New South Wales

Premium wool brands adapt to meet consumer demands

But a number of brands that rely on fine merino wool are opting to deal direct with farmers, to implement their own animal welfare standards and avoid the volatility of the open cry wool auction.

Jeremy Moon, founder of New Zealand brand Icebreaker, said the boom bust cycle made the wool auction unworkable.

"We purchase typically up to three years in advance," he said.

"We have contracts with a handpicked group of the best NZ merino growers and we agree on a fair price that is profitable for them and for us.

Police to investigate every Manly in last two years

The investigation unit known as Strike Force Nuralda has asked betting agencies to reveal every gambling transaction on every market for Sea Eagles games in 2015 and 2016, according to News Corp Australia report.

The news comes as Sea Eagles chairman Scott Penn claimed Manly was a victim of "guilt by innuendo", revealing the club had yet to be contacted by police.

"We are concerned about the way in which the club brand has been tarnished by speculation," Penn said.

"It is guilt by innuendo."

NSW police to interview players and officials over match-fixing allegations

Police said they would work with the NSW Crime Commission and they have the full support of the NRL.

Dozens of players, officials and members of the public are expected to be interviewed.

Earlier this year, the Organised Crime Squad confirmed it was investigating allegations of match-fixing in two NRL games from last year.

Those games were a round 16 game between the Manly Sea Eagles and the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and a round 24 match between Manly and the Parramatta Eels.

Blues not fearful of Origin unknowns

The last Blues team to visit Origin's most intimidating arena were decimated in a 52-6 record flogging and for the must-win Game Two on Wednesday night seven players will face a sea of some 50,000 Maroons for the very first time.

Five-eighth James Maloney is the only member of the NSW backline to have played a single Origin game in Brisbane while in the forwards debutants Jack Bird and Tyson Frizell have been handed Origin's toughest introduction.

Blues, Maroons out to hurt each other: Gallen

Speaking at ANZ Stadium at the Blues' captain's run on Tuesday morning, Gallen anticipated the rulebook to be thrown out the window when the two teams come together. 

Gallen also expected debutants Josh Mansour, Matt Moylan, Adam Reynolds and Dylan Walker to fit nicely into the Origin arena and the hurt that comes with it.

"There's a lot of emotion and a lot of passion from both sides. We both love it, we both hate each other and at the end of the day we're trying to hurt each other," Gallen said.