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The easy thing would be to keep Murray on ice and let him be fresh for day one of 2026 pre-season training, but as Bennett said recently, “He wants to reward himself for nine months of rehab. Even if it’s just a couple of games, it’s a game he loves, and it’s something he hasn’t been able to do.”
Mitchell has also had an injury-interrupted year, with the latest back injury forcing him to miss another week. With the bye next week, he is also a chance to return for the Roosters.
Campbell Graham helps launch the Telstra Footy Country Round at East Hills on Tuesday.Credit: Kate Geraghty/SMH
Bennett acknowledged the role Murray had played by being back at training, but was equally complimentary of Mitchell and Cody Walker, who both played big roles in their returns against the Titans and Eels, respectively.
“Cam is a pretty exceptional guy, he’s one of the elite players in the game with his attitude, and everything he does is at 100 per cent,” Bennett said.
“We appreciate him being back at training, but the wins also come down to having quality players on the field. Cody and Latrell have played the last two weeks; they’ve been really good for us and made a difference.”
Meanwhile, Graham, who missed all of last year with a sternum injury, then broke his hand in the off-season, injured his calf in round three, and has not been sighted since round 18, confirmed a back complaint had left him with mental demons.
He has avoided surgery and been limited to pilates, swimming and physiotherapy, with the aim of resuming running in the pre-season.
“It doesn’t leave you in a good headspace, especially after the year I had last year, it’s just been very stop-start,” Graham said.
“Not feeling at your physical best for such a long time, it gets pretty draining.”
In team news, Isaah Yeo has been named on an extended bench for the Panthers when they host Canberra in Mudgee on Friday, Ryan Papenhuyzen (concussion) was listed in jersey No.21 for Friday night’s Storm clash with the Bulldogs, Sydney Roosters winger Daniel Tupou (concussion) is replaced by Junior Tupou for their trip to Parramatta, while Krystian Mapapalangi is the centre named on the Wests Tigers’ extended bench in case Starford To’o (shoulder) is not fit.
Alex Johnston hopes to break Ken Irvine’s all-time try-scoring record at the start of next season – not in the coming weeks – so he can have all summer to savour the prospect of achieving the historic feat.
Johnston failed to add to his career tally against Parramatta on the weekend to remain on 209 tries, three shy of Irvine’s long-standing mark.
The player marking him on Thursday night, when the Rabbitohs take on St George Illawarra, will be former Rabbitoh Corey Allan, who gave Johnston the easiest try of his career in the final round of 2020. Johnston needed five tries in the final round to finish as that year’s top try-scorer, and Allan got across the line, only to wait for Johnston to catch up to him and give him the ball to score.
Allan said he was yet to receive the carton of beer Johnston had promised.
“I’m still waiting for that case – it will be interesting to see if it ever rocks up at my doorstep,” Allan said.
“I could have scored that night, but I thought I better look behind me to see if he was coming. He needed five to draw level with Kyle Feldt [on the top try-scorers list]. Lo and behold, he was screaming my name, and his eyes lit up when I turned around. The rest is history.
“I don’t think the record will be broken again. ‘AJ’ is a special player.”
Alex Johnston and Corey Allan celebrate that try in 2020.Credit: Getty Images
Johnston said of Allan: “Hopefully he can help me with a couple of more tries this weekend.”
South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett said after the win over the Eels that the likely return of Latrell Mitchell to left centre would help Johnston in his quest to break the record.
“I love playing with ‘T-Mitt’ [Mitchell],” Johnston said. “Cody Walker has given me most of my tries, but Trell would be the second most.
“I sort of only want to get three tries this year, that way I’ve got the whole off-season and the lead-up [to] next year to try and get it in round one.
A hat-trick this weekend will see Alex Johnston draw level with Ken Irvine’s long-standing try record.Credit: Getty Images
“I’ve been thinking about what I should do [to celebrate]. I’ll have to do something.”
Souths have asked fans not to storm the playing pitch when Johnston reaches the milestone, but the winger has other ideas.
