It turns out that at least some players who have ditched the PGA Tour for the riches of the LIV Golf Series aren’t actually earning a dime when it comes to their results in the lucrative, but controversial, Saudi-backed circuit.
That bombshell was revealed Tuesday in US District Court in San Jose, Calif., where a federal judge denied a temporary restraining order for three players currently suspended by the tour after leaving for LIV, the New York Post reports.
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They were seeking to be allowed to play in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, which begins this week in Memphis.
During the hearing, a lawyer representing LIV said that players’ earnings are counted against the upfront money they receive for joining.
That means a $4 million first-place winner’s check would essentially amount to money a player has already been paid for signing with the rival faction. The lawyer said that not every contract is the same, but also said not all money is guaranteed, before moving on in the case.
That contradicts what a LIV official and some players have said up to this point.
When Brooks Koepka was pressed at the LIV tournament outside Portland, Ore., last month on whether a player’s winnings come out of the signing bonus, the four-time major champion said, “That’s not — no. Nope.” When questioned again on the issue, he said, “No. I don’t know — it’s irrelevant.”
At the end of the press conference in Portland, a LIV official in Portland tried to clear up the matter at the time.
“I just wanted to address [the] question earlier when you were asking about the prize purses and if they are in addition to the contracts,” she said. “The prize purses are in addition to. There is no draw at LIV Golf on any finances,” she said. “We just wanted to, on the record, it’s in addition to. And while you guys have, this is your first event, but you should know that from your contracts. You can test it. Thank you guys.”
That appears to not exactly be the case after all, however, according to one of LIV’s own attorneys.
This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.
Australia’s latest major winner, Cameron Smith, is “gone” to the LIV Golf Series at the end of the PGA playoffs, according to fellow Aussie golfer Cameron Percy.
Key points:
Cameron Smith last month took issue with being asked about rumors tying him with LIV
Tour veteran Cameron Percy says Smith and Marc Leishman are joining the Saudi-backed tour
Percy says LIV representatives approached Adam Scott in 2017
Percy said Smith, 28, and another Australian, Marc Leishman, had already signed deals to exit the PGA Tour.
Smith was infamously asked about his intentions immediately after winning his first major at St Andrews last month, and refused to answer, taking issue with the question even being asked.
“I just won the British Open and you’re asking about that. I think that’s pretty … not that good,” he said.
“I don’t know, mate,” he added.
“My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”
LIV is backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which has ties to the Saudi government, and there are concerns the tour is being used as soft diplomacy for it.
Percy said the humanitarian record of the Saudi government should be of concern to players signing with the breakaway tour.
“The more and more you look into it, some people don’t care, some people have got a conscience and do care,” he said.
“It really comes down to, you know, ‘They just executed 80 people this week, just chopped their heads off’. They’re not the nicest people in the world.
“Do you just look past that and go, ‘Oh well, I’m rich, I don’t really care’? It’s a tough one, it really is.”
Cameron Percy says the golf world has known about LIV for years.(Getty: Dylan Buell)
Percy, 48, finished in the top 10 at the Wyndham Championship last week, just ahead of the start of the FedEx Playoffs this week.
Percy said a conversation with Adam Scott, who is on the record saying he would consider a move to LIV, helped open the eyes of his fellow countrymen to the new tour.
Percy also said the deals for Smith and 38-year-old Leishman, currently ranked 56th in the world, were lucrative.
Fox Sports reported Smith was offered more than $US100 million ($144 million).
“[Scott] said he met with [LIV] in 2017 — they were ready [to] do all this. So, the tour has known for a long time that this stuff is in the works,” Percy said.
Cameron Smith is set to become the latest golf star to default to LIV Golf in a mega-money deal.
Just a day after Australian golfer Cameron Percy let slip that Smith and fellow Aussie Marc Leishman were set to join the breakaway tour, The Telegrpah reported Smith has inked a $AUD140 million deal.
