Monday Buzz: Weekend highlights, lowlights

A NEW NRL title contender emerges, a Sea Eagles smoky for Round 1 — check out the talking points from another memorable weekend in sport.

Jackson Hastings is putting his hand up for the Sea Eagles.

CHECK out the highlights, lowlights and talking points from another memorable weekend in sport.

HIGHLIGHT

It’s a big call after one trial match but a couple of good judges who watched Parramatta beat Newcastle, including Knights coach Nathan Brown, are suggesting they’ll not just make the top four but go all the way and win the premiership.

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Eels players celebrate a try against the Knights in Maitland.

LOWLIGHT

The hopelessly lopsided scores in the NRL’s Tarsha Gale women’s under-18s competition. The Knights belted the Bulldogs 92-4, the Sharks beat the Raiders 98-6 and the Steelers defeated the Roosters 76-24. It’s hardly a good advertisement for the women’s game.

SPOTTED

Newly appointed independent commission chairman Peter Beattie catching up with legendary Manly and Australian Rugby League boss Ken Arthurson on the Gold Coast on Friday night.

JACKSON FIRE

Manly flogged the Wyong Roosters 36-6 in the curtain-raiser at Gosford. Jackson Hastings was the easily their best player yet rarely gets mentioned as a possible replacement for Blake Green.

Jackson Hastings is putting his hand up for the Sea Eagles.

FIJI FARCE

International rugby league is a joke. Fijian players still haven’t been paid from the World Cup. Lebanese players have declared they won’t play again while Remond Safi is CEO. And to cap it all off, John Grant was appointed chairman of the International board on Sunday.

THORN IN REDS’ SIDE

Brad Thorn’s coaching debut with the Queensland Reds got off to a shocking start when the Rebels thumped them 45-19. Embarrassingly, their best player, Quade Cooper, was in club rugby.

360 PENRITH VIEW

Catch you tonight on NRL 360 with Ben Ikin, Paul Kent and Jimmy Hooper. It will be interesting to hear from special guests Trent Merrin and Reagan Campbell-Gillard about Penrith’s poor trial form against the Dogs.

Originally published as Monday Buzz: Weekend highlights, lowlights