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15th July 2018, 3:38 pm == SALFORD are set to make a move for hooker Joey Lussick. The Red Devils are believed to have identified the 22-year-old Manly Sea Eagles starlet as their next signing. NAPARAZZI Joey Lussick is believed to be a target for Salford And the Australian could be in as soon as this week. Lussick is the younger brother of Toronto Wolfpack player Darcy, meaning he may have a base in the UK sorted as the Canadian side trains in Manchester. Lussick has only made one appearance in the NRL, in round 20 last year, and would be joined by former team-mate Jackson Hastings. The scrum-half is waiting for a visa after signing a deal until the end of the season. Ben Nakubuwai has been one of the Red Devils' shining lights this season Salford coach Ian Watson admitted he was down to his last 17 fit players as their defeat to Castleford condemned them to a relegation battle through the Qualifiers. Hooker Logan Tomkins is among the latest to go down for up to six weeks after...

13th July 2018, 5:40 am == IAN WATSON is down to his last 17 fit players as Salford’s injury crisis leaves them facing a relegation battle. And some of those maybe should not play while Logan Tomkins defied the pain of a stress fracture in his leg pretty much all season. GETTY Salford coach Ian Watson admits he is down to his last 17 fit players The cash-strapped Red Devils, waiting for new Aussie signing Jackson Hastings' visa to come through, are likely to finish in the Qualifiers barring a miracle in the last three games before Super League’s split. Hooker Tomkins along with winger Greg Johnson, who was injured as he scored at Hull KR, is the latest to go down for up to six weeks but boss Watson will not play players continually through the pain barrier as it will do more long-term harm than good. He said: “Logan’s played a large chunk of the season with a stress fracture. He had it in pre-season and we took him completely off his feet. It happened again during the season and ...

12th July 2018, 11:52 am == JOSH Drinkwater’s Catalan rescue work has put him on half of Super League's wanted lists. But he also has an agreement which may see him head back to NRL side Wests Tigers. SWPIX.COM Josh Drinkwater is attracting plenty of attention after his impact at Catalans Dragons The former Leigh half-back’s arrival has transformed the Dragons’ season – after appearing like no-hopers, Steve McNamara’s men are now looking set for a top eight spot and are just one game from Wembley. However, the Aussie’s role has definitely not gone unnoticed, especially as he is out of contract at the end of the season. “I’ll be in full-time rugby next season,” said Drinkwater, who was plucked from reserve grade rugby in Australia. “I’ve had a really good meeting with one other club in England. “But my manager has spoken to three or four others and when I left Wests Tigers, I said to them they have first refusal on me if I decide to go back to Australia." CATALANS DRAGONS Dr...

10th July 2018, 5:53 am == ROBERT Elstone has threatened Super League clubs they may be kicked out if they do not have commitment to youth development. The lack of a reserve grade is a huge point of contention in the 13-a-side code, with some clubs operating second string side voluntarily. Robert Elstone (second right) believes Super League clubs must do everything they can in terms of youth development And Salford do not even have an academy side, meaning there is nothing below the first team. Now the competition’s new chief executive has issued a dire warning if sides do not get their act together. Elstone will be chairing a Super League board meeting today, where a number of issues will be discussed - not least the future of the Super 8s which he wants rid off. Getty - Contributor Robert Elstone is determined to revolutionise the way Super League operates But he told the Whippets and Flat Caps podcast: “If Super League clubs are not pulling their weight in terms of youth developm...

6th July 2018, 11:11 am == KEVIN Sinfield has made a shock return to Leeds to replace sacked coach Brian McDermott. The legendary former captain has been named the Rhinos’ new Director of Rugby with James Lowes as first team coach. Kevin Sinfield has returned to Leeds Rhinos as Director of Rugby Sinfield’s appointment represents a new way of working at the defending Super League champions, who currently sit ninth in the table. He will take on many of chief executive Gary Hetherington’s roles as well as working with the rugby Football League to ensure there is a smooth handover of his Rugby Director role, for which his contract runs out at the end of the season. The 37-year-old said: “To follow on from Brian McDermott is a huge challenge but one I am excited about. “Brian will be remembered as the most successful coach the club has ever had and his record speaks for itself. I enjoyed playing under him and our task now, as a club, is to take the legacy he has helped to nurture and move...