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Smith’s first tournament with the rebel tour is set to be the LIV’s International in Boston which begins September 2.
Despite the report, Smith did not elaborate in his press conference ahead of the FedEx Cup play-offs.
“You know, my goal here is to win the FedExCup Playoffs,” Smith said.
“That’s all I’m here for. If there’s something I need to say regarding the PGA Tour or LIV, it’ll come from Cameron Smith, not Cameron Percy.
“I’m a man of my word and whenever you guys need to know anything, it’ll be said by me.”
Cameron Smith has reportedly signed on with the LIV tour.Source: Getty Images
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However, Smith confirmed he “absolutely” had plans to play in the President’s Cup even though the report claims he’d be with LIV Golf at the time.
After further LIV-related questions, Smith thanked the reporters and walked out of the press conference.
To date, LIV Golf has signed golf stars like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, but Smith’s arrival brings more credibility to the competition given he is World Number Two and recently won The Open.
The Australian star declined to comment after winning the Claret Jug but refused to deny it and sent the rumor mill into overdrive.
“I just won the British Open and you’re asking about that? I think that’s pretty- not that good,” Smith said.
Pressed on the matter, the Australian was coy.
“I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff, I’m here to win golf tournaments,” he said.
The Telegraph goes on to state that LIV CEO Greg Norman struck a deal prior to Smith’s famous Open triumph and that an official announcement confirming the latter’s move is not expected until the FedEx Cup play-off series is complete.
Winning the Australian Open is as important as claiming another major for the showpiece event’s newest recruit, Hannah Green.
Now the race is on to have her colleagues thinking the same way as organizers tackle the remaining roadblocks in getting more big-names to sign on.
This year’s Australian Open — held on December 1-4 at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath — promises to be one of the biggest in recent memory with the men’s and women’s fields now combined, and playing for $1.7 million AUD in prize money each.
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Meanwhile, the pandemic has left some of Australia’s biggest players, such as Cameron Smith, homeick and eyeing extended stays down under this summer.
That plays into the hands of the Australian Open, which, after a three-year hiatus, could see a strong local contingent play, including the returning Smith and Marc Leishman.
And yet, organizers are still faced with a number of challenges in confirming more stars alongside Green, and world No.49 Lucas Herbert.
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Herbert is the biggest star from the men’s side to officially commit, while Green is the only confirmed player in the women’s field, although Karrie Webb is expected to make her appearance official in the coming weeks.
Green told reporters on Tuesday that she’s trying to give players a nudge to make the trip to Australia, but noted late-year sponsor events, the lack of a LPGA co-sanction, and Thanksgiving in America, as potential roadblocks.
Green said she is yet to speak to world No.2 Minjee Lee about joining her in Victoria, but anticipated that sponsor events elsewhere could leave the two-time major winner’s hands tied.
Meanwhile, Green flagged that Thanksgiving on November 24 could present a challenge for American players, such as 2019 champion and world No.3, Nelly Korda.
“It’d be great if Nelly could come back down,” Green said. “It is a hard time of year because of Thanksgiving a week prior to the Open but some girls might want to go on a holiday and make a trip out of it.
“It’s a long season. You can make some good money out of it (the Australian Open) and celebrate. So it’d be nice if Nelly and her sister Ella Jess could come down.
She added: “It would obviously be great if Minjee could attend. But I think it’s just important to have all the Australian players come back.
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“It sounds like Cam (Smith) wants to come back, and hopefully Scotty (Adam Scott) and Leish (Marc Leishman) and all the boys want to come back too, so I think just getting as many Australian players in the field as possible is important.”
Green said that freshly crowned Women’s Open winner Ash Buhai “really wants to come play” and is waiting for confirmation.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old is eyeing a real piece of history, looking to make it a hat-trick of wins in Australia having taken out the mixed gender TPS Murray River, and the Victorian Open, on her last visit.
Should the 2019 PGA Championship winner be successful, she said the victory would be as important to her as claiming another major.
