NRL

Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan has confirmed there will be no positional switch in the Telstra Premiership for his talented speedster. 

“The speculation about Val comes because of how good he plays on the wing, not how poorly he plays at fullback,” Flanagan told NRL.com.

Tonga sealed their second win in the tournament against Samoa on Saturday night at a packed-out FMG Stadium in Hamilton.

The stadium was a sea of colours as fans showed up to sing, cheer and dance for their Pacific teams. 

Woolf says the experience was one of a kind and it proves that Pacific teams are worth the investment.

"The first step I think is putting on more games. We'd love to play Samoa every year and I know they'd love to play us every year and I'm sure the fans would love to see that as well."

Premiership matches will be held in Mudgee, Tamworth, Bathurst and Gosford next year, as well as Gladstone, Toowoomba and Cairns.

It means the 2018 season will include the most number of regional locations in NSW and Queensland in the history of the NRL Premiership.

The Gold Coast Titans will take two matches to regional centres (Gladstone and Toowoomba), while South Sydney will continue play one of its matches in Cairns.

The governing body confirmed the Sharks would be slugged $30,000 and the Sea Eagles $20,000 after Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan and Manly's Trent Barrett both lashed the whistleblowers after their week-one finals exits.

Both clubs appealed their penalties after they were handed down a fortnight ago, however NRL head of football Brian Canavan said neither would be granted reductions in their fines.

"Given the seriousness of the breaches - and the need for the integrity of the game to be maintained - it was decided that the penalties should stand," Canavan said.

The Cowboys pulled off one of the biggest boilovers of the year in front of 41,287 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

The Cowboys only snuck into eighth spot when St George Illawarra were beaten by Canterbury in the last round but will now take on the Sydney Roosters next Saturday for a spot in the grand final.

The Townsville side were effectively written off after co-captains Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott were ruled out for the year but continue to defy the odds.

The stage was set for Brisbane's horror injury night when Queensland winger Corey Oates was heavily concussed in a sickening collision with teammate Anthony Milford in the 21st minute.

Forwards Sam Thaiday and Jai Arrow (both concussion) joined him on the sideline by the second half.

Yet Brisbane somehow still racked up their seventh-straight finals win at Suncorp Stadium to book a grand final qualifier with the Storm.

The Panthers season is over despite also bravely battling on with injury.

The Storm are going to finish first on the NRL ladder regardless of the result on Saturday night, but with some player milestones, a departing legend and finals around the corner, the Melbourne centre says there's plenty to play for.

"We've still got a lot on the line," Chambers said. 

"You need to be playing good footy leading into the back end of the year, it’s crazy to think you've got nothing on the line.

In the 'Footy Kids in Cars' clip on the Matty Johns Show children were asked what the funniest name in the NRL was before making them pronounce Pacific Island players' names.

The video also aired on Sky TV in New Zealand.

NRL manager of wellbeing and education, Nigel Vagana confirmed he and Frank Puletua, NRL head of Pacific strategy, would complain to the NRL and Fox Sports Australia.

With a month to go in the regular season former Knights premiership winner Danny Buderus believes they will shape the final make-up of the top eight.

Starting with the sixth-placed Cowboys this Saturday night at Pepper Stadium the Panthers play four teams all still fighting for a finals berth and could either crush their dreams or see their own hopes of a top eight finish fall by the wayside.

Second rower Bunty Afoa scored his first try of the season to get the Warriors on the board, thanks to some quick hand work from Kieran Foran and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

Issac Luke's conversion put the Warriors in an early 6-0 lead, but twenty minutes in the Cowboys were even it out.

The visitors looked set to leave the first half 6-6 but The Cowboys took advantage of their errors, scored and converted another try.