Fatima Kdouh
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Articles by Fatima Kdouh
Why evergreen Knights veteran Dane Gagai wants not one, but two, Maroons jerseys from Queensland coach Billy Slater
Dane Gagai is swapping jerseys with a rival player after every game this year, but don’t mistake it as a farewell tour for the Knights veteran. Like Aussie pop icon John Farnham’s farewell tour that wasn’t, this year isn’t a rugby league swan song for Gagai, who is still unsigned for next season. But that hasn’t stopped the 35-year old from embarking on a jersey jaunt as ambitious as his desire to run around for a 17th season in the NRL in 2027.
North Sydney Bears player Noah Johannssen dies aged 22
The rugby league world is in mourning after the tragic death of young North Sydney Bears player Noah Johannssen. On Sunday, the Bears confirmed on social media the sudden death of Johannssen, the younger brother of former Tigers player Tim Johannssen. Johannssen, a young prop, joined the Bears five months ago and quickly made a lasting impression on his club and teammates. The 22-year old played nine NSW Cup games for the Wests Tigers in 2025 before joining the Bears ahead of this season.
NRL teams round 2: David Fifita’s personalised training plan for ongoing foot injury
It was a low-key start to South Sydney’s preparations for their blockbuster against fierce rivals the Sydney Roosters but there was a notable absentee at Heffron Park on Tuesday morning. Players went through a relaxed session, which included some running and stretching, but there was no sign of star recruit David Fifita – at least not on the training track. Club officials confirmed the behemoth backrower is not under any injury cloud and will be available for selection.
Australia v New Zealand: Jillaroos hang on for tough 10-4 win
Aussie debutant Abbi Church starred in Sunday’s nail-biting 10-4 win over the Kiwi Ferns, as the Jillaroos sweat on the fitness of two key spine players ahead of next week’s Pacific Championship final. There are no bigger shoes to fill than that of two-time Dally M winner Tamika Upton, who was ruled out of Sunday’s Eden Park clash with a calf injury. But replacement fullback Abbi Church stood up in her first outing in the Green and Gold.
NRL Round 25 teams: Bulldogs set to welcome back key forward
Cameron Ciraldo is set to welcome back Sitili Tupouniua for Friday’s blockbuster against Melbourne, as the Canterbury coach locked in a key forward signing for 2026. Tupouniua is on track for a timely return against the Storm at AAMI Park after spending the last five weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. The former Roosters backrower has had a disrupted season due to on-going hamstring issues and suspension, limiting him to just seven games in his first year at Belmore.
NRL 2025: Will the NSW loss leave the Panthers with an Origin hangover?
NSW’s loss in the Origin decider has left Penrith’s Blues contingent dejected and at least one Panthers charger, in backrower Liam Martin, wounded. But can the four-time premiers, who are clinging onto the sixth place on the ladder, overcome an Origin hangover? The Panthers went into the Origin period slumped at 17th on the NRL ladder.
NRL teams round 8: Dragons unveil tryscoring freak Sione Finau, Tom Trbojevic confirmed
St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan will turn to young flyer Sione Finau as Mat Feagai’s replacement on the wing. Feagai could spend up to three months on the sideline after a hip drop tackle by Manly’s Toafofoa Sipley left him with a fibula fracture and high-grade ankle injury. Finau was activated as 18th man when Feagai came off the field as a result of the foul play by Sipley.
Canterbury Bulldogs v South Sydney Rabbitohs, Dolphins v Melbourne Storm: Start time, odds, teams
It’s hard to believe the big-hitting Sitili Tupouniua spent his final season at the Sydney Roosters feeling weak. The Canterbury forward had been forced to go under the knife to repair a bulging disc in his neck after a tackle went wrong during a Roosters training session in 2023. He returned to the field in 2024 and played 21 games but did so at only ‘70 per cent fitness’. The disc injury, even though repaired, came with a nerve problem that left him under strength and low on confidence.
