Monday Buzz: Weekend highlights, lowlights

MONDAY BUZZ: Phil Rothfield’s highlights, lowlights and talking points from another memorable weekend in sport.

Penrith Panthers coach Anthony Griffin. Picture: Brett Costello

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

HIGHLIGHT

No more club footy without the best 34 players in the competition.

LOWLIGHT

Tony Archer inexplicably rested his best referees Matt Cecchin and Grant Atkins in a four-game round. As a result the standard of refereeing was appalling. So appalling that Todd Greenberg will surely act on it. Fans have had enough of this rubbish. Archer needs to go.

LOWLIGHT II

So Anthony Griffin tells us through Paul Crawley that Penrith’s five-year-plan, which is actually now a seven-year plan, is in fact a 10-year-plan. He says anyone who tipped his Panthers to make the top four doesn’t know football. Publicly telling your own players they’re not good enough to be premiership contenders is surely a bigger sign of a person who doesn’t know football.

MORE MONDAY BUZZ: Where’s the love we hate?

Penrith Panthers coach Anthony Griffin. Picture: Brett Costello

SHOOSH

Which radio pair sat in an NRL broadcast box on Saturday afternoon and refused to speak or acknowledge each other because of a long-running feud?

SHOOSH II

We keep hearing Raelene Castle’s name linked to the vacant chief executive’s role at the Manly Sea Eagles. This would be interesting. Raelene has managed particularly well alongside Dessie Hasler but Bozo and Zorba would be a whole new challenge.

UNCERTAIN DESTINY

He may have recently signed a two-year contract extension but Des Hasler is no certainty to be at the Bulldogs unless Canterbury makes the finals.

Bulldogs coach Des Hasler’s future is still uncertain. Picture: Brett Costello

BLUE BLOODS

Some interesting names and great bloodlines feature in the NSW under-16s team to play Queensland in the Origin curtain raiser at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night. Albert Hopoate, younger brother of Will, and Ben Trbojevic, younger brother of Tom and Jake, will turn out for the Blues.

RUGBY EXODUS

NRL clubs are cashing in on the diabolic state of Australian rugby union. Agents representing elite private school players are inundating clubs looking for opportunities.

TUNE IN TIME

Catch you tonight on Fox Sports to discuss the Origin build-up and the biggest issues from the weekend on NRL 360 with Ben Ikin and Paul Kent.

NUMBERS DON’T LIE

THE “official” Roosters-Rabbitohs crowd posted at Allianz Stadium on Friday night was 16,245. Nowhere near that many were paying customers.

Under the Roosters’ ground-hire agreement, SCG members are included in the attendance figure. None of it goes to the Roosters. This is another reason why the foundation club is considering three matches each season on the Central Coast, two at the new Parramatta Stadium and one at Adelaide.

Other NRL clubs should be looking at ways to maximise their income like the Roosters, to help them survive against one-team, one-city organisations like the Brisbane Broncos.

SMALL HIT FOR FIGHT FANS

FIGHT promoter Dean Lonergan doesn’t have a problem with Merrylands RSL charging patrons $8 to watch last weekend’s Jeff Horn-Manny Pacquaio fight on the big screen.

We were inundated with complaints from members who normally get Main Event boxing broadcasts free of charge like at other licensed premises.

“I actually want to see clubs and pubs making a profit from buying our fights,” Lonergan said.

“It means they’ll come back next time and buy it again.

“$8 is not a lot of money to see a great fight with a seat in an auditorium on a big screen and enjoying a great atmosphere. Maybe other clubs will see it as a bigger business opportunity next fight.”

Jeff Horn takes on Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium.

COACHES CAN’T CUT IT

THE biggest problem with international rugby league is the standard of coaching.

Fortunately Australia have Mal Meninga, who has the best ever coaching record in representative football.

The Poms had to hire Wayne Bennett because they had no one else.

New Zealand have David Kidwell, who wouldn’t get a start in the NRL.

It’s even scarier that he has now hired non-winner Brian Smith as his new assistant for the World Cup. Smith, 63, has coached 562 NRL games and won nothing but a wooden spoon.