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Souths coach Jason Demetriou has denied that there is a rift within the Rabbitohs organisation following rumours that Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell are given preferential treatment at the club.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that assistant coaches Sam Burgess and John Morris are unhappy at the leniency shown to the star duo by Demetriou.
Burgess is set to leave to take up a head coaching role at the end of the year, while Morris may also depart for a job with the Wests Tigers.
“We’re not winning footy games at the moment so the rumour mill is going overdrive,” said Demetriou.
“Latrell Mitchell was out for 12 weeks so if he was running the show during that time, I don’t know what the problem was there.
“They are two very influential players in a group, but they are part of a group. The only way to answer that stuff is to win footy games.
“At the moment there is lots of talk. That is because we are not winning.”
Latrell was filmed at a Luke Combs concert last week skulling a beer on stage, before finding himself in the bin, then banned, for an elbow on Tyson Frizell in Sunday’s loss to Newcastle.
Walker has been out of form since making his Origin return and is reported to have had a blow up with Demetriou following their loss to Cronulla three weeks ago, though club sources denied this.
The Wests Tigers are used to copping it from all angles – and now, they’re taking a roasting on social media after departing half Luke Brooks was given a BBQ as a leaving present.
Brooks will join Manly next year after over 200 games at the Tigers and was given a farewell on Saturday for the club’s final home game of the year, appearing on the pitch at half time to say his goodbyes. He was not playing due to a calf injury.
Fans were confused to see him given a $1000 BBQ engraved with his name on it rather than the usual jersey or photo tribute.
“We all know Luke loves cooking,” said CEO Justin Pascoe to the Sydney Morning Herald. “He said as much during a podcast he did with us. Rather than give him a ball or another signed jersey, why not give him something he will use?
“Luke has a ute, and I was hoping he’d fire up the barbie and start a tailgate party in the CommBank car park after the game.”
As with all things Wests Tigers, it came off badly in the court of social media.
“Tigers fans wonder why other fans & media make a complete mockery of this basket case of a sporting organisation,” wrote one punter.
Another added: “The part about the Luke Brooks BBQ that has sent me is that they didnt even give him the gas bottle with it. Bloke still has to swing by BP and get a Swap’n’go ffs”
Andrew Fifita sailed off into the rugby league sunset late last year after a stellar career with Cronulla – but has now returned to the game in the most unlikely of circumstances.
The former NSW star was pictured playing park footy in the UK with Crigglestone All Blacks, a local club in Wakefield, against Westgate Common ‘A’ grade.
Fififa was in the UK visiting brother David, who has played for Wakefield in the Super League for several years and made his 150th appearance for Trinity last weekend in a crunch relegation clash with local rivals Castleford.
Andrew was interviewed on the TV coverage of the match – wearing a full Wakefield tracksuit – and admitted that he nearly joined the club last year before being convinced to stay in the Shire by Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
“I was very, very close,” he old Sky Sports “I was about to sign a deal then I had a little phone call from Fitzy and that settled me in Cronulla. I was very close to, just playing with my brother would have been massive for myself and my family.”