The NRL Thread

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2:38

WTF? How was that try to the Dragons allowed when the ref got in the way of the Titans players?

Terrible video ref decision.

[Dan...]

Yeah, I couldn't believe they gave that try. Maybe the video ref hates the Titans as much as I do?

It wouldn't have made a difference though. The Titans were never really in that game.

[PEBBLES!]

If he was going to give that a try, the only reason I could think of is that he couldn't have got to the ball anyways, without the ref's interference, and it looks like Prince would have got in his way instead.

[???]

What if that was the Grand Final and the scores were tied with a few minutes to go.

Would it have been allowed?

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NRL star Jarryd Hayne saves female backpacker from surf

NRL superstar Jarryd Hayne risked his life to save an Irish backpacker yesterday, rescuing the drowning girl from wild surf at Sydney's Coogee Beach.

Hayne and his father, former South Sydney player Manoa Thompson, were swept up to 200m from shore as they swam to the aid of the girl, who was caught in a rip and yelling: "I can't do this any more."

Last night, Thompson told The Daily Telegraph: "Put it this way, if Jarryd hadn't pulled her up, she was gone." He said he had no doubt his son - already a hero to thousands of Eels fans - had saved the girl's life.

"There would have been a drowning at Coogee and we would have lost a backpacker," Thompson said.

"We were both holding her and telling her to stay calm. It was traumatic and shocking."

The woman was swimming in a powerful 3m swell outside the flags at north Coogee when she got into trouble about 1pm.

"I've never been caught in a rip like that before - and the woman couldn't swim," Hayne said.

"The rip actually swept Dad 10m out past me and I thought '****, the lifeguards are at the other end [of the beach]'.

"We actually got taken out another 50m. I was just telling her to relax but we were getting dragged further and further out. We kept her head above water and kept telling her not to panic."

Local lifesavers took over after Hayne and Thompson dragged the woman from the swell and ensured she was safe.

The shaken tourist later thanked the pair, who left the beach before she could give them her name.

NRL chief David Gallop praised Hayne, saying: "It was an outstanding effort and one the game can be proud of."

The rescue came after a university student drowned when he ditched his board after a surf and headed back in for a swim. The 20-year-old became caught in a rip off Fairy Meadow beach, near Wollongong, about 8.15am.

Illawarra Surf Life Saving president Bill Seay said: "When conditions are [rough], I plead with all to stay out of the water until things calm down."

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Gold Coast join hunt for Bulldogs centre Jamal Idris

After last week's trip to Newcastle, Idris was yesterday spotted much further up the Pacific Highway in discussions with Titans officials on the Gold Coast.

The Daily Telegraph has learned Idris hit the holiday strip on Tuesday afternoon to inspect the club's $23 million Centre of Excellence prior to a dinner with Titans CEO Michael Searle and coach John Cartwright.

He spent the night at a Surfers Paradise hotel and lunched with Indigenous All Stars teammate Preston Campbell and other high-profile Titans yesterday.

It's also understood that Searle extended Idris and his manager, Sam Ayoub, a formal offer believed to be worth more than $400,000 a season.

It's the second offer the Idris camp has fielded in the past fortnight, following on from Newcastle's rich bid.

Idris, however, will not make a decision until the Bulldogs finalise their offer. All three clubs are offering the dreadlocked three-quarter the chance to become an Aboriginal ambassador.

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It'd be great if the Titans could get Jamal Idris.

[The Realist]

NRL star Jarryd Hayne saves female backpacker from surf

NRL superstar Jarryd Hayne risked his life to save an Irish backpacker yesterday, rescuing the drowning girl from wild surf at Sydney's Coogee Beach.

Hayne and his father, former South Sydney player Manoa Thompson, were swept up to 200m from shore as they swam to the aid of the girl, who was caught in a rip and yelling: "I can't do this any more."

Last night, Thompson told The Daily Telegraph: "Put it this way, if Jarryd hadn't pulled her up, she was gone." He said he had no doubt his son - already a hero to thousands of Eels fans - had saved the girl's life.

"There would have been a drowning at Coogee and we would have lost a backpacker," Thompson said.

"We were both holding her and telling her to stay calm. It was traumatic and shocking."

The woman was swimming in a powerful 3m swell outside the flags at north Coogee when she got into trouble about 1pm.

"I've never been caught in a rip like that before - and the woman couldn't swim," Hayne said.

"The rip actually swept Dad 10m out past me and I thought '****, the lifeguards are at the other end [of the beach]'.

"We actually got taken out another 50m. I was just telling her to relax but we were getting dragged further and further out. We kept her head above water and kept telling her not to panic."

Local lifesavers took over after Hayne and Thompson dragged the woman from the swell and ensured she was safe.

The shaken tourist later thanked the pair, who left the beach before she could give them her name.

NRL chief David Gallop praised Hayne, saying: "It was an outstanding effort and one the game can be proud of."

The rescue came after a university student drowned when he ditched his board after a surf and headed back in for a swim. The 20-year-old became caught in a rip off Fairy Meadow beach, near Wollongong, about 8.15am.

Illawarra Surf Life Saving president Bill Seay said: "When conditions are [rough], I plead with all to stay out of the water until things calm down."

Its a disgrace if this gets anything less than the back page story, which it won't.

[Dan...]

It'd be great if the Titans could get Jamal Idris.

They are more than welcome to him if he is going to cost over $400k. I have seen nothing that leads me to believe he is worth that kind of money.

I recently read that the Tigers are trying to sign Blair on $500k per season. What is going on here?

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They are more than welcome to him if he is going to cost over $400k. I have seen nothing that leads me to believe he is worth that kind of money.

I recently read that the Tigers are trying to sign Blair on $500k per season. What is going on here?

He's only 20, his prime is still yet to come.

If the Titans don't sign him, it won't be much of a loss in my opinion, with all the young centres already on the team.