“I still think getting my hand on that trophy would be very important to me,” she said.
“It definitely depends on the field and I think it would make a difference if we still had LPGA players to come, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to work just as hard to try and win that trophy depending on who comes at the end of this year.”
The Women’s Australian Open has historically been held in February but will now shift to December to align with the men’s competition.
As such, the women’s field now faces the challenge of having a number of stars eyeing time off after a long season.
That’s a familiar issue for the men’s competition, which has traditionally been held in November and December, and has had varied success in attracting a star-studded field.
Whether top international players will commit this year remains to be seen, but some of Australia’s biggest names are expected to be involved regardless.
Open Championship winner Smith told Fox Sports Last month he will have an extended stay in Australia this summer, which could include playing both the Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship.
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Leishman also told foxsports.com.au before The Open that he was looking forward to returning to play in Australia, although no confirmation has yet been given for either player, who has been heavily linked to LIV Golf.
Nonetheless, Green is confident both will commit for the historic tournament, which will be the first national Open worldwide to combine both men’s and women’s fields.
“We need to elevate both championships so I hope that combining them at the same venue at the same time is going to do that,” she said. “We’ve obviously seen success with the Vic Open with the same format that we’re going to try this year.
“It’s going to be hard for us females to not have maybe as strong a field as we’ve had in previous Aus Opens, but hopefully the attraction of the event, people will want to come back to Australia and play.
“It’s a great week. The Australian Open is definitely one of my favorites to attend so it’s just really nice that after the last few years of not having one to be able to get back and play.”
The Australian Open has added some extra star-power for its return edition this summer with major winner Hannah Green committing to play.
Green, fresh from contending at this month’s Women’s Open, was unveiled in Melbourne on Monday as the event’s latest coup.
The 25-year-old is one of only four Australian women to have won a major, after claiming the 2019 PGA Championship, and returns home after a strong year, albeit with the disappointment of a weekend fadeout at the Women’s Open.
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Green has six top-10 finishes this year, including a top-five at the women’s PGA Championship, while she was also on track for a strong result in at Muirfield until she was derailed by a seven-over final two rounds.
With the major final of the season in the books, the Australian is looking to the months ahead, which will include returning home for a historic edition of the Australian Open.
Green is fresh from contending deep at this month’s Women’s Open.Source: Getty Images
Having not been held in 2020 or 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the showpiece event returns with the men, women, and all-abilities tournaments being held concurrently.
It is the first national Open worldwide to combine men’s and women’s fields, while the prize money for the two events is the same; $1.7 million AUD each.
“When I heard that the men’s and women’s Opens were coming together for the first time, I knew that I wanted to be there,” said Green, who won the mixed gender TPS Murray River, and the Vic Open, on her last visit.
“We’ve experienced this kind of concept with men and women playing together on the same courses at the same time … and to have it in place for the first time at a national Open is going to be something special.”
High profile Australians committing to return for the summer are increasing by the week after Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee recently confirmed they would also be playing.
World No.49 Herbert is down to play both the Australian Open, held at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath on December 1-4, and the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland the week prior.
Lee – now ranked 66th in the world and with top-30 finishes at three of this year’s majors – will play at the latter, which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
Meanwhile, Aussie golf fans are still waiting to hear if reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith will also return, having not played competitively in his home country since December 2019.
Aussie golf fans are still waiting to hear if reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith will also return.Source: Getty Images
Smith confirmed last month that he will have an extended stay in Australia this summer to spend time with his family and friends after three years of separation.
But whether that stay will include playing at either the Australian Open, or the Australian PGA Championship – he’s previously won the latter twice – is unclear.
Also unclear is his next career moves after the FedEx Cup playoffs, having been linked to Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed LIV Golf series — claims that he hasn’t denied.
smith told Fox Sports after winning the Claret Jug that his plan is to play in both Australian events, but it is not his priority.
