Blindside: Latest NRL gossip and inside info
BRISBANE skipper Darius Boyd has revealed his desperate last-ditch battle with Broncos bosses to keep Ben Hunt at the club.
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BRISBANE skipper Darius Boyd has revealed his desperate last-ditch battle with Broncos bosses to keep Ben Hunt at the club.
Hunt joined the Dragons this season on a massive $6 million deal, with Broncos coach Wayne Bennett conceding Brisbane simply couldn’t compete with a contract which changed the financial landscape for NRL stars.
In the ultimate sporting narrative, Hunt returns to Suncorp Stadium this Sunday to face the Broncos in a sudden-death finals clash, but if Boyd had his way, the Maroons ace would never have left the club.
“I didn’t want him to leave,” Boyd told Blindside.
“When I heard he was about to leave, I spoke to Pete Nolan (Broncos recruitment chief) and I asked if there was something we could do to keep Ben at the club.
“I thought he was a great player and I wanted to keep him at the club. As captain, I wanted to make sure the Broncos were doing everything to keep Ben, but I was told he got an offer from the Dragons he couldn’t refuse.
“He’s copped some criticism but overall he’s had a great year at the Dragons. I don’t think he will be overawed at all coming back to face us, this game will bring out the best in him.”
Chooks out of Pangai race
THE Broncos’ battle to retain Tevita Pangai Jr has received a boost with the Roosters out of the running for the Tongan tearaway.
Roosters supremo Nick Politis insists the Bondi glamour club simply doesn’t have the funds under the salary cap to compete with $3.2 million offers on the table for Brisbane’s hottest young forward prospect.
The Roosters were linked with Pangai Jr and in a salary-cap free world would make a play for him, but the newly-crowned minor premiers already have big-money stars James Tedesco and Cooper Cronk on their books next season.
Brisbane are likely to retain the 22-year-old but they will have to up the ante financially to keep Pangai Jr. The Knights remain interested in the 113kg wrecking ball after Pangai Jr toured their facilities last week.
Games to flow again
THE NRL’s ridiculous penalty and sin-binning crackdown will end this year.
Blindside can reveal one of incoming head of football Graham Annesley’s first tasks will be the fix up the NRL’s dysfunctional refereeing department.
Annesley, a fine former first grade referee, made his feelings known about the way the referees have implemented the crackdown during a club CEOs meeting earlier this year.
Annesley will have to convince NRL boss Todd Greenberg that things should change and he should not meet any resistance given Greenberg ordered the nitpicking to stop earlier this year.
Referees are expected to relax the crackdown during the finals series to ensure games don’t become farcical with unnecessary penalty blitzes and sin-binnings.
And that approach will carry on into next year when Annesley finishes up as Gold Coast Titans CEO and implements a new strategy to clean up the game without the excessive use of the whistle and sin bin.
Brisbane rake it in
THE Brisbane Broncos continue to be the powerhouse of the NRL.
The NRL’s most profitable club have set a club record membership of 36,420 for the 2018 season.
The final figure exceeds last year’s total by 122 and represents another consecutive year of membership growth for Queensland’s flagship sporting team.
Brisbane Broncos CEO Paul White paid tribute to the club’s members. Last Sunday’s 48-16 rout of Manly witnessed a record for the most merchandise sold in one game in the club’s 30-year history, with more than $80,000 in sales for the final-round clash attended by 41,532 fans.
“Our Broncos members are the best in Australian sport — their loyalty means so much to the players and the whole of the club,” said White.
“We are always working to provide a range of membership options, to improve our game day experience, our range and quality of merchandise, and the touchpoints for our members with players.
“We thank the 36,420 people who bought memberships in 2018 and helped us celebrate 30 years of the Broncos — and we promise we will continue to work hard for you in the years to come.” Ticketed memberships for the 2019 season are now available at membership.broncos.com.au
Sharks chase barrett
CRONULLA has emerged as a shock contender for Manly coach Trent Barrett’s signature.
The hottest rumour in the NRL at the moment is Barrett will end up in The Shire to replace Shane Flanagan.
Despite winning the 2016 premiership and piloting the Sharks into the top four this year, Flanagan is facing an uncertain future at Cronulla.
The Sharks are also being investigated over an alleged salary cap discrepancy that was reported by CEO Barry Russell.
