Bulldogs halfback Kyle Flanagan has enjoyed a remarkable rise under interim boss Mick Potter in Canterbury, with the now free-scoring team surging up the ladder.
Now the 23-year-old number seven has shut down talk of a mooted move to the English Super League, declaring he ‘definitely’ wants to extend his time at the club.
Having been benched in the opening months of the season and subsequently for struggling form, Flanagan had been linked to a move to English side Hull FC in recent months.
But he shut that talk down at Tuesday’s press conference, laughing off a question around whether he had held talks with Hull.
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“No,” Flanagan laughed. “The first time I got out there on social media and shut that stuff down, that was the first I’d heard of it.
“I’m on contract here next year at the Bulldogs and keep winning footy games, I won’t have to listen to that sort of stuff.”
With his contract expiring at the end of 2023, Flanagan declared his allegiance to the Dogs long-term, stating his desire for a long-term deal.
“Yeah, I think so,” Flanagan replied to a question about remaining at the club.
“Obviously I live in Cronulla and I love the Bulldogs. They gave me an opportunity and I like to think I have turned things around and things are going forward for the club.
“As I said, if we keep winning and combinations keep building, this footy team is only going to get better.
“I’m loving my time here and I definitely want to extend here.”
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Flanagan was full of praise for interim boss Potter, declaring he has simplified the club’s on-field strategy and removed the shackles from the side.
“I can’t give any more credit to what Pottsy has done for me individually or this footy team.
“He is such a calm head and simplifies things so much for us. He just backs up and gives us confidence to go out there and play footy, and we do exactly that.
“We are repaying the faith he puts in us.”
“We are out there putting the wins on the board, the shackles are off and we are just playing what we see.,” he added.”
“It’s really exciting to be playing in this footy team and for myself, I’m just really enjoying my own footy and starting to love playing every weekend.”
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Canberra Raiders prop Josh Papalii has reportedly pledged his allegiance to Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup held in England later this year.
Papalii has dabbled in the Samoan and Kangaroos camps in the past with four games with Samoa and 11 with the Kangaroos.
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The Maroons veteran is the latest Australian eligible player to commit to a Pacific Island nation, joining Panthers duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o.
“As an older player, I feel like it’s a movement I just don’t want to be missing out on,” Papalii said.
“Just seeing the likes of a few of the Penrith boys coming out and I’ve had few text messages from other players who haven’t come out yet saying they’ve put their hand up for Samoa.
“I have put my hand up to play for Samoa. Mal Meninga knows that and I’ve had a coffee with Mal as well to speak about what I’m planning to do… but that’s a long way from here, anything can happen in the next hopefully eight weeks.”
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This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be Papalii’s second for Samoa. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Papalii represented Samoa at the 2017 World Cup but has since pulled on the green and gold of Australia.
“I guess probably my last World Cup wasn’t the best, I sort of treated it as a little vacation and probably drank a bit too often, ate more than I should have,” he admitted.
“I’m looking to just play a bit of World Cup for the Motherland and represent my wife and my kids and especially my parents as well and just make Samoa proud.”
This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be hosted in the United Kingdom, making it Papalii’s third appearance in the major tournament, being his second with his native country of Samoa.
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Roosters star Luke Keary has opened up on his concussion battles, how he’s dealt with the setbacks and why it can be one of the more frustrating injuries.
He has also revealed that teammate Lindsay Collins will take a break from the game after suffering a head knock against Manly — his second in as many weeks.
Keary suffered a head knock in the Roosters’ Round 14 loss to the Storm and was sidelined for four weeks before starring in his return game against the Knights.
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The 30-year-old has a well-documented history with concussion. He suffered four in the space of 14 months between January 2018 and May 2019 — with the last one during that period forcing him into an extended break from the game.
When he suffered his latest knock, many in the game feared for his long-term future. But Keary had the advice of those who know best to guide him through a tricky period.