“I think my priority during those weeks is going to be to catch up with family and friends. I’ll probably stay a little bit after into Christmas and just really have a good time,” he told Fox Sports.
“I’m looking forward to that. You really have no idea. It’s been three years since I’ve been at home and just to see some familiar faces will be so nice.”
Meanwhile, another big-name Aussie, Marc Leishman, confirmed to foxsports.com.au last month that he was also eager to return to these shores, although no deal has been confirmed.
Cameron Percy has lifted the lid on Cameron Smith’s intentions, revealing the Open champion is “gone” and will join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.
Smith, 28, was irate when he was asked about his future in the moments following his extraordinary one-shot victory at St Andrew’s last month.
“I just won the British Open and you’re asking about that? I think that’s pretty- not that good,” Smith said.
Pressed on the matter, the Australian was coy.
“I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff, I’m here to win golf tournaments,” he said.
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But Percy, a top-10 finisher at the Wyndham Championship, said his Australian compatriots Smith and Marc Leishman were “gone” and had signed with the financially lucrative LIV Golf Series.
The extraordinary revelation comes ahead of this week’s FedEx Cup playoff opener, which is expected to see Smith take to the tee amid a court’s hearing into whether three LIV golfers should be permitted to play after defecting to the rebel league.
Percy said the PGA Tour had known for years that a rebel tour was being formed.
“I had a long conversation with (2013 Masters champion) Adam Scott and he was very interesting talking to about it, just where it is,” he said.
“He said he met with these guys (LIV) in 2017 (and) they were ready (to) do all this. So, the tour has known for a long time that this stuff’s in the works.”
Scott has previously been on the record speaking about LIV Golf, saying in April “the schedule that they’re proposing is very appealing to probably most golfers” and he would “consider” making a move too.
Percy, meanwhile, delivered a not-so-subtle dig at those taking the money and defecting, raising the ethical questions around where the money is coming from.
“The more and more you look into it, some people don’t care, some people have got a conscience and do care,’ he said.
“It really comes down to, you know, ‘they just executed 80 people this week, just chopped their heads off’. They’re not the nicest people in the world.
“Do you just look past that and go, ‘Oh well, I’m rich I don’t really care’. It’s a tough one, it really is.”
Smith, the world No.2, was reportedly offered more than $100 million to join the LIV Golf Series.
Should he indeed accept the offer, he will be the highest ranked player to defect.
Former major winner Ian Baker-Finch last month to ignore the offers and create a legacy in the game by staying in the PGA Tour – something currently he would struggle to achieve in LIV Golf, where tournaments are 54 holes and don’t contain the player strength nor history.
“I know that they are talking to him and many others,” Baker-Finch, who won the Claret Jug in 1991, told SEN radio.
“I hope he doesn’t because I think he can leave a great legacy by winning major championships and becoming the best player in the world.
“I don’t think I need the money. I don’t think it is going to be something that he should do.
“He will be a $100m guy or more now. Does he want to win more majors or does he want the money? I am hoping he stays and leaves a great legacy like a Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy … which he could do. I think Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy and a lot of those guys that still compete and play well in majors, and want to leave a legacy, they’re the guys I would be following.”
Originally published as ‘They’re gone’: Bombshell revelation as Aussie golfer says Smith, Leishman have joined LIV
Cameron Percy has lifted the lid on Cameron Smith’s intentions, revealing the Open champion is “gone” and will join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.
Smith, 28, was irate when he was asked about his future in the moments following his extraordinary one-shot victory at St Andrew’s last month.
“I just won the British Open and you’re asking about that? I think that’s pretty- not that good,” Smith said.
Pressed on the matter, the Australian was coy.
“I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff, I’m here to win golf tournaments,” he said.
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But Percy, a top-10 finisher at the Wyndham Championship, said his Australian compatriots Smith and Marc Leishman were “gone” and had signed with the financially lucrative LIV Golf Series.
