Buzz: Latrell Mitchell must live with tough questions, David Fifita’s Roosters backflip lacked class, Dragons chase Talagi and Marshall-King
David Fifita’s decision to backflip on the Sydney Roosters is fair enough, but the way it happened lacked class on his behalf. PHIL ROTHFIELD writes in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
David Fifita’s decision to backflip on the Sydney Roosters is fair enough.
That’s what cooling-off periods are for — like when we make a huge decision to buy a house but have second thoughts.
It’s just the way it happened in Fifita’s case that lacked class.
The Titan didn’t have the class or decency to pick up the phone and ring Roosters coach Trent Robinson or chairman Nick Politis.
That job was left to his manager, David Riolo, which is poor form.
LATRELL WAY OUT OF ORDER – AND FORM
When your team is running last on the NRL ladder you have to expect some criticism.
You also have to live with commentators and former players asking the tough questions and professionally analysing your performances without fear or favour.
Souths have been a complete debacle this year.
Latrell Mitchell has again let the side down through ill-discipline, a three-week ban and poor form.
On Fox Sports Braith Anasta does a tremendous job as host of NRL 360.
(Disclaimer: I work alongside him on Monday nights.)
Unlike some ex- players, he doesn’t hold back.
If something important needs to be said, he’ll say it.
Souths are $2.50 wooden spoon favourites.
No one person is to blame.
Latrell, however, is a million-dollar player, the highest paid at the Rabbitohs.
He has a scrapbook of glowing praise from his better days, especially at the Roosters.
When his form is ordinary, it’s negative.
It’s the way it happens in the sporting media.
It’s why Latrell was so out-of-order by making a scene at the Surry Hills restaurant with Anasta last Wednesday night.
He needs to accept the good with the bad. And start doing his talking on the footy field – not on the street outside Chin Chin restaurant.
* * * * *
SAINT
Diane Langmack OAM works for Canterbury Bulldogs. She is an absolute treasure. On hearing of 11-year-old fan Tirion Wilkinson, who is battling stage-four ovarian cancer, Diane stepped in. Tirion has had three lots of surgery and chemo. She’s a mad Dogs and Josh Addo-Carr fan. The club has invited her family and her best mate Chloe McKenzie to the next home game as special guests. Two weeks ago, Chloe shaved her hair off for her mate to coincide with World Ovarian Cancer Day. The aim was to raise $5000 — they have now raised $190,000. They are so special. You can donate at ocrf.com.au
SINNER
Just another week in good old rugby league … a high-profile Queensland player accused of rape, a domestic violence charge and another club dealing with rumours that a player sent an inappropriate text message to a teammate’s sister. Dear, oh dear.
SHOOSH
St George Illawarra is yet to land a major signing since the arrival of coach Shane Flanagan. However, the club is out there having a dig. The latest names we hear the Dragons are chasing are Dolphins hooker Jeremy Marshall-King and Eels star Blaize Talagi. Saints are $2 million under the salary cap for 2025.
SPOTTED
Player agents Clinton Schifcofske and Mario Tartak having a beer with the Dolphins’ recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan on the Gold Coast.
SPOTTED
Paul Gallen was as tough as any player I’ve seen, but suffers from arachnophobia. He was doing a TV shoot for Sportsbet last week when, what looked like the world’s smallest spider, appeared several metres from where he was recording. Gal showed more toe than Jason Saab to get out of its way before a producer came to his rescue and squashed it.
SPOTTED
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan and players including Ben Hunt, Blake Lawrie and Zac Lomax, at the Peter Newell memorial golf day in Wollongong on Friday to raise money for cancer research.
* * * * *
RECRUITMENT GURUS SWARM JUNIOR MAROONS
Just about every player agent has come north of the border for the weekend — but not specifically for Magic Round.
The Queensland schoolboys tournament is being played at Burleigh Heads and the managers are all there to try to find the best 16 to 18-year-olds — and possibly future Maroons.
Almost all of the recruitment managers from the 17 NRL clubs are here on the Gold Coast as well.
CROWD PLEASERS
The NRL is experiencing one of its best ever years for match attendances, highlighted by three sellout days at Magic Round in Brisbane.
The AFL is doing well too, with the Sydney Swans breaking records at the SCG.