NRL Panthers v Cowboys, Rabbitohs v Roosters, start time, teams, live scores
Champion Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary says the four-time premiers have not hit ‘panic stations’ but conceded there is a tension building over breaking the side’s three-game losing streak. Cleary’s return from a head knock against the Cowboys will give the titleholders a much needed confidence boost in trying to avoid another loss on Friday night.
NRL Panthers v Cowboys, Rabbitohs v Roosters, start time, teams, live scores
Champion Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary says the four-time premiers have not hit ‘panic stations’ but conceded there is a tension building over breaking the side’s three-game losing streak. Cleary’s return from a head knock against the Cowboys will give the titleholders a much needed confidence boost in trying to avoid another loss on Friday night. Penrith have not lost four consecutive matches since 2019, the last time the Panthers failed to make a finals series.
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Penrith Panthers Live Updates: Start time, odds, preview
Wayne Bennett wants Alex Johnston to be a one-club player but concedes it will be up to the veteran flyer to decide whether or not he stays at South Sydney beyond 2025. Johnston has been named on the wing to take on four-time premiers Penrith on Thursday night in his first game since suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in August last year. The 30-year old is unsigned for 2026 and the club is yet to kick-off contract talks over the possibility of an extension.
Dragons v Rabbitohs, Cowboys v Sharks, Raiders v Broncos Live Updates: Live updates, start time, odds, preview Original
Welcome to our live coverage of the second instalment of Super Saturday this season, with the Dragons and Rabbitohs kicking off three compelling fixtures. The Cowboys and Sharks look to bounce back from opening round losses, before the high-flying Broncos head to the capital to take on Ricky Stuart’s Raiders. Follow all the SuperCoach scores and analysis in our blog below.
Dragons v Rabbitohs, Cowboys v Sharks, Raiders v Broncos Live Updates: Live updates, start time, odds, preview Original
It is Keaon Koloamatangi’s job to terrorise halfbacks and on Saturday against St George Illawarra not even his close friend and former South Sydney teammate Lachlan Ilias will be safe. A lean Koloamatangi has shed 10kg over the pre-season but not lost a single ounce of mean. If anything Koloamatangi is meaner than ever, wanting to rip off heads of halfbacks as he looks to cement his spot as one of the NRL’s elite back rowers in 2025.
NRLW 2025 Draw: Twelve teams, eleven rounds and revamped finals
The NRLW finals have been revamped with the competition’s best six teams to do battle for next year’s women’s premiership in a three-week playoff series. The addition of Canterbury and re-entry of the Warriors into the NRLW has seen the draw expanded to 11 regular season rounds, with each of the 12 teams to play each other once in 2025. Week one of the finals series will be do-or-die with two elimination showdowns, while the best two teams of the season getting the week off.
NRLW 2025: Stars call for earlier season, schedule overhaul, compensation for leave ahead of draw release
Senior NRLW players Jess Sergis and Kezie Apps have called for an overhaul of the women’s calendar ahead of the 2025 draw release this month. In camp with the Jillaroos ahead of Sunday’s Pacific Cup final against New Zealand, two of the game’s biggest names have thrown their support behind a shift of NRLW season to the start of the year to avoid coming into State of Origin cold.
NRLW: Three-time title winner Olivia Higgins reveals emotional story behind achieving dream of playing for Jillaroos
Olivia Higgins would be writing school reports this week had the Jillaroos hooker given up on the dream to play representative football 12 months ago. Fresh from winning her third NRLW title, the Knights dummy half was weighing up retirement all together in 2023. The 32-year old believed the chance to play for her state and country would never come. But her form in 2024 not only earned Higgins selection for NSW Sky Blues but also that illusive Test debut.
NRLW 2024: Jillaroos debutant Sarah Togatuki credits Penrith Panthers premiership winners for her rise
Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton haven’t just helped the Panthers make rugby league history, the Penrith premiership winners have also helped to create a Jillaroos star. They’re the free footy clinics in Sydney’s west, run by NRL premiership winners Stephen Crichton and Brian To’o, that helped create a Jillaroos star.
