The Dragons are faced with a dilemma about captain Ben Hunt’s persistent wish to go back to his native Queensland.
Not that Hunt has anything against the new coach, Shane Flanagan, who has a track record of winning premierships, but Hunt has made it obvious that he still wants to leave the Red V.
Evidently, Hunt’s concerns with the Dragons administration from when he requested a release in the midst of the State of Origin series remain.
For St George Illawarra’s new coach Flanagan, it’s a big problem because it’s difficult to stick with Hunt leading the Red V when he’s on record as wanting to leave and return home to Queensland.
Before taking a break and heading back to Wollongong to prepare for another preseason, Hunt will be a walk-up starter for Mal Meninga’s Australian team for the final Tests of the season.
Which other NRL team has enough money, more than $900,000, to accommodate Hunt’s pay cap for the upcoming season?
Hunt’s grievances with the Dragons management from his time when he asked to be released during the State of Origin series appear to still exist.
It presents a significant challenge for Flanagan, the new coach of St George Illawarra, as Hunt has expressed a desire to quit and move back to Queensland. This makes it tough to continue with Hunt guiding the Red V.
Hunt will be a walk-up starter for Mal Meninga’s Australian team for the last few Test matches of the season before having a break and returning to Wollongong to get ready for another preseason.
Which other NRL team has over $900,000 to cover Hunt’s salary cap in the forthcoming campaign?
RICKY SHARP SLEDGE RAZOR
Although RAIDERS coach Ricky Stuart has refrained from making jokes during numerous press conferences this season, he couldn’t help but laugh when the Canberra players gathered to express their sorrow at losing in the first round of the playoffs.
As an NRL coach, Stuart has maintained his reputation as a lightning-fast player with a razor-sharp one-liner.
As the Canberra players were sipping cool beers, outgoing star Jack Wighton attempted to scold Stuart. The Raiders coach swiftly responded, saying, “Piss off or I’ll bite you.”
This occurred on the Monday prior to Wighton’s Tuesday appearance before the NRL judiciary to accept a three-match suspension.
When it comes to results, the usual suspect narcs are always eager to align and try to take the edge off Stuart and the Canberra Raiders.
However, based on statistical analysis, the Raiders have performed admirably during the last five seasons.
They participated in four of the previous five finals series, including the grand final in 2019 and the preliminary final in 2020. It took a tremendous effort for them to lead Newcastle 16–6 at the half.
Wighton’s bite did, indeed, alter the course of the game and reenergize the Newcastle crowd, but the Raiders are punching over their weight when you factor in injuries, bans, and other curveballs.
SPARTAN ARMY IS CALLED BY ROOSTERS
The Sydney Roosters, who have been forced to adopt a next-man-up mentality due to a terrible injury toll on the Tricolours late-season run into September, have drawn inspiration from the mythology of the Spartan warrior.
In the sudden-death semi-final at AAMI Park on Friday night, the Roosters will try to make it seven victories in a row by pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the season against the Melbourne Storm.
With all the hardships the Roosters have had to endure, the Spartan army’s historic victories over considerably more formidable opponents in antiquity have come to represent a recurring theme at the club.
The Roosters are also unfazed by rumors that youthful, explosive forward Siua Wong will top all players available on the NRL trade market on November 1.
Although Wong has only played nine games since making his NRL debut in round 18, other NRL teams and the rugby union have not ceased suggesting that he should engage in a bidding war.
The Tricolours’ extra effort to assist the budding NRL forward in creating a road to professional rugby league is the Roosters’ strongest suit.
Wong came to Australia at the age of fifteen to attend the esteemed Scots College, and it was then that the Roosters discovered him.
If Wong didn’t quickly come to terms on a new contract with the Tricolours, we’d be shocked.
Selfish Eddie won’t accept all the praise.
The Brisbane Broncos have had an incredible comeback under head coach Kevvie Walters, and in true Kevvie flair, the Broncos champion is more than ready to take credit for all the team’s accomplishments.
When questioned about how he’d taken the Broncos from their first-ever wooden spoon in 2020 to a prelim final berth in 2023, Brisbane coach Brian Walters quickly pointed out that it had taken a team effort.
As they say, failure is an orphan and success has many fathers.
Everyone associated with the club has put up an amazing amount of work, from the assistant coaches to the front office in Brisbane to the acquisition of Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh by the Broncos.
BOLTER KANGAROOS APPEARES
THE Bradman It’s been amazing to observe the best transformation during the second half of this season.
Not too long ago, the Knights were surreptitiously eyeing a few more high-profile players as well as the now-closed NSW State of Origin centre.
Not any longer. It’s now entirely possible that Best will take home a green and gold jumper for the Kangaroos, given their dearth of center alternatives at the end of the season.
Not Campbell Graham, not Tommy Turbo, not Latrell Mitchell, not Jack Wighton, not Valentine Holmes in limbo.
Best, Broncos star Kotoni Staggs, and the fullback who shone as a center in this year’s State of Origin are now most likely in a shootout.
TIGERS REMODELING GOES ON
When Justin Pascoe, star of Tales from Tiger Town, recently used the Broncos as an example of how rapidly struggling NRL clubs can turn things around, WE laughed a lot.
We regret to inform the West Michigan Tigers CEO that his team, the Broncos, did not win consecutive pennants or commit nearly as many costly mistakes as the Tigers have.
The Tigers, who have been coached by Pascoe, have finished ninth, fourteenth, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, last, and last in the NRL finals, which is now the worst drought in the history of the competition, dating back to 2011.
Assistant coach Dave Furner left the Tigers on Wednesday, continuing the team’s restructuring of the coaching staff despite being in the first year of a
reputable person Furner had always been close to the late Tim Sheens, who had previously passed away along with Wayne Lambkin and Warren McDonnell.
The Sheens administration that was staged over the now-famous media-friendly meal at the popular rugby league restaurant Grappa in Leichhardt last year was undoubtedly short-lived.
Moving forward, Benji Marshall will serve as head coach of the Tigers, while assistant coaches John Morris, Robbie Farah, and Chris Heighington will help.
We predict that further long-overdue improvements are soon to come to Tiger Town.