Speaking for the first time since that head knock, Keary told the Fox League Podcast that he was “a little bit nervous” to return in Round 19.
But shared that “compartmentalizing” and listening to medical advice is what helped him get back onto the field.
“I think the way you deal with it initially and the big one is the medical advice you get. I found the top neurologist in the country giving you advice — they’re the ones you should listen to,” he said.
“There’s a lot of people who are going to have an opinion about it, which is fair enough, but if you can just listen to them (neurologist), they’re not going to put you at risk. They’re not going to let you get back out there if they think there’s a risk to your long-term future.
“If you can kind of compartmentalize everything and take the right people’s advice it makes you a little less nervous to come back.
“But it’s always a tough one to come back from… you don’t want to get them as a player and you don’t want to see other players get them.”
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Keary also gave a rare insight into what the recovery period actually looks like for players — and why it’s different for everyone.
“I’ve had ones where I’ve had symptoms and with those you can’t do anything, you’ve just got to rest and wait for the symptoms to go, the NRL has a return to play policy which you follow and it’s a pretty safe way to get back into contact and games,” he said.
“Then there’s others… In 2019 I had a few in a row and I had a forced six-week lay-off. I was actually fine, I didn’t have any symptoms, but the doctors thought it was the best thing to have a month off.
“I was fine the whole time, I had a couple of weeks off then I trained with the boys for three or four weeks. I think they’re all different depending on symptoms.”
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It’s those types of concussions where there’s no symptoms that Keary admitted are “definitely” frustrating because his body may have felt fine but he had to put his long-term health first.
“Obviously with other injuries you just know straight away, whatever it is there’s sort of a set time limit. Head (injuries) are very different,” he said.
“Every single player is different. Some players take an hour to recover, some take weeks, some take months.
“The neurologist will tell you too, I think it’s the brain patterns don’t go back to normal for a few weeks so I think in society and even in medical they admit don’t have all the information they need at the moment.
“But I’m pretty experienced with them so I can tell you they’re very cautious and they don’t take footy into consideration — they take into consideration your health.
“As a game we’re doing as good a job as we can to protect the players and put in the best measures and protocols we know at the moment which are going to help.
“It’s never going to be perfect because as I said even the top docs will admit they just don’t have enough information yet.”
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Between Keary’s history and the early retirements of Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend last season, the Roosters are well-equipped for concussion challenges.
They’ll take their time with Collins, who suffered a head knock in Origin III and then another against Manly last Thursday.
Keary revealed Collins, who is “in good spirits,” will take a break but is hopeful of returning before the end of the season.
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“It was real unfortunate,” Keary said of Collins’ concussion.
“Obviously the Origin one and then first game back, that wasn’t a pretty sight. But he was in really good spirits.
“It’s funny, everyone’s different and some knocks you’re rattled by, they make you sick and then others you’re fine five minutes late.
“Linds was in real good spirits after the game, he’s been at training every day — he wanted to train with us yesterday but the doctors wouldn’t let him.
“He’s obviously going to have some time off, get himself right, make sure his head and neck are right, make sure everything is OK, go see some independent doctors and take the time he needs to come back, make sure he’s healthy and strong and to make sure he’s OK to play.
“Hopefully we get him back before the end of the season, but if not, we all just want Linds to get healthy again.”
Maroons star Ben Hunt is not short of suitors amid reports the Gold Coast Titans are ready to launch an audacious bid for his services.
news corp revealed that the Titans are considering a play to lure the Dragons captain north to from the 2023 season.
The Titans are believed to be one of six clubs trying to acquire Hunt’s services from at least the 2024 campaign.
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But considering he doesn’t come off contract with the Dragons until the end of next season, the Titans will have to wait until November 1st to submit an official offer.
It was reported last week that Hunt was set to sign a two-year contract extension with St George until the end of 2025.
