NSW Blues’ Isabelle Kelly remains in hospital with throat injury from women’s State of Origin opener

  • Captain coughed up blood and struggled to breath after hit
  • Coach and players angry play continued and no penalty given

The New South Wales women’s State of Origin side is fuming after match officials allowed play to continue following a serious throat injury that hospitalised co-captain Isabelle Kelly in Thursday’s series opener.

Julia Robinson, the Queensland winger whose elbow hit Kelly’s throat, said the shot was accidental and that her thoughts were with the centre, who has been cleared of a throat fracture but remained in hospital on Friday morning.

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State of Origin 2023 Game 1: Queensland beat NSW 26-18 – as it happened

“I heard the game wasn’t a sellout,” emails El Rey. “That would be because the good folk of Adelaide are all in bed by 7:30pm, wouldn’t it?”

That’s the one and only cheap shot I’m allowing at South Australia’s expense.

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Dragons coaching target and major sponsor walk away from NRL club

  • Jason Ryles rejects Dragons to be Storm assistant
  • St George Bank to withdraw as sponsor at end of 2024

Jason Ryles has rejected St George Illawarra in favour of rejoining Melbourne as an assistant, with no guarantee he will succeed Craig Bellamy as the Storm’s head coach.

Ryles had been the Dragons’ preferred candidate to take over from the recently ousted Anthony Griffin in 2024 but withdrew from contention on Wednesday morning, leaving fellow NRL assistants Ben Hornby and Dean Young as the frontrunners.

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