Buzz weekend highs, lows: Jock Madden placing pressure on Luke Brooks at Tigers
The most interesting point from the Tigers’ trial win is that they played their best football when Luke Brooks was replaced, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.
NRL
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Sports Editor-at-large Phil Rothfield looks at the highs, lows and talking points from the weekend in sport.
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JOCKEYING FOR POSITION
The most interesting point from the Wests Tigers trial win over the Roosters is that they played their best football when youngster Jock Madden replaced Luke Brooks in the halfback role.
No club needed a trial match victory as much as Michael Maguire’s team in a huge confidence booster for round one against a Melbourne Storm team without Cameron Munster, Harry Grant and Brandon Smith.
Brooks will obviously start in round one but must deliver. Madden showed that he is definitely first grade material.
HIGHLIGHT
The Parramatta Eels. They arrived at Penrith Stadium on Saturday afternoon in a hungry mood, while Penrith turned up with a premiership hangover. The Eels tackled harder and ran harder. Simple as that. This could be their year.
LOWLIGHT
The Broncos were still without their key playmaker and captain Adam Reynolds but their performance against the lowly regarded Cowboys would suggest it will be another struggle for Kevvie Walters in 2022.
SPOTTED
An interesting trio at the Italian restaurant Grappa in Leichhardt – 2GB’s Ray Hadley, his boss Tom Malone and Lee Hagipantelis, the principal of Brydens Lawyers and chairman of the Wests Tigers.
Seeing Hadley in the company of such an experienced lawyer would normally mean the veteran broadcaster is fighting a defamation case. Not so.
Brydens is an advertiser on his morning show. The only shock was that Hagipantelis’ CEO at the Wests Tigers, Justin Pascoe, wasn’t there on another table at his regular eatery.
SPOTTED
Breakfast radio host and News Corp colleague Erin Molan in deep conversation with Matty and Trish Johns at the Sky News 25-year anniversary dinner. We wonder if Joey got a mention.
SPOTTED
Andy Lee of Hamish and Andy fame with Test cricket captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and selector George Bailey playing a round at Peninsula Kingswood golf club in Melbourne.
SHOOSH
Which club official almost needed a separate carry-on bag at the airport to squeeze in all the cash he won on a $60 all-up bet at Cairns races last Friday week?
RADIO ACTIVE
Catch you at 7.05am on the Big Sports Breakfast every Monday morning with Laurie Daley, Michael Clarke and Gerard Middleton to discuss all the rugby league issues from the weekend trials.
FENECH BLOWN AWAY
Boxing legend Jeff Fenech was taken aback over the weekend to read that the WBC was considering awarding him a world title belt from the controversial 1991 draw against Azumah Nelson in Las Vegas.
This was one of the worst judging decisions in boxing history with most experts of the belief Fenech actually won nine of the 12 rounds.
Even President of the WBC Mauricio Sulaiman said he thought Fenech won the fight.
This decision would have monumental ramifications in the world of boxing, not that Fenech cares.
“It would be really special,” Fenech said. “Everyone knows I won the fight.
“What would I do with it? I’d auction it for a charity and make sure it goes to a good cause.”
Fenech is just back from a trip to the United States.
“I’d heard rumours this was going to happen,” he said. “But you never know in a sport like boxing, although I have so much respect for Mauricio Sulaiman.”
IT PAYS TO INVEST
Colleague Paul Kent and I have differing views on all things rugby league. This is hardly news to anyone who watches NRL 360 on a Monday night.
We are again on different pages regarding the NRLW competition.
My view is that the game needs to invest heavily to ensure future growth like in any business.
Pay the players a decent wage or they will go and chase careers elsewhere.
Certainly the TV ratings on Monday morning will be interesting from the triple header in Newcastle.
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