The extraordinary revelation comes ahead of this week’s FedEx Cup playoff opener, which is expected to see Smith take to the tee amid a court’s hearing into whether three LIV golfers should be permitted to play after defecting to the rebel league.
Percy said the PGA Tour had known for years that a rebel tour was being formed.
“I had a long conversation with (2013 Masters champion) Adam Scott and he was very interesting talking to about it, just where it is,” he said.
“He said he met with these guys (LIV) in 2017 (and) they were ready (to) do all this. So, the tour has known for a long time that this stuff’s in the works.”
Scott has previously been on the record speaking about LIV Golf, saying in April “the schedule that they’re proposing is very appealing to probably most golfers” and he would “consider” making a move too.
Cameron Percy has revealed his Australian compatriots Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman have signed with LIV Golf Series. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: AFP
Percy, meanwhile, delivered a not-so-subtle dig at those taking the money and defecting, raising the ethical questions around where the money is coming from.
“The more and more you look into it, some people don’t care, some people have got a conscience and do care,’ he said.
“It really comes down to, you know, ‘they just executed 80 people this week, just chopped their heads off’. They’re not the nicest people in the world.
“Do you just look past that and go, ‘Oh well, I’m rich I don’t really care’. It’s a tough one, it really is.”
Smith, the world No.2, was reportedly offered more than $100 million to join the LIV Golf Series.
Should he indeed accept the offer, he will be the highest ranked player to defect.
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Former major winner Ian Baker-Finch last month to ignore the offers and create a legacy in the game by staying in the PGA Tour – something currently he would struggle to achieve in LIV Golf, where tournaments are 54 holes and don’t contain the player strength nor history.
“I know that they are talking to him and many others,” Baker-Finch, who won the Claret Jug in 1991, told SEN radio.
“I hope he doesn’t because I think he can leave a great legacy by winning major championships and becoming the best player in the world.
“I don’t think I need the money. I don’t think it is going to be something that he should do.
“He will be a $100m guy or more now. Does he want to win more majors or does he want the money? I am hoping he stays and leaves a great legacy like a Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy … which he could do. I think Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy and a lot of those guys that still compete and play well in majors, and want to leave a legacy, they’re the guys I would be following.”
Newcastle Knights trainer Hayden Knowles has broken his silence and cleared up one of the biggest misconceptions to come out of his argument with David Klemmer last week.
Klemmer was stood down after an expletive-ridden outburst aimed at Knowles in the final 10 minutes of Newcastle’s loss to the Bulldogs.
While initial reports suggested Knowles was the one to instigate a HR investigation into the incident, it was later confirmed that Newcastle management made that move.
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speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald for the first time since Sunday’s events, Knowles said he felt like his “reputation has taken a hit”.
“The swearing wasn’t the issue,” Knowles said, clearing up what he saw as a big misconception to come out of the dramatic week that was.
“That’s what everyone is losing sight of. For me it’s not personal with Klem. It wouldn’t matter if it was Kalyn Ponga, Nathan Cleary, Junior Paulo or Payne Haas. It wouldn’t matter who it is.
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“If someone puts themselves before the team, I would forever die by the fact that I won’t tolerate that behaviour.”
Knowles told Herald he has a “very, very close” relationship with Klemmer and that in the end, all he was trying to do was “uphold the set of standards this team needs”.
“That’s what leaders do,” Knowles said.
“Sometimes leadership is tough. Sometimes you have to put the value of the team before anything, no matter who the person is. If our club, our roster, our management want success, they should be thanking me for trying to uphold the set of standards this team needs.”
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Klemmer was hit with a suspended fine for his actions but will be available for selection in next week’s clash with Brisbane.
Knowles admitted that the situation could have “been handled” better after Newcastle management reported the incident to HR.
“The word HR has made it worse,” he said.
“Phil (CEO Phil Gardner) wanted a report and wanted to hear from everyone. The behavior was there for all to be seen. Ideally, it wouldn’t have been handled like this. But that’s not my problem.”