“I think it will happen, and the NRL and Souths will have to be prepared for it to happen,” Johnston said.
“There were pretty crazy scenes in the AFL when [Sydney Swans forward Lance] Buddy Franklin [kicked 1000 goals], so there will be a lot that goes on behind the scene to make sure it is safe. I’m all for it. I think the NRL will need to prepare for it.”
The Bunnies are chasing three straight wins, while the Dragons need three replacements, for Jack de Belin, Hamish Stewart and Hame Sele, who were all ruled out with category-one concussion symptoms on the weekend.
Dan Walsh
Queensland Origin centre Rob Toia will prioritise his Tongan heritage over a potential Ashes tour berth as fellow Kangaroos defector Payne Haas declared Samoa now has the playing stocks to win next year’s World Cup.
Haas confirmed on Sunday his switch of allegiance to the rising Pacific nation, with high hopes that fellow Australian stars Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow do the same for this year’s Pacific Championships.
Tonga’s October 26 clash with Samoa at Suncorp Stadium is predicted to draw one of the best Test attendances in decades on Australian soil and outsell the 33,196 who turned out for Australia’s win over the Mate Ma’a in Brisbane last year.
Toia’s decision to represent his family’s Tongan roots does, however, take another outside back option off the table for Australia’s three-Test tour of the UK in October and November.
Big names Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic loom as the Kangaroos’ first-choice centre pairing for the first Ashes tour since 2003. However, both have been hampered by injury as South Sydney and Manly have struggled this season, and arguments could be made for them focusing on club commitments given their injury histories.
Toia’s rise as a rookie of the year contender and an eye-catching debut Origin series keeping Mitchell quiet had him in Kevin Walters’ sights, particularly given Stephen Crichton (Samoa), Valentine Holmes (torn rotator cuff) and Campbell Graham are unavailable for Australia.
Rob Toia has committed to Tonga at the end of the season.Credit: NRL Photos
Like Tabuai-Fidow, Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs is still considering whether he makes himself available for Australia or Tonga at season’s end.
Melbourne’s Xavier Coates, Canterbury’s Matt Burton and Jacob Kiraz, Parramatta’s Zac Lomax and Josh Addo-Carr, and Roosters rugby convert Mark Nawaqanitawase loom as Australia’s other leading three-quarter options.
Under current international eligibility rules, Toia’s opting to play for Tonga after coach Kristian Woolf got in contact won’t preclude him from representing Australia or New Zealand (where his father was born), just as Haas’s call won’t impact his NSW Origin career.
“Woolfy reached out, and I responded. I was very surprised to be honest, but I told him I’d love the opportunity to play for Tonga if he was to choose me,” Toia said.
Payne Haas has confirmed his allegiance switch to Samoa.Credit: Getty Images
“I had a chat with my parents about it, telling them that opportunity was there, and they were over the moon. My grandparents on both sides have lived in Tonga the majority of their lives, so they were probably the happiest. They were telling me they can’t wait to see me represent them if that happens.”
League Immortal Andrew Johns on Sunday likened Haas’s decision to represent Samoa to Jason Taumalolo’s generational switch to Tonga for the 2017 World Cup.
Haas said he was inspired by the North Queensland veteran’s move, though he was reluctant to put public pressure on Fa’asuamaleaui to follow his lead.
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“Hopefully, we get a few more boys over, but they have to follow their heart and do what’s right for them,” Haas said.
“To play with [Fa’asuamaleaui] would be special. I hope he makes the switch.”
Haas said on Sunday that new Australian coach Walters was understanding of his decision, which was first set in motion when he played against Samoa in 2023, and the island’s national anthem played.
Haas, Crichton, Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and Terrell May headline an already star-studded Samoan contingent under coach Ben Gardiner, prompting Haas’s prediction of World Cup glory at next year’s tournament.
“I feel like we can win it, especially with the team we have got now,” Haas said.
“We have got great players in this team, and it is our goal to win this World Cup. We will focus on the Pac Champs this year, but that is the main goal.”
NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now.
