As they jostle to be included as part of the NRL’s expansion plans, the Pacific country has been handed a massive boost by its Australian neighbours.
Luke Keary backflipped on retirement call to join Catalans on a two-year dealPapua New Guinea’s push to be part of the NRL expansion has received a major boost with the rugby league-mad country to join Australia in hosting matches during the 2026 World Cup.
The schedule for the 10 men’s teams, eight women’s sides and eight wheelchair squads has not been finalised. The tournament was originally due to be played in France before the government abandoned hosting rights. Australia last hosted the World Cup in 2017 - when PNG also hosted round-robin matches featuring the Kumuls – and the Kangaroos have been crowned world champions in the last three events.John Bateman will not play for the Wests Tigers again this season after being granted a short-term release to play in the Super League.
The New Zealand international was told he would not have his $750,000-a-year contract renewed beyond 2025, and Penrith needed only a few days to swoop. “Stef is still trying to put his best foot forward,” Koroisau said. “I don’t think the games our middles. We’re giving away a lot of possession, making a lot of tackles, and putting our forwards on the back foot.”
“‘Robbo’ came to me a few months ago out of the blue and asked but I didn’t give it too much thought at the start,” Keary said. He joins the likes of James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce, as well as Robinson, in moving to southern France, bouncing the idea off each of them as negotiations progressed. At 197 centimetres and 120 kilos, Paseka is one of the largest players in the game and has spoken previously of “playing to his true size” and potential, particularly since Anthony Seibold arrived at Manly in late-2021.
“If I can keep playing the way I’m playing then the next thing is being the pack leader. I’d love to take that role on.“First you follow, and then you lead. So I’m just taking it slow at the moment, just doing my job and then hopefully I can slide into that leadership role.” Only the Raiders and Panthers have more players signed for 2026 and beyond than Manly, with Paseka viewed as the club’s long-term forward leader.
The suspension marks the third time Sezer has been in strife for a hip-drop tackle, after copping a four-game ban for one on Josh Curran in May.
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