Moves, Rumours,Judiciary, Injuries ...

[Spotty Herbert]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

That would seem to indicate that Folau won’t be back at the Dragons then

Does he replace Folau or David Mead?

[DoubleD]

44 minutes ago, Spotty Herbert said:

Does he replace Folau or David Mead?

My understanding was that Mead left because they were looking to cut costs and weren’t looking to replace him

[Graham]

Panthers 2021

Their best line up?

[DavidM]

5 hours ago, Graham said:

St George Illawarra are reportedly showing interest in former Titan Nathan Peats, as the Dragons look to fill the remaining three roster spots on their list.

Please dont do that to me ...

[Graham]

Boyd Cordner looks set to miss the first 12 weeks of 2021 as the Sydney Roosters seek $350k cap relief.

[Graham]

Wow I’ve just read in a posting on another thread that Cameron McInnes will be leaving Dragons for Cronulla for a big salary.

I wouldn’t willingly have let him go as he had a great 2020 season and always gives 100%

I suppose Dragons couldn’t or wouldn’t pay him what Cronulla will.

Sharks have bought a good ‘un there.

I’ve double checked as I’m typing this and found that he’s not moving to Sharks until 2022. So Dragons still have him for this coming season. 

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by Graham

[DavidM]

29 minutes ago, Graham said:

Wow I’ve just read in a posting on another thread that Cameron McInnes will be leaving Dragons for Cronulla for a big salary.

I wouldn’t willingly have let him go as he had a great 2020 season and always gives 100%

I suppose Dragons couldn’t or wouldn’t pay him what Cronulla will.

Sharks have bought a good ‘un there.

I’ve double checked as I’m typing this and found that he’s not moving to Sharks until 2022. So Dragons still have him for this coming season. 

 

Strange . Some over clever management speak from the Dragons on this I can make no sense of , but as a fan I don’t get how he wasn’t at the top of the longer term resigning list 

[DoubleD]

The 2 Coreys continuing the long held off season tradition 

 

[Spotty Herbert]

2 hours ago, Graham said:

Wow I’ve just read in a posting on another thread that Cameron McInnes will be leaving Dragons for Cronulla for a big salary.

I wouldn’t willingly have let him go as he had a great 2020 season and always gives 100%

I suppose Dragons couldn’t or wouldn’t pay him what Cronulla will.

Sharks have bought a good ‘un there.

I’ve double checked as I’m typing this and found that he’s not moving to Sharks until 2022. So Dragons still have him for this coming season. 

 

I've seen a suggestion that he doesn't rate his new coach Mr Griffin and that there was no contract on offer at the moment at St George. It does seem a funny one, though, for Saints in particular. Does this mean McCullough is nailed on for 2022 for the red vee? And what happens to Brailey at the Sharks?

[Futtocks]

2 hours ago, DoubleD said:

The 2 Coreys continuing the long held off season tradition 

 

You would have thought CH-N would be trying very hard to be squeaky clean, considering events of the recent past.

[DoubleD]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

You would have thought CH-N would be trying very hard to be squeaky clean, considering events of the recent past.

Quite.............after Canberra had given him a lifeline as well. Another misdemeanor and he'll end up in SL!

[DavidM]

2 hours ago, Futtocks said:

You would have thought CH-N would be trying very hard to be squeaky clean, considering events of the recent past.

Indeed . How idiotic and also disrespectful to the Raiders who put their faith and trust in him . 

[JimBronco]

Haas needs to wash his mouth out. Did you read up on what he said to the cops? Jesus. 

[The Rocket]

On 03/02/2021 at 03:19, Spotty Herbert said:

I've seen a suggestion that he doesn't rate his new coach Mr Griffin and that there was no contract on offer at the moment at St George. It does seem a funny one, though, for Saints in particular. Does this mean McCullough is nailed on for 2022 for the red vee? And what happens to Brailey at the Sharks?

I saw the same thing, in fact I once saw Jamie Soward quoted as saying that when he played under Griffin at Penrith they had the most conservative game plans he had ever experienced in his life. This corresponds with claims that Griffin is seen as too `old school` by many, I think even Gould said that about him, yesterdays man type thing.

One other thing, wasn`t there some stink a while back where Griffin was linked to some ultra-conservative political group in Queensland, I know it sprung to my mind when it was said that he was so keen to get Folau and quite willing to overlook Folau`s indiscretions on social media. Not 100% sure on that one though.

[Graham]

Payne (in the) Haas was handed a two-year good behaviour bond by the courts but had no conviction recorded.

However, the NRL is expected to next week hand down a suspension and a hefty $20,000-plus fine once an Integrity Unit investigation is concluded.

This follows his wild rant against the police in an altercation in somewhere called Tweed Heads (another nickname for him?)

[The Rocket]

On 05/02/2021 at 21:43, Graham said:

Payne (in the) Haas was handed a two-year good behaviour bond by the courts but had no conviction recorded.

However, the NRL is expected to next week hand down a suspension and a hefty $20,000-plus fine once an Integrity Unit investigation is concluded.

This follows his wild rant against the police in an altercation in somewhere called Tweed Heads (another nickname for him?)

Headline in the `Australian` newspapers sport section yesterday.

           'Players costing NRL millions of dollars."

According to Brent Read of the Australian, Payne Haas`s outburst at police and particularly his foul-mouthed abuse directed at a young female police officer. has lead to a prominent Hardware chain walking away from a multi-million sponsorship deal with the NRL. Haas`s actions were the last straw for the potential sponsor after a couple of weeks of bad headlines.