The easy thing would be to keep Murray on ice and let him be fresh for day one of 2026 pre-season training, but as Bennett said recently, “He wants to reward himself for nine months of rehab. Even if it’s just a couple of games, it’s a game he loves, and it’s something he hasn’t been able to do.”
Mitchell has also had an injury-interrupted year, with the latest back injury forcing him to miss another week. With the bye next week, he is also a chance to return for the Roosters.
Campbell Graham helps launch the Telstra Footy Country Round at East Hills on Tuesday.Credit: Kate Geraghty/SMH
Bennett acknowledged the role Murray had played by being back at training, but was equally complimentary of Mitchell and Cody Walker, who both played big roles in their returns against the Titans and Eels, respectively.
“Cam is a pretty exceptional guy, he’s one of the elite players in the game with his attitude, and everything he does is at 100 per cent,” Bennett said.
“We appreciate him being back at training, but the wins also come down to having quality players on the field. Cody and Latrell have played the last two weeks; they’ve been really good for us and made a difference.”
Meanwhile, Graham, who missed all of last year with a sternum injury, then broke his hand in the off-season, injured his calf in round three, and has not been sighted since round 18, confirmed a back complaint had left him with mental demons.
He has avoided surgery and been limited to pilates, swimming and physiotherapy, with the aim of resuming running in the pre-season.
“It doesn’t leave you in a good headspace, especially after the year I had last year, it’s just been very stop-start,” Graham said.
“Not feeling at your physical best for such a long time, it gets pretty draining.”
In team news, Isaah Yeo has been named on an extended bench for the Panthers when they host Canberra in Mudgee on Friday, Ryan Papenhuyzen (concussion) was listed in jersey No.21 for Friday night’s Storm clash with the Bulldogs, Sydney Roosters winger Daniel Tupou (concussion) is replaced by Junior Tupou for their trip to Parramatta, while Krystian Mapapalangi is the centre named on the Wests Tigers’ extended bench in case Starford To’o (shoulder) is not fit.
Alex Johnston hopes to break Ken Irvine’s all-time try-scoring record at the start of next season – not in the coming weeks – so he can have all summer to savour the prospect of achieving the historic feat.
Johnston failed to add to his career tally against Parramatta on the weekend to remain on 209 tries, three shy of Irvine’s long-standing mark.
The player marking him on Thursday night, when the Rabbitohs take on St George Illawarra, will be former Rabbitoh Corey Allan, who gave Johnston the easiest try of his career in the final round of 2020. Johnston needed five tries in the final round to finish as that year’s top try-scorer, and Allan got across the line, only to wait for Johnston to catch up to him and give him the ball to score.
Allan said he was yet to receive the carton of beer Johnston had promised.
“I’m still waiting for that case – it will be interesting to see if it ever rocks up at my doorstep,” Allan said.
“I could have scored that night, but I thought I better look behind me to see if he was coming. He needed five to draw level with Kyle Feldt [on the top try-scorers list]. Lo and behold, he was screaming my name, and his eyes lit up when I turned around. The rest is history.
“I don’t think the record will be broken again. ‘AJ’ is a special player.”
Alex Johnston and Corey Allan celebrate that try in 2020.Credit: Getty Images
Johnston said of Allan: “Hopefully he can help me with a couple of more tries this weekend.”
South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett said after the win over the Eels that the likely return of Latrell Mitchell to left centre would help Johnston in his quest to break the record.
“I love playing with ‘T-Mitt’ [Mitchell],” Johnston said. “Cody Walker has given me most of my tries, but Trell would be the second most.
“I sort of only want to get three tries this year, that way I’ve got the whole off-season and the lead-up [to] next year to try and get it in round one.
A hat-trick this weekend will see Alex Johnston draw level with Ken Irvine’s long-standing try record.Credit: Getty Images
“I’ve been thinking about what I should do [to celebrate]. I’ll have to do something.”
Souths have asked fans not to storm the playing pitch when Johnston reaches the milestone, but the winger has other ideas.
