If you listen to political commentators, a week is a long time in politics. Well, politics has got nothing on the NRL this week.
It’s had more twists and turns than your average water slide at Wet n Wild and our heads are spinning at the end of it. So, if we can pause for just a moment, I will try and make some sense if it.
First, the coaches, and we will start with Des Hasler. After the Bulldogs’ capitulation to Manly a few weeks ago, Hasler appeared to be gone. The fans were called for his sacking and there were a few murmurs from the board.
The Bulldogs then beat the Broncos in a game of mud wrestling and, before you know it, Hasler has got an extension. Another win over the Knights on Friday night has made it two in a row, but the jury is still out.
Ivan Cleary has to be wondering what it is he has walked into. Cleary was announced as the new coach of the Wests Tigers earlier in the week and this was going to bring stability to the club, as the team underwent a bit of a rebuild. Unfortunately, the reverse has happened and the club has been in the daily headlines since.
Luke Brooks must have missed the memo when he signed a contract extension, as the other three of the big four have all indicated a willingness to leave the Tigers, particularly Mitchell Moses who requested a release to join the Eels. He’d be perhaps on a bit more than the $10,000 in school fees they should have offered him a few years ago. James Tedesco is on the market and rumours would have it that Aaron Woods is also looking around.
I’m getting a little tired of the big four. There’s no doubt the Tigers’ front office has blundered from one disaster to another over the last few years but the playing group need to take some responsibility for poor form on the field. If spines win comps, the Tigers should be competing year in year out, but they’re not.
Maybe they should be called the ‘slightly above average four’. I’m just upset that Robbie Farah is no longer there otherwise we could call them the ‘famous five’!
Next, Jack Bird has met Nathan Brown and is a big chance of joining the Knights for more money and a likely start at fullback or five-eighth. Bird tweeted late in the week that nothing was agreed and he was still deciding.
No-one would begrudge Bird looking after his future especially as his medical condition suggests that his NRL career may be shorter than you would otherwise expect for someone of his ability. However, I’d advise Bird to speak to Michael Lichaa, whose career hasn’t exactly taken off since he accepted a big offer and joined the Bulldogs. Lichaa may be looking for a new club himself soon.
Cronulla, for their part, is holding their line. I don’t know if it is a fib or not but apparent Shane Flanagan knows Josh Reynolds’ family and is happy to talk to him if he’s struggling for a club. Only Flanno knows whether he is serious or whether its just a reminder to Bird and Chad Townsend that neither are indispensable.
Reynolds could be looking at a new club if rumours are true that Keiran Foran is re-uniting with Des and playing for the Dogs next year. Foran wants to be back near his kids which is totally understandable but you’d think he would have worked that out prior to joining the Warriors. I’m not sure which set of fans would be more disappointed, the Warriors or Eels.
However, the biggest elephant in the room at the moment is Cooper Cronk and his decision to move to Sydney next year to support his fiancée, Tara Rushton, as her Fox Sports career takes off. Cronk himself has signed a deal with Fox Sports and I think his most likely decision is to retire.
The most amazing thing about the past week is that it has all been done without anything happening with Jarryd Hayne. Maybe, just maybe, Hayne has settled on the Gold Coast or is just clean out of offers.
There’s plenty more of this to come, league fans. I’d suggest this week coming will be similar to the week just gone.
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