FORMER South Sydney supremo Shane Richardson has taken purpose at arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters star recruit Joseph Suaalii as debate continues to rage about who the Tricolours greatest fullback is.
In an explosive prelude to Friday night time’s spherical three grudge match between the 1908 basis rival golf equipment, the administrator who oversaw South Sydney’s final premiership in 2014 additionally took a swipe on the Roosters “salary cap sombrero”.
“When you’re building a club you build it around players who want to be there,” Richardson instructed Fox League.
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“Not around players who are only prepared to sign one year extensions.
“The fullback and Joey Manu have both clearly shown the Roosters they want to be a part of their club.
“I know they both took less money to stay under the Roosters sombrero which everyone jokes about.
“In all seriousness, that’s how you build culture and build a team.
“You need players who are committed to the club and don’t issue demands about what position they want to play.
“Joey Manu is an outstanding player, he’s in the top percentile of NRL players, because he can play multiple positions and he’s a team man like Latrell Mitchell.”
The Richardson take is sure to have the Roosters seeing pink off the again of the spiteful sin bin Sunday semi-final between the arch-rival golf equipment final September.
The Roosters bought the fireplace hose out this week and introduced captain Tedesco has inked a one-year extension till the tip of 2025 to quell hypothesis about who’s going to put on the Tricolours no.1 jumper long-term.
The transfer got here after options the Roosters face an acid check to accommodate each the NSW and Australian captain Tedesco and Suaalii in the identical workforce given each have designs on sporting the fullback jumper.
The forgotten man within the Tricolours fullback debate is Roosters centre Joey Manu, who received the Golden Boot award final yr off the again of an excellent World Cup match for New Zealand taking part in no.1 for the Kiwis.
Suaalii, 19, seems a particular expertise however continues to be very a lot studying his craft as a centre and winger having solely performed 26 NRL video games.
Tedesco, 30, has received each award within the sport together with two premierships with the Tricolours, a Dally M Medal, Harry Sunderland Medal and Wally Lewis Medal.
The champion no.1 has performed 206 NRL video games, 16 Test matches for Australia and 19 State of Origin video games for NSW.
Manu, 26, has additionally received two premierships with the Roosters and persistently been one of many membership’s standout performers for the previous 5 seasons in addition to taking part in 14 Test matches for the Kiwis.
There’s a view from many within the sport Suaalii and the folks in his ear want to drag again on their record of calls for.
Richardson spent 16 years as one of many Rabbitohs chief powerbrokers and was nonetheless on the Redfern-based membership when a teenage Suaalii emerged on the scene as a Coogee Wombats junior.
The Bunnies made a cheeky play at getting Suaalii to return to the Burrow in 2024 final yr previous to Latrell Mitchell re-committing to Redfern till the tip of 2027.
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WHEN the going will get robust in Tiger Town, the robust get lunching.
Despite all kinds of warmth being utilized to the Wests Tigers lacklustre begin to the season, chief government Justin Pascoe and chairman Lee Hagipantelis nonetheless discovered time to attend the well-known rugby league eatery Grappa for lunch on Tuesday.
No strangers to the venue, the Leichhardt institution has beforehand been known as Pascoe’s second workplace.
It’s additionally the well-known scene of a Tigers media appeal offensive final June the place the idea of parachuting Tim Sheens in as head coach with Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah as his assistants was initially floated.
Assistant coach Farah and the lately retired Wests Tigers champion Chris Lawrence have been additionally in attendance on Tuesday.
Perhaps essentially the most entertaining visitor was ex-Wests Tigers chairman Nick Di Girolamo, the person who famously introduced down ex-NSW premier Barry O’Farrell by sending him a $3000 bottle of 1959 Grange Hermitage wine that went undeclared.
We contacted Hagipantelis to verify whether or not they’d gone for the crab pasta or the sluggish cooked lamb shoulder and the Wests Tigers chairman assured us it was a “business networking lunch”.
“I’ve already been asked if it was a crisis meeting, far from it,” Hagipantelis stated.
We’re definitely not within the enterprise of throwing stones about folks going to lunch (removed from it) however the timing is fascinating given the Wests Tigers are being blowtorched after a beneath par begin to the brand new season.
