NRL 2023: Broncos unfollow Dolphins defectors Herbie Farnworth and Tom Fleger | Sunday Sesh
Breaking up is never easy - but the Broncos have shown they’re moving on from two stars in the most 21st century way possible. Plus more in the best weekly sports gossip column.
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When you unfollow someone on social media, it is usually a sign of a bad break-up.
Well, the Broncos have wasted little time removing Dolphins-bound pair Tom Flegler and Herbie Farnworth from the club’s Instagram account. Farnworth and Flegler still follow their old club – for now.
TRELL-WIGHTON LAWYER CALLS OUT ‘DISCRIMINATION’
The lawyer who helped clear Latrell Mitchell of police charges believes he and good mate Jack Wighton were targeted because they were high-profile rugby league players. He also lavished praise on Mitchell for the way he handled himself during court proceedings.
Mitchell and Wighton were cleared after the police case against the pair over an incident in Canberra earlier this year was dramatically dropped when police were found to have provided false evidence.
Mitchell’s lawyer Tom Taylor, from Hugo Law Group, suggested the case was a cautionary tale for all NRL players. Asked whether they were targeted because they were high-profile footballers, Taylor said: “Absolutely. I think they were discriminated against because they were NRL players. Not just any NRL players – two of the game’s biggest names.
“Even Sergeant (David) Power said he dealt with him in a way that he wouldn’t deal with any other Joe Bloggs. And it was because they were NRL players.
“This is an insight into one of these police officers when Jack Wighton is removed from the club, Constable (Jack) Bigmore says to him what were you doing down there. (Wighton) said you tell me, you are the one who grabbed me.
“(Bigmore) said to him, ‘Is it really worth losing your career over?’ (Wighton) said, ‘What, having a few beers?’ (Bigmore) said, ’Seriously, have a think about your career’.
“Put it in perspective, it is 4am on a Sunday and an Australian and All Stars representative who doesn’t need to prove his career to anyone and is questioned by a 25-year-old cop over his career and something he didn’t even do.”
Taylor said he couldn’t have been more impressed with Mitchell, who is now expected to take civil action against the police.
“Having got to meet Latrell, he is an extraordinary young man,” he said.
“Even from when this first happened, a lot of the media reports were being critical of Latrell in response to these allegations.
“As it turned out he hasn’t done anything wrong. In fact, they have done the wrong thing. First of all he is incredibly strong – he is a big man.
“I have said this before – if it was anyone else he might not have survived the way he was dealt with by police because he was placed in positions that made him susceptible to what is called positional asphyxiation.
“That is what happened to George Floyd in America and how he died. Also it takes a lot of courage to push back against a prosecution, particularly when you are a prominent figure.
“Along the way he made a number of decisions and I was really impressed with the way that he thought through issues and made decisions on the case and how to respond.”
OPEN DOOR FOR JOE
ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys says the door is always open for Sydney Roosters sensation Joseph Suaalii to backflip on his move to rugby union – as long as he is willing to fit within the existing salary cap rules.
Suaalii is expected to fulfil his commitment to switch codes at the end of next season, having taken up a three-year deal worth more than $5m from Rugby Australia that blew rugby league out of the water.
The deal was largely driven and negotiated by RA chair Hamish McLennan, whose own future has come under the spotlight after the Wallabies’ woeful World Cup campaign and the disastrous decision to appoint Eddie Jones as coach.
If McLennan were to go, Suaalii’s own future would come under renewed scrutiny.
V’landys would love to see him stay in the NRL if the opportunity arose.
“He’s made a decision,” V’landys said.
“We would welcome him back because not only is he a great player, but he is a great person as well.
“He’s a wonderful human being. If he changes his mind. he has to adhere to the conditions, which are the salary cap. We’re not going to run any variations.
“He’s a well-mannered young man and we would love him to stay, but he has to remain within the rules and regulations. We won’t be changing the rules to keep him here.
“It is a decision he has to make.”
Suaalii is due to resume training later this month as he prepares to kick off his final season with the Roosters before pursuing his dream of playing against the British and Irish Lions and then the 2027 World Cup.
Roosters officials have budgeted for him to go, but given the way he is regarded within the club and the code, they would no doubt do their level best to keep him if the opportunity arose.
$100K FOR KYLE’S CLAN
The Rabbitohs have raised more than $100,000 for the late Kyle Turner’s family after hosting a fundraiser on Friday. That number will rise after the online auctions. You can still bid on items, including a signed 2014 premiership jersey.
