Monday Buzz: Phil Rothfield looks at his highlights and lowlights from the weekend of sport
PHIL Rothfield looks at his highlights and lowlights from the weekend of sport and reveals the bubbling tension between Cameron Smith and Melbourne Storm.
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PHIL Rothfield looks at his highlights and lowlights from the weekend of sport and reveals the tensions bubbling between Cameron Smith and Melbourne Storm.
HIGHLIGHT
The break from Sandpapergate and the ineptitude of the Cricket Australia management to finally get the season underway at the magnificent new stadium in Perth. Fox Sports’ coverage was slick, modern and a huge improvement on hat we’ve been used to.
LOWLIGHT
The impending closure of the iconic Chinese restaurant King Wan at Sharks Leagues Club.
SPOTTED
What is it about navy blue footy jerseys. The Gold Coast Titans will wear almost a replica of the controversial new NSW Blues away strip in the NRL next season.
SPOTTED
South Sydney’s little general Adam Reynolds among the crowd of more than 70,000 at Flemington on Saturday afternoon. James Segeyaro, Wade Graham and Todd Carney were also there.
SPOTTED
Francesca Cumani, Corey Brown - with a replica of his old Melbourne Cup trophy - Ron Dufficy and Emma Freedman at a TAB luncheon at the Imperial Hotel.
SHOOSH
Parramatta Eels star Corey Norman has been linked to the Melbourne Storm. The chances of this happening are a billion-to-one according to our south-of-the-border sources.
SHOOSH
There’s more boardroom drama at the Canterbury Bulldogs in their search to find a suitable replacement for former chairman Dr George Peponis, who quit as a director last month. An old official previously involved in the club’s 2002 salary cap scandal is desperately lobbying to get a start.
WAUGH TALK
Mark Waugh is an even better cricket commentator on Fox Sports now that he quit as an Australian selectors and can tell us what he really thinks about players’ form.
SMITH, STORM IN STAND-OFF
IT’S interesting to note that Cameron Smith’s name was not among the 28-man squad the Melbourne Storm released on Friday for next season.
Storm CEO Dave Donaghy told this newspaper six weeks ago that the 35-year-old former Kangaroos skipper had agreed in principal to a contract extension.
So why the delay to sign and register a contract?
We are told there have been some robust discussions around third-party payments and that Smith’s management team is playing hard ball.
Storm officials know Smith would not leave Melbourne to play for another club at this stage of his career.
Smith’s management knows the Storm can’t afford to lose his experience, having lost Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk in 12 months.
It’s a stand-off Storm fans will be watching closely over the next few weeks.
HOLMES HEADING HOME
THE Cronulla Sharks have all but given up hope of retaining superstar Val Holmes for 2020.
The club hasn’t heard from Holmes’s manager Gavin Orr for two weeks, which is a sign he has already done a deal with the North Queensland Cowboys.
Holmes will finish up in the Shire at the end of next season.
The Sharks are not dirty because he is heading home for family reasons.
At least it enables coach Shane Flanagan to start planning for 2020.
Does he bring home Ben Barba or chase another big name?
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