NRL finals schedule: Cronulla Sharks v North Queensland Cowboys, Sydney Roosters v Manly Sea Eagles locked in
Manly’s semi-final hopes against the Sydney Roosters will rest on the shoulders of Tom Trbojevic, who made a successful return from an AC joint injury but not without a scare or two. The superstar fullback looked hampered at times but proved to be a crucial cog in Manly’s courageous 24-22 win over Canterbury. Flyer Jason Saab is a chance to return from an ankle injury but coach Anthony Seibold will find it hard to oust Tommy Talau or boom rookie Lehi Hopoate.
NRL teams round 27: Felise Kaufusi cleared to play, nine SuperCoach studs ruled out in final-round carnage
The Dolphins have received a massive boost ahead of their do-or-die showdown with the Knights after hitman Felise Kaufusi avoided a ban having had his dangerous contact charge downgraded at the judiciary. Kaufusi was hit with a grade two dangerous contact charge for a tackle on Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds that forced him from the field for a head injury assessment, with the pair mouthing off as they crossed paths on the sideline after the Dolphins star was sent to the sin bin.
NRL teams round 11, Magic Round: Joey Manu out for Roosters, Nicho Hynes named for Sharks
We thought the injury carnage was over but it’s not. SuperCoach stud Joey Manu is the latest player added to the round 11 casualty ward due to concussion. And while he’s only expected to miss one week, his injury spikes the trade plans of thousands of SuperCoaches who had purchased prior to Team List Tuesday, not to mention the 32,000 who already own him. Given the injury crisis, it’s going to be a Boost-a-thon this week so get prepped for a mammoth teams analysis.
NRL teams round 10: SuperCoach cheapie Ben Trbojevic returns for Manly, Nathan Cleary named
Melbourne half Jahrome Hughes has been ruled out of Saturday night’s blockbuster against Cronulla at AAMI Park but fullback sensation Su’a Faalogo has been cleared to take over the No.1 jersey in the absence of Ryan Papenhuyzen. Hughes picked up a calf injury in the Storm’s win over the Titans and will miss at least one week, with Tyran Wishart expected to deputise at halfback in his absence.
NRL teams round 10: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves among four gun Roosters making comebacks
The Sydney Roosters engine room is set for a double boost on Sunday with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Spencer Leniu to be named against the Warriors. Sunday’s clash will mark Leniu’s return to the field after spending eight weeks on the sideline for calling Brisbane’s Ezra Mam a ‘monkey’ in round one in Las Vegas. SCROLL DOWN FOR ROB SUTHERLAND’S LIVE SUPERCOACH Q&A It will also be Waerea-Hargreaves’ 300th club game for the Bondi club.
NRL teams round 8 live Q&A: Young Eels half Ethan Sanders firms for debut
Parramatta skipper Clint Gutherson has shut down talk of a switch into the No.6 jumper but revealed rising playmaker Ethan Sanders could be in line for an NRL debut this weekend against Manly. It’s understood Sanders has told the club he is leaving at season’s end – it’s believed the youngster has agreed to terms to Canberra.
NRL 2024: Dolphins sponsor Alternaleaf covered up after Therapeutic Goods Administration launch legal action
Just hours before they took the field in Darwin, the Dolphins were told they must cover up new front-of-jersey sponsor Alternaleaf, after the Therapeutic Goods Administration commenced legal action. The Dolphins will have to keep taping over their new front-of-jersey sponsor, a medicinal cannabis clinic, after the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) commenced legal action against its parent company.
NRL round 2 teams: Benji’s teen gamble, cheapie starts for Souths
The Benji Marshall era at the Wests Tigers has begun with a bombshell selection in the halves with teen sensation Lachlan Galvin set to start at five-eighth against Canberra, with experienced recruit Aidan Sezer named on the bench. Galvin had a solid pre-season and was tipped to play some NRL later in the year, but Marshall clearly believes in him and has backed him in against the Raiders.
