Speculation over Wayne Bennett hurting the Broncos and more referee pain for the NRL
UNCERTAINTY over Wayne Bennett’s future is an unwelcome distraction for the Broncos, John Sutton’s grand entrance and more NRL referee pain on the horizon.
NRL
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BRISBANE coach Wayne Bennett has already called the ongoing speculation into his future a “distraction” to his team.
This week Bennett urged his chairman and the board to sort it out before it becomes a bigger distraction.
“Me personally, I wish the speculation wasn’t here and would go away, but it won’t go away until we make a decision here,” he said at his compulsory press conference.
“I understand that. I’m not sure if anyone else does, but I certainly do.”
The thinly veiled swipe seems designed to force the Broncos into making a decision on their coach at a time when Bennett is the biggest top-draw mentor available.
Bennett is in the second-last year of his contract and is seeking an extension, which has so far been denied.
How much of a distraction it is must depend entirely on the coach and his circumstance.
Brad Arthur (Parramatta), Paul McGregor (St George Illawarra), Steve Kearney (New Zealand), Shane Flanagan (Cronulla) and the man touted as Bennett’s possible replacement, South Sydney’s Anthony Seibold, all have contracts that expire on the same day as Bennett’s.
None of them claim it is a distraction to their team.
Last year, another team had a coach with a season-and-a-half to run on his contract.
Craig Bellamy’s Storm went on to win the premiership despite their “distraction” and, this year with Bellamy still unsigned, sat nicely inside the top four before he re-signed. They now lead the competition.
Some might defend Bennett by claiming the Storm always made it clear they wanted to retain Bellamy, while the Broncos seem to have no desire to retain Bennett. But Bennett’s whole argument is about it being a distraction.
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THE re-signing of Melbourne’s Bellamy could have significant ramifications for one of the game’s best assistant coaches.
Bellamy’s right-hand man Adam O’Brien has rejected an option in his favour to extend his stay at AAMI Park for at least another year.
O’Brien is largely considered as an NRL head coach-in-waiting.He has not closed the door on remaining at the Storm but rival clubs could swoop knowing he is now off contract.
LISTEN! Nick Campton and Tim Williams carry on about referees, try to make sense of the top eight madness and preview all the action for Round 20.
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SOCKS WITH A STRONG MESSAGE
THEIR season might be over but the Bulldogs are playing for a greater cause when they take on the Tigers at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
Canterbury prop and White Ribbon ambassador Aiden Tolman wore black socks yesterday with two key messages on them — “speak out and stand up” — as part of the club’s support of the White Ribbon campaign which targets violence against women. Tolman said people needed to have a voice.
Tolman said people needed to have a voice.
“It’s about speaking out about it,” Tolman said.
“It doesn’t discriminate between areas. It’s about getting out in the community as a club. We have a voice and people listen to us. It’s about getting out and speaking the course.
“Rugby league is big for a lot of people, in particularly men. If men speak up about it, other men listen.
“It’s about talking to people who we need to talk to. It’s about making sure we’re heard. If you can change the lives of a couple of people, that’s your job done. For me, it’s about making sure we’re educating people that it’s not OK.”
The Bulldogs have funded 45 schools in the Canterbury area to become White Ribbon campaigners. They have also funded 225 teachers to assist in implementing violence prevention programs in schools.
ONE FOR THE TRUE BELIEVERS
VOTE with your feet rugby league fans.
Saturday is the Beer, Food and Footy Festival when the Newtown Jets take on Phil Gould’s Penrith Panthers at 3pm at Henson Park.
Better than that, it’s a throwback. It kicks off at midday and is being billed as a day for footy genuine footy fans with no bunker, just one referee and a guaranteed crowd of 8972.
WHEELS OF STEEL
HE’S the Michael Hooper of wheelchair rugby and will captain Australia against the world’s best.
Port Macquarie-raised Ryley Batt, 29, will lead an 11-man Australian Steelers squad at the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation world championship at Sydney Olympic Park.
