Briefs

Sports

Walters confident
BRISBANE: Kevin Walters is confident he has not lost the dressing room at the Broncos and is sure he can turn the team around that he believes they can win a premiership within three years. Brisbane are running last on the Telstra Premiership ladder with a 3-12 record, conceding 482 points at more than 32 points per game in Walters’s first year at the helm since Anthony Seibold’s tenure came to an abrupt end late last season. Walters said he believed the club was improving.

Holbrook devastated
BRISBANE: Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook admits he needs more resilient footballers at the Titans after they seemingly forgot how to defend in the embarrassing 24-56 loss to Manly at Cbus Super Stadium. The Titans led 24-8 after a perfectly executed first half but then conceded an astonishing nine tries in a deplorable 48-0 second half that Holbrook rated as bad as he’s ever witnessed as coach.“It’s the lowest I’ve felt watching that second half unfold,” he said.

Barrett critical
SYDNEY: Trent Barrett wants the NRL to explain why several big calls went against his side in the second half during Canterbury’s 10-36 loss to Parramatta. Barrett walked into his post-match press conference armed with a list of issues, including an 2-8 set-restart count against his side and 1-4 penalty ledger. His biggest concern was again consistency with the NRL’s crackdown, after play was taken back for Luke Thompson to be sin-binned for a high shot on Dylan Brown.

Dallin joins Warriors
SYDNEY: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s move to the Warriors is complete after being farewelled with a haka by Canterbury teammates.
Watene-Zelezniak told Bulldogs players in the sheds after their 10-36 loss to Parramatta he had played his last game for the NRL club. That prompted an impromptu haka in the sheds at Bankwest Stadium, led by Bulldogs welfare manager Luke Goodwin. The Kiwis skipper has signed a three-year deal with the Warriors.

Trbojevic hailed
SYDNEY: After another superstar display there’s no doubt in Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans’ mind that Tom Trbojevic is the best player in the NRL. And he’s convinced it’s going to stay that way. In what may have been an ominous display for the Queensland captain, the New South Wales Origin star played a starring role as the Sea Eagles piled on nine tries in the second half to claim a thumping 56-24 win over Gold Coast on Sunday.

All Blacks named
SYDNEY: All Blacks have picked the squad to play Tonga and Fiji. All Blacks: Asafo Aumua, Dane Coles, Codie Taylor, George Bower, Ethan de Groot, Nepo Laulala, Tyrel Lomax, Angus Ta’avao, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Sam Whitelock. Ethan Blackadder. Shannon Frizell, Akira Ioane, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papalii, Ardie Savea, Hoskins Sotutu, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber. Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo’unga. Braydon Ennor, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Quinn Tupaea. Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Will Jordan, Damian McKenzie, Sevu Reece. – Agencies