“We have started the process to extend Ben, and we’re very hopeful we can keep him at the club long-term,” St George Illawarra chief executive Ryan Webb said.
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“He is an important person on the field and has a tremendous impact off it.”
Hunt, who was leading the Dally M race before the count behind closed doors, signed a
mammoth five-year deal worth more than $5 million with the Dragons in 2017.
The 32-year-old has proven himself to be one of the premier players in the competition since, after starring in State of Origin again this year.
The party was well and truly on in Queensland as Hunt ran away for a long-range, game-winning try in the Origin decider in Brisbane last month.
But considering his age, it’s believed that he could commit to a smaller deal.
If Hunt does sign with the Titans, he would potentially line-up in the halves alongside another key signing in Kieran Foran.
The New Zealand international has signed a two-year deal which is reportedly worth $400,000 per season.
Dragons captain Ben Hunt is reportedly eyeing a move to the Gold Coast Titans. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Before entering contract negotiations, Hunt revealed that he was happy playing under the “right coach” in Anthony Griffin at the Dragons.
“It’s no secret I enjoy being coached by Hook (Anthony Griffin),” Hunt said.
“I know we’ve had some setbacks for the past two games, but we’ve got the right foundation in place – and we have the right coach.
“I’m loving my time at the club and enjoying myself. I know I’m also getting to the back end of my career and want to win (a premiership).
“My manager will meet with the club next week so we’ll see what happens. I still think I’ve got at least three years of footy in me. I’m contracted for next year, and I’d like another two after that.
“I’ve been lucky with injuries. I don’t see why I can’t go until at least the end of 2025.”
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RABBITOHS SET TO LAUNCH BID FOR MANLY ENFORCER
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have reportedly entered the race to secure Sea Eagles’ prop Martin Taupau’s signature for the dawn of the 2023 season.
According to Zero Tackle, the club believe that Taupau would be a suitable replacement for departing prop Mark Nicholls, who will join the Dolphins for their inaugural season.
The Bunnies are reportedly set to table the 32-year-old a two-year contract which will see him at South Sydney until the end of the 2024 season.
The Eels were close to locking in Taupau for the rest of the season, however the Sea Eagles chose to wart the move in a last ditch attempt at securing a spot in the top eight come finals time.
If Taupau is to link up with the Rabbitohs for the 2023 season he would he would add to the club’s depth in the forwards joining the likes of Thomas Burgess, Liam Knight, Tevita Tatola, Davvy Moale and Daniel Suluka-Fifita.
With the Manly prop now in the latter stages of his career, a two-year deal with South Sydney could very well be his last in the NRL.
While the Dolphins have expressed an interest in Taupau, the experienced prop ideally wants to play for a club based in Sydney.
The NRL are holding the NSW government to ransom over an $800 million promise by taking the Grand Final to Queensland as the Sydney stadium wars potentially head to the courtroom.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the NRL will consider all options after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet refused to commit funding to rebuild suburban stadiums after a handshake agreement, with flood reconstruction his main priority.
“I find it appalling that they’re using human tragedy of the floods to renege on an agreement,” V’landys, told the Herald.
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Perrottet’s decision sparked an angry confrontation with V’landys in Parliament, with the NRL now resorting to tactics that could lead to a legal battle over the future of Stadium Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.
A 2018 agreement reached by the then premier Gladys Berejiklian, stipulated the NRL grand final would stay in Sydney until 2042 as long as Accor Stadium at Olympic Park was reconfigured into a 70,000-seat rectangular stadium, which would cost taxpayers $800 million.
However, the pandemic caused the government to backflip on the plan and relocate between $250 to $350 million to upgrading suburban grounds in Cronulla, Manly, Leichhardt and Newcastle.
Leichhardt Oval will have to wait for redevelopment.Source: Supplied
While the plans to develop suburban grounds is not in writing and therefore not rubber-stamped, V’landys is adamant the original Sydney Olympic Park agreement still stands.
