Crawley Files: Rabbitohs exposed over Burgess departure, Latrell could learn from Ponga

The Rabbitohs are living in denial if they think the insulting excuse given for the departure of club legend Sam Burgess is going to be believed, writes PAUL CRAWLEY.

The Panthers are the best team of the NRL era. Picture: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

The treatment of Sam Burgess at South Sydney is a disgrace.

And the embarrassing explanation from Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly and coach Jason Demetriou as to why a club legend would walk away from the club two weeks out from the finals was nothing more than an insult to their legion of fans.

If you don’t want to tell the truth, don’t call a media conference. But don’t then come out and expect your own fans just to swallow the reasons given that Burgess has left to spend more time with his pregnant partner and focus on his upcoming role as the new coach for Warrington.

If there was no issue with Burgess and fellow assistant John Morris not seeing eye-to-eye with Demetriou, why was a crisis meeting called in the first place?

The fact is Burgess was pushed out of the club amid claims someone had been leaking information to the media in respect to the double standards being applied to Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.

Sam Burgess leaves Rabbitohs HQ. Picture: Julian Andrews

The rumours have been swirling around the game for weeks that Burgess has not been happy with the standards being set at the club.

His concerns are there for all to see in the way the Rabbitohs are performing on the field.

Those close to Burgess are adamant there is no way on this earth he would ever do anything to intentionally destabilise the club he inspired to a history-making premiership in 2014 by intentionally leaking information to the media.

There is also talk that former disgruntled players have been behind the information that has been coming out of the club.

Regardless of where it is coming from, that’s only avoiding the real issue.

The fact is the Rabbitohs have gone from premiership favourites mid-season to on the verge of missing the finals if they don’t win their final-round game against arch enemies the Roosters.

And they are going to have to do it without their million-dollar man Mitchell after he was suspended for his brain explosion against the Knights, which came after he put in a performance that was shameful by his standards.

To think pushing Burgess out the door is going to fix the problem is living in a world of denial.

PONGA’S ELVIS SUIT UP FOR SALE

In a week where South Sydney has imploded over talk of preferential treatment to Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, the rise of Newcastle is the perfect example of how tough love can change everything at a football club.

If Billy Slater had to pick his Queensland No.1 tomorrow, it would be impossible to go past Kalyn Ponga.

That’s even allowing for the form Broncos excitement machine Reece Walsh has been in all season.

Yet the flip side of that is if Slater had not been brave enough to overlook Ponga in the first place, Newcastle would, in all likelihood, not be charging towards the finals like Adam O’Brien’s team is today.

It all goes back to the conversation Ponga had last year when Wayne Bennett was trying to lure him to the Dolphins and Bennett put it to him in no uncertain terms: “Do you want to be a rock star or do you want to be a footballer?”

At the time the Knights superstar was playing like he would rather have been Elvis than the exceptional rugby league talent everyone knew he was.

Boo Bailey's Kalyn Ponga cartoon for Crawley Files.

It’s no coincidence the about-face in attitude came in the wake of Slater’s Origin call.

Of course, Ponga was recovering from serious concussion injuries at the time that he also had to overcome from a psychological point, as well as physically.

Yet it’s like that Origin period flicked a switch inside Ponga that he finally wanted to make it personal.

Seven straight wins later and suddenly the Knights go into Sunday’s clash against Cronulla as the giant killers on the run to the finals.

Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs have descended into crisis following last Sunday’s 29-10 humiliation against a Ponga-inspired Knights.

The damning vision exposed on NRL 360 highlighted how far off the pace Mitchell was in that match, while Walker spent the afternoon running around trying to pick fights rather than play the footy we all know he is capable of.

And now Rabbitohs legend Sam Burgess has left the building, you just wonder if there is anyone remaining at Souths strong enough to say to Mitchell and Walker what Bennett and Slater were willing to say to Ponga.

If you want to play the rock star, go out and buy an Elvis outfit.

There’s one for sale in Newcastle.

BEST TEAM EVER? PANTHERS COULD NEVER MATCH STERLO’S EELS

Peter Sterling or Nathan Cleary? Ray Price or Isaah Yeo? Eric Grothe or Brian To’o? Brett Kenny or Jarome Luai?