5th July 2018, 5:45 am == JERMAINE McGillvary has made a stunning admission – he could give up rugby league tomorrow. And he may either set himself up as a property tycoon or a personal trainer. MAGIPIX Huddersfield and England star Jermaine McGillvary admits he could give up rugby league tomorrow if it meant a good life for his kids But the England winger is not about to drop everything and ride into the sunset. He is just showing that the game is not everything to him. Huddersfield man McGillvary is thinking about life after playing and has options. He owns a number of properties in the area and is a level three qualified personal trainer. “I could easily give up rugby and work if I have my family,” said the 30-year-old. “I could do that tomorrow if that meant my kids have a good life. “Rugby is only a small part of my life. Some players may live and breathe it but my missus and children is my life and has been for the last 12 years. I’ve got quite a few properties so I could live ...

4th July 2018, 6:25 am == SALFORD are interested in troubled Australian starlet Jackson Hastings. But they face competition from two other Super League sides, even though Huddersfield pulled out after growing tired of waiting for an answer. MANLY SEA EAGLES Salford are in the running to sign Aussie Jackson Hastings The 22-year-old is a free agent after being released by NRL side Manly after a turbulent spell at the club. A bust-up with captain Daly Cherry-Evans was thought to be the final straw but Sea Eagles boss Trent Barrett said: "There have been concerns ongoing. This certainly isn’t a one-off incident. We have pretty well documented a lot of things over the past 12 months." Huddersfield thought they had agreed a deal but are now looking elsewhere after their patience with his agent ran out. NRLPHOTOS Jackson Hastings is a free agent after being released by Manly Sea Eagles Now the Red Devils are one of three sides ready to pounce as they may have a much-needed inject...

2nd July 2018, 8:12 am == LEEDS are looking for a new coach after Brian McDermott left following seven straight league defeats. The Rhinos are in danger of going from Super League champions to relegation battlers as they cling on to a top eight place. PA:Press Association Rhinos boss Brian McDermott has left Leeds after seven straight league defeats Now after being hammered 46-8 at Wigan, they have parted company with their boss. Chief executive Gary Hetherington said: “It is always disappointing to announce the departure of someone who has contributed so much to our club’s success and Brian McDermott has certainly done that. “The club’s most successful coach has also helped to forge a rugby operation with toughness, resilience and a strong desire to succeed, which his successor will inherit. That search will now begin in earnest. “Eight years is a long time for any head coach at the same club and we have enjoyed much success and endured some difficult times along the way when tough ...

25th June 2018, 7:11 am == JAKE ‘The Snake’ is back on America’s sporting landscape – the job now is keeping him there. His first impact certainly answered a few snakes at the NRL, as well as a couple of flamin’ golars! RUGBY FOOTBALL LEAGUE Jake Connor (right) and Tommy Makinson both scored tries on their England debut Jake Connor can declare himself a member of the Mile High club after a dazzling debut as England eventually dominated at the home of NFL giants Denver Broncos. The Hull man, known as The Snake, and Elliott Whitehead stole the show, the former making two tries and scoring one, the latter the opposite way around. But the start of rugby league’s American dream was about more than what happened on the pitch and the governing body Down Under will fight future clashes. Showing the sport to a new audience was the aim and 19,320 – 9,000 MORE than England’s World Cup games in Sydney and Melbourne last year – attended. It is also more than MLS side Colorado Rapids’ average and ...

24th June 2018, 12:09 am == ENGLAND fought back from 12 points down to record an impressive 36-18 victory against New Zeland in the US. Almost 20,000 people turned up to the Mile High Stadium in Denver to watch Wayne Bennett's men fightback and win a ground-breaking rugby league match. Rex Features England winger Ryan Hall reaches to score a try during England's 36-18 win against New Zealand in the US Second rower Elliott Whitehead scored two of his side's six tries while outside backs Jake Connor and Tommy Makinson also got on the scoresheet on debut as the new-look Kiwis were played off the park in the second half. Stalwarts James Graham, on his record-extending 40th appearance, James Roby, Gareth Widdop and Sam Burgess all came to the fore but it was the introduction of the four substitutes from the bench that turned the game on its head. New Zealand had seven new faces in the starting line-up for the first game under Michael Maguire as they began a rebuilding process ...

