Paper Talk: Cuthbertson future, Kheirallah rejected Castleford, Tangata to Super League

It has been a hectic week of rugby league coverage for the newspapers.

Cuthbertson wants to stay at Leeds

Leeds Rhinos prop Adam Cuthbertson has declared his desire to play on with the club in 2019, report League Weekly.

The 33-year-old is out-of-contract at the end of the season. He has won two Super League Grand Finals, a League Leaders’ Shield and the Challenge Cup while with the Rhinos and wants to stay a little longer. He told League Weekly: “Obviously I’m talking to the club now as it is, and it would be great to stay because it’s such a great club.”

Robinson wants RFL to prioritise internationals

Dual-code legend Jason Robinson has implored rugby league to prioritise the international game and stage more than three England Test matches each year, report League Express.

England are playing just four games in this calendar year and Robinson says there needs to be more. He told League Express: “International rugby league wasn’t the massive thing it should have been. There were bigger attendances for Wigan against Saints, which I still can’t believe to this day. In rugby league, we didn’t achieve much [internationally], and we didn’t play much. I only have 12 Great Britain caps and seven for England. In five years of playing rugby union internationals, I have 51 England caps and five for the Lions.”

McNamara wants Cup semi-finals in France

Catalans Dragons coach Steve McNamara has called on RL bosses to consider holding future Challenge Cup semi-finals, report League Weekly.

He thinks taking the semi-finals to the Macron Stadium in Bolton is a good idea but would like to see them held in France in 2019. He told League Weekly: “Imagine playing a semi-final in the south of France. Why shouldn’t a team travel to France? We would fill a stadium in the middle of summer.”

Kheirallah turned down Castleford

Toulouse Olympique coach Sylvain Houles has revealed the club rejected an offer from Castleford Tigers for full-back Mark Kheirallah last week, report League Express.

The former Sydney Roosters player, who made one NRL appearance, has been in good form again for Toulouse this year but wants to stay in France. Houles told League Express: “Cas asked us for Mark and we told them he wasn’t interested in moving to England. That’s nothing new.”

Tangata still wants Super League shot

Cook Islands international Adam Tangata still wants a crack at Super League, claim League Weekly.

The 27-year-old has been a standout forward in the Championship for a couple of years now while playing for Halifax. He has only just recovered from a foot injury though, so he will have to impress in the back end of the season if he wants a move to the top-flight.

Nothing has changed at Wigan, insists O’Loughlin

Wigan Warriors captain Sean O’Loughlin insists that nothing has changed at the club since the shock announcement that Shaun Wane would leave at the end of the season, report League Express.

The Warriors have lost their last two games, but O’Loughlin insists that it is a temporary blip. He told League Express: “We are still doing what he asks of us week, week out. Nothing has changed with the team, although obviously the news that he is leaving is disappointing for everyone. It is part of professional sport and the boys have just got to carry on as normal.”

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