons and NSW Police for their efforts on this case. We continue to support our players and their families who, unfortunately, still have to face this type of behaviour. Racism is archaic, disgusting and will not be tolerated.

“We call for supporters who attend games to respect all players and their efforts on the field.”

Mitchell and Walker’s South Sydney teammate Jack Wighton, a proud Indigenous man, expressed his dismay and frustration on Tuesday at rugby league having to deal with more racial abuse.

The last-placed Rabbitohs will take on the struggling Cowboys at Magic Round in Brisbane on Saturday night.

Ricky signs monster Raiders deal

Ricky Stuart will remain Canberra’s head coach until the end of the decade after the veteran coach re-signed with the Raiders until the end of 2029.

A club legend and the head coach since 2014, Stuart will have been at the helm in the nation’s capital for more than half of his coaching career at the expiry of the new deal.

Raiders chairman Dennis Richardson said Canberra were eager to keep Stuart as they rebuild the club with a young crop of players.

“The Raiders are in the process of moving through a significant transition, with one of the youngest playing squads in the NRL, and we see Ricky as a central part of that transition,” Richardson said.

“His values and character have been an important ingredient in the attraction of the young talent we’ve been able to bring to the club in recent times. His re-signing until the end of the decade provides continuity and certainty for a playing group which we believe has the potential to deliver the ultimate prize in the coming years.”

“As everyone knows, Ricky is very much a part of the Canberra, Queanbeyan and regional community and his commitment and passion for the green machine is legendary.”

The club has started to develop its next generation of talent following the departure of experienced players like Wighton and Jarrod Croker.

A host of young talent including five-eighth Ethan Strange, Matthew Timoko and Chevy Stewart have recently re-committed to the club until 2027 or 2028.

Stuart, who recently coached his 500th game, spent time at the Roosters, Sharks and Eels before moving to the club that made him a cult hero back in his playing days in the 1980s and 90s. He played 203 games for Canberra from 1988 to 1999, during which time he was also a NSW and Australian representative player.

Roosters rally around Angus Crichton after Fifita signing

Roosters players have rallied around teammate Angus Crichton after the off-contract star declared he didn’t want to be “sitting behind anyone else” following the club’s signing of star Titans second-rower David Fifita.

Prop Terrell May said his preference was to play alongside Crichton at Bondi Junction next year, but that he understood if the representative second-rower went looking to secure a deal elsewhere.

“I’ve got a lot of love for Angus. He had a lot of love for me when I first came here, he was one of the day-one boys that I look up to,” May said. “I wish he stays, but obviously no one wants to be second to anyone. I hope he does what’s best for him.”

May said Crichton had gone out of his way to make him feel welcome when he joined the Tricolours in 2022.

“Just chatting to me, asking who I am and getting to know me, that stuff,” he said. “No one really knew me when I first came here, so he followed me on social media and just spoke to me heaps, and now we’ve got the same manager and we’re really close. But yeah, I love Gussy and I hope he stays, but I see why if he does leave.”

May, who is enjoying his best season with the Roosters, said he and Crichton had walked similar paths.

“Love his journey, it kind of reminds me of mine a little bit. Obviously last year I was dropped out for a little bit and then came back and did my thing and now playing consistent,” May said.

“But yeah, for Gussy, he went through a lot, and now he’s showing how good of a player he is. He’s always been a freak, but he went through quite a bit, so [it’s] good to see him up right now. Happy for him.”

Roosters lock Victor Radley said the team would “deal with that next year” when asked about Fifita’s signing, but said Crichton was in career-best form and should be shoo-in for a spot in Michael Maguire’s Blues squad.

“I love Angus, he’s kind of the benchmark back-rower this season – especially this last month,” Radley said. “You obviously want to keep him. That’s up to the club and Angus to deal with. For the meantime, I just want to see him be his best, which he’s been doing.

“He definitely should be there [in State of Origin]. He’s been so hard to handle, he’s done it before, he’s obviously the Australian [Test] back-rower at the World Cup. He’s world-class, he should be there.”