“I think it will happen, and the NRL and Souths will have to be prepared for it to happen,” Johnston said.
“There were pretty crazy scenes in the AFL when [Sydney Swans forward Lance] Buddy Franklin [kicked 1000 goals], so there will be a lot that goes on behind the scene to make sure it is safe. I’m all for it. I think the NRL will need to prepare for it.”
The Bunnies are chasing three straight wins, while the Dragons need three replacements, for Jack de Belin, Hamish Stewart and Hame Sele, who were all ruled out with category-one concussion symptoms on the weekend.
Dan Walsh
Queensland Origin centre Rob Toia will prioritise his Tongan heritage over a potential Ashes tour berth as fellow Kangaroos defector Payne Haas declared Samoa now has the playing stocks to win next year’s World Cup.
Haas confirmed on Sunday his switch of allegiance to the rising Pacific nation, with high hopes that fellow Australian stars Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow do the same for this year’s Pacific Championships.
Tonga’s October 26 clash with Samoa at Suncorp Stadium is predicted to draw one of the best Test attendances in decades on Australian soil and outsell the 33,196 who turned out for Australia’s win over the Mate Ma’a in Brisbane last year.
Toia’s decision to represent his family’s Tongan roots does, however, take another outside back option off the table for Australia’s three-Test tour of the UK in October and November.
Big names Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic loom as the Kangaroos’ first-choice centre pairing for the first Ashes tour since 2003. However, both have been hampered by injury as South Sydney and Manly have struggled this season, and arguments could be made for them focusing on club commitments given their injury histories.
Toia’s rise as a rookie of the year contender and an eye-catching debut Origin series keeping Mitchell quiet had him in Kevin Walters’ sights, particularly given Stephen Crichton (Samoa), Valentine Holmes (torn rotator cuff) and Campbell Graham are unavailable for Australia.
Rob Toia has committed to Tonga at the end of the season.Credit: NRL Photos
Like Tabuai-Fidow, Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs is still considering whether he makes himself available for Australia or Tonga at season’s end.
Melbourne’s Xavier Coates, Canterbury’s Matt Burton and Jacob Kiraz, Parramatta’s Zac Lomax and Josh Addo-Carr, and Roosters rugby convert Mark Nawaqanitawase loom as Australia’s other leading three-quarter options.
Under current international eligibility rules, Toia’s opting to play for Tonga after coach Kristian Woolf got in contact won’t preclude him from representing Australia or New Zealand (where his father was born), just as Haas’s call won’t impact his NSW Origin career.
“Woolfy reached out, and I responded. I was very surprised to be honest, but I told him I’d love the opportunity to play for Tonga if he was to choose me,” Toia said.
Payne Haas has confirmed his allegiance switch to Samoa.Credit: Getty Images
“I had a chat with my parents about it, telling them that opportunity was there, and they were over the moon. My grandparents on both sides have lived in Tonga the majority of their lives, so they were probably the happiest. They were telling me they can’t wait to see me represent them if that happens.”
League Immortal Andrew Johns on Sunday likened Haas’s decision to represent Samoa to Jason Taumalolo’s generational switch to Tonga for the 2017 World Cup.
Haas said he was inspired by the North Queensland veteran’s move, though he was reluctant to put public pressure on Fa’asuamaleaui to follow his lead.
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“Hopefully, we get a few more boys over, but they have to follow their heart and do what’s right for them,” Haas said.
“To play with [Fa’asuamaleaui] would be special. I hope he makes the switch.”
Haas said on Sunday that new Australian coach Walters was understanding of his decision, which was first set in motion when he played against Samoa in 2023, and the island’s national anthem played.
Haas, Crichton, Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and Terrell May headline an already star-studded Samoan contingent under coach Ben Gardiner, prompting Haas’s prediction of World Cup glory at next year’s tournament.
“I feel like we can win it, especially with the team we have got now,” Haas said.
“We have got great players in this team, and it is our goal to win this World Cup. We will focus on the Pac Champs this year, but that is the main goal.”
NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now.
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