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Sport Confidential:
Michael Carayannis, Paul Kent, The Daily Telegraph
Subscriber only
|
June 26, 2020 12:24pm
ANOTHER WALLABY COULD COME HOME
Another Wallaby could be headed back to the NRL. Just days after former Storm flyer Marika Koroibete was linked with an NRL return, Sport Confidential can reveal Curtis Rona sits on top of a number of club’s wishlists as he eyes an NRL comeback next season.
Rona hasn’t played in the NRL since the last of his 57 top grade games in 2016 when he left the Bulldogs, switching codes to sign with the Western Force. He scored 40 tries in his three season stint in the NRL.
Rona’s former club Canterbury remain on the lookout for a strike outside back as do Melbourne, Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra. Rona went on to play for the Waratahs and featured in three Tests for the Wallabies.
Rona, who turned 28 last month, is in the final year of his contract with London Irish but is keen on returning to the NRL next year.
Koroibete has been linked with a host of NRL clubs while Canberra duo Nick Cotric and Jordan Rapana are among the highest profile outside backs off-contract at season’s end and Josh Addo-Carr is still keen on returning to Sydney.
ONE MORE TEST FOR TOLMAN
Bulldogs prop Aidan Tolman will undergo another COVID-19 test on Friday before he will be free to re-join his teammates.
If Tolman continues to be cleared he will be able to train with the side for the first time in two weeks and join them on their captain’s run tomorrow ahead of their match against the Tigers on Sunday.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Craig Polla-Mounter, 192 top grade games for Canterbury between 1992-2001
Craig Polla-Mounter shouldn’t have played in that memorable 1998 preliminary finals clash against the Eels after breaking his back just two weeks earlier.
It what was one of the most memorable matches in history, the Bulldogs crawled their way back from an 18-2 deficit with 13 minutes left. Polla-Mounter sparked the comeback scoring Canterbury’s opening try before the scores drew level.
He almost created history when a 48 metre field goal just snuck under the black-dot after Parramatta’s Paul Carige’s famed brain-snap.
“I couldn’t believe he kicked me the ball,” Polla-Mounter said. “It was a hit and hope from me but you kick them all the time at training. Rocket (Rod Silva) thought it went over so I thought it did.”
Polla-Mounter starred in the extra time period scoring a second try before booting two field goals to book the Bulldogs a grand final spot.
“A few weeks before that we played North Sydney and I broke a couple of bones in my back,” Polla-Mounter said. “It doesn’t impact the way you play, it’s just painful. I didn’t play the week before the Parramatta game and wasn’t supposed to play against the Eels. But I thought I had to play so I did. I had a couple of injections.”
The following week’s loss to Brisbane was Polla-Mounter’s third premiership decider. He was part of Canterbury’s defeat to Canberra in 1994 before they beat Manly the following year.
“We were the best team in 1994 but lost the grand final,” Polla-Mounter said. “We struggled in 1995 but won it. We had turmoil with the Super League dramas. We were lucky to be there but when we got there we were too good.”
Polla-Mounter, who travels from his Sunshine Coast home to Brisbane to work as a plumber, only has one regret about his decade long career.
“I retired too early,” Polla-Mounter said. “I was 29 and could’ve played a few more years.”
Michael Carayannis, Paul Kent, The Daily Telegraph
Subscriber only
|
June 26, 2020 12:24pm
ANOTHER WALLABY COULD COME HOME
Another Wallaby could be headed back to the NRL. Just days after former Storm flyer Marika Koroibete was linked with an NRL return, Sport Confidential can reveal Curtis Rona sits on top of a number of club’s wishlists as he eyes an NRL comeback next season.
Rona hasn’t played in the NRL since the last of his 57 top grade games in 2016 when he left the Bulldogs, switching codes to sign with the Western Force. He scored 40 tries in his three season stint in the NRL.
Rona’s former club Canterbury remain on the lookout for a strike outside back as do Melbourne, Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra. Rona went on to play for the Waratahs and featured in three Tests for the Wallabies.
Rona, who turned 28 last month, is in the final year of his contract with London Irish but is keen on returning to the NRL next year.
Koroibete has been linked with a host of NRL clubs while Canberra duo Nick Cotric and Jordan Rapana are among the highest profile outside backs off-contract at season’s end and Josh Addo-Carr is still keen on returning to Sydney.
ONE MORE TEST FOR TOLMAN
Bulldogs prop Aidan Tolman will undergo another COVID-19 test on Friday before he will be free to re-join his teammates.
If Tolman continues to be cleared he will be able to train with the side for the first time in two weeks and join them on their captain’s run tomorrow ahead of their match against the Tigers on Sunday.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Craig Polla-Mounter, 192 top grade games for Canterbury between 1992-2001
Craig Polla-Mounter shouldn’t have played in that memorable 1998 preliminary finals clash against the Eels after breaking his back just two weeks earlier.
It what was one of the most memorable matches in history, the Bulldogs crawled their way back from an 18-2 deficit with 13 minutes left. Polla-Mounter sparked the comeback scoring Canterbury’s opening try before the scores drew level.
He almost created history when a 48 metre field goal just snuck under the black-dot after Parramatta’s Paul Carige’s famed brain-snap.
“I couldn’t believe he kicked me the ball,” Polla-Mounter said. “It was a hit and hope from me but you kick them all the time at training. Rocket (Rod Silva) thought it went over so I thought it did.”
Polla-Mounter starred in the extra time period scoring a second try before booting two field goals to book the Bulldogs a grand final spot.
“A few weeks before that we played North Sydney and I broke a couple of bones in my back,” Polla-Mounter said. “It doesn’t impact the way you play, it’s just painful. I didn’t play the week before the Parramatta game and wasn’t supposed to play against the Eels. But I thought I had to play so I did. I had a couple of injections.”
The following week’s loss to Brisbane was Polla-Mounter’s third premiership decider. He was part of Canterbury’s defeat to Canberra in 1994 before they beat Manly the following year.
“We were the best team in 1994 but lost the grand final,” Polla-Mounter said. “We struggled in 1995 but won it. We had turmoil with the Super League dramas. We were lucky to be there but when we got there we were too good.”
Polla-Mounter, who travels from his Sunshine Coast home to Brisbane to work as a plumber, only has one regret about his decade long career.
“I retired too early,” Polla-Mounter said. “I was 29 and could’ve played a few more years.”
