What’s The Buzz: South Sydney Coach Wayne Bennett photographed at lunch
COVID-19 has pushed the State of Origin series to the end of the year, and may not return to its mid-season timeslots when the NRL gets back to normal.
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South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has learned his biosecurity lesson, a Sydney Roosters star is set to re-sign and a key decision made on NRL expansion. It’s all in this edition of What’s The Buzz: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
SAINT
Anthony Seibold’s classy departure from the Brisbane Broncos. He could easily have unloaded on the big money, overpaid and underperforming players he inherited from Wayne Bennett or club legends who have attacked him since the start. Instead he walked out with dignity.
SINNER I
Trainer Glenn Rushton trying to squeeze another minute out of a battered and broken Jeff Horn against Tim Tszyu. The fight should have been stopped two rounds earlier when it was so obvious to all but Rushton that he was done.
SINNER II
Broncos shareholder Phil Murphy’s shameful abuse of Anthony Seibold, a man already struggling with his mental health.
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SPOTTED I
Wayne Bennett has obviously learnt from the recent biosecurity breach at his favourite restaurant, Grappa in Leichhardt. We spotted the old super coach getting a takeaway lunch at Breadfern Bakery in Redfern during the week, observing all COVID-19 bubble rules by waiting outside.
SPOTTED II
He might live at Bronte in the eastern suburbs but the eighth immortal Joey Johns has worked out that the Shire is the real God’s Country. Joey and his son Louis were spotted surfing at Elouera Beach on Tuesday afternoon.
SPOTTEDIII
Anthony Mundine getting an acai bowl from So Fresh in Cronulla Mall, the fruit juice shop owned by his mate and former Australian boxing champion Peter Mitrevski.
SPOTTED IV
Brett Finch going for a walk with his baby daughter McKenzie in Caringbah on Wednesday morning.
SPOTTED V
A host of ex-players including Steve Menzies, Braith Anasta and cricketer Mike Whitney at South Sydney’s golf day at the Coast Golf Club on Wednesday.
SPOTTED VI
Roosters half Kyle Flanagan chatting to interim Broncos coach Peter Gentle before the kick-off at the SCG on Friday night. Gentle is Kyle’s godfather.
SHOOSH I
Which retired Aussie sporting superstar has lost tens of thousands of dollars after being ripped off by his former business adviser?
SHOOSH II
Which insecure radio sports broadcaster has been accused of talking himself up on a fake Twitter account?
SHOOSH III
Which former Channel 7 sports reporter is now the crisis PR consultant looking after Broncos bad boy Tevita Pangai Junior? He was the one responsible for the staging the media blitz last week that came across as such a sham.
EXPANSION ON HOLD
The NRL has put expansion discussions on hold until the end of the year. Commission chairman Peter V’landys says the delay is due to COVID-19 and the financial strain on the clubs.
A second Brisbane team in a 17-team competition is still the favoured option but future funding of the clubs and player salaries are still to be determined with RLPA.
One more team would not provide additional television revenue and there are now doubts about the NRL’s ability to pay an extra $13 million grant to a new franchise under the current economic climate.
ORIGIN’S PERMANENT MOVE
The NRL may have played its last mid-year State of Origin series. If this-year’s event rates well on television after the grand final, it will become a regular end-of-season series.
Too often the premiership rounds are ruined over six weeks in June and July while 34 of the best players in the competition are unavailable for their clubs.
It affects the integrity of the competition because the stronger teams lose up to half a dozen players while other sides remain at full strength. Some teams get to play with their Origin stars, others don’t.
RICKY’S MISSED MILESTONE
Coaches and players continue to make huge sacrifices for the NRL. Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart’s son Jack turns 21 this weekend and is having a party. Stuart can’t go.
They will have to wait and have a beer and dinner at the end of the season.
WARRIORS WOMEN STEP UP
The Warriors players and staff have made a huge sacrifice this year to keep the premiership up and running this year and now their women’s team is about to do the same to ensure the NRLW competition goes ahead as planned during the finals series.
Many of the squad will be leaving family and friends home in New Zealand so they can represent the Warriors in the competition. Australian Jillaroos Head Coach, Brad Donald, has been recruited to coach the team to give them the best possible chance of success.
NEWTON’S CODE SWITCH
Clint Newton might have retired from the NRL in 2015 at the Newcastle Knights but he’s still playing footy. The 39-year-old boss of the RLPA has switched codes and is playing third grade rugby union on the Central Coast for Avoca.
FRIEND’S NEW DEAL
The Sydney Roosters are about to sign inspirational veteran Jake Friend on a new one-year deal.
The 30-year-old hooker has played 259 games and won three premierships for the Roosters since debuting in 2008.
He form and leadership has been outstanding all season in a team knocked around with injuries to senior players. Without Sam Verrills for most of the season, Friend has played long minutes but thrived with extra workload.
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ANGRY JACK
Former champion fullback Garry Jack has launched a furious attack on the management of the Wests Tigers. He is angry the club no longer plays in his beloved old Balmain gold colours in matches at Leichhardt Oval.
Jack was interviewed by ex-Fox Sports presenter Adam Hawse on his excellent new podcast, The Fend.
“We only play at Leichhardt Oval three times a year and we wear Wests’ black outfit,” Jack said., “That’s disrespectful to all Balmain fans.
“I feel dudded. It should be a gold jersey at Leichhardt. The gold strip has gone, now it’s white and it’s rubbish. Someone needs to be held accountable for this.
“When these two sides came together for the birth of the Wests Tigers we were supposed to have one black strip and one gold strip as part of the deal.”
Originally published as What’s The Buzz: South Sydney Coach Wayne Bennett photographed at lunch