Monday Buzz: Phil Rothfield’s weekend highlights and lowlights
Storm’s big-money plays for the Big Four of Cameron Munster, Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen leave them at risk of losing another backline gun.
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Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield reveals his weekend highlights and lowlights in Australia’s best sports gossip column, Monday Buzz.
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WILL STORM RETAIN OLAM?
Dally M centre of the year Justin Olam is on the open market come November.
His contract at Melbourne Storm is up at the end of next season but, unlike other high-profile players who are talking to rival clubs, Olam is keeping a low profile.
As tough as any player I’ve seen, Olam is in discussions with Storm about a contract extension.
He is desperate to stay at the club that gave him his first opportunity in 2018.
It’s a difficult one for Storm because they have Cameron Munster and Nelson Asofa-Solomona coming off contract at the sometime.
They already have spent big money locking down Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen.
HIGHLIGHT
Sell-outs at Brookvale, Penrith over the weekend and next Saturday night in Magic Round for the Storm v Panthers blockbuster at Suncorp Stadium.
HIGHLIGHT II
An absolutely cracking game of football between western Sydney rivals Parramatta and Penrith on Friday night that gave us confirmation of a third title contender in the Eels, who have now beaten both Storm and the Panthers.
LOWLIGHT
The Rabbitohs. They just can’t recover from the losses of Adam Reynolds, Wayne Bennett and Dane Gagai.
SHOOSH
Which SEN employee was put in place, quickly and forcefully, after trying to lecture shock jock Ray Hadley on how to improve his broadcasting skills at the Royce Simmons fundraiser on Saturday night. Hadley was the auctioneer on a night that raised more than $300,000 for dementia research.
SHOOSH
Which Penrith Panthers forward is close to securing a deal with an English Super League club. This is partly why the Panthers have signed Luke Garner from the Wests Tigers.
SHOOSH
NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden is spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to block Shark CEO Dino Mezzatesta from joining the board, claiming a conflict of interests. It was never a problem for old club bosses Ken Arthurson, Peter Moore, Terry Parker or Charlie Gibson who were NSWRL directors for years.
SPOTTED
Old rugby league warhorse Royce Simmons in tears, such was the emotion during the speeches at his fundraiser.
SPOTTED
Old Boxing legend Tony Mundine and former Newtown Jets half-back and Kerry Packer’s personal trainer Barry Wood having a coffee in Darlinghurst on Saturday morning.
SPOTTED
A family weekend in Melbourne for the match against St George Illawarra at AAMI Park. Ex NRL stars Matty Johns, Rod Wishart, Tyran Smith, Sean Garlick and Troy Pezet were all there to watch their sons. To honour their parents, the players all wore their original junior club jerseys at training on Saturday.
SPOTTED
Legendary Roosters fullback Russell Fairfax at Easts Leagues celebrating James Tedesco’s hat trick with fans in a packed auditorium at the club’s Bondi Junction headquarters.
360 VIEW
Catch you Monday on NRL 360 on Fox League at 6.30pm with Braith Anasta, Paul Kent, Cooper Cronk and James Hooper to discuss all the major issues from round nine of the competition.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
Rugby league has never had such a great era of fullbacks.
We started thinking about it on Friday night during the Panthers v Parramatta blockbuster while watching Clint Gutherson and Dylan Edwards.
Both were outstanding but, such is the depth in great fullbacks, they are still never spoken about in the same league at James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic, Ryan Papenhuyzen or Latrell Mitchell.
Edwards, who wouldn’t be on half the money of Kalyn Ponga, the best value player in the comp.
Gutherson has a heart and work ethic like old Parramatta warrior Ray Price.
On Saturday night Roosters skipper James Tedesco had a blinder, scoring three tries against the Titans.
Rabbitohs caught out in cap blunder
A paperwork blunder could have cost the South Sydney Rabbitohs two competition points against the Broncos on Thursday night for illegally playing a rookie debutant.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal second-rower Trent Peoples played without a clearance from the NRL’s salary cap auditors.
An NRL spokesman said: “We’re aware South Sydney used a player on Thursday night who had not yet been approved by the NRL.
“The Salary Cap Department is looking into why this happened and will finalise its investigation shortly.”
NRL sources are suggesting the Rabbitohs are facing a hefty fine.
They would have been docked two competition points if they had beaten the Broncos.
Souths boss Blake Solly said the club will cooperate with the NRL’s inquiry.
He refused to blame the fact senior members of his football club staff had been off work with Covid.
The young forward was chosen as 18th man the previous week and was granted an exemption to play. The NRL hands out exemptions on a game-by-game basis.
Peoples is a $1000-a-week train and trial player at the Rabbitohs.
He has two other jobs – one as a shelf stacker at Woolworths and another as a sales rep for a men’s clothing company.
The Rabbitohs had four edge forwards unavailable for selection against the Broncos, forcing coach Jason Demetriou to pick the 23-year-old debutant on Thursday night.
It is a requirement of the clubs to get a clearance from the NRL if they are to use a player outside of the top 30 list.
The Rabbitohs were thumped 32-12 by the Broncos in a victory inspired by their old club legend Adam Reynolds, who joined Brisbane at the end of last season.
Peoples played solidly off the bench, making 94 metres, which was the second highest of all the Rabbitohs forwards. He also made three tackle breaks and four offloads in 64 minutes of game time.
Apart from the registration drama, it was a huge night for the youngster.
His family was there as the youngster was presented with his first NRL jersey.
Peoples is likely to retain his place for the Magic Round match against the New Zealand Warriors.
Souths might be struggling but at least they have a softish draw with the Warriors, Raiders, Wests Tigers and Titans, all games they are capable of winning, over the next month.
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