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2Brisbane coach Kevin Walters thinks the NRL has over-reacted by banning star prop Payne Haas for Friday’s trip to face Penrith.
Haas was handed a one-game suspension and a $10,000 fine after video circulated of him and Broncos five-eighth Albert Kelly involved in a fracas in a hotel lobby. Kelly was also banned for one game and handed a $5000 penalty.
The incident was not Haas’ first run-in with the NRL’s integrity unit, with the young forward’s rap sheet of off-field transgressions growing by the season. “No, I don’t (agree with it),” Walters said. “But it doesn’t matter what my opinion is. So now I feel sorry for Payne and the club and our fans.
“We will abide by the rules and just get on with a week’s suspension and he’ll be welcomed back into the team.”
Already without Haas as well as fellow props Thomas Flegler and Patrick Carrigan, Brisbane are facing an uphill battle on the Panthers’ home turf, a ground where Ivan Cleary’s men have not lost since 2019.
Corey Jensen comes in at prop to partner Keenan Palasia, but Walters’ backline has also taken a hit with English centre Herbie Farnworth pulling out of Friday’s clash with a cork.
Delouise Hoeter will fill in for his Broncos debut and his first appearance at NRL level since a seven-game stint with the Wests Tigers in 2015.
“There’s no free hits in the NRL, not for the Broncos anyway,” Walters said. “We’re expecting them to be the team that we know they’ve been all year. They’ve been a good side for a long time.
“Between them and the Storm, they’ve been the standout teams the last two or three years, but we’ll see if we can spoil their little party tomorrow night. “
(Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Canterbury general manager Phil Gould called on the NRL to allow Anthony Milford to rejoin the competition after the former Brisbane five-eighth’s assault charges were dropped.
Milford’s former Broncos coach Wayne Bennett has also come out in support for the ex-Maroons representative who is reportedly close to finalising a deal to play out the season with Newcastle.
He seems likely to reunite with Bennett at the Dolphins when the Redcliffe expansion team joins the NRL in 2023.
Gould, on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast, said he had viewed the CCTV footage of Milford’s incident outside a Brisbane nightspot in September.
The NRL Integrity Unit is investigating the incident before deciding whether Milford should be cleared to be registered again.
He had been signed by Souths this season but they terminated the deal when the NRL refused to register Milford.
The Knights are keen for the 27-year-old to begin training with the team but the NRL is refusing to budge until he has been allowed to return.
Milford pleaded guilty to wilful damage and being a public nuisance and was fined for smashing a car window when he threw a bin across the street while he was also placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.
“If you knew the Anthony Milford facts like I know of this matter, there is only one person through all of that Anthony Milford thing that has been wronged and that is Anthony Milford himself on two counts,” Gould said.
“First of all on the charges of assault and having to go to court and deal with these types of things, which we’ve seen now the charges have been dismissed because they were not sustainable and supported by video evidence.
“I’ve actually watched the whole video, I watched exactly what transpired on the night and how it came to this.
“There are two things – Anthony Milford has been terribly wronged. Number one is having these charges and the matter played out in public and that he’s been charged with assault, which just didn’t happen. When you see it, it’s mind-boggling.”
Gould believes Souths should be questioned as to their handling of the situation with the club initially botching the paperwork on the contract before the off-field incident occurred.
Warriors coach Nathan Brown claimed Marcelo Montoya’s homophobic slur was not a true representation of his character and hopes the winger is not condemned long term for his mistake.
Montoya was banned for four weeks by the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night after verbally abusing a Cowboys opponent and Brown used the old “heat of the battle” argument to defend his player.
“It’s important that everyone understands what a terrific fella Marce is, he’s a great bloke,” Brown said.
“Something got said in the heat of the battle and we’ll just move on from it.
“That’s the main thing, that people don’t judge Marce for it because he’s as good a bloke as I’ve seen in the rugby league game in my whole life.”
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