V’landys intervenes to save thousands of Knights fans from trackwork drama as grand final sells out

🔮 Days before kick-off in the NRL grand final, many Roosters and Knights fans have already been left disappointed, even though their team could still win it all.

🔮 Its relevance to the foundation club prompts frequent confusion, but its prevalence exemplifies the lengths fans like Leong will go to support their team.

🔮 Hayes expects the Knights will target the diminutive half on Sunday.

🔮 “I will stress that we have not determined whether staffing resources directly contributed to any occurrence, or whether they were simply underlying conditions that were effectively being managed by Airservices [Australia].

🔮 Applications will be open until just before midnight on Sunday, October 18, and the traineeships will begin in February next year.

🔮 “Detectives will allege in court the three males – one allegedly armed with a pistol – entered the home and confronted Mr Tapia, before he was fatally shot,” NSW Police said in a statement on Wednesday.

🔮 Plans are set to be finalised on Monday for trains to run between Newcastle and Sydney, with V’landys forecasting an influx of more than 30,000 Knights fans as ticket sales for Sunday’s decider were exhausted shortly before midday.

🔮 Bus routes are being diverted and motorists are advised to avoid the area as the police investigation is expected to take some time.

🔮 Four other men were also injured in the shooting at Canley Heights in May.

🔮 - Treasurer Jim Chalmers has flagged a potential fresh round of tax cuts as he prepares to release a 40-year economic forecast containing confronting findings about the nation’s future.

🔮 The 26-year-old enforcer has a year left on his contract at the club but is set to link with Parramatta.

🔮 Ponga is so regularly up in the defensive line these days, or scrambling at marker, Slater contended, that Sam Walker would be looking to exploit it with his short kicking game.

🔮 Is it with the Knights, who will be playing their first decider in a quarter of a century, or a Roosters side returning after a comparatively short seven-year absence?

🔮 Sources speaking on the condition of anonymity have indicated that Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies and bass guitarist Chris Joannou are both willing to perform as part of grand final day.

🔮 Gee was in charge of the Roosters’ 36-20 preliminary final defeat of the Dolphins on Friday, in which he referred contentious tries to Jamayne Isaako and Rob Toia to the bunker, which were subsequently awarded by video official Ashley Klein, who deemed to not have sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field decision. Gee has previously officiated the 2023 grand final between Penrith and Brisbane. Incumbent 2025 grand final referee Grant Atkins was overlooked after he did not officiate in either preliminary final, with veteran whistleblower Gerard Sutton overseeing Newcastle’s nail-biting 22-14 defeat of the Panthers on Sunday. Butler was in the bunker for that match.

🔮 The Waratahs, meanwhile, told him he would probably have to wait until his early 20s to earn a Super Rugby debut.

🔮 Plans are set to be finalised on Monday for trains to run between Newcastle and Sydney, with V’landys forecasting an influx of more than 30,000 Knights fans as ticket sales for Sunday’s decider were exhausted shortly before midday.

🔮 The coaching threads between Justin Holbrook, twice a member of Trent Robinson’s Roosters staff, will be raised more than once this grand final week.

🔮 “Someone riding a skateboard out the front could do a better job at the moment.

🔮 “That first year of NRL, I couldn’t really pass left to right at all … it might be an issue again, actually,” he grins, “I’ve missed a lot of footy lately.”