Buzz’s highlights, lowlights: Roosters eye shock signing, Choc’s latest Covidiot act, Burgess warning

The Storm have moved to swiftly to cover Dale Finucane’s move to the Sharks next season by signing another handy forward. It’s all in Phil Rothfield’s highs and lows from the weekend.

Melbourne Storm have quietly gone about signing another handy forward for next year.

Unlike Tevita Pangai Junior to the Bulldogs last week or Dale Finucane joining the Sharks, there are no back page headlines, not even a press release.

It’s typical of the way Melbourne Storm does business in signing little-known players before developing them into outstanding footballers.

Bronson Garlick, 25, is the son of Garlos Pies owner and founder Sean Garlick.

He’s actually the sales and marketing manager for the business.

Bronson Garlick is on his way to Melbourne. Picture: NRL Photos

Garlick is also the captain of Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup and a handy edge forward who scored 11 tries this year before the competition was put on hold.

Interestingly he is 25 and a late bloomer. A bit like other older forwards Chris Lewis, 29, and Tom Eisenhuth, 29, who found their way to Storm in their mid-to-late 20s.

Garlick will join Storm on a minimum wage contract.

“We thought a professional career might have passed him by,” Sean Garlick said.

“He’s played hooker and halfback then started to get a bit bigger and moved to the forwards.

“It’s taken him a while to find his right spot but he’s been determined and persistent all along.

“Not many players get an opportunity to join a great organisation like Storm and we couldn’t be prouder of him.”

HIGHLIGHT

NRL players – thanks to the generosity of bookmakers Sportsbet – have now raised more than $250,000 from try-scoring celebrations over the last three weeks for Mose Masoe, who is facing such enormous medical challenges in recovering from his severe spinal injury.

LOWLIGHT

Panthers and NSW Blues lock Isaah Yeo gets whacked in the head by Broncos forward Thomas Flegler. His swinging arm has so much force that it knocks the Penrith captain unconscious before his head slams onto the ground. This is a send-off offence any day of the week, even more so in a season when the NRL was supposed to crack down on high shots. What a joke.

Anthony Mundine at Sydney’s Covid rally on Saturday.

SPOTTED

Anthony Mundine at the disgraceful freedom rally on Saturday with all the other Covidiots. I like Choc a lot but his continual defiance of state laws designed to keep us all safe is so wrong.

SHOOSH

Which winger from a rival NRL club are the Sydney Roosters considering for the remainder of the season to ease their crisis with injuries to outside backs? They have a week to make it happen before the player signing deadline expires.

Tom Burgess’ cheeky gesture has earned him a warning.

PLUG FOR PIES

Tom Burgess has escaped with a warning from the NRL over a cheeky advertising ploy. Last week Burgess dropped his shorts in the game against the Bulldogs to reveal a plug for Garlos Pies with their slogan ‘Big on Meat’ on the back of his budgie smugglers. Next time he’ll be fined.

It comes as Burgess and his model fiancee Model Tahlia Giumelli cancel their wedding venue and change the date of their big day due to Covid-19.

RALLY RAGE

And another front-rower in strife … the Sydney Roosters and the NRL were unimpressed that Sio Siua Taukeiaho used his Instagram account to promote the freedom rally last week at a time when the game is treating Covid and biosecurity so seriously.

360 VIEW

Catch you tonight on NRL 360 at 6.30pm on Fox League with Yvonne Sampson, Paul Kent and James Hooper to discuss all the biggest issues from another dramatic round of NRL football.

Originally published as Buzz’s highlights, lowlights: Roosters eye shock signing, Choc’s latest Covidiot act, Burgess warning