Tigers offer Doueihi minimum wage contract for 2025 campaign

The Wests Tigers have offered Adam Doueihi a one-year extension at minimum wage as the utility moves closer to a return from injury over the next six weeks.

Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson last week tabled Doueihi an offer for about $150,000 for next season.

Doueihi, who is coming off three ACL injuries, has opted against taking up the Tigers’ offer and will instead try to prove he is worth more than the club are willing to offer through his performances in the back half of the year.

He recently flew to Melbourne and was granted clearance to begin full contact training with an eye to returning in round 16-17.

Relief for Maguire despite Roosters stars being charged

NSW coach Michael Maguire has finally received some good news after a star Roosters trio all escaped with fines from the match review committee following their thumping win over the Warriors.

Despite a calamitous weekend for NSW in which Nathan Cleary and Tom Trbojevic were ruled out for the entire State of Origin series with hamstring tears, Maguire’s mood would have lifted when Joseph Suaalii, Angus Crichton and Luke Keary dodged suspensions. All three were charged on Monday morning.

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Suaalii will be fined $1000 for a grade-one dangerous contact charge, with his running style – which has attracted judiciary scrutiny in the past – again in the spotlight after he collected Warriors hooker Wayde Egan.

Crichton has been fined $1000 for tripping and Keary, an outside chance of a NSW recall given the Blues’ halves crisis, will be hit with an $1800 sanction for a chicken wing tackle on Shaun Johnson.

The trio will also be available for the Magic Round blockbuster against the table-topping Sharks, but utility Sandon Smith is facing a one-match ban after a grade-two dangerous contact offence.

NRL doubles down on controversial Grant kick-pressure sanction

The NRL has doubled down on a controversial decision to send Harry Grant to the sin bin on Saturday night, with the match review committee slapping him with a $1000 fine for the incident.

Referee Grant Atkins sent the Melbourne hooker to the bin just before half-time, for clipping the leg of Cronulla five-eighth Daniel Atkinson while trying to pressure a kick.

Grant was visibly surprised by the decision, and said after the game he was a trying to avoid dangerous contact.

“I was a bit shocked. I just had no intention of going in with any intent to hurt Atko. I just went to put kick pressure on, which is a big part of the game,” Grant said.

“If you look, I was going to put kick pressure on and turned away to take myself away from him to not make any contact. He’s obviously sort of jumped, kick momentum took him forward, and brushed his leg.”

Despite the incident, Grant said that kick pressure is a “big part of the game” which he doesn’t want taken away.

“There are a lot of players out there that work really hard in the game, and kick pressure is really important in the game. You can’t lose it,” he said.

It proved to be a costly decision, with Cronulla prop Oregon Kaufusi scoring in the next set. The Sharks went on to win 25-18, with a try and a field goal the difference, and cemented their spot at the top of the ladder.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy was frustrated with the decision.

“You obviously can’t bump their legs, so we’ll go in over the top and wrap them up, just hope we don’t hit them late,” Bellamy said.

“Harry wasn’t even looking. At the end of the day I suppose he’s got to take that responsibility, and ok, look where you’re going and try and avoid making contact there, but at the end of the day that’s out of my control.”

Bellamy said it set a new benchmark for what qualifies a sin bin.

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“With any rules, all we’ve got is consistency so that’s the mark now,” he said. “You touch his leg, doesn’t matter how hard, and you go to the bin.”

Tigers lock Isaiah Papali’i was also sanctioned by the match review committee for tripping Leo Thompson in the Tigers 20-14 loss to the Knights on Saturday.

Papali’i is facing a one-game suspension for the trip, which occurred in the 21st minute of the game.

Newcastle prop Daniel Saifiti has also been handed a one-match ban from that game, for a careless high tackle on Jake Simpkin.

Both Papali’i and Saifiti risk having their bans upgraded to two-matches if they decide to test their fate at the judiciary on Tuesday night.

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