Monday Buzz: Weekend highlights, lowlights

MONDAY BUZZ: Check out the highlights, lowlights and talking points from another memorable weekend in sport.

Konrad Hurrell celebrates a try against the Storm. Picture: Adam Head

CHECK out the highlights, lowlights and talking points from another memorable weekend in sport.

HIGHLIGHT

The Newcastle Knights’ stirring win over the Canberra Raiders. Magnificent commitment from the players and brilliant coaching from Nathan Brown.

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Konrad Hurrell celebrates a try against the Storm. Picture: Adam Head

HIGHLIGHT II

The Gold Coast Titans’ victory over Melbourne Storm with Konrad Hurrell’s try in the dying minutes. Any side that can score 38 points against Storm will play finals football.

LOWLIGHT

The Warriors’ absolutely pathetic second-half capitulation to allow four Penrith tries in 12 minutes.

The Warriors were all at sea in the second half against the Panthers. Picture: Mark Evans

LOWLIGHT II

Watching a game between 13-year-old boys in the Cronulla junior rugby league on Sunday where one team with more than half a dozen 100kg players ran in more than 50 points against a team half their size. And they wonder why so many boys drop out of the game at this age.

SPOTTED

The Burgess boys Sam and Tom with John Sutton at Five Dock McDonald’s on Friday night after the victory over the Wests Tigers.

Laurie Daley tests out the ice bath.

SPOTTED II

Blues coach Laurie Daley testing out this ice bath he has hired for the Blues’ State of Origin camps.

WHAT THE HELL, DELL?

Sometimes we say things we regret. On Saturday Wendell Sailor was commentating on the Panthers’ big comeback win over the Warriors on Triple M. During the second-half as Penrith stormed home, Wendell declared it was time for Warriors skipper Simon Mannering to stand up. Nothing wrong with that except Mannering wasn’t even playing.

PONGA BOOST FOR KNIGHTS

BUDDING superstar Kalyn Ponga has confirmed his 100 per cent commitment Newcastle despite their struggles this season.

Ponga’s manager Wayde Rushton said Ponga was “still very excited about the move” and had no thoughts of backing out of the deal.

“It’s all sweet, Kalyn and his whole family are looking forward to the lifestyle in Newcastle,” Rushton said.

Ponga returned to the under-20s this weekend to make way for Lachlan Coote’s comeback from injury against the Bulldogs on Thursday night. But coach Paul Green is refusing an early release.

ARCHER MUST GO FORWARD

IMAGINE if Saturday night’s Manly-­Brisbane game was a grand final.

And then imagine if Manly winger Jorge Taufua’s try decided the game.

The pass from Tom Trbojevic at Suncorp Stadium was five or even six ­metres forward in the lead-up.

I described it on Twitter as the worst forward pass I’ve seen in 40 years. The on-field match officials somehow missed it.

THE WORST FORWARD PASS I'VE SEEN IN 40 YEARS #NRLManlyBroncos

— BUZZ ROTHFIELD (@BuzzRothfield) May 13, 2017

We have all the technology available, which is worth millions of dollars, in the bunker. Yet because of one man’s stubbornness we cannot use it.

Referees boss Tony Archer could potentially cost a team a premiership.

It is time for NRL boss Todd Greenberg to do something about it.

Tom Trbojevic is helped from the field.

WE MUST BAN THESE TACKLES

TACKLING a player in the air under any circumstances has to be immediately outlawed by the NRL.

At the moment it’s only illegal when a player is taking a bomb.

On Saturday night we also saw how Tom Trbojevic got smashed by Broncos winger David Mead from a kick that bounced high and forced him to leave the ground.

Now we face the prospect of losing one of the best young players in the game for an extended period with knee and ankle injuries.

The rule needs to be changed today.