Nick Campton

New South Wales bashed, belted and bullied their way to a comprehensive State of Origin win that proved the Blues have learnt the best lessons from their series collapse 12 months ago.

With the gleam still shining off his new UFC belt, Jack Della Maddalena is gearing up for a shot at the consensus best fighter in all of MMA — former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. 

Abbi Church still can not quite believe she is playing State of Origin but after one of the great New South Wales debuts, she is aiming even higher.

He set an NRL record in his debut year that might never be broken, but 20 years after his incredible rookie season, Tim Smith knows the long game is more important. 

It will be in a new city under a new name, but the Bears' return to the NRL is a just reward for the diehard fans who kept the red and black colours alive during a period in the wilderness.  

From the day he arrived at the Raiders, Joseph Tapine's talents were obvious. But there was one change that set him on the path to becoming one of the best forwards in rugby league ahead of his 200th game for Canberra this weekend. 

Mitchell Moses has showcased his brilliance on return from injury with a dazzling performance in Parramatta's win over the Tigers on Easter Monday. 

It's hard enough for any Englishman to make it in the NRL but South Sydney's new import Lewis Dodd will be forced to contend with a totally unprecedented first grade debut on Good Friday. 

The halfback of the New Zealand Warriors plays with an entire nation on his shoulders and Luke Metcalf won't shy away from carrying the weight. 

With Penrith looking to avoid a fifth-straight loss on Thursday night, the four-time defending premiers will try to rediscover their best form in their upcoming clash with the Dolphins. 

The Panthers have won so much and so often that their shock loss to North Queensland on Friday pitches the defending premiers further into the unknown.

As Parramatta's former king plans to return to the court he once ruled, Clint Gutherson is showing the Dragons a new way to live the only way he knows how. 

When Tom Jenkins came back to Penrith, he was on the NRL scrap heap and had no promises or guarantees. Now, after an unlikely return in an unlikely position, he's making up for lost time.

For 15 years, Daly Cherry-Evans has been Manly's guiding star. Now, with the Sea Eagles legend set to exit the club, both Cherry-Evans and the Silvertails are off the edge of the map for the first time in an age. 

Canterbury has leant heavily on Viliame Kikau and Matt Burton to start the season. With both men missing for the next few weeks, here's how the club will cover for them. 

Dylan Brown's move to Newcastle in the biggest deal in rugby league history is the gamble of a lifetime for the Knights as they stake the better part of a generation on the Parramatta five-eighth. 

After fighting his way back from injury to produce one of the most impressive seasons of his career, Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen may still have one more level to go to as his side chases another premiership in 2025. 

As the dust settles on the NRL's second trip to the USA, the sport's American dreams are starting to change shape.

Ben Hunt's move to Brisbane ensures he will end his career as he began it in more ways than one but after his tumultuous exit from the Dragons, can the veteran climb out of the hole one more time? 

The UFC returns to Sydney on Sunday and amid the controversy both inside and outside the Octagon it was clear that everyone involved got exactly what they paid for. 

Penrith's first hit-out of 2025 was far from the greatness that has come to define the club, but as it chases a fifth-straight premiership that recent past will prove the foundation of the club's future. 

Jimmy Crute had to let go of fighting to learn what he was without it. But now, after finding God and a new outlook on life, he is ready for a blockbuster return to the Octagon at UFC 312. 

Wests Tigers summer optimism has turned to poison each of the last three years. Can things be different with Jarome Luai at the helm in 2025?

Heartbreak for Aussies as Adam Walton loses in five sets to Quentin Halys and Daria Saville loses to Anna Blinkova — as it happened.

Former Super League stars, rising rookies and reserve grade stand-outs are among the most underrated recruits of the looming 2025 NRL season.