“It’s a great honour and we will be doing our very best to win the first world championship held in Australia,” Batt said this week.
The Steelers play New Zealand in the opener on Sunday week. The final is on August 10.
Tickets: 2018wrwc.com
NRL’S REFFING HELL
IN what is already a bad week for the referees, there is a strong whisper around town that Matt Cecchin, the man many believe to be the No.1 whistleblower in the game, will quit the NRL to eventually head to England’s Super League.
The game’s worst-kept secret is that Cecchin is on the outer with the refereeing hierarchy, a rumour that has been strongly denied from headquarters.
Frustrated at the situation, Cecchin plans to move on. The problem has festered for two years.
VOTE FOR THE GREATEST GF
VOTING remains open on the Men of League’s most memorable grand final. The grand finals were chosen by an elite panel but now the public will have the final say. Voting will be on a 1-10 ranking system with the first, second, and third most popular grand final to be unveiled at the Men of League gala dinner at the Westin on Wednesday August 15. This week we take a look at the respective 1973 and 1981 matches.
1973: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 10 bt Cronulla Sutherland Sharks 7
A match regarded as the toughest in rugby league history with a wild brawl erupting in the first minute as Cronulla looked to belt a Manly side which had beaten them 14-4 two weeks before. Bob Fulton’s two tries were the difference and the Manly centre showed why he would become one of the game’s Immortals. His first try helped the Sea Eagles to a 5-0 halftime lead and Cronulla’s first try did not come until the 70th minute when Rick Bourke scored off a deft Greg Pierce pass.
1981: Parramatta Eels 20 bt Newtown Jets 11
The result, which kickstarted the Eels’ golden era, was as memorable off the field as it was on it. Coach Jack Gibson famously uttered on stage at the Eels’ leagues club after the match “ding, dong the witch is dead” as Parramatta celebrated their first premiership. Fans then torched the Cumberland Oval grandstand next door. The Eels trailed shortly after halftime when Jets halfback Tommy Raudonikis scored before regaining the lead. Parramatta’s Steve Edge (left with Bob O’Reilly) became the first player to captain two different sides to premierships, having led St George to a title in 1977. It was Newtown’s last grand final appearance.
To purchase tickets to the dinner, log onto: menofleague.com
PARR FOR THE COURSE
THE Cowboys have reacted to a disappointing season by changing the balance of power in Townsville.
Hotly sought-after by Parramatta, football manager Peter Parr was offered a more senior role as Cowboys director of football over dinner with chairman Laurence Lancini on Wednesday.
Significantly, it means head coach Paul Green will now officially report to Parr. He previously reported to chief executive Greg Tonner.
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THERE is no doubt the women’s rugby league game is on the rise. But still it may be a little rich that some players are only doing media interviews if they receive a payment.
AWAY FROM THE MADNESS
SPOTTED: IT was one of those perfect sliding doors moments …
As the NRL went up in flames over the weekend in light of the refereeing fiasco and the league spent the weekend dealing with the drama, former NRL boss David Gallop was heading down the South Coast for a weekend away when roaring up behind him came a man on a Harley Davidson.
It was former NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert, who was out for a joy ride.
The two exchanged pleasantries at several traffic lights before happily getting on with their weekend while, behind them in Sydney, Rome burned.
SUTTON’S GRAND ENTRANCE
THE Rabbitohs and ANZ Stadium will pay tribute to John Sutton by renaming the eastern grandstand “The John Sutton Grandstand” for Saturday’s match against Parramatta.
It will be Sutton’s first “home” game since becoming the first Rabbitoh to reach 300 games, despite playing at the venue last week.
Some 7500 Sutton face masks will be handed out, and 20 giant Sutton faces will be spread throughout the crowd. Souths supporter group The Burrow will unveil a banner, while a run-through banner will greet the players as Sutton leads them out alongside his kids, Pippi and Ace.