Blindside: Latest NRL gossip and inside info
FORGET the Dally M Medal, the most highly anticipated prizes of the season are here as Peter Badel and Travis Meyn present the first annual Blindside Awards.
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FORGET the Dally M Medal, the most highly anticipated awards of the season are here with the first annual Blindside Awards. Without further ado, it’s time to reveal the biggest hits and misses from another unforgettable rugby league season.
BLINDSIDE’S BIG GONG
Kalyn Ponga. The Maroons young gun takes out Blindside’s inaugural player of the year award for his breakout 2018 season. Not only did Ponga enjoy a stunning Origin debut in June, but the Newcastle ace is polite, well-spoken and well-mannered. The NRL should make Ponga the face of their marketing campaign to kick-off next season.
FAWLTY TOWERS AWARD
Phil Gould. Penrith’s pea-hearted board should show some kahunas and punt Gould for his disgraceful handling of the Anthony Griffin affair. Gould sacked the very coach he personally headhunted ... all to pursue Wests Tigers’ Ivan Cleary, a contracted coach who wasn’t available anyway. And Gould still reigns supreme. What a debacle.
THE FRANK SINATRA “I DID IT MY WAY” AWARD
Johnathan Thurston. The Cowboys champion didn’t get a premiership finale but the final month of his career was a beautiful celebration of a remarkable career.
THE STEVE WAUGH SLEDGE OF THE YEAR
Newcastle coach Nathan Brown’s incredible attack on Wayne Bennett, who suggested Brown had “unbuilt” the Knights. “The reality is, when Wayne came to town, if he thought with his big head rather than his little head I wouldn’t have had to rebuild the joint.” Oh mama.
THE MAX MARKSON PR DISASTER AWARD
Brisbane Broncos for their amateurish handling of the Matt Lodge saga. The club continually gagged Lodge stupidly thinking the league world would happily accept his return to the game. After weeks of media and public outrage, the Broncos finally woke up and stage-managed a Lodge TV interview, but the damage was done.
BARBEQUES GALORE AWARD
Broncos coach Wayne Bennett and CEO Paul White are joint winners for the cold war that led to rival cook-ups at their respective homes. Broncos skipper Darius Boyd even brushed the CEO’s annual spread for snags at Benny’s place.
THE TWO-DOLLAR SHOP AWARD
Manly Sea Eagles. The cheapskates of the NRL were so poorly resourced it cost them their coach. Sicking of cleaning dressing rooms himself, Trent Barrett privately submitted his resignation.
THE TODD CARNEY MEMORIAL AWARD
The Canterbury Bulldogs. The family club degenerated into a grubby gentleman’s club following their Mad Monday antics which gave the code’s image a shocking black eye on the eve of the finals.
MOSCOW CIRCUS BACKFLIP AWARD
Todd Greenberg. The NRL boss advocated the early-season penalty crackdown which saw as many as 30 penalties awarded in game. Then, following eight weeks of penalty madness and public backlash, Greenberg accused referees of nitpicking.
THE MERCENARY AWARD
Tyrone Peachey. The Penrith Panthers utility has pulled the “welfare” card as he attempts to weasel his way out of a signed contract with the Gold Coast Titans. Peachey signed the $1.5 million deal in February before he went on to become a State of Origin player who now believes he is worth more.
HAROLD HOLT AWARD
Karl Morris. The Broncos chairman has been dubbed “Silent Karl” after going missing throughout the Wayne Bennett saga and refusing to speak publicly, even after punting Brisbane’s greatest coach. The search party is still looking for him.
THE BRADMAN AWARD
Jai Arrow. The Titans lock was sensational on the field in his first season at the Gold Coast and also kicked some off-field goals after dating recently crowned Miss World Australia Taylah Cannon.
DUMB AND DUMBER AWARD
Ben Hunt. The Dragons halfback’s decision to run the ball on the last tackle in their 13-12 finals loss to Souths was the worst single play of the season. Even Dragons coach Paul McGregor wanted to jump out of the grandstand.
THE LOVERS’ TIFF AWARD
Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk. The spectacular falling out between the Queensland, Kangaroos and former Melbourne Storm teammates is fascinating and would make a great Woman’s Day feature.
THE OPSM AWARD
NRL Judiciary. The judiciary’s decision to clear Billy Slater was incompetent and showed no understanding of the game’s shoulder-charge laws. Panel members are so out of touch with the game’s mission that it is hurting rugby league. The panellists for the Slater case should resign in disgrace.
THE LEYLAND BROTHERS AWARD
Jarrod Wallace. The Titans prop attempted a sneaky 700km trip to Newcastle, only to get caught red-handed when a Gold Coast staffer saw him on the plane. It was claimed Wallace’s partner was attending a beauty pageant in Newcastle. The Origin prop was soon photographed meeting with Knights officials.
THE ROCKY BALBOA AWARD
Wayne Bennett refused to hit the canvas. The Broncos coach knew his career at Red Hill was over and decided to go down with a fight, launching barb after barb at club heavyweights Paul White and Karl Morris.
THE BLIND FAITH AWARD
Paul Green. The Cowboys coach stayed loyal to his 2015 premiership squad and was left with a team that got old almost overnight as they sensationally crashed from finals contention.
HARRY HOUDINI AWARD
Andrew Gee. After disappearing from rugby league for four years following the Broncos’ salary-cap probe in 2014, Gee suddenly lobbed in Wayne Bennett’s coaching box for Brisbane’s semi-final against the Dragons. Broncos CEO White nearly fainted when he saw Gee at the team hotel.
THE SUPER SIX
Buy of the Year
Kalyn Ponga. Newcastle were initially criticised for outlaying $3 million for the Cowboys teenager but it proved a masterstroke. Ponga is the NRL’s next big superstar.
Flop of the Year
Jack Bird. Arrived at the Broncos this year on a massive $800,000 salary but managed just eight games in between shoulder and sternum operations.
Rookie of the Year
AJ Brimson. Jamayne Isaako was a deserved winner of the Dally M award but Brimson could have trumped him if the Titans sensation debuted earlier in the season.
Try of the Year
Suliasi Vunivalu. Storm halfback Brodie Croft sliced through in the Melbourne-Souths week-one finals game before kicking ahead and watching the ball sit up perfectly for Vunivalu, who celebrated with a swan dive. Magical stuff.
Hit of the Year
Felise Kaufusi’s bell-ringer on Sam Burgess in the opening week of the finals. Few players can rattle Burgess but Kaufusi’s front-on shot sent the ball flying free.
Trysaver of the Year
NSW fullback James Tedesco’s scything cover tackle on try-bound Maroons debutant Kalyn Ponga in Origin II. Had Ponga scored, the Maroons would have levelled the series one-all heading to Suncorp for the decider. Tedesco’s tackle won NSW the series.
Originally published as Blindside: Latest NRL gossip and inside info
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