NRL 2024 round one: SuperCoach analysis, live reaction to squad reveals
Teams for the historic split round are in - and Cameron Ciraldo has confirmed whispers of several selection shocks. See every squad for round 1. ***WATCH OUR LIVE TEAMS VODCAST IN THE PLAYER ABOVE*** KNIGHTS v RAIDERS Thursday, 7th March, 8pm, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle Knights 1. Kalyn Ponga, 2. Enari Tuala 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Dylan Lucas 13.
NRL 2023: How the rebuild of Canterbury’s junior pathways will return to the Bulldogs to its glory days
Bred not bought – that is the renewed approach Canterbury are taking to developing its next crop of playmakers the club is hoping will prop up its future success in the NRL. Quality halves a scarce commodity in rugby league, so the Bulldogs have decided to nurture their own. Twelve months ago Canterbury supremo Phil Gould created a ‘halves academy’, to develop every playmaker at the club from Harold Matthews (under-17) through to NRL level.
NRL Market Watch: South Sydney’s Keaon Koloamatangi set to attract big interest
South Sydney star Keaon Koloamatangi doesn’t want to drag out a decision on his future but the Tongan international is poised to be at the centre of a bidding war from November 1. Koloamatangi will hit the open market in just over three weeks and already rivals Canberra and St George Illawarra are expected to make plays for the 25-year-old. Koloamatangi’s manager Tyran Smith is in talks with the Rabbitohs about an extension beyond 2024.
NRL news: Rabbitohs great Nathan Merritt placed on life support, reaction to pain medication
South Sydney great Nathan Merritt has been labelled a “fighter” as he remains on life support at a Sydney hospital after collapsing over the weekend. The sister of Nathan Merritt has labelled the former South Sydney star a “fighter” as she revealed he remains in a critical condition. Teanne Merritt’s emotional words came as the rugby league community united behind her brother, who was rushed to Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Friday after being found unresponsive.
NRL 2023: Ivan Cleary’s hilarious 20-minute Penrith Panthers awards night speech
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary loosened his tie and delivered a memorable speech at the club’s awards night, including a couple of light-hearted jabs at rival clubs. Inside the epic 20-minute speech. Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has continued the club’s three-peat celebrations by stealing the show with a hilarious 20-minute speech at their annual awards night.
Rugby league tests: Samoa to retain Crichton, concussion protocols claim Suaalii
Penrith have lost Stephen Crichton and now the Canterbury-bound three-time premiership winner will be lost to the Australian Kangaroos after committing his international future to Samoa. It comes as new Samoan coach Ben Gardiner revealed Sydney Roosters star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been ruled out of selection with concussion issues.
NRL 2023: Penrith Panthers grand final party kicks on in fancy dress
There were UFC megastars, cult figure WWE wrestlers and movie icons – take a look inside Penrith’s Mad Monday celebrations as the three-peat superstars grand final party rolls on. Fresh from winning a historic three-straight premierships, and a trophy presentation with fans, Penrith players swapped their official team kit on Monday for costumes, fake beards and even fake tattoos.
NRL grand final 2023: Penrith Panthers boss delivers Las Vegas four-peat promise to ecstatic fans
Penrith made sure there was no repeat of last year’s controversy at the club’s fan day as Panthers players greeted a 4,000-strong crowd at their trophy celebration. See the pictures. Penrith boss Brian Fletcher is planning to check in some extra special cargo when the NRL champions jet off to Las Vegas in early 2025 – a fourth Provan-Summons trophy.
NRL grand final: Nathan Cleary carried his Panthers to victory, his teammates relive the moment
Nathan Cleary watched Jarome Luai make his way off the back of the field and knew it was on him. If Penrith were to complete the greatest comeback on the sport’s biggest stage, it would be in his hands. Cleary would need to put the Panthers on his back and drag them back into a contest that was drifting away. What unfolded was the greatest 20 minutes of rugby league the game has seen.
