Sport Confidential: Bennett nearly busted breaking promise; Newton’s Apollo surprise
So much for coaching solidarity. Two of Wayne Bennett’s favourite sons unwittingly revealed South Sydney were planning on getting the jump on rivals. PLUS the RLPA’ surprise at return date.
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So much for coaching solidarity.
Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett was in Wednesday’s meeting of the Innovation Committee where Wayne Pearce reinforced the strict biosecurity controls that will be implemented once players return to training on May 4.
Yet, in a twist only rugby league can provide, a night earlier two of Bennett’s favourite players nearly gave up the game when they revealed the Rabbitohs were planning to come together a full week earlier, on April 27.
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The only way it can be explained is that Bennett must not have been paying attention in the Innovation Committee meetings, where Pearce has been manic about the need to adhere to their strict precautions.
The Rabbitohs were planning to get their squad together a week ahead of their rivals teams for “testing”. It seemed odd.
Given the complications around New Zealand’s return to Australia and government imposed isolation the clubs had all agreed not bring the players together until May 4.
This, it appeared, would be the earliest the Warriors could assemble and, in a rare show of solidarity, the clubs agreed not to gather before then so it would not disadvantage the Warriors.
Then news first surfaced a week ago that the Rabbitohs were looking to break the agreement.
Former Rabbitoh Sam Burgess mentioned on Fox League Live the Rabbitohs would be returning to training next Monday — a full week before all the clubs had agreed to return.
Burgess could well have been mistaken, but it caused a few ears to prick among coaches around the league.
Then he followed it up on Fox League Live on Tuesday. Later in the show Rabbitoh Damien Cook was interviewed and in response to Burgess’s news Cook tried to douse the story by claiming the Rabbitohs were going in for “testing”.
It also caught Penrith coach Ivan Cleary by surprise, who came on after Cook and said: “As far as we know training starts on May 4. But if we are allowed to get the guys back in, if other clubs do that, I suppose we will.”
Thankfully, the NRL intervened.
Perhaps aware of the loose interpretation as to what constitutes “training” and what constitutes “testing”, NRL integrity unit boss Nick Weeks told the clubs during a phone hook-up Wednesday that if clubs gathered for training the strict distancing protocols - no more than two people allowed to gather - would still be in place.
“One trainer means one athlete,” Weeks said.
And any club that broke that would risk losing competition points when the season resumed, Weeks warned.
The coaches were warned again on Thursday in a phone hook-up which, with more than a little irony, preached the need for coaches to stick together as they try to get their union up and running.
PLAYERS’ MAY 28 SHOCK
RLPA boss Clint Newtown says he was left surprised by Wayne Pearce’s decision to declare the season would “definitely” start on May 28 just hours after the pair met as part of Project Apollo.
Newton left the meeting knowing everyone was working towards a May 28 start but there still were obstacles which needed to be overcome before any public declaration was made.
“We have a level of responsibility that anyone who is associated with that Project Apollo group that when we come out of those meetings are a true reflection of where we landed,” Newtown said. “The reality is there are a number of hurdles we have to overcome.
“It’s my understanding everyone is working towards those dates. They are not set in stone. There are things which need to be worked through.”
Newton is seeking assurances and protections relating to the health and safety of the players.
“Some of the commentary around definite start dates there needed to be a level of clarity,” Newton said. “We are still working towards that but until you get those things in place that we’ve continued to highlight then we can’t start training. That’s the reality of it. That’s not to mean my optimism has diminished.”
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Newton did understand the NRL’s promise of tough penalties for any player or club who break the new biosecurity guidelines.
“Players understand the circumstances that we’re faced with are the most challenging in the game history,” Newton said. “We have to have a level of protection there and to assist with compliance and behavioural change. That’s not just players – it’s industry wide.”
NRL LINK MAN
Former South Sydney and Sydney Roosters chief executive John Lee has emerged as a key figure in overseeing how community and elite sport will return in Queensland. It is understood he has temporarily stood-down from his role on the Cowboys’ board to assist the government. It comes after Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk fired a shot at the NRL, telling them to prove why they should be allowed to bypass the state’s boarder ban.
TRODDEN INTO TOP JOB?
Dave Trodden has been heavily linked with the NRL’s top job and said any mention is “really flattering” but did not rule himself out of contention.
The NSWRL boss has been among a host of names in contention since Todd Greenberg stepped away earlier this week.
“It’s always really flattering when your name gets mentioned in that sort of area,” Trodden told Big Sports Breakfast yesterday. “I tend not to spend any energy worrying about those things. They are discussion and debates for other people to have. I tend not to spend any time thinking about that.
“What’s really important is our game is going through a challenging period, the most important thing for any administrator to do is provide total support to Peter V’landys and the current administration to make sure we come out of it the best way we can.”
A string of people including Simon McGrath, Blake Solly and Don Furner distanced themselves from the top role this week.
DRAW-N OUT
If agreement can be reached on the new broadcast deal, when ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys meets with Foxtel boss Patrick Delany and Channel Nine boss Hugh Marks, it will be at least until Monday before the new draw is known.
Teams won’t be starting from round three of the old draw, as some expected.
A whole new range of draws have been planned, deepening on how many rounds are to be played, but the Innovation Committee believes that could still all change depending on the demands from the broadcasters.
A demand for more marquee games late in the season, for instance, has been suggested.
It’s hoped the new draw will be released by the end of next week.