Monday Buzz: Phil Rothfield reveals his weekend highlights and lowlights
St George Illawarra’s off-season is off to a rocky start, with one of the club’s prized youngsters set to demand a release in a major blow. BUZZ’S HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS.
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Phil Rothfield reveals his highlights and lowlights from an action-packed weekend of finals footy, revealing what the NRL needs to take away from AFL.
HIGHLIGHT
Three NRLW games in a Super Sunday of footy at the Central Coast triple header. The skill level in the women’s game has improved out of sight.
LOWLIGHT
Two lopsided NRL finals in which the Cronulla Sharks and the Canberra Raiders played so poorly. Not every semi-final match can be an epic – and take nothing away from the Eels and Rabbitohs - but the performances from the Sharks and Raiders was disappointing to say the least.
LOWLIGHT II
Jack Wighton’s head slam on Mitchell Moses at CommBank Stadium which the trusty old match review committee did nothing about. He should have at least copped a fine.
SPOTTED
Premier Dom Perrottet at the Swans v Collingwood epic but not at the NRL game afterwards next door at Allianz Stadium. The Premier did tell me it had nothing to do with his recent fall-out with Peter V’landys over suburban ground funding and that he was still close to the independent commission chairman.
SPOTTED
Former NRL boss David Gallop did a triple header on Saturday – the races, the Swans and then the Sharks v Rabbitohs. He was seen in a long and deep conversation with Gill McLachlan in the Steve Waugh function room at the SCG.
SHOOSH
St George-Illawarra fullback Tyrell Sloan and his manager Daryl Mather will ask for a release from the club at a meeting this week. He does not want to play under Anthony Griffin. We’re tipping he’ll be joining Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins.
SHOOSH
Veteran NRL referee, Ben Cummins, may be out of the running for the big finals matches but he will still be in control of a national decider after being invited by the PNGRL to referee their Digicel Cup grand final in Port Moresby on Sunday, September 24.
360 VIEW
Catch you on NRL 360 on Fox League at 6.30pm Monday with Braith Anasta, Paul Kent, James Hooper and Cooper Cronk to discuss another action-packed round of footy finals.
TRELL DELIVERS ON $2M CALL
We have been criticised in recent days by a Channel Nine reporter for suggesting Latrell Mitchell is worth $2 million a year.
I wrote last week that the superstar fullback should be paid $1.4 million in the salary cap that will soon be increased to around the $12 million mark.
Latrell could potentially earn another $600,000-a-year in third party endorsements on top of his Rabbitohs wage if his manager and advisors are doing their job properly.
This is a realistic figure. Especially at a club with wealthy owners like Russell Crowe, Mike Cannon-Brookes and James Packer who have unbelievably good connections.
As long as its all kept at arm’s length.
Latrell is bigger than Sonny Bill Williams. Bigger than Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith or Tom Trbojevic.
It’s just a shame some in the game are trying to undersell him.
It’s true that more than 12 months ago we slammed Latrell for the shocking hit on Joey Manu.
And we make no apologies.
There were people in the game that didn’t appreciate it.
They didn’t like us highlighting the fact Manu was left with three metal plates and 12 screws in his face to repair the damage from a reckless high shot.
The truth is the suspension may have cost the Rabbitohs the premiership.
It had to be reported hard at the time.
Most of us have moved on but some can’t let go.
Our advice is this … just sit back and enjoy this great player.
His comeback this year has been exceptional.
On Saturday night against the Sharks there was one Latrell moment I absolutely loved.
Not his magnificent goal-kicking that reminded me of Eric Simms or his general play.
At full-time Latrell walked across to a devastated Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes to embrace and console him. It was the most beautiful act of sportsmanship.
WHAT NRL CAN LEARN FROM AFL
On Saturday your columnist attended two footy games – the Swans v Collingwood and then the Rabbitohs v Sharks.
It was the most wonderful experience to soak up the atmosphere at two sold-out events.
There are some important messages from the AFL game that need to be delivered to Peter V’landys, Andrew Abdo and Graham Annesley.
The Swans game had less interruptions, less stoppages, less nit-picking and less use of video assistance.
The umpires on the field are actually in charge of the game.
No-one is telling them down an ear piece what to do.
The umpires don’t go looking for reasons to penalise players.
It was the first AFL game I’ve been to in four years.
The game has definitely improved. That’s why they’ve landed a new $4.5 billion TV deal.
Their game is now more attack and less defensive.
The Swans were clearly the better side but Collingwood turned it into an absolute cliff hanger.
Rugby league will always be my sport.
Give me Latrell, Turbo or Teddy over Buddy any day of the week.
However there is much work that needs to be done on the product.
V’landys and Abdo can start out with the bunker. It is ruining the game as a spectacle.
Its role should be reduced to making judgements on try-scoring situations. Nothing else.
It’s interesting that the first person I bumped into at the AFL was an old St George-Illawarra supporter. He used to be at Kogarah Jubilee Oval every week and went there for years.
His home is now the SCG. His team is now the Swans.
Unless the NRL scraps the bunker, this might not be a one-off case.
Originally published as Monday Buzz: Phil Rothfield reveals his weekend highlights and lowlights
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