The Herald reported that V’landys and the NRL will now hold the government to their original Olympic Park agreement, which is in writing, despite their preference being to develop suburban grounds.
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Andrew Abdo the Chief Executive Officer of the National Rugby League and Peter V’landys the Chairman.Source: Getty Images
“When you consider the billions of dollars they spent in the recent budget, the amount they need to honor our agreement is insignificant,” V’landy’s said.
“We will press that they honor the original agreement, which will cost the NSW taxpayer more due to the way they have handled this.”
The NRL are exploring its legal options and have one of the country’s most respected barristers, Alan Sullivan QC on the case.
Perrottet released a statement saying the government were committed to upgrading suburban stadiums over a period of time, given the natural disasters and pandemic that remain a more pressing priority.
“The government has just received the Floods Inquiry Report, which will likely require a significant cost to the taxpayer, and I note right now there are still 1,366 people without a home in NSW due to flooding,” Perrottet said.
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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.Source: News Corp Australia
“It should come as no surprise that my top priority is therefore supporting those devastated by the major floods across NSW.”
The development has forced the NRL to consider taking the Grand Final to Queensland in response to the NSW government failing to honor their agreement.
“Everything is now back on the table,” V’landys said.
“It will be a board decision, not mine.”
Sports Minister Stuart Ayres labeled plans to take the Grand Final to Queensland “an extraordinary move”.
“We’ve got to make sure that we make investments that are in the best interests of the people of NSW,” Ayres said.
Madge’s take on Tigers coaching plan | 02:04
“It just might mean that we have to wait a little bit longer before we can spend additional money on those venues.”
The government will put on hold plans to develop Leichhardt and Newcastle stadiums, but are committed to a new venue at Penrith, which has angered Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis, who blasted the government for their change of policy on developing suburban stadiums.
“The government’s management of its stadiums policy from the outset has been amateurish and embarrassing,” Hagipantelis told the Herald.
“I assume if the state government is to backflip on its commitment to fund suburban stadiums, then the $300 million committed to the Penrith stadium can now be better utilized for schools and hospitals?
“It would be outrageous for Penrith to retain its stadium for the obvious political benefit of its local member.”
The NRL has been labeled embarrassing for their explanation as to why Storm star Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped sanction for cracking Wayde Egan’s teeth with his elbow.
Asofa-Solomona was not even charged by the match review committee, despite being placed on report and penalized on the field for slamming his elbow and forearm onto the face of Egan as he fell to the ground in a tackle.
“There were a lot of incidents over the weekend with the Nelson Asofa-Solomona one the most contentious by a long way,” Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.
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“What I struggle to come to terms with is I saw a head clash (Dale Finucane on Stephen Crichton) last week get two weeks and I see this and he gets nothing.”
Paul Kent blasted the NRL’s feeble explanation by disputing all three assertions they made around Asofa-Solomona’s actions.
“Let me just bring up some things,” Kent said.
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“They said, there is a separation out there. If I am going to punch you in the face right now, there is going to be separation at some point between my fist and your face before it gets there, but there will be eventual contact. That’s the first thing.
“Second, there was not enough force to warrant a charge. I have cracked his teeth. Two teeth. So not enough force to warrant a charge?
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Nelson Asofa-Solomona was placed on report and penalized but escaped a charge.Source: Supplied
“Third, there was possible contact to the neck and chin area. Again, I cracked his teeth.
“What part of head contact do they not understand there. If you have got cracked teeth from a tackle, how do you say there is not enough force and possible contact to the neck or chin area?”
Paul Crawley labeled Luke Patten and Graham Annesley’s explanation as the dumbest thing ever to come out of NRL HQ in a stunning take-down.
“That’s the dumbest explanation that I have ever heard come out of the NRL from Luke Patten,” Crawley said.
