NRL News: RLPA hits out at Moran's Queen sanctions, DCE should beat Cleary for Kangaroos gig - Joey

The players’ union has hit out at the NRL over their handling of the Caitlin Moran social media post, labelling the punishment for her comments that appeared to celebrate the death of Queen Elizabeth II as far too severe.

The Newcastle player was handed a suspended fine of 25 per cent of her salary this week and banned for one match over the Instagram post.

She left the post up for around eight hours before it was deleted. 

The Indigenous star met with NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo on Tuesday before the announcement of her sanction which mandates she undergoes training and education.

Her sanctions have split several in and out of the NRL, with members of the Indigenous community away from the sport particularly scathing.

The players’ union on Thursday steered away from the political debate, but instead hit out at the NRL over the process and publishing of the proposed breach notice before it was accepted.

In doing so, the Rugby League Players Association also used the Moran case to claim several in the game had been left confused by recent integrity decisions.

“The RLPA believes a fine equivalent to 25 per cent of Caitlin’s salary, although suspended, is far too severe,” the RLPA said in a statement. 

“Caitlin’s proposed financial punishment is another example of the inconsistent and disproportionate penalties handed down to players.

“Case-by-case, the NRL has a worrying track record of inconsistent punishments given to players. 

“For integrity-related matters, the RLPA has continually advocated for transparency, but we are yet to see any framework that informs the NRL’s sanctions.

“The lack of a clear and transparent framework puts players in an incredibly vulnerable position and leaves many within the game scratching their heads at administrative decision making.”

Abdo declined to comment when contacted by AAP given Moran has until next week to accept or dispute the NRL’s punishments. 

(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Moran was initially named by Newcastle in their squad on Tuesday afternoon, before vanishing off the team list on the club and NRL’s website as the Knights claimed they supported the ban.

Her ban effectively means the former Jillaroos back misses one-fifth of the women’s regular season.

Knights coach Ron Griffiths had previously moved to defend the 25-year-old over the weekend, pointing to “the relationship between Indigenous people and the monarchy” being “a complicated one”.

Others have privately expressed questions over where the line is drawn on social media, pointing to a post late last year from a club trainer which compared vaccinated people to those who supported the Nazi regime, which was “liked” by several players.

But the NRL claimed this week Moran’s comments had hurt the game.

“Rugby league is an inclusive game and has a proud and strong relationship with many communities,” the NRL said in their statement. 

“Regardless of any personal views, all players and officials must adhere to the professional standards expected of them. 

“And on this occasion, the public comments made by the player have caused damage to the game.”

Joey thinks DCE should be Roos half and captain

Immortal halfback Andrew Johns thinks Nathan Cleary hasn’t done enough to unseat Daly Cherry-Evans as Kangaroos halfback.

Cleary made a stunning return from a five-match ban to lead Penrith past Parramatta last Friday and is widely considered the best player in the game but Johns is not convinced he should be Australia’s starting halfback at the World Cup.

Cherry-Evans is the incumbent after playing in the most recent Test, almost three years ago against Tonga but Johns said on Freddy & The Eighth that the Manly skipper should also be Australian captain ahead of James Tedesco. 

“I think Daly Cherry-Evans deserves to be the halfback, after his Origin series. Before Origin I thought Nathan would but if you’re looking at Origin in particular, I think Daly deserves to be after the Origin series halfback and captain.

“I’m just saying it’s my point of view. Daly is the incumbent, we haven’t played for a couple of years. I think he deserves first shot at it, and captain.”

Needless to say, his co-host, Blues coach Brad Fittler disagreed, saying Cleary’s consistency should get him the nod ahead of Cherry-Evans.

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Johns has also sounded off about the bunker, warning the NRL needs to get serious about limiting its involvement following the constant interference in Sunday’s Rabbitohs-Roosters playoff.

Johns is adamant the bunker is getting way too involved and he wants to see it scaled back with a second referee reintroduced.

In his Sydney Morning Herald column, Johns said he did not blame referees or bunker officials for the current predicament but the administrators who gave the video reviewers too much influence.