Bunnings hardware chain were the likely suitor as they already have large sponsorship deals with the afl and cricket. Bunnings run a series of `tailor-made` advertisements for those sports with their employees using cricket and afl jargon and mimicking the actions of those sports as they do their work. I was grumbling to my son recently why doesn`t League have a deal with them as well. Turns out they might have had.

There goes x-millions that the other codes will have for development that we won`t have because of the bone-headed actions of a few players.

Graham if there was one thing that would make me walk away from the game it`s these repeated incidents, I just find it so infuriating. Expect a massive crack-down by Vlandy`s and Abdo, but if they are actually game enough to start suspending high-profile stars, we`ll have to wait and see. Because until they do that I just don`t see anything changing.

[Graham]

The Rocket:

Quote

Graham if there was one thing that would make me walk away from the game it`s these repeated incidents, I just find it so infuriating. Expect a massive crack-down by Vlandy`s and Abdo, but if they are actually game enough to start suspending high-profile stars, we`ll have to wait and see. Because until they do that I just don`t see anything changing.

Yes TR, it's every off season now and sometimes during the season. It's such a high profile game there in Oz and the media has it under the spotlight as the players and the game is of interest to a lot of people. There's always going to be the odd wrongdoing, they are young/ish men after all, but there have been far too many misdemeanours the last few years.

There have been efforts before to stem these sorts of too frequent incidents by players who grab the headlines especially in the off season, presumably when sponsorship deals are made or renewed. It doesn't do the image of the game any good.

It's a tough physical sport as we know and as such can attract brawn over brains at times, or brawn over judgement/character.

The vast majority of players are decent or at least keep within reason. It's a shame when some bad apples spoil it for the others.

[Spotty Herbert]

On 05/02/2021 at 10:43, Graham said:

Payne (in the) Haas was handed a two-year good behaviour bond by the courts but had no conviction recorded.

However, the NRL is expected to next week hand down a suspension and a hefty $20,000-plus fine once an Integrity Unit investigation is concluded.

This follows his wild rant against the police in an altercation in somewhere called Tweed Heads (another nickname for him?)

How many games is Haas likely to be suspended for as a result of this? He missed 4 games in 2019 for refusing to co operate with the integrity unit, so you would think 6 is the minimum punishment this time?

[The Rocket]

7 hours ago, Graham said:

The Rocket:

Yes TR, it's every off season now and sometimes during the season. It's such a high profile game there in Oz and the media has it under the spotlight as the players and the game is of interest to a lot of people. There's always going to be the odd wrongdoing, they are young/ish men after all, but there have been far too many misdemeanours the last few years.

There have been efforts before to stem these sorts of too frequent incidents by players who grab the headlines especially in the off season, presumably when sponsorship deals are made or renewed. It doesn't do the image of the game any good.

It's a tough physical sport as we know and as such can attract brawn over brains at times, or brawn over judgement/character.

The vast majority of players are decent or at least keep within reason. It's a shame when some bad apples spoil it for the others.

Well said Graham.

 

[Graham]

The NRL has today hit Brisbane Broncos forward Payne Haas with a three-game ban and a massive $50,000 fine over the NSW front-rower’s expletive-laden tirade at NSW police.

[Graham]

17 hours ago, Spotty Herbert said:

How many games is Haas likely to be suspended for as a result of this? He missed 4 games in 2019 for refusing to co operate with the integrity unit, so you would think 6 is the minimum punishment this time?

So his ban just for three games, so fewer games than last time! Huh? How come?
Plus the fine though.

[Graham]

The NRL is reportedly considering allowing Shane Flanagan to return to a head coaching job months before his suspension expires.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald , the NRL has indicated it could soften its stance on Flanagan to allow the 2016 premiership-winning coach return midway through this season.

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, Graham said:

The NRL has today hit Brisbane Broncos forward Payne Haas with a three-game ban and a massive $50,000 fine over the NSW front-rower’s expletive-laden tirade at NSW police.

Yeah the fine is fantastic news and none of this `$25 000` suspended nonsense, 3 games is odd but it`s going to hurt especially being the opening rounds.

The talk on the news was that amount is the maximum under the current NRL rules but they are looking to increase it substantially.

I heard Andrew Abdo interviewed and he said that if the NRL are going to be a major sport in this country then players are going to have to behave accordingly.

I think the only way to make these blokes think twice before they do something stupid is if they know it`s going to cost them mega-dollars. $10-20 000 fines are peanuts for these kids on $500-800 000. $100 000 will make them think twice.

I think this image thing is one of the last great hurdles holding the game back in this country, a bit if fresh-air from these scandals will give the detractors of the game a lot less ammunition, should really help us expand our sponsorship base and make the game more appealing to a much wider proportion of the population. 

For the first time in a long I feel like we have an administration that is actually going to do something about this player behaviour issue. I live in hope.

[Futtocks]

But if the players start behaving themselves, the amount of RL coverage in the British newspapers will drop to almost zero!

[Graham]

Yes, you can't blame the media for reporting curfew breaking, drunken misbehaviour, abuse, violence and the like. The blame lies with the piano player, not the messenger.

Our game has so many positives and fantastic athletes producing fantastic results, but good news doesn't hit the press the same as headline grabbing court cases and antisocial behaviour in general.

Great that in Oz at least the game managed to carry on to a large extent in 2020 due a lot to hard work, determination and media money.

Clubs of the players concerned who lose major sponsors who are surely hit hardest in the short run.

Behave or get out seems like a good policy, or perhaps more realistic behave or be hurt hard in your pocket as The Rocket says.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Graham