In rugby league, only the Broncos (41,000 average) have a bigger home support base than the Swans (37,738).
The Swans’ previous record was 35,818 back in 1997.
The highest-placed Sydney NRL club is the Roosters, with an average attendance of 24,431 at Allianz Stadium – and that doesn’t include the Anzac Day sellout, which was a Dragons home game.
The Cronulla Sharks, despite being on top of the ladder, are the lowest-ranked club with an average of only 11,942.
Although that’s more than 90 per cent of their limited capacity of only 13,000 while work continues on their Woolooware building site.
The recent big wet hasn’t helped the Sydney clubs.
Although the Eels are doing surprisingly well, despite their low position on the premiership table, with an average crowd of 20,176 at CommBank Stadium.
Home crowd averages 2024
Broncos 41,000
Swans 37,738
Roosters* 24,431
Warriors 22,485
Storm 20,446
Eels 20,176
Cowboys 19,946
Panthers 18,784
Knights 18,437
Dragons 17,364
Rabbitohs 17,205
Sea Eagles* 15,565
Tigers 15,147
Raiders 14,608
Bulldogs 13,514
Titans 13,398
Sharks 11,942
*Doesn’t include Las Vegas
GIRLS HAVE GOT GAME
Women’s sport is flying.
The State of Origin game on Thursday night attracted a TV audience of 941,000 on Channel 9.
It was the second-highest-rating show on free-to-air, behind Channel 7 news.
Thursday night NRL footy the previous week — Dolphins v Manly – did 602,000 on Nine.
The Suncorp crowd of 25,492 was also a women’s Origin record.
The football was outstanding considering it was the first game of the year for many players.
More than 15,000 tickets have already been sold for Origin II in Newcastle with officials tipping a crowd even bigger than Brisbane.
ALE SALES FLOW THROUGH TO JUNIORS
Magic Round is a big rivalry for old footy heroes Steve Blocker Roach and Gorden Tallis in regards to beer sales.
They have their own beer brand, Block and Grapple, which is now available in NSW and Queensland — with blue cans for NSW fans and maroon for Queenslanders north of the border.
Normally Gordie’s beer would outsell Blocker’s in Brisbane. But there are more than 30,000 NSW fans here for Magic Round with many asking for Blocker’s brew.
They are both passionate about the business enterprise but are also putting profits back into junior rugby league.
“We’re donating 10 per cent of every sale to junior clubs across both states,” Blocker said.
“A lot of these clubs are struggling with the cost of jerseys, footballs and training equipment.
“A lot of mums and dads struggle with registration fees.
We want to help out.”
You can order their beer at www.blockandgrapple.com.au.
HERE’S CHEERS, THIRSTY
Old broadcaster Peter ‘Zorba’ Peters has great memories of the bonding sessions with former Parramatta, NSW and Kangaroos great Ronny Lynch, who passed away last week.
Zorba made his debut in the NSWRL with Lynch at the Eels.
To get to know his new teammates better, Peters (a non-beer drinker) would attend after-training sessions at the Royal Oak Hotel in Parramatta – a short distance from Cumberland Oval.
“I soon found out why Ron was nicknamed Thirsty — he would easily knock over 10 schooners after training and be working on his job as a truck driver the next day,” Zorba said.
BIG COURT LOSS FOR KAMBOSOS
It’s been a tough couple of weeks for boxer George Kambosos.
Not only was Kambosos beaten and outclassed by Ukrainian legend Vasily Lomachenko in Perth last weekend, but he also lost a huge court case in the US.
Kambosos’ former manager Peter Kahn successfully sued him in a Florida court for breach of contract which threatens the boxer’s share of the purse from last weekend.
The judge ordered Kambosos pay Kahn $US357,000 – the equivalent of $539,000.
The order was sent to boxing promoter Lou DiBella and Top Rank to garnishee Kambosos’ wages from the fight.
Daley explains why Tedesco was snubbed from Origin ‘meet and greet’
In what represents his first crucial steps as Blues coach, Laurie Daley held a meet-and-greet session with 28 players that are most likely to be charged with defending the Origin shield against Queensland.
Jarryd Hayne on verge of NSWRL return
The Wentworthville Magpies are set to hand controversial former NRL star Jarryd Hayne a deal to play in the Ron Massey Cup a feeder competition to the NSW Cup.