23rd June 2018, 11:27 pm == ELLIOTT Whitehead and Jake Connor were England’s American dreams as they were devastating in Denver. Wayne Bennett’s men started their road to the next World Cup after agonisingly losing last year’s final 6-0 to Australia in the unlikely surroundings of Mile High Stadium, home of NFL giants Denver Broncos. Rex Features England winger Ryan Hall reaches to score a try during England's 36-18 win against New Zealand in the US But back-rower Whitehead and debutant Connor made sure they were not blown off course, with the former grabbing a double and the latter scoring one try and making two. Boss Bennett again caused a stir by naming Wigan back-rower John Bateman at centre, while debutants Connor and Tommy Makinson made the bench. However, the Kiwis under new coach Michael Maguire were hell bent on getting over last year’s disaster, which saw them exit in the quarter-finals. It did not start well as after what can be best described as a ‘dodgy’ rendition of...

23rd June 2018, 8:58 am == JERMAINE McGillvary can go another step towards being recognised as one of the world’s best wingers in Denver – just being recognised at all would be progress. For the England man is growing tired of being mistaken for Huddersfield team-mate Michael Lawrence. Getty Images - Getty Jermaine McGillvary admits he is starting to tire of being mistaken for Huddersfield team-mate Michael Lawrence McGillvary was the star of the World Cup but that did not stop one man approaching him thinking he was the Giants’ back-rower. He has also revealed that earlier in his career, he was told Jermaine McGillvary would not make it in Super League! Now he wants to be recognised as an international winger, as the man who carved out a career in rugby league after working in a DIY store, as the man who made it after once getting lifts to training as he could not afford to travel! “I’ve been mistaken for Michael since I was at Batley,” admitted McGillvary. “Once I went into Hudders...

22nd June 2018, 3:12 pm == RUGBY league breaks new ground tomorrow when England takes on New Zealand in the unlikely surroundings of Denver, Colorado. Wayne Bennett’s men and the Kiwis fought hard to get the game on in the face of fierce opposition from the NRL and some of its clubs. AFP Sam Burgess is part of the England side taking on New Zealand in Denver Altitude, travel and insurance were just some of the things thrown at the Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby League. But it is game on as rugby league’s bid to crack America starts in the build-up to the 2025 World Cup, which will be played across North America. However, what time is it on? Where can you watch it? Who will you be watching? Here’s SunSport’s guide to the game.   WHY DENVER? Getty Images Denver Broncos' Mile High Stadium hosts England v New Zealand THE RUGBY Football League and New Zealand Rugby League signed a three-year deal worth in the region of £280,000-a-year to play Test matches in North Americ...

22nd June 2018, 7:13 am == SEAN O’LOUGHLIN is ready to show the man from his past England’s future – but Michael Maguire still has an impact in the present. The England skipper knows exactly what New Zealand’s new boss can do after he turned Wigan into winners in 2010 and 2011. NRLPHOTOS Sean O'Loughlin admits Michael Maguire had a huge impact on his career His ideas continue through current boss Shaun Wane and O’Loughlin feels they will no matter who takes over at the end of the season. But even though he feels Maguire, known as Madge, can lift the Kiwis out of the doldrums, he is eager to make him suffer as England look to build on last year’s World Cup near miss. “He brought a different attitude to training,” recalled loose forward O’Loughlin. “We thought we were working hard, he made us work harder. “Whatever we did with the ball was underpinned by that work ethic. GETTY IMAGES Michael Maguire is the man hired to lead New Zealand back to their best “Over his two years, he pu...

