Sport Confidential: Matt Dufty responds to Zac Lomax dig on Fletch & Hindy

Bulldogs fullback Matt Dufty has given a blunt seven-word retort to two former Dragons teammates following a brutal Fletch & Hindy segment. SPORT CONFIDENTIAL

To say Matt Dufty took exception to a recent segment involving his former teammates Zac Lomax and Blake Lawrie would be an understatement.

Lomax in particularly has earned the ire of Dufty after the St George Illawarra duo were interviewed by Bryan Fletcher and Nathan Hindmarsh on Fox League. The segment included Lawrie saying Dufty had “too many personalities”.

Lomax also said if he was granted three wishes from Dufty one would be “never have to speak to Dufty again” as they debated if they would rescue the now Bulldogs fullback from a house fire.

We quizzed Dufty about the segment this week and, after a long pause, all he would say was “it is what it is … no comment”.

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Matt Dufty didn't appreciate what Zac Lomax and Blake Lawrie said on Fletch and Hindy.

But rest assured, privately, he was left far from impressed from what his ex-teammates had to say.

The Bulldogs host the Dragons at Belmore Oval on May 29 in what shapes up as Paul Vaughan’s first game against St George Illawarra since being sacked by the club.

Vaughan and Dufty are playing for their NRL futures after the Bulldogs handed them one-year lifelines.

WATCH THE FLETCH & HINDY SEGMENT IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

Meanwhile, Bulldogs skipper Josh Jackson has laid down the message to his team. Canterbury looked much improved to start the season but fell back into their bad old ways against the Storm last week.

“We have to fix our defence,” Jackson said. “All the opportunities (Melbourne) had, they scored. Defensively we have to be a lot better.”

Dragons want Bird contract answer

St George Illawarra have indicated to Jack Bird that they want an answer on his two-year contract extension by Friday.

While the Dragons have not put a strict deadline in place, they have made it known they are keen for the protracted talks to end. They are confident he will recommit on a two-year-deal worth about $1.1 million but are hopeful to have an answer before the Dragons take on South Sydney on Saturday.

Dragons utility Jack Bird. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

The Dragons are yet to fully test the open market but will start considering alternatives if they are unable to come to terms with Bird.

The Dragons are also considering making a play for Roosters hooker Sam Verrills. The club have made no secret they are on the lookout for a long-term dummy half option. Andrew McCullough’s deal ends at the end of next season but he is on a reduced contract in 2023.

Verrills has a year to run on his Roosters deal but the impending arrival of Brandon Smith means he will have to look elsewhere.

The Raiders and the Dolphins are also in the mix.

The NRLW grand final rings.

Nice ring to it

This is what the St George Illawarra and Roosters players will be fighting over come Sunday. The premiers will not only walk away with the trophy but with this beautiful Affinity Diamonds ring. The classical look showcases the NRLW mark and is set with 1.25ct diamonds.

Bulldogs emerge in Munster mix

Melbourne fear cashed-up Canterbury may be ready to join the Dolphins in the fight for Cameron Munster.

Rumours connecting Munster to the Bulldogs emerged late last week and while the Storm remain hopeful that their star five-eighth will extend his deal, they would be silly to underestimate the pulling power of Canterbury head of football Phil Gould.

Munster has another year remaining on his contract with the Storm and is unable to formalise a deal with a rival clubs until after November 1.

Cameron Munster is in demand from a host of clubs. Picture: Getty

The Bulldogs have been one of the biggest movers in the player market, signing Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney for next season as they look to rebuild the squad.

Fullback and halfback remain a problem though and that is where Munster could provide some answers – he made his name as a fullback before switching to five-eighth and becoming one of the best No.6s in the game.

Munster’s manager Braith Anasta is expected to hold further talks with the Dolphins in coming days but the Storm insist he will not be released early from his contract, even if he agrees to join the nascent franchise for 2024.

Munster is versatile enough to be a threat at fullback as well as in the halves. Picture: Getty

Meanwhile, Munster continues to win plaudits and friends for his work on and off the field in recent months. South Sydney half Lachlan Ilias has revealed that Munster spoke to him after their recent game and offered to be a sounding board for the Rabbitohs No.7.

Like Munster, Ilias is managed by Anasta through his company Searoo Sports.

“We caught up and I had a couple of words with him after the game against the Storm because he signed with Searoo that week,” Ilias said.

“He did say I could give him a call any time. Obviously we have Braith as the connection. It is good to have that support and someone like Munster (on hand), who is one of the best in the game.”

Teenage dream role models

Teenager superstars Will Penisini and Joseph Suaalii try to catch up once a fortnight. At a time when rugby league players are causing some waves off the field, the long-time friends and former schoolboy teammates are sharing a unique journey and are determined to make sure they leave a lasting impact.

