State of Origin legend Andrew Johns has called upon new NSW Blues coach Matt King to add a former Australian Kangaroos playmaker James Maloney to his coaching staff for next year’s series.
Succeeding Laurie Daley as coach, King will lead the Blues into a new era and will need the right people around him as he looks to build on the state’s recent success.
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This saw Johns float the idea of bringing James Maloney into the Blues coaching staff alongside current assistants Brent White and Boyd Cordner.
A 14-time representative for NSW, Maloney previously served as an assistant with the North Queensland Cowboys and holds strong relationships with several current Blues players such as Nathan Cleary.
“Someone who would be really good, the yin and yang, is Jimmy Maloney” former Blues halfback Andrew Johns said on Freddy and The Eighth.
“Jimmy has obviously played with Nathan (Cleary), he’s played with a lot of those Penrith blokes and he played at Origin level.
“You need that, because it’s so serious – and it should be – but you need someone like that and his timing is perfect.
“He knows when to be the village idiot and when to be serious.”
BEARS CONFIRM NEWEST SIGNING
Engllish international Morgan Smithies has turned down an extension from the Canberra Raiders to sign a multi-year contract with the Perth Bears.
The fourth English player to sign with the club, Smithies has agreed to a three-year contract with the NRL’s expansion club who will enter the competition in 2027 with an option for an extra two seasons.
This means he could potentially remain in Western Australia until the end of the 2031 season.
“The opportunity to make history and be a part of the Perth Bears was too good to refuse,” Smithies said.
“It will be great to reconnect with a few of the lads from back home in Perth. Mal and his staff have assembled a very strong roster and it’s an honour to be a part of it.
“This is a new chapter for my family as well. We are committed to the Perth Bears and it’s an exciting opportunity to build our life in Western Australia.”
Playing nearly 200 matches across the Super League and NRL, Smithies has been a key piece of the Green Machine’s success in the nation’s capital, racking up 67 appearances over the past few years.
“Morgan is a fantastic person who has succeeded at just about every level of the game,” coach Mal Meninga said.
“He’s only 25 years-old and has played nearly 200 games across Super League and the NRL.
“He brings big game experience, a fantastic work ethic and, most important of all, is a selfless teammate.
“I’m delighted Morgan and his family believe in what we are creating in Perth and I have no doubt he will be a big part of this club for many years to come.”
KNIGHTS MAKE BIG SIGNING COUP
The Newcastle Knights have secured the future of rookie forward Francis Manuleleua until the end of the 2028 season after a breakout past few months.
Arriving at the club from the Penrith Panthers ahead of last season, Manuleleua has continued to impress at the Knights and was rewarded with his NRL debut in Round 3.
Since then, the New Zealand-born product has gone on to feature in seven more matches and has slowly worked his way up from the extended six-man interchange bench to the starting side.
“Francis has always been an exciting young player, what has impressed me the most is how hard he has worked, both in preseason training since November and throughout the season,” coach Justin Holbrook said.
“He has always had the talent, what was lacking was the work ethic, to his credit Francis has turned that around to get himself into a position to play NRL and become a regular NRL player.
“From a coaching point of view, you want to see how much a player progresses, Francis attention to detail has ensured he has continued to improve every week.
“We are thrilled he has decided to continue his career with us at the Knights.”
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Originally discovered by the club’s Head of Recruitment Peter O’Sullivan at the age of 14, Manuleleua is destined for a long and bright career in first-grade and is only just getting started.
“We’ve seen the talent he has, if he keeps his head down and keeps working hard he could be anything,” teammate Kalyn Ponga told media on Wednesday.
“For him to commit to the club is definitely a good feeling for us. You just want someone like that to keep getting better.”
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FAINU’S FIJI BID REJECTED
It has been revealed that the Fainu brothers – Sione, Samuela and Latu – have failed in their bid to represent Fiji at the upcoming 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
While they are eligible to represent both New Zealand and Tonga, the Wests Tigers trio were keen to represent Fiji at the end of the year because of their grandmother.
However, they have been unable to provide credible documents which would support their application to represent the nation.
“All three are eligible for Tonga and NZ but believe they have Fijian heritage that they wish to honour,” Troy Grant, the International Rugby League (IRL) Chairman, told CODE Sports.
“Unfortunately they’ve been unable to establish with accredited records from Fiji.
“IRL have no issues with their application or desire to represent Fiji as it’s evident they have a genuine desire to play for Fiji and during heritage round recently flew both the Tongan and Fijian fags.
“The IRL has rigid eligibility criteria and have given them more time to provide credible documents to support their application.”