MOA ON THE LOOKOUT FOR COACHING JOB
Roosters premiership winner Sam Moa has returned to Australia looking for a coaching opportunity after a long stint in Super League as a player and coach.
Moa has been given a huge endorsement by Catalans coach Steve McNamara as he looks to secure a spot on a coaching staff after relocating to Sydney for personal reasons.
“He is an outstanding coach and an outstanding human being,” McNamara said. “His knowledge of the defensive contact part of the game is second to none. He has been awesome for us in terms of what he has provided. Anybody who takes him up will get an outstanding coach and person. He will make a difference to any organisation.
“He is a huge loss for us at Catalans.”
Moa, who won a premiership with the Roosters in 2013, spent eight seasons playing in the Super League with Hull FC and then Catalans.
After retiring in 2020, he returned to the club in 2022 as part of its coaching staff. Catalans lost the Super League grand final to Wigan last month.
KNIGHT HEADS FOR SEA CHANGE
Manly has signed Bailey Hodgson to its supplementary list for 2024. The Englishman just finished a three-year stint at the Knights but never played first grade as injuries curtailed his development. Hodgson, 21, played 11 NSW Cup games for the Knights this year. He played one Super League match in 2020 before joining Newcastle.
YOUNG PANTHER STRIKES DEAL
Penrith has rewarded hooker Luke Sommerton with a new deal. Sommerton, who played two first-grade games and scored a try, has been given a supplementary deal with the premier for 2024.
ROOSTERS LAND US CHOOKPEN
The Roosters have found a home in the US with the Tricolours to train at the famed University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
After weeks of searching, the Roosters will join soccer giants Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Chelsea to have trained at UCLA, in preparation for the round one clash in Las Vegas in March 2024. “This training partnership with UCLA is a testament to the club’s dedication to achieving the highest standards both on and off the field,” Roosters chief executive Joe Kelly said.
“We are incredibly grateful to UCLA for granting us access to their world-class facilities. This exciting opportunity ensures that our team will have the best possible preparation leading up to our historic match in Las Vegas. UCLA’s commitment to excellence in sports and their dedication to athlete development aligns perfectly with our vision for success.”
The Roosters were the last of the four clubs to find a training venue. The clubs will be spread across the US with Souths (San Diego), Manly (Las Vegas) and Brisbane (Thousand Oaks).
The NRL hopes to launch the match in Las Vegas next month. Meanwhile, it has already started advertising the game at Las Vegas Raiders NFL matches.
WHERE YOUR NRL TEAM WILL TRAIN IN THE US
Rabbitohs: University of California, San Diego
Broncos: Cal Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks
Sea Eagles: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Roosters: University of California, Los Angeles
MEDIA SESH
Ben Horne
Age: 36
Job title: News Corp cricket writer
First job?
When I was in Year 11 at Kogarah Marist I wrote to every NRL club desperate to get some experience. The only one who wrote back was Peter Peters at Manly. He let me write match reports for the website and gave me my first start. My first real job was with Big League magazine, which was a dream. When AAP sent me to South Africa to cover the 2011 Test tour, I fell into cricket writing and I’m very grateful for that.
What NRL team do you follow?
I am a lifelong North Sydney Bears supporter (which ‘Zorba’ didn’t know when I wrote for the Manly website!).
It was a good first lesson in writing without bias, given Manly had just obliterated Norths.
Your sporting heroes?
Anyone who wore red and black – particularly Jason Taylor and Greg Florimo. Mark Soden once wrote me a letter encouraging me to learn to kick off both feet. I never quite managed.
What sports did you play?
After growing up playing rugby for Oatley, I finally played league in high school at Penshurst Marist and went through an entire season at halfback without making a tackle. I was terrified. Kerry O’Keeffe coached me in the under 14Bs at Illawarra Catholic Club. He couldn’t save my cricket but he’s been a huge sounding board for me in journalism.
How do you spend a day off?
Taking my kids to their sport and activities before playing touch footy with my mates in Blakehurst; something I’ve done year-round, every Saturday afternoon since I was 13.
Career highlight?
I tried to sneak down the fire escape at Lord’s once and almost tripped over Shane Warne and Liz Hurley having a cigarette on the top step. It’s the characters that make sport. No one understands that better than my colleague Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock and my career highlight has been feasting on his endless library of anecdotes multiple times a day, every day, since I joined The Daily Telegraph as a cricket writer.
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