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Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped sanction for his tackle on Wayde Egan.Source: FOX SPORTS
“For Graham Annesley, a bloke that has been around the game for as long as he has to stand there and allow that to be said and expect that everyone is just going to suck that up and accept it.
“Like seriously it is so embarrassing. They have got to be better.
“That was a shocking tackle. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves got a $3000 fine for his tackle on Zac Fulton. It wasn’t as bad as this.
“This gets off. This doesn’t even get to fine. This gets nothing.
“And this is on the back of Asofa-Solomona having two separate charges last week. Two ends. The week before in Round 18 another one. Earlier in the season another one.
“That’s four ends this year and this one gets nothing.”
A member of the 17 Manly players who did support the Pride jersey against the Roosters has anonymously blasted the seven players who boycotted the game and put the team’s final hopes in danger.
WWOS’ The Mole reported the Manly player, who asked not to be identified, painted an ugly picture of a team still very divided over the jersey saga that engulfed the club.
“They (the seven) are still saying they weren’t consulted about the pride jersey and it went against the religious a cultural beliefs,” the player told WWOS.
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“We weren’t consulted when a betting sponsor was placed on our jersey – the guys wear that every week… I’m not sure what their god would say about that.
“No one asked us when our oval was renamed after a brewery (4 Pines Park) – I don’t think their god would have been crazy about that either.
“And I can tell you very few young blokes in our club live by the 10 commandments – nor most young blokes in Australia for that matter.
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The Manly Pride Jersey.Source: Getty Images
“Yet these guys take a stance over a good move by the club to make the gay community feel inclusive in our game.”
The player also believes the fact that Manly’s loss to the Roosters could cost them the final spot in the top eight, will make it very hard for the rift in the squad to be healed.
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Manly Sea Eagles press conference | 08:29
“They could have said they didn’t support the initiative but to refuse to play with their mates, it doesn’t sit well, and there is something of a rift in the group as a result,” the player said.
“If those two lost points – and we are confident we would have won (against the Roosters) – cost us a place in the finals, it will take a long time for us to get over it.”
The Newcastle Knights and their coach Adam O’Brien are at a crossroads after a horror season that could see them go from the finals to the wooden spoon in one year.
The Knights have the worst defensive record in the NRL and their attack is not much better with the pressure ramping up on O’Brien to keep his job amid turmoil and player unrest at the club.
Paul Kent believes the recent changes to the club’s football department is evidence that the Knights desperately need to change the way they operate in time for next season.
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“This is a touchstone moment for Adam O’Brien,” Kent said on NRL 360.
“His career now is at a tipping point. After the season they have had where they have shown no improvement on the two previous seasons. In fact they have gone backwards.
“You have got player unrest. You have got a club that is trying to turn things around.
“Phil Gardner has moved himself away from much of the football operation, which he needed to do because he was inexperienced and after putting his toe in the water for 18 months he failed to come up with what they need.
“They have got a rookie football manager in Danny Buderus, who has suddenly been pushed sideways to bring in Peter Parr. They are trying to start the turnaround.
“Adam O’Brien has realized that he is either part of the solution or part of the problem and it starts now.”
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Knights coach Adam O’Brien.Source: Supplied
Phil Rothfield revealed O’Brien admitted he has eight weeks next season to turn things around, but Kent believes that might be generous, given their current predicament.
“Buzz said he has six to eight weeks next year,” Kent said.
“I don’t think he has got that because if the Knights find out eight weeks into next season that they have made a blue, then next season has gone as well.
“Adam O’Brien touched on in that press conference that their summer training was not up to speed this year as it should have been.
“He said, that is the one thing he would like to get in order going into next season. That’s where it starts for them next season. It begins for him now.”
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Klemmer sanctioned for abusing trainer | 02:55
Kent accused the Knights of being too soft on their players in the wake of the decision to reprimand David Klemmer.
“It began it appears today with David Klemmer and let’s talk about player discipline and how players buy into what is going on at teams,” Kent said.
