Monday Buzz: Cowboys star Johnathan Thurston’s class shines through again
MONDAY BUZZ 2: Johnathan Thurston provides another magic moment, are NRL crowd figures up or down plus the weekend highlights and lowlights.
NRL
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JOHNATHAN Thurston’s interaction with the ball boys has become a beautiful part of watching the Cowboys every weekend.
The Maroons superstar would have had no idea on Saturday night that the Manly ball boy was Kobe Fulton, the grandson of Immortal Bob Fulton.
As the Cowboys champion was lining up his last conversion, Kobe asked Thurston: “Can you give us your best goal celebration if you kick it.”
Thurston landed the goal, turned around and bowed to the crowd, then gave Kobe a fist pump.
Nice stuff, JT.
MORE MONDAY BUZZ: Why Roosters will make the NRL top eight
Hey buddy, mind if I take my kick
NO one gets you closer to the action than The Daily and Sunday Telegraphs.
That’s our photographer Rohan Kelly (below) bringing readers the best view of a Thurston conversion.
Never mind the fact that he got in the way.
Crowd figures are just swell
Rugby league crowds are up by 4 per cent compared to last year’s figures.
It’s a great performance considering every game is now live on Fox Sports and Channel 9 and matches are played on two school nights — Thursday and Monday.
The figures relate to the first eight rounds, which yielded an average crowd of 16,863.
It is a good increase on last year but lower than 2014. Next year is going to be the game’s biggest test when there is a Friday evening match at 6pm instead of Monday night football.
Sinning Sims had to go to the bin
The NRL continues to ignore foul play and then wonders why junior registration numbers keep falling.
Knights forward Korbin Sims shoulder-charged and connected with Joe Burgess in the head on Saturday night at Allianz Stadium.
Burgess was concussed and couldn’t return, but Sims wasn’t sin-binned. He will be charged and suspended but the Roosters got no advantage from the loss of a player
The sooner we get a new referees boss thebetter.
HIGHLIGHT I
A gripping Cronulla Sharks victory over the competition leaders the Broncos. The first half was the best football the Sharks have played in 10 years. The second incredibly courageous against a lopsided penalty count.
HIGHLIGHT II
GWS showed they are heading towards the AFL finals with a thumping victory over defending champions Hawthorn. And their crowd against Hawthorn was 4000 more than the Roosters v Knights match. Imagine a Swans v GWS grand final — I’d like to see that.
HIGHLIGHT III
Mitchell Pearce’s magnificent comeback. He has paid his penalty and I’d be picking him in the Origin team with James Maloney at five-eighth.
BAA-KING UP WRONG TREE
It’s a bit rich Terry Lamb criticising Des Hasler after the Bulldogs’ loss to Parramatta. Lamb had an abysmal coaching record in his days at the Wests Tigers while Hasler has won two premierships and taken his teams to five grand finals.
SHOOSH
Which highly-paid but under-performing NRL forward is so offside with his teammates they are barely on speaking terms.
BLACK-TYPE CUBS
The Panthers have assembled one of the best Holden Cup teams we’ve ever seen. On Saturday they beat the Raiders 74-10. They have won eight from nine and have a points differential of plus 270. #8yearplan
SPOTTED
You’ll never find Luke Lewis or James Maloney late for a Cronulla home game. To beat the traffic snarls, the two Sharks stars travel to home games on motor scooters with their back packs.
BUSH TELEGRAPH
Taking NRL games to the bush can have technology challenges. The ABC’s Tim Gavel had to call the Panthers-Raiders match out of Bathurst from his mobile phone when the line dropped out. 2GB used Ray Hadley’s daughter Sarah, who studies journalism at Bathurst University, to do the scores for the Continuous Call team.
SPOTTED II
Daly Cherry-Evans enjoying a beer and watching his mate Ben Barba at Shark Park on Sunday.
Storm’s shock update in NRL title boost
The Melbourne Storm have been given a positive update after fears gun halfback Jahrome Hughes would miss the rest of the season.
Wests Tigers fight hard to keep in-demand star
The Wests Tigers have already re-signed one of their key men this week, with another star offered a fresh deal to remain with the club as rivals circle.