Monday Buzz’s weekend highlights and lowlights

Channel 7’s decision to walk away from NRL broadcast negotiations is a huge loss for State of Origin coverage. PHIL ROTHFIELD reveals why in weekend highlights and lowlights.

Suncorp Stadium during game two of State of Origin, Brisbane 27th of June 2021. (Image/Josh Woning)

Phil Rothfield runs the rule over another weekend of action in Australia’s best sport gossip column, Monday Buzz.

HIGHLIGHT

Magnificent victories by the Matildas against Brazil and the Australian cricket team against South Africa at the T20 World Cup in a proud Saturday night for Australia sport on the international stage.

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LOWLIGHT

The prospect of Luke Brooks leaving the Wests Tigers will make them an even more uncompetitive side in 2022. This is further proof that good players do not want to play under Michael Maguire.

Wests Tigers star Luke Brooks. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

SHOOSH

NRL management won’t have to make the tough call on compulsory Covid injections because the 16 clubs will do it themselves. It is highly unlikely that any unvaccinated footballers will be playing NRL in 2022.

SHOOSH

The Canterbury Bulldogs have begun segregating their junior rep players in Harold Matthews. They have two groups of youngsters at training – the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.

SHOOSH

The bad news about Channel 7 missing out on the NRL broadcast rights is that the network wanted to share State of Origin coverage with Fox Sports. Under the arrangement between Seven CEO James Warburton and Foxtel boss Patrick Delany, the pay TV company would have been in charge of the production for the three games under the best in the business, Steve Crawley. Fox Sports would also have provided the likes of Cooper Cronk, Brandy Alexander, Mick Ennis and Andrew Voss to call the game.

Channel 7 wanted to share State of Origin coverage with Fox Sports. Picture: Josh Woning

SPOTTED

This nice email from a reader over the weekend: “Spotted – Anthony Griffin with family and friends at the Bella Vista Hotel. Absolute gentleman.”

SPOTTED

Channel Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby meeting with NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo on Friday to thrash out the finer detail and the finishing touches to the new broadcasting agreement.

SPOTTED

Old Bulldogs and St George Illawarra warhorse James Graham with his wife and two daughters at Shelly Beach in Cronulla on Saturday morning.