23rd June 2020 By admin

Emergency Department – Round 6

Tuesday 23rd June 2020

Noah’s Arks centre Bradman Best has been ruled out of this weekend’s match against Basic B!tches after making an easy mistake by breaching the FCFL’s COVID-19 protocols.

The FCFL had spoken about loosening restrictions on players last Sunday to enable them to seek permission to visit family members outside their bubble but Best did not follow the process correctly.

As a precaution, he has been isolated from the Arks bubble for seven days and will not make the trip to Bexley.

Arks fullback James Tedesco fronted up well to the club’s recovery session on Monday after his sickening head knock against the Grubs.

The reigning Dally M Medallist needs to pass concussion protocols without any setbacks to face the Dragons on a six-day turnaround.

Papatoetoe forward Kane Evans was set to return from suspension this week but has picked up a calf injury.

Centre Brad Parker failed his head injury assessment inside the first five minutes of the game and will be monitored during the week in the lead-up to this weekend’s stoush with the Tigers and finally Lindsay Collins suffered a neck injury at training but should be right to play.

In other news from Bexley, B!tches Valentine Holmes has started running again, with coach Talia “hoping he’s only a couple of weeks away”.

In better news for the B!tches, prop Martin Taupau (thumb) is expected back for round seven against Noah’s Arks.

Dylan Walker is set to be missing from 2Great4U’s lineup for the next six weeks after coming off Crawshaw Park early in the win over Papatoetoe. Walker, who has a foot injury, is likely to miss six weeks. It is a good result for Walker as there were fears he could miss most of the season.

Eely Avengers star Tom Trbojevic is facing a six-week stint on the sidelines after he limped off Bexley Oval in during their win over Basic B!tches. Trbojevic, who tore his hamstring, had similar problems last season restricting him to only 6 games including finals.

Dragons Daniel Tupou (cork) is expected to back up this weekend against Rosebery.

Balmain’s Jake Friend (shoulder) is also expected to be available for his match against Piranhas.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

2GREAT4U

Dylan Walker (ankle, TBC)

BALMAIN TIGERS

Kurt Capewell (knee, round 17)

BASIC B!TCHES

Martin Taupau (thumb, round seven)
Jahrome Hughes (broken hand, round 7-8)
Valentine Holmes (ankle, round 10)

DAZZLERS DINGOES

Michael Morgan (shoulder, August)
Kotoni Staggs (hamstring, round 8-9)

DRAGONS 1015

John Bateman (shoulder, indefinite)

EELY AVENGERS

Tom Trbojevic (hamstring, TBC)
Corey Thompson (head knock, round seven)

GRUBS

Jake Turpin (leg, July)

NOAH’S ARKS

David Fifita (knee, June-July)
Bradman Best (COVID-19 protocols)

PAPATOETOE PIRANHAS

Brad Parker (head knock)
Kane Evans (calf, indefinite)

ROSEBERY RAMPAGE

Alex Twal (knee, TBC)

