Monday 11 July 2016 13:06, UK
Luke Dorn, the race for the qualifiers and Sean O'Loughlin all feature in this week's Set of Six.
Troubled NRL star Kieran Foran has walked away from his multi-million dollar contract with Parramatta Eels in order to deal with personal issues.
The 25-year-old is said to be battling depression and other 'significant issues' with reports of a police intervention due to concerns for his well-being.
The move comes at the end of a difficult six months for the half-back which included the breakdown of his relationship and a spell in rehabilitation.
Foran, who played just nine games this season before suffering a shoulder injury, informed his team-mates of his decision via text message.
Foran's exit could open the door for Jarryd Hayne to return to the Eels as his Olympic rugby sevens journey came to a crashing end on Monday after he was told he had not done enough to win selection.
Luke Dorn looks determined to end his rugby league career on a high as his dazzling display helped Castleford Tigers clinch a Super 8s spot on Sunday.
The 34-year-old announced in May he will retire from the game at the end of the season, but his recent rich vein of form has left many questioning his decision.
The Australian, who has also played for London Broncos and Salford, played a starring role as Castleford found their form to finally secure their top-eight place with a 38-24 victory over Catalans Dragons.
Dorn has been influential for the Tigers' so far this season, helping mastermind victories over Wakefield and Leeds while scoring in his side's Magic Weekend defeat of Warrington Wolves.
His impact on the team was evident in his injury-enforced absence earlier in the season, with the Tigers suffering heavy defeats at the hands of the Wolves and Hull KR without him.
While Dorn continues to be in the form of his life, coach Daryl Powell is now left with the difficult task of finding a man to fill the Tigers' full-back spot next season.
Marwan Koukash is considering his Salford future after his failure to overturn a points deduction for breaking salary cap regulations.
Koukash, who brought the Red Devils back from the brink of financial disaster three years ago, has hinted he may quit the club, saying he will sit down with his family to discuss his future.
The news comes on the back of a ruling by London-based independent arbitration service Sport Resolutions to uphold the six-point penalty.
The decision was then further compounded by the Red Devils' 40-14 defeat by Warrington on Thursday night, condemning them to a bottom-four spot and a second successive battle to avoid relegation in the Qualifiers.
Despite the club's current situation, Koukash has received support from his side's head coach Ian Watson.
"Marwan has held his hands up and said he's done wrong but have other people done wrong in the situation as well?" said Watson. "He came in with a lot of money and I think some people have taken advantage of that, there's agents, players, other parties involved in this and are they being held accountable?
"That might be a question for the RFL."
Wigan Warriors secured a last-second 22-18 win over Wakefield and extend their winning run to seven matches on Friday evening but had to survive the second half without their captain Sean O'Loughlin
O'Loughlin was shown the first red card of his 15-year career for a high shot on Chris Annakin near the end of a fiery first half that also saw Warriors duo Josh Charnley and Dom Manfredi shown yellow cards.
Wakefield took an 18-10 lead as the game went into the final quarter, but two tries by winger Lewis Tierney, including his last-gasp effort, secured a 22-18 victory.
After the game Wakefield head coach Chris Chester revealed that Annakin was unable to return to the field after the challenge from O'Loughlin.
"He's not great. He couldn't come back on, he was out cold," he said. "It wasn't a great challenge in all honesty, but we will let the match review people look after that."
Wigan now face an anxious wait to see if O'Loughlin will be available for their trip to Headingley on Friday to take on a struggling Leeds Rhinos side in a re-run of last season's Grand Final
Leigh clinched a third successive Championship league leaders' shield with a 58-18 victory over Halifax at the weekend while London have also confirmed their spot in the qualifiers, but the battle for the final two places continues to intensify.
Just one point separates third-placed Halifax and Featherstone Rovers in sixth, with Batley Bulldogs and Bradford Bulls also still in the hunt with two games left to play.
Next weekend's fixtures sees Halifax and Featherstone go head-to-head, with Batley facing a trip to second-placed Broncos and Bradford taking on the 10th-placed side Oldham.
The final round of fixtures is equally as mouthwatering as Featherstone take on the Bulls, Halifax welcome the Broncos and Batley travel to Swinton, who lie in seventh.
State of Origin reaches its finale on Wednesday but despite the series already being sewn up by Queensland there is plenty still to play for.
The Maroons will be hunting down their first whitewash victory since 2010, having let the opportunity slip in 2007 and 2009, adding to the four times the feat has previously been achieved by Queensland in the 36 years of the Origin.
For the Blues, Greg Bird, Matt Moylan and Dylan Walker all faced the axe by coach Laurie Daly in a bid to restore some pride south of the border, while retiring captain Paul Gallen will be allowed to bid farewell in front of a home crowd.
However, it is believed that the players will face a sea of empty seats at the 45,500 capacity Allianz Stadium, with the dead-rubber match failing to capture the imaginations of the fans.