NRL grand final: Nicholas Tadros and Ivan Cleary share a moment after epic victory
Video Watch the touching moment between SeaWorld helicopter crash survivor Nicholas Tadros and the three-time premiership-winning coach Ivan Cleary in the Panthers dressing room Sunday night. Thank you. They’re the two words from Nicholas Tadros, the brave young boy who survived the SeaWorld helicopter crash, that melted Ivan Cleary’s heart. This masthead captured the touching moment between Tadros and the three-time premiership-winning coach in the Panthers dressing room Sunday night.
NRL grand final 2023: Tina Turner NRL tribute, Tina Turner musical NRL grand final
Tina Turner left her mark on the game thirty years ago, and before the 2023 decider, the rock icon’s classic tracks once again lit up the NRL grand final. Tina Turner rocked the grand final thirty years ago and on Sunday evening the rock star’s classics lit up Accor Stadium once again. In a fitting tribute paying homage to Turner’s 30-year contribution to rugby league the cast of ‘Tina – The Tina Turner Musical’ belted out the songstress’s iconic tunes to the delight of the sellout crowd.
NRL 2023 Grand Final: Zac Hosking and Corey Oates set to join long list of grand final heart break stories
Zac Hosking and Corey Oates are set to join the list of players to suffer grand final heartbreak even before a single minute of the decider has been played. One has been a mainstay for Penrith this season, the other a stalwart for Brisbane over the last decade. But both the Panthers forward Zac Hosking and Broncos winger Corey Oates are set to taste grand final heartache after missing out on the 17-man squads set to run out onto Accor Stadium on Sunday night.
Panthers playlist: Inside Penrith’s boom-box culture and what players listen to before games
Panthers CEO – chief energy officer – Jarome Luai may control the boombox but his teammates own eclectic music tastes. This is what’s on Penrith’s grand final playlist. From gospel music to AC/DC’s Hells Bells, reggae to R&B, Penrith are the boombox kings. It’s the soundtrack to a Panthers bandwagon that’s rolled into four successive grand finals. On Sunday, against the Brisbane Broncos, the Penrith sound could help deliver a third straight premiership.
Dally M confessions: NRL and NRLW stars’ red carpet tell-all on teammates, grand final, superstitions
Video Apisai Koroisau has revealed the moment that caused him to hold a grudge against former Panthers teammate Jarome Luai. And why the NRL needs it. See all the Dally M confessions. Api Koroisau gets why Penrith star Jarome Luai attracts so much ‘hate’ because the Wests Tigers hooker himself once had beef with his former Panthers teammate. Luai’s competitive nature on the field and candid approach off it has resulted in the five-eighth attracting detractors and admirers.
NRL grand final 2023: John Cartwright pledges allegiance to Brisbane Broncos
His family built the Penrith Panthers, and he played almost 200 games for the club, but John Cartwright has just one goal in Sunday’s grand final. His family is Penrith royalty but John Cartwright will elbow all emotion and sentiment to one side in Sunday’s NRL grand final, declaring: “I’m a Bronco now.” Cartwright, Brisbane’s assistant coach, will be conspiring to take down the mighty Panthers, his childhood club which six of his relatives have proudly represented.
NRL grand final 2023: Penrith’s quiet achiever Izack Tago eyes Dally M centre of year award
He loves books, has three phones and doesn’t feel worthy of being nominated for Dally M centre of the year. Meet Penrith’s quiet achiever Izack Tago. Tago is in the running for the prestigious award on Wednesday night, alongside star centres Bradman Best, Campbell Graham, Kotoni Staggs, Herbie Farnworth and teammate Stephen Crichton. Hamstring and pectoral injuries have limited Tago to just 14 games in the regular season but his performances were enough to capture the attention of Dally M judges.
NRL grand final 2023: Penrith or Brisbane? Which bandwagon will Sydneysiders jump on?
Sworn enemies are putting their vendettas against Penrith aside, even if it is for one night only. It comes as Panthers boss Brian Fletcher called on fans of archrivals Parramatta to get on the bandwagon even though the wound from last year’s grand final loss has barely scabbed over. Already one Eels great, Nathan Hindmarsh, who never won a title during his time at Parramatta, has found himself caught up in the Panthers frenzy.