“A goal of ours is to be clean footy players and role models,” Parramatta centre Penisini told Confidential.

“We talk about our futures a lot and what we want to plan for life after footy as well. We talk about that stuff a lot.

“We just want to give back. We love working with kids and joking around with them. We’re just playing our footy at the moment but when the time is right, hopefully we can give back as well.”

Penisini is in talks with the Eels over a new deal but his more immediate priority is locking down a place in the Parramatta side.

He can’t do much more. Last weekend, he went hammer-and-tong with St George Illawarra’s Moses Suli.

Will Penisini and Joseph Suaalii as youngsters.

The pair playing rugby for Kings.

The bigger and older Suli made it his mission to make Penisini’s life hell. Parramatta and Penisini walked away with the points, further reinforcing the belief that the 19-year-old is destined to become an elite player.

Suaalii, meanwhile, is working his way back from injury and is yet to appear in the NRL this season.

“We started in school together – so we have been on the journey from the start,” Penisini said.

“It’s good to lean on each other and get advice. It’s good to see us living out our dream in the NRL. We both knew what we wanted to achieve when we were older. It happened a bit earlier.

“We knew it was going to come from us working hard.”

The pair have played against each other just once – in a Harold Matthews game when Suaalii was with South Sydney. They have already earmarked round 10 in their calendars – the Roosters play Parramatta on a Sunday afternoon during Magic Round.

“We joked about it a couple of times,” Penisini said.

“We will just go for each other. We’re both very competitive people – friends off the field but when you are on the field it is a different story.”

It's a Funny Game with Boo Bailey.

Farnworth a mint

Brisbane centre Herbie Farnworth is expected to get through Friday night’s game against the Sydney Roosters and then sit down to consider his future.

Farnworth has offers on the table from the Dolphins and assorted Sydney clubs. His decision to delay a call on his next move until a month into the season has paid dividends – Farnworth has been one of the Broncos’ best performers.

The Dolphins have offered him the chance to play right centre – his preferred spot on the field – and the timing would appear to work in their favour.

After a flying start to the year, the Broncos have hit the wall and their culture has again come in for criticism.

All this while Farnworth’s parents are in the country to help him sift through the offers and decide where his future lays.

Several clubs are chasing Herbie Farnworth. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty

New NRL appointment

Tain Drinkwater, the ex-head of Netball NSW and the Brisbane Broncos NRLW, has joined the NRL as the executive general manager of pathways and performance.

Drinkwater will be in charge of several internal teams and concentrate on pathways for women, indigenous players, and potential expansion into the Pacific Islands.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said the pathways work was not just concerned with developing players, but also coaches, referees and participants.

“It’s a real focus on us developing talent on and off the field,” Abdo said.

“She brings a lot of experience from both business and from sport, and she also brings an understanding of how club’s operate which is really important for the team at the NRL.

“Having been exposed to a number of different organisations, she brings that experience but also good balance to our leadership team at the NRL.”

Croker on Dolphins’ radar

Kalyn Ponga is not the only Newcastle player the Dolphins are keen on. We’re told they are also looking at 22-year-old prop Mat Croker.

Croker has played just four top-grade games but is a NSW under-20s representative. He is on the comeback trail from a broken jaw.

Optus Stadium in Perth will host State of Origin II. Picture: AAP/Darren England

Origin crowd boost

More tickets have been put on sale for Origin II after the Western Australian government increased its venue capacity to 75 per cent. Perth will host game two with a capacity of 45,000. More than 25,000 tickets have already been sold for the clash on June 26. Details: nrl.com/tickets

Farah’s company is flying

Retired Wests Tigers captain Robbie Farah’s events business has landed a major coup by joining forces with ASX-listed company My Rewards.

Farah’s Two4Seven, which specialises in global sporting travel, will partner with My Rewards for at least the next 12 months.

“We are excited to provide our extensive Australian network of clubs and organisations with an opportunity to utilise the My Rewards platform,” Farah said. “These organisations are always seeking new, innovative ways of connecting with their members, fans and corporate partners which the My Rewards platform is well placed to provide.”

Farah is keen on exploring benefits for NRL members and opportunities through the RLPA to connect with players.

Foxx’s bench pressure

Josh Addo-Carr was expecting some heat when he returned to Melbourne. He just didn’t think it would come from the Storm bench during an unhappy homecoming last week.

“The people that were sledging were the coaching staff and people on the bench,” Addo-Carr laughed. “They were screaming anything and everything. I was having a giggle. I didn’t feel too weird or worried. It was just another footy game, playing against my mates.”

Addo-Carr’s Canterbury teammates – Matt Burton and Brent Naden – go up against their old club the Panthers on Sunday.

Originally published as Sport Confidential: Matt Dufty responds to Zac Lomax dig on Fletch & Hindy