STRAIN RULES OUT GRANT
QUEENSLAND Origin sensation Harry Grant will miss the first three rounds of the competition after injuring his knee in Saturday’s trial.
The 23-year-old Rockhampton product had scans on Monday, which revealed a “high-grade MCL strain”.
Grant was in line to claim the Melbourne No 9 jersey in the post-cameron Smith era at the Storm, however, that dream will be delayed for at least a month.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy will hand the hooking duties over to versatile Kiwi international Brandon Smith for the opening games of the NRL season.
“I thought Brandon was good when he went to that position and he’ll step in there if Harry is no good,” Bellamy said on Saturday.
“He’s a very handy player, Brandon.
“He can play in the ruck and adds a lot of energy.”
A SAD state of affairs has tarnished the once-revered Broncos jersey, but club great Gorden Tallis has backed Kevin Walters to guide Brisbane through one of its toughest periods in history.
Speaking as part of this week’s competition to reveal every club’s best jersey, Tallis took a trip down memory lane over his favourite strips, as well as giving his assessment of the state of the Broncos.
The “Raging Bull” played in three premiership-winning Broncos sides and said it was “disappointing” to see his old club claim the wooden spoon last year.
He backed Walters to lead a resurgence, but warned it wouldn’t happen overnight.
“Kevvie was the brains for us when we were playing and it was a great style of footy that we played and rugby league hasn’t changed that much since,” Tallis said. “The players just have to buy in.”
Tallis played 160 games in some of the most memorable Broncos kits, including the 1997, 1998 and 2000 premiershipwinning jerseys.
But he finds the club’s original strip the most appealing.
“Nothing beats the original,” he said. “There are a lot of jerseys that I like, but I’d probably have to throw the North Sydney jersey in there.
“Over the years, every team has had a great jersey.”
THE Aussie T20 squad discussed boycotting locked-down Auckland for the fourth clash with New Zealand even before it was moved, with the remaining three games now to all be played in Wellington.
New Zealand Cricket has shifted the fifth and final match of the series, scheduled for Sunday, from Tauranga to Wellington.
And all three remaining matches will be played behind closed doors due to Auckland’s COVID-19 outbreak after packed houses for the opening two games.
They had already moved Thursday‘s game four to Wellington from Auckland.
Spinner Ashton Agar said the players were considering a boycott of the proposed Eden Park match before it was shifted and were resigned to the new reality of playing in empty stadiums.
“They’ve made sure that they’ve looked after the players’ mental and physical wellbeing,” Agar said.