Round 5 is so close we can almost taste it.
Bet it tastes delicious.
Before Manly and the Broncos kick off - in front of actual, made-from-human-stuff fans - we've done the rounds of Club Land to find the stories that won't make the front page - but could make you sound like an insider.
MORE: Everything you missed from Wednesday's club updates
SHARKS NEWS: DUGAN CONFIDENT CRONULLA HAVE THE LEADERSHIP TO GET THE BEST OUT OF NENE MACDONALD
After being released from his North Queensland Cowboys contract in 2019, just seven months into a three-year deal, Nene MacDonald has reappeared on the rugby league radar with Newscorp reporting the winger will sign a multi-year contract with Cronulla.
Having spent time with him at St George Illawarra, MacDonald’s potential is nothing new to Sharks outside back Josh Dugan
“I was with Nene at the Dragons and he’s one of those kids that could create something out of nothing,” Dugan said.
“He’s a big powerful thing. With [injured Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo] Ronny out for four to six weeks, we’ve got some depth in the outside backs here, but I definitely think we could use someone with great experience and a big body as well.
“He can carry the ball back and he’s great under the high ball, so if he does come here I’m sure he’d be a welcome addition.”
MacDonald departed from the Cowboys less than a month after he involved in an incident on Magnetic Island, where a hire car in his name was found abandoned and damaged.
“We’ve got the leaders around this group to keep him on the straight and narrow, really get him focused on footy and bring out the best in him.”
- Chris Danks
DRAGONS NEWS: HOW PLAYERS REACTED TO MARY'S STAY OF EXECUTION
Paul McGregor has born the brunt of heat stemming from the Dragons' horror start to the year, something that hasn't sat well with his players.
With McGregor surviving an emergency board meeting to discuss his future on Tuesday, captain Cameron McInnes said the players are collectively determined to step up for their under-siege coach.
"He is copping unfair criticism. We all need to be better and do our part," the Dragons skipper said of McGregor.
"For him to be the scapegoat of our situation I think is unfair and I'm glad the stance the club's taken is a strong one and I think the right one.
"There's a lot of us not performing to our potential but people aren't speaking about that as much because all the pressure's on Mary, and that's just the type of guy he is, he takes that off other people.
"That's why we're so passionate about taking some pressure off him now through the way we play. That's the theme across the whole group."
- by Ed Chisholm
SHARKS NEWS: JOSH DUGAN BACKS FORMER COACH PAUL MCGREGOR, CALLS COACH-BLAMING A COP OUT
Paul McGregor is safe, for now, but the Dragons are a side under siege as they go into Sunday’s local derby against Cronulla.
While debate rages over who is to blame, who should be the human sacrifice to the gods of rugby league and how/if the Dragons can recover, Sharks centre Josh Dugan is certain of one thing: Mary’s not the only one at fault.
“It’s a bit of a cop out blaming the coaches,” Dugan said Thursday. “They do have a say in it, but it’s the 17 blokes on the field who are performing - or not performing that leads to results.
“I’ve been under Mary; I think he’s one of the better coaches I’ve had. I’ve got a lot of time for Mary and a lot of respect.”
Having played five matches on the Dragons side and four in the black, white and blue of Cronulla, Dugan has an acute understanding of how these derbies tend to play out.
“I’ve been on both sides of the local derby and any sort of form goes out the window, so we’re not worried about how the Dragons have started the year or anything like that, we’re worried about their strike players and how good a team they actually are.”
- Chris Danks
COWBOYS NEWS: LEFT EDGE DEFENCE NEEDS FIXING JUST AS MUCH AS TAUMALOLO'S NRL RETURN
Although outgunned 26-16 by the Sharks in round 4, Paul Green isn’t taking the easy option and blaming his side’s loss on the sizeable hole human metre-eating machine Jason Taumalolo’s absence left.
"Not blaming anyone but had our left edge stopped any of those tries we'd probably have got a different result,” Green said Thursday.
"To pin the loss on the fact Jase wasn't playing, Coen Hess wasn't playing – he's a State of Origin player and no one's really mentioned him much … I think most of the blokes did their jobs last week, there were just a few lapses on the left edge.
"Had we been better in that area we wouldn't be talking about it. He's one of our starters regularly so it's always good to get any of those guys back in the side. It's also good to get Hessy back, he's trained well all week."
The Cowboys only completed at 61% and made 17 errors compared to Cronulla’s 9, yet were outgunned in running metres by a mere 127 metres.
While Hess will return to the line-up, Taumalolo has been named in the #20 jersey.
- Chris Danks