“If the referee doesn’t see it, if the linespeople don’t see it, if the penalty isn’t that obvious, let it flow. The solution: two referees.

“At the end of this year, the players, coaches, the RLPA, even some people from the media, need to sit down with the NRL and come up with a solution.”

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Walters will only get one-year extensions

Brisbane chairman Karl Morris insists Kevin Walters will be the NRL club’s head coach next year but says any future contract extensions will likely be on a one-year basis.

The Broncos have conducted an end-of-season review into their year.

Morris said Walters, under contract until the end of 2023 after signing a one-year extension in March, was the right man to lead the club forward after taking the side from bottom of the ladder two years ago to ninth this season.

Brisbane won 13 games under Walters’ stewardship this year, their most since 2018, but lost five of their last six games to slip from fourth to ninth and miss the finals.

The Broncos paid a hefty termination settlement to former coach Anthony Seibold when they parted ways in 2020 in the second year of a five-year deal, a scenario the club does not want to revisit.

Morris said he was not concerned about any perceptions of instability from not extending Walters’ contract beyond next season.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“The way I view it is that he has a contract until the end of next year and at some stage during the year we will have a conversation with him about going onto a normal employee contract or extending his current contract,” Morris told AAP.

“I assume it would be a yearly contract. I don’t see what the benefit or upside is in having any employee, forget just Kevin Walters, on any more than a one-year contract.”

Walters was not fazed by Morris’s view on contracts.

“That doesn’t bother me,” the coach said. 

“We made some good improvements from my perspective this year as a football club and football team and it is my job to make sure those improvements continue.

“When that happens everything else looks after itself.”   

Morris has been impressed with Walters’ “enthusiasm and dedication to improving the whole team” and work in creating a happy team culture.

The Broncos have jumped five places on the ladder from their 14th position last season and defied many pundits who did not have them anywhere near the top eight this year.

“There has been great improvement,” Morris said. “We always knew it was going to take more than two seasons to build a team around a coach.

“The Broncos environment has been probably the most important part of what (Walters) has brought.”

Siosifa saddle sore after Cowboys targeting 

After getting through 93 minutes of work only to lose at the death, Siosifa Talakai claims Cronulla’s last-gasp loss to North Queensland can steel them for bigger finals tests.

Talakai said he felt like he had been “run over by a truck” after getting through 21 carries in last weekend’s 32-20 golden-point loss to the Cowboys.

The Sharks now face Souths at Allianz Stadium on Saturday and must win to ensure their promising first-year under Craig Fitzgibbon doesn’t end in straight finals defeats.

“It was a good lung buster and gave me a reality check,” Talakai told reporters.

“No team has done it (gone beyond 90 minutes) in a while and I don’t think any other team has done it this year.

(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

“If anything it’s prepared us more for this game, it was a pretty good experience for us as a team.

“This week is more of a mental game – it’s about attitude. I know we are all going to get up for it.”

Talakai was busy all evening and had former teammate Chad Townsend to thank for waking up sore.

Townsend sent plenty of the Cowboys’ kicks down to Talakai’s winger Ronaldo Mulitalo and it meant the centre’s impact was blunted.

When Mulitalo returned the ball, Talakai was the man forced to bear the brunt of the next hit-up early in the tackle count.

“We studied their game quite a bit and Chaddy has been their main kicker and we knew the ball would come to our edge,” he said. “It was a sight to see when their whole team is coming to smash you.”

While the Cowboys currently have their feet up in Townsville awaiting a home preliminary final, Talakai is desperately nursing his.

The Sharks centre reaggravated a foot injury in their final-round defeat to Newcastle but was cleared to play against the Cowboys. He has been regularly icing his ankle but insists he should be right to tackle Souths, a team Talakai knows well. 

He used to compete against Hame Sele at shotput and was given his NRL debut by assistant coach John Morris. But Talakai’s biggest adversary looms on Sunday when he sits down for breakfast with his six-year-old son Tevita.

“He’s a Souths fan,” Talakai grins. “If I win I get to give it to him.”

var request = new XMLHttpRequest();

request.open('POST', '/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', true); request.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded;'); request.onload = function () { if (this.status >= 200 && this.status