Matt Scott, one of the best props of the past decade, will hang up his boots at the end of this year.

The Cowboys forward announced last week he will retire at the end of this season having done it all in the game. He was a grand final winner in 2015, a World Cup winner in 2013 and a part of many State of Origin-winning series for Queensland.

The burly prop has certainly made the most of his talent, earning 22 caps for his country and 22 for his state, along with 265 NRL appearances.

He turns 34 this month and after 16 seasons at the top, with his body breaking down, he says now is the right time to go.

The front-rower can finish up with his head held high after a magnificent career.

History made with first female referee

A special rugby league moment arrived this weekend when the first woman to referee an NRL game was made.

Belinda Sharpe took the whistle in the Broncos’ win over the Bulldogs.

Sharpe hopes her appointment will inspire a generation of female referees to follow her lead.

“The chance to become the first female referee in the NRL would have come with some pressure, but she has worked her way through our refereeing pathways, and patiently waited for the opportunity,” NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said.

“This is an historic moment for the game and one which should be celebrated.”

Souths steal it against Cowboys

South Sydney looked down and out in Townsville late in the second half, until a turnaround that cost the Cowboys dearly.

Townsville held a 18-12 lead with 10 minutes left, before Adam Reynolds toed the ball towards Dane Gagai for a remarkable try. Reynolds kicked the conversion to tie it up, before a beautiful Cam Murray offload set up the winning try.

The Bunnies might have been down on troops and without their Burgess’, but they are still a great team.

Murray seems to get better and better every week as well.

Don’t write off Souths this year.

Dragons down and out

How do you solve a problem like St George Illawarra?

After being dominated by Canberra last weekend, the Dragons have backed it up by being whipped 40-18 by Penrith.

Their finals chances are dead and buried. Even more surprising was coach Paul McGregor’s decision to rest halfback Ben Hunt from this must-win game.

It was a ploy that backfired big time. Now there are rumours that star forward Tyson Frizell wants out of the club.

That was quickly denied by Frizell, but something is not quite right at the Dragons. The Red V faithful are getting restless.

Sensational Storm roll on to consecutive win No.9

Melbourne Storm is looking near-unbeatable after it racked up a ninth straight win.

Storm’s Kenny Bromwich pushes through the lines. Photo: Getty 

Storm heaped more misery on the Titans, romping to a 38-18 victory on the Gold Coast.

Melbourne’s ability to regenerate season after season, replace great players and uncover new gems is simply phenomenal.

There is nothing else like it in Australian sport. Get your money on Storm to be playing on grand final day.

That win puts it top of the NRL on 32 points, six clear of South Sydney. It almost has one hand on the minor premiership already.

A titanic move

Talk is growing about moving the struggling Gold Coast north to play games at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and even a potential rebrand.

The Titans’ crowds have halved and the team is in a rut.

The Glitter Strip has long been Australia’s No.1 sporting graveyard as professional sides in soccer, basketball and rugby league have all gone under there in the past.

Brisbane is a rugby league-mad market and with only the Broncos there, the theory is that locals would lap up another team.

But Queenslander-in-chief and former Broncos coach Wayne Bennett is advising against it.

“There’s a great market on the Gold Coast. They had a pretty big following there in the early stages as the Titans,” Bennett said.

“They’ve just lost their way a little bit. They’ve just got to get themselves back on track.

“They’ve got quality players there, a great facility, I can’t see why they’d be leaving the Gold Coast.”