Barrett has resigned from the Sea Eagles and will not be there in 2019, giving up one of the 16 NRL head coaching roles.
It would be a surprising move if Barrett relinquished a head coaching role without anything else to walk into.
Million-dollar play for Jordan
FORMER South Sydney under-20s giant Jordan Mailata has become a millionaire in the space of 10 months.
In a remarkable story, Mailata this week cracked the NFL, making the final cut for the 53-man squad of Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles.
The 21-year-old will secure a $1 million payday in the NFL — a far cry from last November, when he was offered a paltry $7500 to play for the North Sydney Bears.
At 144kg, Mailata was simply too big for rugby league, prompting his management to suggest he fly to America for trials with NFL scouts.
The experiment has been a resounding success, with Mailata now bulking up to 160kg and impressing NFL analysts with his ability to pick up the nuances of Gridiron so quickly.
The Eagles play their first game of the NFL season against the Atlanta Hawks Friday.
Pearl fresh for finals
BRONCOS tryscoring legend Steve Renouf is gearing up for the finals. The man affectionately known as ‘The Pearl’ has checked into a health retreat near the NSW north-coast in a bid to recharge the batteries before watching Brisbane launch an ambitious charge towards the premiership. Renouf famously scored the brilliant 90m try which sealed Brisbane’s maiden premiership in 1992 against the Dragons, the Broncos’ finals opponents this Sunday at Suncorp.
Titans keep their gear on
THE Bulldogs weren’t the only team to celebrate Mad Monday in a pub.
The Gold Coast Titans gathered in a ‘locals only’ haunt in Carrara on Monday to drink their sorrows away after finishing 14th.
Teetotaller Konrad Hurrell was hard to miss when he arrived dressed as Serena Williams.
The team moved on to a pub in Burleigh but were under a strict 9pm curfew and the club believes there were no atrocities.
Cartwright gets some good news
IT hasn’t been a complete disaster of a year for big money Titans recruit Bryce Cartwright.
Cartwright has been an on-field flop for the Gold Coast, playing 14 mostly uninspiring games for the Titans and spending a large chunk of the season in reserve grade.
But he has kicked some family goals and is expecting a second child with his partner, Shanelle, early next year to join son Koa, born in January.
Ale drink to men of league
THE Men of League Foundation have secured their own beer.
Newstead Brewing Co has thrown its support behind today’s charity lunch and is issuing 1000 cans of the brew at the function.
The beer could be the freshest in Brisbane, having only been canned on Wednesday, and will surely go down a treat the function which is one of the highlights on the MOL calendar.
“The Men of League Foundation happens to be our next-door neighbour at our Milton brewery,” said the brewery’s Darren Magin.
“We are well aware of the wonderful work they do for grassroots rugby league and we are proud to back their biggest fundraiser.”
The likes of John Ribot, Trevor Gillmeister and Chris Johns will speak at today’s lunch at the Brisbane Showgrounds.
WHISPER
WHICH Queensland-based NRL star posted a video on social media of his partner sitting on the toilet this week? Charming.
RISING
JOHN SUTTON
The 300-game Souths legend had one of the finest matches of his career against the Wests Tigers last week. Sutton will be a key man in Souths’ premiership assault.
JOHNATHAN THURSTON
The retiring champion wrote the perfect script, setting up the matchwinning try for his good mate Gavin Cooper against the Titans. Thanks JT. What a way to go out.
RYAN JAMES
The Titans skipper claimed his second Paul Broughton Medal after a consistent season in which he went within a whisker of a NSW Origin debut.
ANTHONY MILFORD
The Broncos five-eighth has had an inconsistent season but is firing at the right of the year.
FALLING
THE BULLDOGS
Their Mad Monday debacle was a dreadful look for a game trying to win over new fans and did nothing to help the NRL’s reputation.
GARTH BRENNAN
The heat is on the Titans coach after the Coast’s 14th-place finish this season. Brennan is off-contract next year and needs to deliver a finals campaign.
COREY NORMAN
What a dreadful year for the Eels five-eighth. Was touted as a possible Maroons Origin player 18 months ago but is now miles away from a Queensland jersey.
THE RAIDERS
Another year of disappointment from Canberra and coach Ricky Stuart’s position must surely come under question.
Originally published as Blindside: Latest NRL gossip and inside info