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Broncos NRLW star Ash Werner has been slapped with a two game ban for biting Roosters back Jayme Fressard in Saturday night’s clash on the Sunshine Coast.
The former Aussie bobsleigh international broke down in tears at the end of the two-hour long hearing, having fought the charge following her send off – the NRLW’s first ever – at the judiciary.
She insisted that she had not bitten Fressard, but the panel ruled against her following testimony from the Roosters player and photographic evidence of her arm.
Werner’s defence had been that Fressard had applied force in the opposite direction, pushing her arm into Werner’s face, but the panel of Tasrha Gale and Greg McCallum returned a verdict in just over ten minutes.
The NRL asked for a two match penalty, graded down from the four weeks that were given to NRL player Kevin Proctor in 2020, due to the shorter length of the NRLW season.
Peter V’Landys has launched a tirade against the Rugby League Player’s Association (RLPA) in the latest development in the CBA saga, with the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) Chairman telling media that the players union were seeking a power grab.
“The RLPA wants confected conflict, they want power,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “The Commission is prepared to meet with the RLPA board to resolve the matter.
It has been rumoured that the next RLPA move will be a boycott of the Dally M Awards – much like that of 2003, when the first CBA was struck – in order to up the ante in negotiations.
“It’s so selfish,” said V’Landys.
“These NRL players have worked hard all year and the Dally M is their chance to be honoured and recognised and they could be denied that opportunity by their very own player body.
“Imagine some players missing out on winning the Dally M because of some union officials beating their chest wanting recognition.
“I am frustrated for the game and the fans. At the end of the day, you don’t bite the hand that feeds you. The broadcasters and the fans pay their wages.
“Why penalise the people they pay their hard earned and follow you week in, week out through all conditions? The fans give the players their loyalty and the RLPA wants to treat them like this.
“This whole thing, including the media ban, makes no sense.”
The interview was given to Newscorp, who also own Foxtel, one of the two major broadcasters of the game, and the players have consistently backed the boycott, and would have to also back any Dally M boycott for it to take place.
V’Landys went on to confirm that he had sent an email to the RLPA that accused them of blocking equal payments to players from Pacific nations for international matches.
“I sent them an email to highlight what they are up to,” he said.
“In our offer, we want to pay every international player, including the Polynesian players, the same amount.
“The RLPA only wanted to pay the Australian Test players.
“It’s a well-known fact. They can deny it all they want, but that’s the truth of it.
“They didn’t care about the Polynesian players. They just wanted the Australian guys to be paid and that’s what the email confirms.
“In my email to them, I said you are discriminating against 48 per cent of your membership. That email is potent because they never disputed my email, they accepted what I said.”
The RLPA does deny the claim, with CEO Clint Newton having previously refuted the NRL’s stance.
“We’re not discriminating against the Polynesian players or teams,” he said. “There is no prejudice whatsoever. All we ask is the NRL be transparent about the revenues of an international tournament.”
Under the current set-up, the NRL seeks to fund internationals from the existing broadcast deal for the NRL, having promised broadcasters the right to show Australia and New Zealand matches as part of their payment at no extra costs.
The RLPA insist that players should be paid from revenues derived from international games, though it is not known how the NRL expects that to function for non-Kangaroos and Kiwis players, as the rights have already been sold to broadcasters.
Tongan players will be paid separately for their Test series with England at the end of the year, as would Fiji, PNG and Cook Islands players should the rumoured three-way series between them go ahead.
Queensland coach Billy Slater has let loose on both the RLPA and the NRL, telling the warring parties to ‘grow up’ and get a deal done.
Speaking on his podcast, Slater let loose, telling both to get on with discussions to bring an end to the stalemate that is undermining the competition.
“Seriously, both parties need to grow up and just work this out,” he said.
“The media not talking to the players, this is getting ridiculous now. Can we just grow up and work this out?
“I don’t understand – to watch a game of footy and not hear from the players after the game, I don’t understand how we can’t sit down and work something out.
“I didn’t feel like this when it first happened – make your point, fair enough – but that was three weeks ago and we were in Origin camp.
“We’ve got pretty good communications these days, you can pick up the phone or get on Zoom calls and you can actually go and see people.
“For this to drag out for three weeks, people are just too stubborn, that’s all it is. Are we gonna go through the finals like this? It’s not necessary.”
Gorden Tallis has suggested that Bulldogs forward Tevita Pangai junior only plays for his highlight reel, suggesting that the enforcer needs to focus on the basics above his flashier plays if he is to reach the heights of current NRL big dog Payne Haas.
“He plays for highlights, he plays for the big play,” he said on Fox League.
“If the penny dropped, like with Payne Haas, and he got a buzz out of playing the ball quick then he’d be one of the best players in the game.
You see (Spencer) Leniu comes off the bench, he knocks them over like ten pin bowling and plays the ball quick. That is the biggest play in the game.
“If Pangai comes off the back fence and gets between two guys, uses his strength and ability to get between two and play the ball quick, that is so valuable in the modern game. But he doesn’t see that as a commodity.
“He wants the big offload, the step and all that play that doesn’t come off.
“If I said to him you play the ball quick we’ll give you pat on the back, you play the ball quick 15 times and you’ll get man of the match or have 10 runs and five offloads, he’ll take 10 runs and five offloads.”
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Phil Gould has poured water on rumours linking the Bulldogs to Panthers five eighth Jarome Luai, telling 100% Footy that he couldn’t see the Samoa international leaving the Panthers.
There had been talk of a switch to Belmore given their need for a half and Luai’s contract situation, which allows him to speak to other clubs from November 1. He also recently split from his management company.
“I don’t think there’s any reason whatsoever why he would be looking to leave the Panthers,” said the Dogs’ GM of Football.
“That’s where he’s grown up and that’s where he’s played, he’s playing with the best club in the league, the No.1 club in the country. Why would he want to move?
“I don’t see any reason why he would leave Penrith, I don’t think he’s thinking of leaving Penrith at all and I don’t know money is all that important to him, to be honest.”
On the same show, however, Paul Gallen backed him to take on a bigger leadership role out of the shadow of Nathan Cleary.
“He’s had success, he’s won two premierships in a row, he’s here this year, he’s there next year, as well, if they win three in a row that’s a hell of a lot of success he’s had,” said the Sharks legend.
“Does he then want to go and lead a team himself to success? That’s what I wonder.
He went away and led Samoa to a World Cup final. He did that well.
“I can’t say he’s in Cleary’s shadow, but when you think of Penrith you probably think of Cleary before Jarome Luai.
“I wonder whether he wants to be his own man and become his own leader and lead a team to success. I wonder that.
“I don’t know him as a person, I don’t know what his goals may be, but I can see from a halfback or a game manager point of view – if that was the reason I could see it.”