Who would you pick if you could combine two of the greatest club sides in rugby league – the mighty Parramatta Eels of the early 1980s and the dominant Penrith Panthers of today.

Ivan Cleary’s team are on target to become the first team since Jack Gibson’s 1983 Eels to secure three straight premierships.

We’ve matched up the starting 13 from the 1983 grand final against the Panthers side that will take the field this week in the 2023 grand final rematch.

And while it’s almost impossible comparing eras, what is absolutely gobsmacking is the incredible differences in height, weight and pay packets from the players of 40 years ago.

For instance, while Sterlo was 173cm and just 71kg, Cleary is 182cm and 92kg.

The rampaging Eric Grothe was a goliath in his day at 183cm and 94kg.

Yet the modern day pocket dynamo Brian To’o actually weighs 3kg more than the Guru, while only 1cm shorter.

Who did it better: Parramatta or Penrith?

Of course, every fan would have their own opinion about which team would come out on top.

But our verdict is only four of the current Panthers would win a starting spot in a combined team.

We contacted the legendary Eels warhorse Ray Price and asked how today’s Panthers would aim up against the ’83 Eels?

The now 70-year-old Pricey didn’t hesitate: “Mate, they wouldn’t have.

“There was no one I was threatened by.

“We had a very good side.

“We had the best backs. We had bloody good forwards. And mate, every player played for the team and themselves.”

Pricey also confirmed he and Mick Cronin would have been the Eels’ top paid players on about $50,000 a year, plus $200 a win (about $170,000 in today’s money). Price also worked full-time as a builder, while Cronin ran his Gerringong pub.

Meanwhile, the Panthers’ highest paid player now is Cleary on $1.3 million (you certainly don’t need a second job on that type of coin).

“Mate I didn’t play for the money,” Price said.

“I really didn’t care about it. I just wanted to win grand finals.”

Peter Sterling was a dominant player for the Eels in the 1980s.

WHO WOULD YOU PICK FROM THE RESPECTIVE TEAMS?

FULLBACK

Paul Taylor

Age 24. Weight: 71kg. Height: 170cm.

Dylan Edwards

Age: 27. Weight: 93kg. Height: 183cm.

Verdict: In a toss of the coin, Edwards gets the No. 1 jumper. But it’s seriously uncanny how the respective fullbacks were so alike in the fact they were absolute workhorses from the back. Taylor set a club record 52 tackles in a 1981 game, while Edwards is arguably the fittest player in today’s game (averaging 17.6 runs for 175m this season).

WINGER

David Liddiard

Age: 22. Weight: 72.5kg. Height: 178cm.

Sunia Turuva

Age: 20. Weight: 88kg. Height: 181cm.

Verdict: The Fijian flyer Turuva has become a sensation since coming into the team, but Liddiard gets the heads up here after being crowned the Dally M rookie of the year and Rugby League Writers’ Association discovery of the year in 1983.

CENTRE

Michael Cronin

Age: 32. Weight: 89kg. Height: 180cm.

Tyrone Peachey

Age: 32. Weight: 93kg. Height: 183cm.

Verdict: No doubt Peachey has improved out of sight since returning from the Tigers, but there’s just no comparison with the Eels’ legendary point scoring machine who was a colossus in his day, yet incredibly still 3cm shorter and weighing 4kg less than Peachey.

CENTRE

Steve Ella

Age: 23. Weight: 71.5kg. Height: 173cm.

Stephen Crichton

Age: 22. Weight: 99kg. Height: 193cm.

Verdict: Ella gets the vote in a split decision, although it’s a mismatch when it comes to their physical comparisons, with Crichton 27.5kg heavier and 20cm taller. Yet Ella didn’t get the nickname “The Zip Zip Man” for nothing, finishing the ‘82 season as top try scorer (21) and winning Dally M centre of the year.

WINGER

Eric Grothe

Age: 23. Weight: 94kg. Height: 183cm.

Brian To’o

Age: 24. Weight: 97kg. Height: 182cm.

