Phil Rothfield reveals his highlights, lowlights and talking points from a bumper weekend

THE NRL’S officious bunker gag, Grub’s meltdown an embarrassment and why the Roos need Gal. It’s all in BUZZ ROTHFIELD’s highlights and lowlights.

HIGHLIGHT

By far the best footy game your columnist watched all weekend was the Sydney Swans against Adelaide in the AFL. Our boys lost but it was a sensational contest.

LOWLIGHT

The Broncos’ thumping of the Newcastle Knights. It again showed the Broncos’ massive advantage over rival clubs with corporate third party payments in a one-team town. The team they put on the field was worth millions more than the Knights. I turned over to the Swans because I wanted to watch a genuine contest.

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LOWLIGHT II

The NRL’s outrageous attempt to gag clubs from commenting on the bunker. This sort of rubbish was a trademark of former CEO Dave Smith. Todd Greenberg should be encouraging free speech.

SPOTTED

A beautiful bottle of Grange Hermitage on the desk of 2GB’s Ray Hadley when I dropped into the station for a cameo appearance on the Continuous Call team.

SPOTTED II

Manly boss Bob Fulton checking out the facilities at Penrith’s new $25 million rugby league academy

Blake Ayshford has found a new lease of life in New Zealand.

BLAKE REBORN

There is not a more improved player in the competition than Warriors centre Blake Ayshford. He was dreadful in his last year at the Wests Tigers and even worse at the Cronulla Sharks. This season he’s on fire at the Warriors and thoroughly deserved his two tries against the Bulldogs.

OLSEN TWIN

There is not a more exciting player in the game than Warriors utility Tuimoala Lolohea. He is dead set the game’s next big thing. He has the strength of the great old Kiwi Olsen Filipaina and the ability of Stacey Jones.

HOTHEAD JOSH IN THE DOG HOUSE

IT’S not a good sign for team morale when a player makes a mistake and a teammate reacts by throwing the football at him.

In Wellington on Saturday night, Bulldogs five-eighth Josh Reynolds got a bad ball from dummy-half Michael Lichaa. His response was to throw the ball as hard as he could in Lichaa’s direction in an act of stupidity.

Afterwards Reynolds tried to set the record straight on social media, which is becoming almost a weekly occurrence. Like when he grabbed Aidan Sezer on the backside.

“Anyone no (sic) any relationship councilors (sic) we are on the rocks … on a serious note the old me snuck out a little last night emotions got the better of me, not a good look I’ll admit but was a tough loss we beat ourselves in the end say what you got to say we will be back ... #lovemyhabib”

It was accompanied by a photo of him and Lichaa.

ROOS NEED GAL’S AGGRESSION

WITHOUT Paul Gallen, Australia have lost their last two Tests against New Zealand. On both occasions the Kangaroos were dominated by the Kiwis forwards.

It’s fair to say they missed Gallen’s aggression. At the end of this month Mal Meninga and selectors Darren Lockyer and Bob Fulton will choose an Australia team to play the Kiwis on May 6 in Newcastle.

Fulton will surely support his NSW State of Origin captain. Meninga is under pressure from NSW fans to prove there will be no favouritism towards his beloved Queenslanders. It makes the Gallen situation all the more spicy.

LYON FACING EXTINCTION

MANLY are facing a really delicate situation with the future of skipper and veteran centre Jamie Lyon.

It’s one that general manager Bob Fulton and coach Trent Barrett will need to handle carefully because he is a club legend and one of the most respected players in the game.

Lyon will be 35 by next season. He is on big money but is showing signs of slowing down. He has played 343 first-grade games (60 in England) after starting at Parramatta in 2000. After 16 seasons he deserves a dignified exit.

Originally published as Phil Rothfield reveals his highlights, lowlights and talking points from a bumper weekend