I’ll let the NRL in on a little secret … fans love the Origin melee

Thoughts and prayers for Channel Nine host James Bracey and his luxurious hair today as they recover from being smack-dab in the middle of a good old-fashioned State of Origin melee.

Bracey’s coffee, two plastic chairs and a TV screen were innocent victims when NSW and Queensland players started wrestling with each other in the 30th minute at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.

The brawl shifted from the field of play and over the sideline into part of the Maroons’ bench but, mostly, the area on halfway where Nine’s on-air talent and production staff were placed.

Sideline eyes Emma Lawrence and Allana Ferguson (both of whom are pregnant), Danika Mason and Bracey were all caught up in the kerfuffle.

So, too, were former NSW captain Paul Gallen and former coach Brad Fittler, who were unlikely front-row spectators to a scene that had Battle of Brookvale vibes.

It also evoked memories of a Test at Lang Park in 1985 when Kangaroos firebrand Greg Dowling and New Zealand counterpart Kevin Tamati slugged it out on their way from the field.

Cameron Murray runs into a sea of Maroons players to fight from the bench.

The Origin melee was replayed endlessly on Thursday morning TV, although the party-poopers at the match review committee didn’t find it entertaining at all, handing out a record $26,100 in fines and up to six matches in suspensions after 10 players were hit with a record 11 charges.

That includes NSW forwards Cameron Murray, who was on the bench, and Haumole Olakau’atu, who wasn’t playing after being dropped after game two. Both face three-match bans if they unsuccessfully contest their grade-three contrary conduct charges.

Fair enough. While Murray and Olakau’atu’s actions revealed the gritty ethos within the Blues, you can’t get involved in fights from the sideline and expect to escape sanction.

But here’s the thing that the NRL neither understands nor wants to admit: most of the 5.4 million who watched the Origin decider get off on these sorts of shenanigans.

The NRL banned the punch in 2013 after Gallen introduced Nate Myles′ enormous chin to his left and right fists in game one of the series.

But the referee and the rule-makers need to appreciate Origin is an aggressive arena conquered by the most aggressive team, which in this series was NSW.

Players are not robots. They want to defend their teammate. You’d be more concerned if they didn’t. It makes a nice change from fulltime in most NRL matches when rival players hug and chat like long-lost relatives at the airport.

Origin still means something when so much in professional sport no longer does, other than what the individual can get and for how much.

Nate Myles about to cop one from Paul Gallen in Origin

There’s been the usual tut-tutting about the melee already from people who rarely watch rugby league, but let’s get real: it’s little more than aggressive cuddling. The only way to land a punch is to conceal it by grabbing an opponent’s jumper and throwing a short jab.

Rugby league has been reluctantly dragging itself and its knuckles into the 21st century for some time, but let’s not sanitise Origin too much.

When Dowling and Tamai traded blows, the weapons of choice were elbows and headbutts with fans just behind the fence splattered with blood. You’ll never see the likes of that again. If you want to watch that sort of malarkey, watch UFC.

As for Bracey, we’re told he’ll be sidelined from NRL coverage for the next month.

Not because of a suspected broken eyelash, but the Paris Games, which he’ll be co-hosting.

Merit Madge: Blues coach proved me wrong

NSW coach Michael Maguire is contracted for next season, and we’re told there are no performance clauses that allow him to trigger an extension after winning the series.

The NSWRL could do worse than to channel their inner Spencer Leniu, tackle him to the ground and make him sign an extension.

Maguire proved a lot of his critics wrong, including this column who questioned after his appointment whether he was the right man for the job.

Bringing former captain Steve Mortimer, who is suffering from dementia, into the fold for the first and third games was a masterstroke. It provided a perfect link between the past and future.

Maguire played Maroons counterpart Billy Slater off a break with his pointed jabs in the media.

We’ll probably never know if the story about tension between Slater and Selwyn Cobbo floated on Monday was genuine or “fake news” concocted by the NSW camp to rile the Maroons, which it clearly did.

Channel Nine’s Danny Weidler, who broke the yarn on Nine News, is adamant his source is right.

Either way, Maguire took over a broken set-up when he replaced Fittler in September and restored faith in the NSW side for those who matter most.

The reporters ... Sorry, the fans.

Gould set to learn fate for ‘stupid’ remark

The NRL is expected to finally hand down its final determination in the curious case of Bulldogs football general manager Phil Gould versus The World, possibly as soon as Friday.

Gould received a breach notice on May 1 after he repeatedly labelled the NRL “stupid” on Nine’s 100% Footy for disallowing a try to Tigers hooker Api Koroisau.

The NRL is preparing to hand down its verdict against Phil Gould.Credit: NRL Photos

He was set to be fined $20,000, half of which was to be suspended for two years.

It’s been claimed the delay in sanctioning Gould indicates the NRL is running scared of one of the game’s most powerful and feared figures.

I’m told NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo has met with Gould and a decision is imminent. A suspended fine would be an interesting one for both parties: Gould has continued to slam match officials via his various media platforms.

You reckon other clubs won’t be watching and listening to every word he says with keen interest?

Mills and Boomers: Bogut fuels talk of divide

There’s been talk about a divide between the younger and older players in the Boomers for some time – and former player Andrew Bogut’s remarks earlier this week about Patty Mills have only fuelled the fire.

Bogut told the NBL Media podcast The Gold Standard that he felt it was time for Mills to start on the bench following his performance against Team USA in a pre-Olympics warm-up in Abu Dhabi.

“Patty wasn’t great,” Bogut said. “He started very similarly the last couple of tournaments in the lead-ups and friendlies. There are concerns, obviously, looking at the way he’s playing, but this has been kind of a story for him in lead-up games for tournaments, and then he has a great tournament … but they’re going to need more from him.”

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian put the older players on notice after last year’s World Cup failure. He’s also said the team effectively belongs to Josh Giddey.

Boomers icon Patty Mills tries to defend US star Jayson Tatum on a drive to the basket.Credit: AP

THE QUOTE
“I’m stoked.” — Sydney’s Travis Bazzana with a typically Australian response after he was the No.1 pick for the Cleveland Guardians in Major League Baseball’s draft on Monday. What a story.

THUMBS UP
On behalf of the rest of the world, thank you, Spain. First, Carlos Alcaraz puts the ever-whinging Novak Djokovic back in his box at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year. Then its national football team beats England in the Euro 2024 final in Germany, which we also applaud because Three Lions fans are, mostly, awful. Gracias, my Spanish friends.

THUMBS DOWN
Grammy nominated country singer Ingrid Andress mangled The Star-Spangled Banner before the Home Run Derby at Arlington’s Globe Life Field in Texas on Monday. It’s been called the worst in history, and that includes previous car crashes from Roseanne Barr and Fergie. Andress has said via social media she has problems with alcohol and will be checking into rehab. Been a tough week for ears in the US.

It’s a big weekend for … Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler, who comes up against former club Manly at Brookvale. Hasler was sacked at the end of the 2022 season and is still suing the Sea Eagles for $1.5 million.

It’s an even bigger weekend for … Paris, the city of light and love and pickpockets on the train as it prepares to host the five-ringed circus better known as the ’Lympics. Our peeps on the ground tell us the traffic is diabolical and the weather a little cooler than expected, but the vibe is mostly convivial as the world arrives in the prettiest city on the planet.

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