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The seizure of classified US government documents from Donald Trump's sprawling Mar-a-Lago retreat spotlights the ongoing national security concerns presented by the former president, and the home he dubbed the Winter White House, security experts say.

Trump is under federal investigation for possible violations of the Espionage Act, which makes it unlawful to spy for another country or mishandle US defence information, including sharing it with people not authorised to receive it, a search warrant shows.

As president, Trump sometimes shared information, regardless of its sensitivity. Early in his presidency, he spontaneously gave highly classified information to Russia's foreign minister about a planned Islamic State operation while he was in the Oval Office, US officials said at the time.

But it was at Mar-a-Lago, where well-heeled members and people attended weddings and fundraising dinners frolic on a breezy ocean patio, that US intelligence seemed especially at risk. While Secret Service provided physical security for the venue while Trump was president and afterward, they are not responsible for vetting guests or members.

The Justice Department's search warrant raises concerns about national security, former DOJ official Mary McCord said.

"Clearly they thought it was very serious to get these materials back into secured space," McCord said.

"Even just retention of highly classified documents in improper storage - particularly given Mar-a-Lago, the foreign visitors there and others who might have connections with foreign governments and foreign agents - creates a significant national security threat."

Trump, in a statement on his social media platform, said the records were "all declassified" and placed in "secure storage".

McCord said, however, she saw no "plausible argument that he had made a conscious decision about each one of these to declassify them before he left". After leaving office, she said, he did not have the power to declassify information.

Monday's seizure by FBI agents of multiple sets of documents and dozens of boxes, including information about US defence and a reference to the "French President", poses a frightening scenario for intelligence professionals.

"It's a nightmarish environment for a careful handling of highly classified information," said a former US intelligence officer. "It's just a nightmare."

The DOJ hasn't provided specific information about how or where the documents and photos had been stored, but the club's general vulnerabilities have been well documented.

In a high-profile example, Trump huddled in 2017 with Japan's then-prime minister Shinzo Abe at an outdoor dinner table while guests hovered nearby, listening and taking photos that they later posted on Twitter.

The dinner was disrupted by a North Korean missile test, and guests listened as Trump and Abe figured out what to say in response. After issuing a statement, Trump dropped by a wedding party at the club.

"What we saw was Trump be so lax in security that he was having a sensitive meeting regarding a potential war topic where non-US government personnel could observe and photograph," said Mark Zaid, a lawyer who specialises in national security cases.

"It would have been easy for someone to also have had a device that heard and recorded what Trump was saying as well."

White House aides did set up a secure room at Mar-a-Lago for sensitive discussions. That was where Trump decided to launch air strikes against Syria for the use of chemical weapons in April 2017.

The decision made, Trump repaired to dinner with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Over a dessert of chocolate cake, Trump informed Xi about the air strikes.

In 2019, a Chinese woman who passed security checkpoints at the club carrying a thumb drive coded with "malicious" software was arrested for entering a restricted property and making false statements to officials, authorities said at the time.

Then-White House chief of staff John Kelly launched an effort to try to limit who had access to Trump at Mar-a-Lago, but the effort fizzled when Trump refused to co-operate, aides said at the time.

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Rarely has football ever mattered so little.

In simple terms, North Queensland were beaten 32-18 by the Sydney Roosters on Saturday.

The Cowboys were gutsy. They twice fought back from double-figure margins but were ultimately out-muscled and outplayed.

With it, North Queensland's shot at a maiden minor premiership is almost certainly gone.

Penrith now hold a six-point lead with three rounds to go, with a significant for-and-against advantage meaning they will surely finish first.

Coach Todd Payten was also unhappy over three refereeing calls, including one where Matt Lodge held Griffin Neame back in a scrum and Roosters hooker Sam Verrills scored.

Payten was insistent it didn't cost his side the match, but against a club like the Roosters it didn't help.

But after the two days North Queensland has endured following the death of former coach Paul Green, that all paled into insignificance.

Ten members of North Queensland's team played under Green two years ago.

And bona fide Cowboy stars such as Valentine Holmes represented Queensland in the State of Origin arena when Green was in charge last year.

Flags flew at half-mast at the SCG, while the Cowboys were visibly moved during the minute's silence before play.

"There's just no real words to express what has happened ... and how it has affected a lot of people in the rugby league community and families," co-captain Jason Taumalolo said.

"I can't imagine what (Green's wife) Amanda and the kids are going through.

"Everyone should have someone to talk to regardless of how big or small a problem is. No-one should have to carry that sort of pressure around with them."

Taumalolo said that message had been discussed among Cowboys players, with the NRL also providing welfare assistance.

"I'd like to think we are a tight-knit group and we are able to talk to each other, whenever we go through a tough time or something really difficult," he said.

"I think everyone copes with loss and grief differently. I'm not sure about any of the other boys but everyone is affected differently.

"What has happened has really shocked and rattled most of us. It's going to take some time to get over it."

Playing on Saturday was never in question for the Cowboys but management is unsure how to treat the next few days.

The squad will return to Townsville on Sunday and play on Friday, but some days off remain an option ahead of another emotional week.

"Jase has just touched on how everyone is affected differently. Some will have a range of emotions at different times," Payten said.

"Some will feel it immediately. Some feel it maybe a few days later, some might be a couple of weeks.

"It's our job and my job to make sure that we keep an eye out for each other."

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Cody Walker claims there was never an ounce of panic about South Sydney's attack before it rebounded to a legitimate juggernaut ahead of the finals.

The Rabbitohs are poised to enter the final part of the regular season as the NRL's form team, highlighted by their 26-0 win over Parramatta on Friday.

Data shows that since the NRL's representative weekend, Souths have scored more points than any other team at an average of 32 a game in that time.

The Rabbitohs are also one of just two clubs to have a 6-1 record in that time, while their record of 15.86 points conceded is bettered only by Cronulla.

It's a far cry from the way in which they started the year, losing six of their first 11 games with a new coach in Jason Demetriou and no Adam Reynolds.

At the time questions were asked about Walker's ability to adapt without his regular No.7, with the absence of Latrell Mitchell also allowing teams to pile pressure on him.

But the five-eighth insists he never lost faith in the Bunnies' ability to rebound.

"Not really at all ... I know what I'm capable of," he said.

"I've played a lot of footy. You had to understand, we've had a lot of change at the club.

"I mean to what how many games have I played with Lachy (Ilias) now, 20 games?

"That always going to take a bit of time with different edges and that sort of thing.

"But we've turned it around through hard work, through our defence. Once we've gone into games with a defensive mindset, that's where it changed for us."

Walker's comments came after Jason Demetriou also spoke about the need for him to play the long game, after a shortened and interrupted pre-season.

Now, the rookie coach stands a chance at being the first coach to take a club to the top-four in the year after Wayne Bennett's exit.

The Rabbitohs' revival has coincided with Mitchell's return from a hamstring injury, with the Souths fullback now clearly back to his damaging best.

But Demetriou has also been quick to point out the hot run of form from Cameron Murray at lock and Walker's return to his lively best.

"It was probably just my movement around the field (that wasn't there early in the year)," Walker said.

"So for example, (Damien) Cook is about to jump, I'm there.

"That's probably what was missing throughout the season because I have done a lot of organising and sitting around the back.

"I took away from my game where I wasn't pushing up. That wasn't a natural part of my game. '

"Probably over the last couple of weeks I've started to anticipate when offloads are going to happen. I've started following the ball.

"That's where I feel I'm at my best."

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