2025 Mendi 9s Sportsman’s Luncheon
Celebrating the game, its people and the
impact beyond the field.
✳︎
Cooper Johns
✳︎
Bryan Fletcher
✳︎
Nathan Hindmarsh
✳︎
Amanda Green
✳︎
Michael Buckland
✳︎
Susan Graham-Ryan
✳︎ Cooper Johns ✳︎ Bryan Fletcher ✳︎ Nathan Hindmarsh ✳︎ Amanda Green ✳︎ Michael Buckland ✳︎ Susan Graham-Ryan
The 2025 Mendi 9s Sportsman’s Luncheon was a powerful reminder of what the carnival has quickly grown to represent, bringing the rugby league community together in a room full of great people, great stories and a shared purpose.
With Cooper Johns steering the afternoon, the room was instantly relaxed, full of energy and ready for the kind of conversations that make this event so unique. Throughout the day, moments of laughter sat alongside moments that genuinely made people stop and think, which is exactly what the luncheon has become known for.
A standout was the discussion around CTE and rugby league, led by Susan Graham-Ryan with Associate Professor Michael Buckland and Amanda Green. It was honest, important and deeply respected by everyone in attendance. It reinforced how much the game means to people, not just as a sport but as a lifelong community that looks after its own. The $5,500 raised through the Calcutta for the Australian Sports Brain Bank was something the entire room played a part in and a result we are incredibly proud of.
There was also a strong sense of pride in hearing the story of the Mendi 9s shared on stage by James Tamou and Jeff Doyle, reflecting how far the carnival has come and the vision behind it. These are the moments that remind us the event is bigger than a single weekend of football.
And, as always when rugby league people come together, the stories flowed. Nathan Hindmarsh, Bryan Fletcher and Cooper Johns had the room completely engaged, with memories from State of Origin, life in the sheds and the characters of the game creating an atmosphere you simply can’t replicate anywhere else.
More than anything, the luncheon continues to be about connection. It brings together past and present players, corporate partners, supporters and the wider community through a shared love of the game and a genuine desire to make a positive impact beyond it.