“David Klemmer is known for not wanting to go off the field. Let’s cop that. It happened at Canterbury. It has happened before.
“But we talk about Brandon Smith and what Melbourne have done to him since he got sin-binned and suspended a couple of weeks back and how they drive their discipline, which Adam O’Brien has been aware of.
“I think for too long up there he has been running a soft ship and they basically have been taking the mickey out of him, so I think that is where it starts.”
Is O’Brien under pressure at Knights? | 05:59
The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio agreed O’Brien’s future is on thin ice, given they are unlikely to win another game in 2022, with the wooden spoon a real possibility.
“I think Adam’s coaching career is right on the precipice,” Riccio said.
“Don’t forget this Newcastle Knights side can still get the wooden spoon. They play the Tigers this weekend.
“If they lose to the Tigers you can bet your bottom dollar the heat will be turned up.
“They then play the Broncos away. They play the Raiders at home. The Titans away and they finish with the Sharks at home.
“I haven’t got the Knights winning any of those games.”
Kent believes the introduction of Parr as the club’s director of football means that Phil Gardner will no longer have the final say on O’Brien’s future.
Inside Klemmer’s failed move to the Eels | 02:08
“Gardner has no longer got the say,” Kent said.
“Parr will have the say. Parr will sit there over summer and if he decides things aren’t looking the way they need to look, he can still find himself a coach.
“He has got trainers and strength and conditioning coaches in from the Roosters and the Panthers and everywhere else. They are in good hands there.”
Riccio agreed the board will decide who the long-term coach will be based on a recommendation from Parr.
“I think it will come down to the board,” Riccio said.
“I think Peter Parr has been put there for a reason. Not only for his experience and know how, but I believe he can make a tough call.
“And Gardner can remove himself from what has been a car crash since he got there.”
In light of O’Brien’s comments that he has seen what success looks like at the Storm and the Roosters, Kent believes it is time for less talk and more action at the Knights.
“At some point you have got to start living the standard and not talking the standard,” Kent said.
“I think for too long at Newcastle they talk about what they want to do.
“It has been going on for too long where they just basically pull the shades down over everybody’s eyes and say, don’t worry about us we are going OK, when in fact they are not doing what Newcastle are known for, which is playing tough, hard football and being constantly competitive.”
Origin coaches Billy Slater and Brad Fittler have come under fire for suggesting Nathan Cleary be handed a lighter suspension due to his character and standing in the game.
Cleary accepted a five-week ban following his send off for an ugly lifting tackle on Eels star Dylan Brown over the weekend.
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Slater, however, couldn’t fathom Cleary being rubbed out for an extended period of time.
“Do we need to be wiping our best players out of the competition for a quarter of the season for one mistake that they make?” Slater said on Channel Nine’s Billy’s Breakdown.
It was a sentiment echoed by Phil Gould.
“I don’t think we need good players out of the game for six weeks to remind them that that’s not what you do,” he said on 100% Footy.
“That’s just an error of judgement. I know this Penrith tackling technique very well, he’s probably thinking his other two players would support that player a little better than they did. They pulled away from it and he found himself in an awkward position.
“Does Nathan Cleary need six weeks away from the game to learn his lesson that’s the wrong tackle to make? He knew it six seconds after he did it that it was wrong.
“They probably want to send a message to the rest of the competition, they want it to look like the star players don’t get special treatment.”
St George forward Aaron Woods, however, was enraged by the stance.
“Freddy and Billy Slater were coming out and saying ‘he’s a good bloke and we don’t want to be missing these good players before semi-finals’,” Woods said on triple m
“That’s bull crap if you ask me.
“He had a prior charge already on Billy Walters earlier on in the year.
“He would have got four weeks, but he had that and that’s an extra week.
“Freddy came out and said that Liam Martin helped it a bit – no he didn’t. He pulled off the tackle and you see Cleary re-grip and get a hand in between the leg.