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The Knights claimed a much-needed 14-10 win on Sunday to move past Sunday’s drama, having come under intense scrutiny for their handling of the Klemmer incident.
Cameron Smith was particularly strong when speaking on SEN Radio earlier in the week, calling on the Knights to “be better.”
“Well it’s strange really. If words were spoken between a player and a trainer, that’s happened a thousand times before,” Smith said on ‘The Captain’s Run’ on SEN Radioon Thursday.
“I’ve seen it first hand, I think you have as well. It’s not a new thing. I’m really confused as to why this is such a huge problem.
“The way I’ve seen it dealt with and sorted out in the past is that if there’s an issue… it’s dealt with in-person after the match.
“It’s just unnecessary. Like seriously, how bad have the words been spoken between David Klemmer and this trainer, to have a formal complaint made. It’s just ridiculous. Deal with it man to man.”
NRL legend Cameron Smith believes Nathan Cleary’s lengthy ban leading into finals will provide “a blessing in disguise” for the Panthers.
Cleary flipped Penrith’s season on its head when he was sent off for a dangerous lifting tackle on Eels playmaker Dylan Brown last Friday.
The New South Wales Origin star copped a five-match suspension and won’t return for the competition leaders before the finals.
Five-eighth Jarome Luai is also out set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines, after suffering an MCL injury against the Sharks.
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Without the two experienced playmakers leading the team around the park, the Panthers will have to rely on some relatively inexperienced combinations until the finals.
Penrith have turned Jaeman Salmon and Sean O’Sullivan for Saturday’s clash with Canberra, with the Panthers currently six competition points clear of second with five games to play.
But Smith said the break for the duo can become a positive for the reigning NRL premiers.
“I think it can work in their favour,” Smith said on SEN’s The Captain’s Run on Thursday.
“I actually think that giving this football side an opportunity side to play a month or five weeks without Cleary in particular and Jerome Luai, their two main men, it’s their go-to men in attack, I actually think when they return they’ll both be fresh.
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“Nathan Cleary, he’s going to have fresh legs, he’s going to be fresh mentality. He hasn’t had to get up for games for five weeks.
“You could see as soon as he made that tackle he knew he’d let the team down, and the club and the fans. He’s going to come out in that final series and think ‘I’ve got to repay this footy club and my fans for missing five weeks’.
“This footy side can benefit so much from these two guys not being there and guys like Api Koroisau and Isaah Yeo… they’re going to have to shoulder more responsibility now with the way the football team plays.
“I just think they’re going to be a stronger footy side again.”
Penrith have one hand on the minor premiership just over a month out from finals, but they could quickly lose that grip with a couple of losses on the bounce.
The Cowboys are their closest rivals in the race for pole position, but the Sharks are also an outside chance – but are four games back and they have a significantly worse points difference.
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North Queensland host the Panthers in the final round of the regular season, and although it’s unlikely, it’s possible that the two teams clash with the minor premiership on the line.
It’s potentially a season defining a few weeks for the Panthers, who are looking to defend their NRL crown.
“Let’s just say the top four doesn’t change, they take on Melbourne. If they finish first, they’ll be taking on the Storm,” he added.
“The biggest difference this year is they’ll play their first game at home. They’ll be playing at Penrith.
“Whereas last year and I know it was a neutral ground for the Sydney sides, but they played the Rabbitohs up in Townsville and got beaten. They’re a different footy side at home.
“They’ve lost one game there in a thousand years.”
Parramatta are another side who will be without a key player for a majority of their remaining regular season games.
Star playmaker Mitchell Moses has been ruled out with a finger injury, and will spend at least a couple of weeks watching on from the sidelines.
The Eels could potentially drop out of the top eight if they have a bad month, with the Raiders just four-point behind them.
“(Moses) He’s leading the competition for try assists. He’s got 20 try assists, so now with him out, plus his goal kicking, so now they need to find someone to produce points for them.
