Round 19 of the NRL season saw many highlights and lowlights, headlined by the NSW Blues winning the 2026 State of Origin series.
NSW WIN 2026 ORIGIN SERIES
The odds may have been stacked against them, but the New South Wales Blues emerged victorious over the Queensland Maroons to claim the 2026 State of Origin series.
Taking the game to their opponents from the opening kick-off, the Blues were unstoppable from start to finish, with halfback Nathan Cleary being named Man of the Match and subsequently Player of the Series.
Cleary scored a double to open the contest and controlled the tempo at halfback with attacking playmaking skills. However, the Maroons attempted a comeback in the middle stages of the match, but the margin proved too great as they lost 30-12.
“No one likes criticism and I get that it comes, so you’ve got to accept it and cop it,” Blues coach Laurie Daley said.
“But there’s some parts of criticism that go way above others, which I get really disappointed with. People that report like that need to have a hard look at themselves.
“This week I just wanted us to prove to ourselves that we’re a good footy side. That’s what we’ve been building and I was really happy with the performance.
“I was happy everyone gave everything they had and that’s what you’re after.”
TIGERS SHOCK THE NRL WORLD
The Wests Tigers shocked the rugby league world over the weekend when they agreed to give an early release to $1.2 million co-captain Jarome Luai, which will see him depart at season’s end.
All but confirmed to link up with the Parramatta Eels, Luai’s departure is the latest can of worms to happen at the joint venture, which let go of talented five-eighth Lachlan Galvin to the Bulldogs in 2024 and rookie standout Onitoni Large to the Manly Sea Eagles in 2023
The decision came less than a day after they lost 32-6 against the New Zealand Warriors at Campbelltown Stadium which saw the away side put on a star-studded show with the ball in their hands in attack.
“I’d really like to thank Jarome and his management for their approach to these discussions in recent months and their recognition of what’s best for both parties moving forward,” Tigers CEO Shaun Mielekamp said.
“We love what Jarome has brought to this Club – both on and off the field – which is the difficult part of this situation, but we need to look to the future.
“Having Jarome’s departure at the end of 2027 already confirmed, we needed to look closely at our roster and where we invest our resources with a longer-term view.
“We’re in an industry where difficult calls need to be made at times, and we feel this is in the best interests of the Wests Tigers moving forward.”
TUPOU SHINES IN GAME 300
Veteran Sydney Roosters Daniel Tupou had a match to remember, celebrating a hat-trick of tries in his 300th milestone match against the Parramatta Eels on Saturday night.
One of the game’s nicest and kindest individuals, Tupou helped guide the Tricolours to a commanding 28-12 victories with three tries in ‘Classic Tupou Fashion’ down the left-hand corner in 22 minutes in the second-half.
“It was good to control the emotions, but it was tough running out, especially with my partner and son, and the crowd,” Tupou said.
“Scoring a hat-trick wasn’t on the bingo card tonight, but I’ll definitely take it.
“I couldn’t wait for the week to be over to be honest. Finally got through tonight.”