Big Canberra Raiders prop Shannon Boyd has spent the past two days in a shearing shed but will rub shoulders with rugby league's best later this week.

Canberra Raiders forward Joe Tapine hopes the chance to join the New Zealand Test squad will fast-track his NRL development, revealing moving to the capital has helped him find stability in his life.

James Maloney has been selected as part of the Four Nations squad, but Paul Gallen wasn't so lucky.

Who was the best player, what needs to change and can the Canberra Raiders win the 2017 NRL premiership?

Melbourne Storm enjoyed plenty of success in 2016, despite their grand final loss, with contributions from the second tier of players the major step forward.

Australian coach Mal Meninga says star Canberra Raiders duo Jarrod Croker and Joey Leilua were overlooked because he wanted fit players in his squad from the first day of training.

In-form Canberra winger Jordan Rapana heads five uncapped players named in new coach David Kidwell's 24-strong New Zealand Test squad.

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With only two newish sides still to win the NRL, the romance has been drained from rugby league after the Sharks overcame the Storm to win an historic premiership.

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Cronulla premiership winner Andrew Fifita and Parramatta winger Semi Radradra have both been ruled out of selection for the Australian Four Nations squad due to off-field issues.

The father of Sharks skipper Paul Gallen has slammed the Australian Sports Anti Doping Agency's pursuit of Cronulla players over the 2011 supplements program as "a joke" as coach Shane Flanagan said he would go through the whole ordeal again to savour an NRL title.

The man who made the initial contact on Andrew Fifita during his match-winning try was less than a minute earlier supposed to leave the field for a concussion test. And now the NRL is likely to probe the Melbourne Storm.

Andrew Fifita will get all the Kangaroos attention, but two Raiders are fighting to prove their fitness.

Cronulla fans were out in droves on Monday to celebrate the club's historic maiden premiership.

Sharks coach Shane Flanagan claimed Kangaroos boss Mal Meninga won't be picking the best Australian team if he discards premiership winners Paul Gallen and Andrew Fifita from his Four Nations touring party.

Jarryd Hayne will promote rugby union at a junior clinic in Fiji this week, just two months after signing a lucrative deal to return to rugby league's Gold Coast Titans.

Retired Sharks hooker Michael Ennis looks set to assume a coaching role with the club next season.

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The Sharks bad boy played the house down in the grand final. But he doesn't deserve a Kangaroos jumper yet.

He's secured an NRL premiership, now Sharks winger Valentine Holmes wants a chance at State of Origin.

It was a long way from the NRL grand final, literally and figuratively. When the United States played Canada in  Wilmington, Delaware a few hours before the big one, kick-off was delayed because a council worker had failed to show up to turn the lights on. His absence also meant the players US players couldn't get into their dressingroom until after the game whole the Canadians got changed in the parking lot. The crowd numbered less than 100 but at least the food was free. Former South Sydney player Junior VaiVai pounced on a loose ball and raced 60 metres to score the winning try with two minutes remaining, the 20-14 win giving the US a clean sweep of the Colonial Cup games.