“They’re going to have to find some points somewhere. Whether Gutho stands up a little bit more, I think Jake Arthur may be playing in the halves this week.
Nothing seemed to go right for Brisbane Broncos on Thursday evening, but Kevin Walters’ men were perhaps lucky to be awarded their second try against the Sydney Roosters at the SCG.
The Broncos were trailing by 20 points in the 60th minute when five-eighth Ezra Mam floated a pass over the Roosters defensive line towards winger Corey Oates, who dived over for the try.
But replays suggested the pass was forward, with Mam releasing the ball behind the 10m line and Oates catching it approximately eight meters out.
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The referee believed the ball was passed backwards but floated forwards — which is legal. The Sydney crowd didn’t agree though, with a chorus of boos echoing around the stadium when replays were shown on the big screen.
“Man, that’s way forward,” Channel 9 commentator Mathew Thompson said. “Oh he’s going to let it go. He’s let it go!
“It can’t have been thrown back either.”
Melbourne Storm legend Cameron Smith continued: “Seriously? Unless it’s come off a Rooster’s hand … I think that ball has drifted forward about three meters.”
Former New South Wales representative Michael Ennis agreed on Fox League. “The pass from Ezra Mam looked like it was two meters forward out of his hands from him,” he said.
“It certainly went forward.”
Regardless, the Roosters have taken another important step towards securing a top eight berth after beating Brisbane 34-16.
Trent Robinson’s men weren’t at their ruthless best, but a fourth straight win has put their premiership rivals on notice.
The Roosters started the round at risk of dropping to ninth but will finish the weekend either seventh or eighth, keeping their closest pursuers at bay for at least another week.
They have a tough run home over the closing month – meeting North Queensland, Wests Tigers, Melbourne and South Sydney – but who would be foolish enough to declare the Chooks won’t reach the finals for a sixth straight season?
And any team featuring James Tedesco, Joey Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Luke Keary, Victor Radley and Joseph Suaalii will be a threat come September.
“We feel like we’ve worked hard enough this year and tried different things (and) it’s time to play better,” Robinson said.
“The last month has been good and we’re improving but we’ve got to keep going.”
Skipper Tedesco added: “We’re still chasing that 80-minute performance but we’re getting better and better.”
The Roosters led this must-win game 18-0 after as many minutes, pouring through the Broncos’ ineffectual defense and eating up the meters with ease.
It took the hosts just five minutes to open the Broncos up, a lovely bat-on pass from Tedesco handing Paul Momirovski an open passage to the line.
Sam Walker engineered the next try three minutes later with a clever chip kick into the in-goal for Nat Butcher to reach out and ground the ball with his fingertips.
When Angus Crichton pushed through some Brisbane’s flimsy right-edge defense to reach out and score, the Roosters were headed for an 18-0 lead and complete control of a one-sided contest.
Luke Keary of the Roosters celebrates with teammates. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Then they took the foot from the throat, inviting Brisbane back into the game.
The Broncos scored through Corey Oates to narrow the gap to 14 as the Roosters’ completion rate went through the floor.
Robinson told the Tricolours to park the fancy stuff in the second half – and they did – but they still came up with three tries to snuff out any hope of a Brisbane revival.
Keary was superb, putting the finishing touches on a standout performance with a brilliant individual try 12 minutes from the end.
We were expecting a strong response from the Broncos following their shock loss to Wests Tigers, but they fired a few decent shots in another worrying performance.
Their attack was pedestrian and clunky for most of the night and there wasn’t much in the way of whack in defense.
The visitors were chasing the game from the outset and did well to avoid a blowout, although they never really looked like mounting any sort of concerted comeback.
“At 18-0 we got a bit of momentum back and (then) a couple of things didn’t go to plan,” Brisbane skipper Adam Reynolds said.
“It’s obviously disappointing, but it’s a learning curve. We’re still a young team that’s figuring it out.”
Brisbane could finish the round as low as seventh if Parramatta and Souths win their respective matches.