Verdict: Another stunning example of how much the modern day players have changed physically. Even so, wouldn’t this have been a blockbuster match up with the original wrecking ball against the tackle busting king of today’s game. As good as To’o is, there’s only one ‘Guru’.

FIVE-EIGHTH

Brett Kenny

Age: 22. Weight: 83kg. Height: 183cm.

Jarome Luai

Age: 26. Weight: 90kg. Height: 184cm.

Verdict: Love him or hate him, no one argues Luai isn’t a tremendous competitor. But Kenny was a footballing freak, scoring two tries in three straight grand finals, while at Origin level many good judges argue he even had Wally Lewis covered. As Pricey declared: “Bert was better than Lewis”. That gives him this match up hands down.

HALFBACK

Peter Sterling

Age: 23. Weight: 71kg. Height: 173cm

Nathan Cleary

Age: 25. Weight: 92kg. Height: 182cm.

Verdict: Arguably the toughest call of all but Sterlo gets the nod in a photo finish. It’s worth pointing out we ran an online poll last week about who should be next Immortal and Sterling finished with second most votes behind Ron Coote. That put him ahead of the likes of Allan Langer, Brad Fittler, Laurie Daley, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Darren Lockyer.

It’s also astonishing to think he and Kenny were still only 23 and 22 respectively when they’d won three straight premierships. Imagine how we’d be rating them if that happened in today’s game.

PROP

Paul Mares

Age: 20. Weight: 96.5kg. Height: 190cm.

Moses Leota

Age: 28. Weight: 107kg. Height: 182cm.

Verdict: Mares was a hugely talented forward but had his career crucified by injuries, while Leota single-handedly destroyed Parra’s pack in last year’s grand final to get the verdict here.

HOOKER

Steve Edge

Age: 31. Weight: 83kg. Height: 175cm.

Mitch Kenny

Age: 25. Weight: 90kg. Height: 183cm.

Verdict: Kenny has done a good job taking over from Api Koroisau, but Edge was one of the great captains in the game’s history.

He not only led the Eels to three straight premierships, but that came on the back of two premierships at St George in 1977 and ’79 (captaining the ’77 team in the famous replay grand final victory against Parramatta).

PROP

Stan Jurd

Age: 24. Weight: 98kg. Height: 183cm.

James Fisher-Harris

Age: 27. Weight: 103kg. Height: 187cm.

Verdict: Anyone tough enough to win a front row spot in the Eels’ grand final team back then you don’t take lightly, but Fisher-Harris also has the toughness to have aimed up in any era and gets our vote.

SECOND ROW

Steve Sharp

Age: 26. Weight: 89kg. Height: 183cm.

Scott Sorensen

Age: 30. Weight: 100kg. Height: 183cm.

Verdict: While Sorensen has been a revelation for the Panthers, Sharp played in the three straight premiership wins.

SECOND ROW

Peter Wynn

Age: 25. Weight: 95kg. Height: 187cm.

Liam Martin

Age: 26. Weight: 103kg. Height: 183cm.

Verdict: Another photo finish but we’ve gone Martin by a nose. Arguably the best edge backrower today and saves his best for the big occasions. Wynn was also a hell of a big game player, coming back from a serious knee injury that sidelined him for the majority of 1981 and part of 1982 to win premierships in ’82, ’83 and ’86. Also man of the match in game one at Lang Park in the Blues’ historic 1985 Origin series triumph.

LOCK

Ray Price

Age: 30. Weight: 87kg. Height: 183cm.

Isaah Yeo

Age: 28. Weight: 105kg. Height: 195cm.

Verdict: Yeo is one of the great lock forwards of the modern game, who Penrith wouldn’t swap for the world. But you just can’t go past the legend that was Mr Perpetual Motion. While Pricey laughs at the fact they won’t let him near the Parra dressing room these days because of his brutal honesty, it would have taken 10 brave men to try and stop him in his prime. Truly one of the fiercest and most fearless the game ever produced, and one of the very few forwards who made it as a dual international (having played seven games for the Wallabies before joining the Eels).

Originally published as Crawley Files: Rabbitohs exposed over Burgess departure, Latrell could learn from Ponga