NRL 2023: Broncos legend Corey Parker’s seven reasons why Brisbane can win the title
Brisbane premiership winner Corey Parker believes the Broncos are full of arrogance and it will be the crucial ingredient in breaking the club’s 17-year premiership drought. Add in the experience of veteran halfback Adam Reynolds and X-factor Reece Walsh, the Broncos are in the box seat to win their first title since 2006. The Fox Sports expert reveals the seven reasons the Broncos can win it all in 2023, and where their premiership campaign can come undone.
NRL finals late mail: Ivan Cleary provides fitness update on Panthers stars Jarome Luai, Izack Tago
All eyes are on Penrith’s injured stars Jarome Luai and Izack Tago — and coach Ivan Cleary has provided an update ahead of their clash with Melbourne. Keep up with all the latest team news Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has confirmed five-eighth Jarome Luai and centre Izack Tago will take the field in a huge double boost for the back-to-back premiers.
NRL 2023: Penrith Panthers respond to Melbourne Storm’s bizarre jersey training stunt
Moses Leota called it “weird” and Lindsay Smith giggled when he was asked about it. Melbourne’s tactic of training in opposition jerseys has remerged this week and was met with a mixed response from Penrith’s front rowers on Wednesday. The Storm’s second-string side were spotted training in Penrith jerseys during an opposed session, something Melbourne did wearing Roosters kit ahead of the 2018 grand final.
NRL 2023: Stephen Crichton on leaving Penrith, joining Canterbury Bulldogs, Preliminary final Melbourne Storm
Putting pen to paper on a lucrative deal at Canterbury was an agonising decision for Penrith star Stephen Crichton, but still easier than breaking the news to his close friend and teammate Brian To’o. Not even the conversation Crichton had with coach Ivan Cleary after signing a four-year deal with the Bulldogs in January was as tough. The revelation comes as Crichton, who is still only 22-years old, has also left the door ajar for a return to his beloved Panthers in the future.
NRL Early Mail: Jarome Luai on track to tackle Melbourne Storm
Penrith winger Brian To’o is backing Jarome Luai to pull of a “miracle” and return from a shoulder injury, while ruling out another star teammate for Friday’s preliminary final against Melbourne. Luai hasn’t played since dislocating his left shoulder against Parramatta back in round 26. But the five-eighth has returned to training and completing Penrith’s first field session this week on Sunday morning.
NRL 2023: The unlikely NRL rise of Newcastle Knights forward Leo Thompson
Four years after joking in a New Zealand pub about giving the NRL ‘a crack’, Leo Thompson, a rising union prospect who had never played a game of league, is preparing to lead Newcastle’s semi-final charge. At the time, Thompson brushed off the chat with former Warriors prop Charlie Gubb as nothing more than a bit of banter and didn’t give the conversation a second thought. Unbeknown to Thompson, Gubb had taken upon himself to reach out to rugby league recruitment guru, the late Peter Mulholland.
NRL Market Watch: Every Rooster’s contract status, only eight players signed for 2025
Life after veteran five-eighth Luke Keary doesn’t look so bleak at the Sydney Roosters after young guns Sam Walker and Sandon Smith pledged to take the club into the future as the long-term halves combination. Rising playmaker Smith is on a development contract until the end of 2024 but is hoping for a top-30 upgrade after telling this masthead: “I’ll stay here as long as the club wants me.” “Everyone around me, the coaches, my teammates and the culture, it has been awesome.
NRL 2023: Dom Young Newcastle try video, Martin Offiah, New Zealand v Knights final
When Martin Offiah reached out to countryman Dominic Young last year, the legendary English speedster had no idea it would help ignite the NRL career of the Newcastle winger. With his blond-tip dreadlocks, towering frame and blistering pace, Young is the most charismatic English winger to hit Australian shores since ‘Chariots’ Offiah more than 30 years ago.
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