Monday Buzz: Phil Rothfield reveals his weekend highlights and lowlights

The Canberra Raiders and Sydney Roosters will demand answers from the NRL hoping to get “proper justification and not some feeble response.”

Cooper Cronk has been impressed with Jack Cogger. Picture: NRL Photos

Phil Rothfield shines the spotlight on Canterbury’s sustained boardroom incompetence, while revealing the club’s latest salary cap conundrum. Monday Buzz also reveals his highlights and lowlights from the past week in sport.

RAIDERS, ROOSTERS DEMAND ANSWERS OVER ‘INCONSISTENCY’

The Canberra Raiders and the Sydney Roosters will ask the NRL for clarification on the apparent inconsistency around the use of the All-Stars game to work off suspensions.

They want to know why South Sydney’s Jacob Gagai is free to play in Las Vegas after an NRL ruling on Friday that the All-Stars game counts as one week of his suspension. Gagai has never previously played in the game.

Jack Wighton also had a week taken off his suspension for the All Stars.

At the same time the NRL has rejected the Raiders move to have the All Stars game included in Sebastian Kris’ suspension which would have enabled him to play in round one against the Knights.

The Roosters were also surprised that Gagai was cleared for Vegas, they had hoped front row enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves would also have a week dedcuted from his suspension by including the All Stars game.

Like Canberra, the Roosters will contact the NRL for an explanation.

We contacted Raiders coach Ricky Stuart for his thoughts.

Jacob Gagai is free to play in Las Vegas. Picture: NRL Photos

“I just hope I can get a proper justification on the inconsistency and not some feeble response,” Stuart said.

“I have a proud Torres Strait Island boy wanting to know why the All Stars game is not deemed important enough to serve part of his suspension as it has for other individuals,” Stuart said.

“He has missed a semi-final and three international games for his country and All Stars game, which he was desperately keen to play in.

“We will go through the right channels on Monday with the NRL to ask where the consistency is.”

Both Gagai and Kris have never played in the All Stars.

But Gagai was selected to play in the All Stars game this year.

HIGHLIGHT

The pre-game rituals before the All Stars match in Townsville on Friday night and the off-the-charts passion of these players for their cultures. It was magnificent.

LOWLIGHT

More Bulldogs boardroom bloodshed and the ugly, behind-the-scenes manoeuvring that cost John Khoury his job as chairman of the club. There is a reason why Canterbury has been such an unsuccessful outfit for so long – the never-ending instability and constant changes in management.

Outgoing chairman John Khoury, club legend Josh Jackson and new chair Adam Driussi.

DOGS CAP SQUEEZE

The Bulldogs have a problem with their salary cap. The youngster who walked out on the club last year after being forced to wrestle his teammates is no longer being paid.

However, the NRL still has the player listed in their top 30 and for the full amount of his contract in the salary cap even though he is no longer on the payroll. Meanwhile, the player has launched legal action against the club.

TRIAL & ERROR

For all those getting excited about trial results … settle. The Canberra Raiders were flogged by both the Wests Tigers and the Bulldogs last year in the pre-season. The Raiders made the eight while the Bulldogs finished 15th and the Wests Tigers wooden spooners.

SPOTTED

The sight of Jack Wighton and John Sutton with surfboards at Maroubra Beach last week is a clear example of the challenges for the Raiders in keeping players in Canberra when the beach lifestyle of the eastern suburbs of Sydney beckons.

SPOTTED

Roosters board member, finance guru and podcast star Mark Bouris with his arm in a sling watching the Roosters v Manly trial in Gosford on Saturday afternoon. Turns out this was a boxing injury from a sparring session in which he tore his bicep off the bone and needed surgery.

COOPER’S CALL

Fox Sports pundit Cooper Cronk is a pretty handy judge of halfbacks. He says Jack Cogger – and not Jackson Hastings – should be the Newcastle Knights’ chief playmaker this year on the back of his performances in Penrith’s premiership winning side last year. It’s a big call considering Hastings made such an impressive contribution last season for the Knights.

Cooper Cronk has been impressed with Jack Cogger. Picture: NRL Photos

BIG BREKKY

Catch you Monday morning at 7.05am on the Big Sports Breakfast with Laurie Daley, Gerard Middleton and my old mate Michael Clarke to chat all things rugby league.

DOUBLE LAUNCH

The NRL is planning simultaneous season launches with two events 12,000 kilometres apart in Las Vegas and Sydney.

The iconic Fremont Street precinct in Las Vegas will host the major event in front of thousands of fans coinciding with a show in Sydney where representatives from the other 13 clubs will gather on Thursday week.

The NRL will take over Fremont Street, a six-block entertainment and retail district located in historic downtown Las Vegas

The mall features the world’s biggest linear video screen – 457 metres long and 28 metres deep.

It’s a great opportunity for the 14,000 Aussie fans who are travelling to Las Vegas for the game to see the players up close and personal ahead of the historic fixture.

Coaches, captains and star players will attend a fan day on Thursday afternoon before the launch.

The NRL has been working since Christmas on the season launches.

“The Las Vegas games have presented us with a great opportunity to launch the season with simultaneous events,” said NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.

“This whole venture is a first for us. We will have thousands of fans travelling to Las Vegas and we will have millions of fans in Australia equally keen to see the season opening.

“Never before have we attempted a venture like this, so it makes sense to launch the season in a unique way for fans in the US and Australia.”