Monday Buzz: Weekend highlights, lowlights

MONDAY BUZZ: The highlights, lowlights and talking points from another memorable weekend in sport.

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

HIGHLIGHT

Winx’s unbelievable victory from an impossible position at Randwick on Saturday. Given the circumstances, it was right up there with the best of the mighty mare’s 18 straight wins.

LOWLIGHT

The Wallabies’ appalling defence against the All Blacks on Saturday night. The Bledisloe Cup used to be one of the great sporting contests of the year. Now it’s a hopeless mismatch.

REALITY CHEIK

Australian rugby needs more than just a new CEO. Surely pressure is building on Wallaby coach Michael Cheika. His team lost nine of 15 Tests last year and has been worse this season.

MORE MONDAY BUZZ: My Dally M team of the year

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.

MAD GAMBLE

One NRL club is inviting trouble on Mad Monday. Its players have booked rooms at The Star casino and plan to spend 24 hours there. We’re hoping it goes better than the club’s harbour cruise last year.

LUNA LANDING

Nothing like a win on Friday night and the weekend off. South Sydney Rabbitohs star Cody Walker spent Saturday afternoon at Luna Park.

NODDY’S GIRL POWER

Brett Kimmorley’s daughters Maddi and Mia will represent Woolooware High School at a rugby league schoolgirls’ tournament this week. They are coached by Alana Ferguson.

HENRY A GONER

An update on Neil Henry’s future at the Gold Coast Titans. It’s all over red rover and he’ll be gone by Wednesday. The future is not much brighter for Des Hasler at the Bulldogs. He probably has just two games left at Belmore.

Titans coach Neil Henry.

TALKING HEADS

Catch you tonight at 6.30pm on NRL 360 with Ben Ikin and Paul Kent to discuss all the big issues from the weekend round.

CASTLE NOT BLAMELESS OVER DOGS WOES

RAELENE Castle has been given widespread recognition for her role at the Canterbury Bulldogs since becoming chief executive five years ago.

Most of it I have agreed with.

However, it’s hard to understand how she has ­escaped criticism over the club’s pathetic performances this year and what appears to be mismanagement of the ­salary cap.

And don’t forget Castle made the recommendation to the board this season to give coach Des Hasler a two-year extension to his deal. It will now cost $1 million to move him on.

Bulldogs fans have been blaming Hasler and chairman Ray Dib for the debacle, which is fair enough. They pay their membership and entry to stadiums and deserve a voice.

Still, I think Castle needs to be sharing the blame and accountability.

Surely the CEO in any rugby league business should be all over the salary cap and all other spending.

Bulldogs chief executive Raelene Castle.

OBVIOUS ANSWER TO FIX STADIUM ROW

THE NSW stadium wars were re­ignited last week over claims that ­Allianz Stadium is a “death trap” and Sydney will loss international showpiece events to Melbourne if ANZ Stadium isn’t fixed quickly.

To get some reason out of the mess, the NSW government could turn to some wisdom in its ranks.

The deputy chairman of Venues NSW is John Quayle, the former ARL and NSWRL boss. He would promptly sort out the issue and farm out the money responsibly.

NRL clubs will not be queuing up to play at Allianz Stadium, renovated or not. Still, the Roosters, Sydney FC and Waratahs deserve much better facilities. The fans are over the politics and power games.

Just renovate or rebuild both ­venues.

Originally published as Monday Buzz: Weekend highlights, lowlights