FREE AGENTS

Sebastian Kris (extended sick leave)
Andre Niko (knee, season)
Marcelo Montoya (hamstring, round 9-11)
Chris Smith (knee, July)
Joe Stimson (shoulder, season)
Bronson Xerri (suspended)
Cameron King (ACL, season)
Ronaldo Mulitalo (knee, round nine)
Dale Copley (ankle, round 7-8)
Tyrone Roberts (ankle, round seven)
AJ Brimson (back, indefinite)
Ryan James (knee, season)
Young Tonumaipea (knee, TBC)
Phillip Sami (leg cork, round seven)
Jonus Pearson (pectoral, late season)
Moses Suli (finger, round 7-9)
Albert Hopoate (knee, June)
Manase Fainu (stood down/shoulder)
Jorge Taufua (quad, round seven)
Tui Kamikamica (back, indefinite)
Connor Watson (syndesmosis, round 9-11)
Mitch Barnett (shoulder, July)
Jayden Brailey (knee, season)
Jordan McLean (calf, round 7-8)
John Asiata (meniscus, round 9-11)
Tom Gilbert, (suspended, round 9)
Pat Hollis (abdominal strain, indefinite)
Hame Sele (hamstring, round 8-9)
Tom Amone (knee, round 19)
Jack de Belin (stood down)
Brayden Wiliame (calf, round 10-11)
Tariq Sims (wrist, round 9-11)
Billy Smith (knee, season)
Nathaniel Roache (knee, July)
Lachlan Burr (head knock)
David Fusitu’a (head knock)
Jazz Tevaga (calf strain, round 8-10)
Leeson Ah Mau (pectoral, season)
Adam Keighran (knee, July-August)
Taane Milne (knee, season)
Jackson Frei (knee, season)
Bunty Afoa (knee, season)
Ken Maumalo (hamstring, round seven)
Jacob Liddle (knee, indefinite)
Russell Packer (suspended, round 8)
Robert Jennings (hamstring, TBC)
Zane Musgrove (foot, TBC)
Tommy Talau (hamstring, round seven)
Cory Paix (pectoral, round 8)
Jesse Arthars (knee, round 9-11)
Jordan Kahu (shoulder, mid-season)
Sean O’Sullivan (knee, mid-season)
Keenan Palasia (knee, late season)
Jack Bird (ACL, season)

18th June 202018th June 2020 By admin

FCFL Round 6 Preview

NOAH’S ARKS vs GRUBS

Previous meetings: First match

Streak: Noah’s Arks W1, Grubs W2

Last 5: Noah’s Arks 3-2, Grubs 3-2

Top Players: Noah’s Arks – James Tedesco (FLB) 106.50 PPG, Grubs – Kyle Flanagan (HFB) 67.75 PPG

DRAGONS 1015 vs DAZZLERS DINGOES

Previous meetings: 2 (Dragons 0, Dingoes 2)

Streak: Dragons L5, Dingoes L3

Last 5: Dragons 0-5, Dingoes 2-3

Top Players: Dragons – Jason Taumalolo (2RF) 82.50 PPG, Dingoes – Tohu Harris (2RF) 66.80 PPG

BASIC B!TCHES vs EELY AVENGERS

Previous meetings: 10 (B!tches 6, Avengers 4)

Streak: B!tches L1, Avengers L1

Last 5: B!tches 3-2, Avengers 2-3

Top Players: B!tches – Payne Haas (FRF) 81.00 PPG, Avengers – Tom Trbojevic (FLB) 75.80 PPG

BALMAIN TIGERS vs ROSEBERY RAMPAGE

Previous meetings: 2 (Tigers 0, Rampage 2)

Streak: Tigers W2, Rampage L2

Last 5: Tigers 4-1, Rampage 2-3

Top Players: Tigers – Kalyn Ponga (FLB) 97.23 PPG, Rampage – Alex Twal (FRF) 70.60 PPG

2GREAT4U vs PAPATOETOE PIRANHAS

Previous meetings: First match

Streak: 2Great4U W3, Piranhas W1

Last 5: 2Great4U 3-2, Piranhas 3-2

Top Players: 2Great4U – Cameron Smith (HOK) 82.00 PPG, Piranhas – Ryan Matterson (2RF) 78.00 PPG

17th June 202019th June 2020 By admin

FCFL: Dragons under fire for unacceptable ‘cop out’

The Dragons have been accused of trying to deflect the blame after a disastrous restart to the FCFL season.

Dragons1015 suffered its worst ever start to a season losing their fifth straight in a 663-591 loss against the Tigers in round 5, the week after being hammered 860-350 by 2Great4U.

Coach Rose pointed to her side’s lack of players as a contributing factor to its horror show against the rookie NZ team, but it’s an excuse that won’t wash with everyone.

Dragons have played with just 10 of a possible 13 players in their last two games but some FCFL pundits are adamant the club only has itself to blame after mismanaging its roster and holding onto injured/suspended senior players.

