David Mead has called time on his brilliant NRL career, the veteran outside back retiring after 171 games and 75 tries.
The 33-year-old Bronco has announced his retirement with immediate effect, having wrapped up his international career with Papua New Guinea just last month in the Pacific Test.
He’s been back with the Broncos since last year, but hasn’t made any appearances this season.
Mead debuted with the Titans in 2009 and scored 67 tries in 147 outings before moving to Brisbane for the 2017 campaign.
He also spent three years in the Super League at Catalans Dragons, scoring 29 tries in 58 games.
The lethal finisher will also be remembered for his passionate service to PNG as captain, scoring 10 tries in 15 games for the Kumuls and leading them at the 2017 World Cup.
Mead thanked all those involved in making his “dream” of playing elite rugby league come true.
“This game has given and taught me a lot … I will always be grateful for my time playing footy,” he said.
“Thank you to all my teammates, the coaching staff and the many people who have been involved with the game over the last 14 years – you have all played an important and valuable part in my development as a player and as a person.
“Thank you to my family who have been with me since day one … I look forward to experiencing the next chapter of our life together.”
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters said the club had been lucky to have him.
“His longevity in the game is testament to his professionalism and his attention to detail in his training and preparation for games, plus he is one of the nicest blokes you will ever meet,” he said.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Kimmorley out with COVID
The Wests Tigers will have their third coach of the season with Brett Kimmorley ruled out of Sunday’s stoush with the Cowboys in Townsville after testing positive to COVID-19.
Assistant coaches Ben Gardiner and Nathan Cayless will be taking charge in Kimmorley’s absence.
Kimmorley is the club’s caretaker coach for the rest of the season after Michael Maguire was sacked last month.
Head of football Tim Sheens is returning to the role next year before his understudy Benji Marshall takes over in 2025.
Brent Naden is back on the wing after a four-week suspension for a Tigers team desperate to end a six-game losing streak to climb off the bottom of the ladder.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Arthur bemused by Bulldogs link
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur says his commute to work would be the envy of most people in Australia as he laughed off reports linking him with a move away from the Eels.
“I’ve got no reason to leave,” Arthur said on Tuesday. “I drive seven minutes to work. I think everyone would love to drive seven minutes to work and work for Parramatta.”
Reports surfaced on Monday that Arthur’s management firm, Pacific Sports Management, had offered his services to a Sydney-based NRL club despite the fact he is contracted to the Eels until the end of 2024.
The Bulldogs are the only Sydney side on the lookout for a coach after the Wests Tigers last week opted to put their faith in a Tim Sheens/Benji Marshall succession plan.
Canterbury are chasing Cameron Ciraldo but there is also the possibility of the Panthers assistant being courted by the Eels if Arthur were to strike a deal elsewhere.
There is long-term uncertainty about the head coaching positions at St George Illawarra, Gold Coast and Newcastle.
All parties are denying any such speculation and Arthur labelled the talk as “funny”.
Arthur has been at the Eels since 2014 but has yet to break the club’s quest for their first premiership since 1986.
“I’m nine years into my job and at some stage every year there’s a question mark around whether I’m the right coach moving forward,” he said.
“It’s just part and parcel of a job that’s results driven.”
Exploring his options now could be a smart move for Arthur. His stock is still high given he has finished in the top eight in four of the last five seasons.
When they are firing Parramatta are one of the most entertaining and dominant teams in the competition.
This season they have a 11-6 record and sit in sixth spot.
Improving on that beyond 2022 could be more challenging with Isaiah Papalii, Marata Niukore and Reed Mahoney all leaving the Eels at the end of this year.
“This (2022 season) is our best opportunity (at winning a premiership) that I’ve had since being here,” Arthur said.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
“Does it mean it (our premiership window) is shutting? I don’t believe so. We’ve got a lot of good young blokes coming through.”
The knock on Arthur has been his inability to get his side peaking at the right time of the year and that the Eels have often floundered in the big games.
Ahead of Thursday’s home game with Brisbane, the Eels coach has taken his side to the Central Coast to recharge ahead of the remaining six weeks of the season where they will hope to jump into the NRL’s top four.
“We’re in a better position right now than we were this time last year,” Arthur added.
“We still haven’t played our best footy, our besty footy is ahead of us.”
McGuire likens Griffin talk to Women’s Weekly storylines
With coach Anthony Griffin under pressure to keep his job, veteran Dragons forward Josh McGuire has leapt to his defence.
The St George Illawarra board met on Tuesday but there was no decision made on the future of the coach who is under contract until the end of next year.
McGuire, who also played under Griffin at Brisbane, said the team was in the top eight just a couple of weeks ago at the club’s midweek media session.
When asked if Griffin deserved to be under pressure, McGuire said: “I don’t think so. He’s not the one out on the field, is he.
“We were in the eight two weeks ago and now we’re out so the knives are out, which is what usually happens in this game. It’s a bit like Women’s Weekly.”
Anthony Griffin. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Moses Mbye, who will slot in at centre for the injured Moses Suli in Friday’s crucial clash with Manly at Kogarah, admitted “it doesn’t really matter what I say”. Suli is out for the rest of the regular season with a high-grade syndesmosis injury.
“I’m not going to stand here and throw fuel on the fire or tell everyone why (Griffin) is so good or why he’s bad. We’re going to be judged on how we turn up on Friday night.”
“It’s that time of the year where if you’re not performing very well, you’re going to be under the pump.
“The last couple of weeks we haven’t been playing good footy. The pressure comes back on us as a playing group and as a club. Obviously, there are headlines that you don’t really want to be reading. But that’s just the reality of what it is.
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