NRL 2022: Rugby Union target Zach Fittler, Round 21 highlights, lowlights | Monday Buzz
Rugby Union have another promising rugby league star on their radar, as they look to poach the son of NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler. PLUS Round 21 highlights and lowlights.
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Wayne Bennett and the Dolphins can call off their search for a chief playmaker.
They already have a very good one in Sean O’Sullivan.
The 23-year-old halfback has done an exceptional job for the Penrith Panthers this year as the understudy to Nathan Cleary.
He played the first four games of the season, filled in during State of Origin and again on Saturday night against the Canberra Raiders.
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O’Sullivan finished up with three try assists against the Raiders and directed the team beautifully in Cleary’s absence.
It was a huge performance in a Panthers side without Cleary, Jarome Luai and Billy Kikau.
He has the game-management intelligence of a player with far more experience than his 27 NRL games.
O’Sullivan will partner Anthony Milford next year in the halves but the club remains hopeful of snaring Storm superstar Cameron Munster for 2024.
HIGHLIGHT
In another huge boost for women’s sport, the Roosters want the first game to be played at Allianz Stadium to be an NRLW match with a 6pm kick-off before the NRL match between the Roosters and the Rabbitohs on Friday, September 2. The problem is that Manly play the Bulldogs at 6pm on the same Friday which could cause issues for Fox Sports being able to cover both games.
LOWLIGHT
A railing collapse at a schoolboy rugby match at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday that saw dozens of fans fall and narrowly escape serious injuries. Still the premier Dominic Perrottet wants to bulldoze a perfectly good venue at Penrith and replace it with a new $450 million stadium while Leichhardt, Brookvale and Shark Park are rotting and almost unsafe to host big crowds.
Do you reckon Leichardt Oval needs an upgrade 😳 pic.twitter.com/N2COjqjqTD
— Ryan Fitzgerald (@FitzySA) August 6, 2022
SHOOSH
Gus Gould’s plan to appoint Cameron Ciraldo as Bulldogs head coach and Michael Maguire as his assistant is facing some backlash. The support from long-time members and fans keeps building for the caretaker Mick Potter.
SHOOSH
Rugby Australia is not just chasing Joseph Suaalii and Matt Burton. They are also interested in Brad Fittler’s son Zach, who is in the Sydney Roosters pathways system but also plays private school rugby union at Scots college. He weighs 105kg, steps like his old man and is a devastating ball runner.
SPOTTED
Chris Sutton is supposed to be one of the NRL’s most experienced referees. On Friday night he was the touch judge responsible for missing Ezra Mam’s blatant forward pass for the Corey Oates try against the Roosters at the SCG. It was a shocking blunder.
SPOTTED
Storm general manager Frank Ponissi watching his team’s win over the Titans in his lounge room, missing his first ever game at AAMI park due to Covid.
JERSEY AUCTION
Justin Olam will auction his game-worn Storm heritage jersey and his Kumuls jersey worn in the win against Fiji earlier this year to help raise funds for his old secondary school back in PNG. They need a new generator and other essential items.
360 VIEW
Catch you on NRL 360 on Monday night with Braith Anasta, Paul Kent, James Hooper and Cooper Cronk to discuss the Ricky Stuart story and all the biggest issues from a dramatic round of footy.
INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT FOR GREAT CAUSE
Sky Sports Radio broadcaster Jaimee Rogers set out to swim the English Channel to raise money for the Gotcha4Life Foundation, the suicide prevention charity.
Jaimee completed the gruelling swim over the weekend.
She is a true legend. This magnificent achievement for a great cause was the result of two years of ocean training. Not bad for a mother of two who starts work each day at 4.30am in the studio.
Jamie posted a message on her Instagram account after reaching France: “English Channel… FINISHER! 12.5 hours from Folkestone in the UK to the rocks of France. I’ll update more later but for now, I’m voiceless and extremely happy! Two years of hard work complete.”
BULLDOGS ON THE RISE
A corporate bookie told us over the weekend that the Canterbury Bulldogs will start the 2023 premiership at around $20 to win the comp and $2 to make the top eight.
This club has emerged from being a team of easybeats to a respected outfit under Mick Potter.
Sure they fell apart towards the end against the Cowboys on Sunday but throw in the likes of Billy Kikau and Reed Mahoney next year and they will be a finals contender.
NOT THE FULL STORY
Statistics can often be misleading. They will show that rookie Parramatta Eels halfback Jakob Arthur had zero runs and zero metres against Manly on Friday night.
He did however have two try assists and a particularly strong second-half.
Mitchell Moses will be back before the finals but young Arthur will have an important role to play off the bench for the remainder of the season.
He is a much better player than he has been given credit for.
Another much-maligned Eel, front-rower Reagan Campbell-Gillard, also answered his critics against the Sea Eagles with 170 metres, by far the most of any forward on the field.
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