But she arose from her covid enforced (password/email issues) to vow to put things right and get her Dragons back where they should be, entrenched in the top 8. Her prescence has been seen multiple times this week around Kogarah.

Playing against old rival Dazzlers Dingoes, she has insisted “the sleeping giant has awoken, you have been warned!”

Popular cable show FCFL 180 on Monday night mentioned, in this year alone the Dragons have held onto:

— English 2RF John Bateman (13 games) out for majority of 2020 with shoulder injury, may return for finals.

— FRF Matt Lodge (15 games) injured for 14 weeks with knee injury, only missed 2 games due to covid-19 enforced break.

— FLB Dylan Edwards (8 games) injured for 17 weeks with ankle syndesmosis, missing the first 5 rounds before making his long awaited return this week.

— HOK Cameron McInnes (19 games) MCL tear in his knee, missed 14 weeks and returned post covid.

“The fact is because they have invested so heavily in the Batemans and the Edwards and McInnes and Matt Lodge and all these great players with long term injuries, they have played short during the opening rounds hoping to make ground up later.” a source close to club said.

“It’s sheer luck that the covid crisis interrupted the competition or her blind loyalty could have crippled this club.

“Whose fault’s that? Rose let it play out. She’s collectively just let plenty experience with on the sidelines and she’s complaining they don’t have enough players on the park.

“The place is a confused mess.

“Unless they can get someone into the organisation that knows what a premiership list looks like, what a premiership environment looks like, then they are going to continue to dig a bigger and bigger hole.

“It shouldn’t happen that way but at the moment this list is out of balance.

“Until they get their list management to where it needs to be, the Dragons will continue to lose matches.”

Rose took charge of the Dragons in 2019 after the FCFL increased it’s teams from 4 to 8. But her move hasn’t gone to plan. Dragons scraped into the finals last year by fact all teams made the finals, and now questions are being asked after three awful performances to restart the season following the break caused by COVID-19.

“The big problem for the Dragons is this: Every time a little bit of flame gets put to the coach’s belly she won’t cop it, she makes an excuse,”

“She’s not handling the pressure at all.

“She came into this game on the weekend already armed with his excuse, so when everyone says, ‘How come you got flogged by the 2Great4U?’ (he says) ‘Look how many players played and look how much experience they have compared to us’.

“She did that last year a couple of times. She got under pressure, she basically threw off, ‘Not me, the problem’s over there’.”

16th June 202016th June 2020 By admin

Emergency Department – Round 5

Tuesday 16th June 2020

Dazzlers Dingoes centre Kotoni Staggs could be out for a month after scans on Monday revealed he suffered a grade-two tear of his hamstring.

Dingoes announced there was no tendon damage from Sunday’s training mishap and he is likely to miss the next few matches. He joins Dingoes mainstay Michael Morgan on the sidelines, with the five eighth not expected to return for another few weeks at least.

Meanwhile, the Basic B!tches will give prop Martin Taupau (dislocated thumb) until the last minute to prove his fitness this weekend. Taupau left the field eight minutes into last week’s loss to the Piranhas.

Star fullback Valentine Holmes (ankle sprain) will miss Saturday’s clash with Eely Avengers at Bexley Oval.

Scans have revealed Balmain forward Kurt Capewell‘s knee injury suffered at Kogarah Oval was a grade-three medial ligament injury in his left knee.

The damage was done while making a tackle in the first minute of the game and the 26-year-old will require surgery to repair the ligament and will remain sidelined for at least 10 weeks.

More bad news for Tigers, as second-rower Luciano Leilua suffered an ankle ligament strain in last weeks win over the Dragons. The Tigers have said he may miss one game but he is a chance to face the Rampage.

Tigers are hopeful that Matt Moylan will be ready for the round six clash with the Rosebery after he was scratched from the win against the Dragons with hamstring tightness. Tigers coach Ed said Moylan had been a “50-50” chance but was ruled out as a precaution given his history of soft tissue injuries.

Coach Jacko will give Rampage second-rower Curtis Sironen (bone bruising on knee) every chance to face the Tigers this weekend.