NRL

Playing as well as ever in his 13th season in the National Rugby League, 32-year-old Johnson came up with two try assists, two forced dropouts and 722 kick metres as the Warriors racked up their sixth win of 2023.

"Shaun leads with his voice and he leads with his actions and that's very powerful when a player can do that," Warriors coach Andrew Webster said post-match.

During the Magic Round in Brisbane, the Warriors made a promising start to nail the first points on the board but eventually succumbed to their third straight defeat.

The Warriors dominated the opening stages and were rewarded when prop Addin Fonua-Blake crossed in the 10th minute after halfback Shaun Johnson combined with lock Tohu Harris.

The try followed a break by Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who was stopped short of the tryline on the previous tackle by Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards and centre Sunia Turuva.

The 30-year-old, who was sin-binned for the 48th minute incident involving Newcastle halfback Jackson Hastings, faces a two-week suspension with an early guilty plea or three weeks if he unsuccessfully contests the charge at the judiciary.

Wighton also faces a $1800 fine with an early guilty plea for a High Tackle (Careless) earlier in the match on Knights fullback Lachie Miller. 

The Australian Rugby League Commission approved the new rule on Tuesday, the same day the Australian Football League was hit by a class action from dozens of former players over alleged damage to their health from concussions.

The new requirement, which applies to concussions diagnosed at training and during games, takes effect from the start of the third round of the NRL championship this weekend.

Two tries from off-season recruit Jaxson Paulo helped the Roosters to their first victory of the season, while it was the Warriors first loss following their first round victory over Newcastle.

After taking an 8-6 lead into the break, the Roosters scored two second-half tries and kicked a penalty with five minutes to go to secure the result at Allianz Stadium, although there will be concern around Brandon Smith failing to play the second half due to a back issue.

Ponga fronted media on Monday for the first time since being captured walking out of a pub toilet cubicle with Newcastle teammate Kurt Mann last August.

The Knights captain insisted that Mann had come to his aid after he fell ill from something he ate, despite his father Andre revealing at the time the pair had been drinking after Ponga purchased a house.

Ponga and Mann were both cleared by an NRL integrity unit investigation and drug test, but questions lingered over Ponga's drinking while sitting out the end of the season with concussions.

League Central announced on the Friday before Christmas the salary cap would be increased from $9.6 million to a record-high $12.1 million for the 2023 season.

But Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) chair Deidre Anderson says players are potentially endangering themselves by agreeing to new deals while no CBA is in place.

His commitment comes just a week after Canberra Raiders and Queensland forward Josh Papali’i declared his allegiance to the Pacific nation.

Paulo, 28, has played nine Tests for Samoa. He was a member of the squad for the 2017 World Cup Down Under. The New South Wales star has never represented Australia, but was considered a near certainty in Mal Meninga’s squad if he had chosen to represent the Kangaroos.

He did represent Australia as a junior.

Warriors interim coach Stacey Jones said on Wednesday that it has been confirmed as a medial collateral ligament injury in Harris-Tavita’s knee which will sideline him for around a month.

Given that there are only five games left in the season, it is possible that the 23-year-old has played his last game for the club.

“He has done his MCL, so that’s a three to four-week injury,” Jones said.

“We’re hoping that Chanel is going to get back out on the field before the end of the year.

Luai joins his Panthers and Blues teammate Brian To’o in committing to Samoa, while Queensland and Raiders star Josh Papalii is expected to follow suit.

All three have previously played for Samoa but were in contention for Kangaroos selection.

“I am going to play for Samoa. It is who I am, and it is how I was bought up,” Luai told NRL.com.

“I know I live in Australia, but it is just a way of life for us. We are really connected to our Polynesian side as well.