21st June 2018, 6:33 am == WAYNE Bennett believes England can help take rugby league to a new level, no matter what whingeing Aussies say. The NRL and clubs Down Under were against Saturday’s game against New Zealand in Denver. GETTY Wayne Bennett feels England's game in Denver could push rugby league to a new level But national boss Bennett feels it is time to try somewhere new, after little progress in more than 100 years. The fact his squad is in Colorado, with several NRL-based players ignoring the moans, shows the Test’s importance. Veteran Australian Bennett, who kept everyone guessing by naming his team in alphabetical order when players can occupy different roles, said: “A long-term vision is important. “We’ve been around for more than 100 years but we still play in the same places, so it’s important we showcase the game. “There’s a World Cup in North America in 2025, so it’s important we start to play a lot more so the American people understand what rugby league is. AFP...

20th June 2018, 11:00 am == JAKE Connor and Tommy Makinson will make their England debut in Saturday’s Test against New Zealand. But St Helens’ Luke Thompson is the unlucky man to miss out as coach Wayne Bennett trimmed his squad from 18 to 17. HULL FC Hull FC star Jake Connor will make his England debut against New Zealand Hull star Connor and St Helens ace Makinson have both made the cut for the game in Denver, Colorado. However, it is not yet known where either will play as that will not be confirmed until later in the week. Bennett believes both have played their way into selection with a string of impressive Super League performances. MAGIPIX St Helens star Tommy Makinson has also made the cut He said: “We’re trying to build on last year’s game against Samoa and the World Cup but it’s good to see a couple of new faces and see what they can do. “They’ve performed well in the UK and that’s half the battle, playing well at the right time of year and they are playing well. “It will...

20th June 2018, 5:27 am == JAMES Graham believes enduring the altitude in and travelling to Denver is a price worth paying as the Aussies continue to whinge. He feels it is worth sacrificing some of himself for the good of rugby league. Getty Images - Getty James Graham believes there is sometimes a price to pay for the good of international rugby league The England prop endured months of moaning from the NRL and its clubs about that fact Wayne Bennett’s men are travelling to Colorado to face the Kiwis on Saturday, one pundit described the Test as ‘two-bit’, ‘mickey mouse’ and ‘dinky’. First it was the travel to and from Australia, then it was the near 6,000 feet altitude in Colorado, then it was insurance in case of injury, then it was something else. However, sources on both sides say their biggest problem really is that the Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby League beat them to it by signing a three-year deal worth in the region of £280,000 a year with promoters Moore Spo...

18th June 2018, 12:55 pm == CHRIS Sandow has offered to make a sensational return to Warrington to replace the departing Tyrone Roberts. The 27-year-old scrum-half is heading back to Australia at the end of the season after failing to settle in the UK. Chris Sandow took to social media that he is willing to return to Warrington But former Wolves ace Sandow, also linked with Salford and Hull KR – although sources say there is nothing in them, took to social media to declare his intentions. “Give us a shout,” he wrote. “I owe you and the fans, I will make it up to you.” Responding to fans, the 29-year-old Aussie added: “I’m willing to come back and make it up to the club and the fans and work in the community foundation. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes, I’m good to go. I’m sorry and I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is. “Everyone makes mistakes. Things are different now and I will do my talking on the field.” WARRINGTON WOLVES Tyrone Roberts is herading home at the end o...

17th June 2018, 8:37 am == ROBERT Elstone is ready to consult with Eddie and Barry Hearn as he looks to revolutionise Super League – and take a leaf out of Patrice Evra’s book. The promoters have both met interim Rugby Football League chief executive Ralph Rimmer as an effort to make the 13-a-side code’s stars more visible and promote event better goes on. Robert Elstone (second right) believes Patrice Evra's impact on social media can be followed by Super League Now the new man in charge of the top flight is ready to follow suit and also copy West Ham star Evra’s social media impact as he looks to grow Super League’s crowds, impact and most importantly money. Elstone said: “I’m really receptive to anyone who can help grow the game. I want my legacy to hand this game on to whoever takes over from me in better shape. “I’m not precious about who can help me with that. I believe we need more energy, youth and dynamism in the sport. “A bit like football - there’s a lot more older peo...