Paul Kent slams Melbourne Storm and Canberra Raiders over mass changes
Two finals bound clubs have copped serious criticism from a long-time NRL host over their line-up choices for the final game of the season.
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NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent has taken aim at the Melbourne Storm and Canberra Raiders after the clubs made wholesale changes to their line-ups for the final round of the 2020 NRL season.
The Storm elected to rest 11 stars while the Raiders were just under that figure, opting to rest nine players.
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Cameron Smith, Cameron Munster and Josh Addo-Carr are among the outs for the Storm with Jarrod Croker, John Bateman and Josh Papalii set to miss for the Raiders.
The staggering amount of changes to the teams left Kent seeing red and believes the NRL needs to step in and stop teams resting large numbers. A move that could upset broadcasters.
“I think the issue is broadcasters pay a lot of money for high quality talent,” Kent said on NRL 360.
“To rest as many players as the Raiders and the Storm have, I totally understand why they have done it, but the NRL needs to step in and say totally unacceptable.
“These clubs are being paid $2 million a week for this game.”
The moves by the Storm and Raiders are akin to what the Fremantle Dockers did back in 2015 when then coach Ross Lyon opted to sit 11 players ahead of their final round clash against Port Adelaide after they secured the minor premiership a week earlier.
The decision to rest half the team forced the AFL to implement a pre-finals bye, meaning rest for players in the final round was no longer a valid excuse.
Journalist Brent Read backed up Kent’s stance, believing the moves would leave the broadcasters seething.
“Kenty is spot on, if I am Fox Sports and Channel 9 I am furious with this,” Read said.
“They pay a helluva lot of money to have the best players on the park every week.
“It is a 20 round season this year and there are some big names missing.”
Going against the two however was Paul Crawley who says the league has no right to stop the coaches from selecting their teams.
“This has been an extraordinary season where we had the rule change and we had the break and it has gone on forever, they have been living in a bubble and there hasn’t been a bye,” Crawley said.
“You don’t know the circumstances. In theory you would like to think Ricky would play them and try and get into the top four and get that second bite at the cherry.
“But he might have players there that are absolutely busted.
“He might think if we play those guys this week we can’t win the competition.
“I think the NRL would be completely overstepping the mark if they said you have to play these guys.”
But Kent again brought it back to the money being thrown into the game by the broadcasters and said if players are fit, they should be on the park.
“Everyone is busted,” Kent said.
“Look at what is happening with the cricket and the Australian stars can’t play in the Big Bash and Channel 7 has just said we are not paying for this product.
“Maybe the coaches rest the players in stages so heading into finals three get rested this week and two get rested next week, rather than getting to the last round and 11 of the Storm’s players are being rested.
“I get why they are doing it. They are trying to win the competition. But it is not just one way traffic. There has got to be a little bit of give and take.
“If you have got to put your money out and cop the earn for this week’s broadcast rights then you are entitled to put out a side that is at least recognisable.
“They are very lucky it is a COVID crowd because no one would want to turn up to watch this Melbourne side play or the Raiders.”
Originally published as Paul Kent slams Melbourne Storm and Canberra Raiders over mass changes