STILL on the Tigers the membership’s teaching field at Leichhardt Oval final Sunday was one of the vital stacked set-ups we’ve seen for a while.
Aside from head coach Tim Sheens, assistant coach Benji Marshall, assistant coach Robbie Farah and assistant coach Dave Furner, the Tigers have additionally bought assistant coach and video analyst Simon Dwyer and video analyst assistant Kassidy Grant.
That’s a number of assistant coaches.
SO possibly good guys don’t at all times end final in spite of everything.
The turnaround on the Brisbane Broncos has been an excellent instance of fine teaching below stress as Kevin Walters has produced the very best two performances of the brand new season towards two prime 4 sides from final yr – premiers Penrith and the Cowboys.
From coping with gamers speaking out of faculty suggesting he was restricted as an NRL coach over the summer time to getting the Broncos buzzing the way in which they’ve kicked off 2023 it’s definitely made rival NRL golf equipment sit up and take discover.
The pace of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Selwynn Cobbo and Herbie Farnworth off the again of the way in which halfback Adam Reynolds is ready to management the tempo of a sport has the Broncos taking part in a brilliant entertaining model of soccer.
There’s quite a bit to be stated for a way Kevvie dealt with getting a few hand grenades thrown his method about his teaching over the course of the off season.
Whereas some coaches would possibly prick the feathers up if boxed into the same nook, Walters confirmed nice maturity to let it slide off and take care of it behind closed doorways.
All issues being equal, Kevvie is predicted to quickly ink a brand new extension with the Broncos because the membership’s rebuild from its first picket spoon in historical past in 2020 continues to take form.
From 14th in 2021 to ninth in 2022, the problem for Walters and the Broncos now could be capitalising on the soundness they’ve been capable of create at Red Hill and channelling all of it the way in which to September.
HERE we go once more, Manly and Parra. Sea Eagles celebrity fullback Tom Trbojevic would possibly nonetheless be a shandy off being 100 per cent as Manly proceed to work on strengthening the champion no.1’s ankles.
Irrespective, Tommy Turbo nonetheless confirmed sufficient towards Canterbury-Bankstown in spherical one to counsel he’s intent on serving to the Sea Eagles make an imprint on the competitors this yr.
The Sea Eagles are going to have some critical wheels within the Manly backline as soon as Turbo is again at full tilt with younger gun centre Tolu Koula additionally lightning fast and light-weight on his ft.
The Sea Eagles stay decided to maintain Koula on the membership past subsequent yr regardless of Rugby Australia throwing as much as $800,000-a-season for the Manly centre to make the change to the 15-a-side code in 2025.
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YOU’VE bought to admire the direct strategy of Parramatta coach Brad Arthur and the now departed Eels backrower Nathan Brown.
When Arthur known as Brown in for a gathering about how the pair have been going to strategy this season final month, the pair stored it very quick and to the purpose.
The Eels coach instructed Brown he wished to debate his future on the membership for the rest of the yr.
Brown stated phrases to the impact of “Don’t worry about it, I’m not going to be here”.
The ex-NSW Origin ahead has since signed with the Sydney Roosters for the rest of the season for $180,000.
Because it’s already March, the Eels had lined 5 months of Brown’s contract.
Arthur and Brown fell out final season after the robust center ahead was axed to the NSW Cup in spherical 15.
Brown solely performed two additional NRL video games for the Eels together with the membership’s grand last loss to Penrith.
With 138 NRL video games and two State of Origin appearances to his identify, Brown shapes as a shrewd pick-up for the Chooks.
THERE’S been loads of exhausting questions requested on the Sydney Roosters off the again of what’s been a median begin to the season by the Chooks lofty requirements.
Making a quick begin was a focus for the Tricolours over the course of the summer time and the opening two rounds have been something however.
The Roosters backbone has been known as to account internally with new recruit Brandon Smith enduring a chequered opening couple of weeks after being ironed out by ex-Melbourne Storm teammate Felise Kaufusi within the loss to the Dolphins in spherical one.
The return of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves comes on the opportune time given the Roosters face arch-nemesis South Sydney within the grudge match of the yr on Friday night time.
Given the magnitude of the rivalry towards the Rabbitohs, you get the sensation the Roosters can play themselves again into some form of kind.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