“That’s the difference between the one with Karl Lawton at the start of the year…(that tackle) was fully momentum, he got around the waist with both hands and it was just a driving tackle and luckily (Cameron) Murray twisted and landed in a really good position.
“Dylan Brown was still on the ground, you could see how hurt he was and he (Cleary) had all the intent. Just because he comes out on Instagram and says ‘I’m sorry and it was totally out of character’ – that’s what happens on a rugby league field.
“Things can go one way or the other and it obviously had no malice, but that’s just part of the game.
Woods said Cleary was far from a clean skin
“It’s a joke – remember he got in trouble for the TikTok? People forget about that as well. I got 10 in the bin the other week and was like ‘mate you shouldn’t have done that’ but everyone else was like ‘sucked in’.
“If Jared Waerea-Hargreaves does the spear tackle, we’d give him life in this game.
“It just frustrates me, just because they are the players they like – call a spade a spade.”
The NRL360 panel also took aim at those suggesting Clearly be afforded special treatment.
“I heard Billy Slater talking after the game saying how Nathan doesn’t need five weeks on the sideline to realize he’s made a mistake, but you have to put him out,” Paul Kent said on Monday night.
“You just have to do that.”
“What do you mean he doesn’t need five weeks out to learn?,” Braith Anasta questioned.
“Because Nathan’s smart enough to correct it and he knows he made a blue,” Kent replied.
“But why was he saying, why was Billy Slater saying that,” Anasta hit back.
“He wasn’t agreeing with the five week penalty, he was thinking one or two weeks could have been enough,” Kent answered.
“Because it’s Nathan Cleary?” Anasta asked.
“Because it’s Nathan Cleary yes,” Kent said.
The Panthers will now play the remainder of the regular season with Jarome Luai out with a knee injury and Cleary hit with a five match suspension.
Originally published as ‘That’s bull crap’: Freddy, Billy slammed for staggering stance on Nathan Cleary ban
Newcastle’s torrid season has gone from bad to worse, with enforcer David Klemmer issued a show cause notice over an on-field disciplinary issue.
The incident in question, according to The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent, came in the 71st minute of the Knights’ 24-10 loss to the Bulldogs.
Klemmer is said to have refused to come off the field and allegedly verbally abused Newcastle trainer Hayden Knowles, who was trying to make the substitution happen.
“It happened over a series of tackles throughout the last minutes of the game, where they continually tried to get him off the field,” Kent said on Fox League’s ‘NRL 360’.
“Now Klemmer just refused to go. He’s been disciplined, he hasn’t been chosen after this weekend’s game.”
The Knights released a statement on Tuesday confirming an on-field disciplinary matter had taken place, although they opted against going into any further details.
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The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley described the show cause notice as “strange” given Newcastle had taken action by dropping Klemmer before giving him a chance to explain himself.
That was not all Crawley had to say though, with the veteran rugby league reporter claiming that Klemmer’s incident was only a smaller part of much bigger problems in the Hunter.
“It’s bigger than this,” Crawley said.
“There’s a problem up at Newcastle that everyone’s ducking and covering from, there’s players up there that aren’t happy. There’s a division within the club and no one can deny it. You’ve just got to look at their performances.
“There’s obviously some players out there that aren’t real happy and David Klemmer on the weekend has probably fired up.
“Something’s happened to him on the field, he didn’t want to come off but I assure you there’s got to be more to it.”
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David Klemmer is out of the Newcastle line-up this week. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Crawley’s theory was supported by Braith Anasta, who said blow-ups like the one Klemmer had on Sunday afternoon to being substituted off “happen every weekend”.
“That happens every weekend at a club where a player doesn’t want to come off the field or will argue with his trainers,” Anasta said.
“I don’t know to what extent, but a show cause notice is very dramatic at 6pm on a Tuesday night where they haven’t picked him in the side. There’s got to be more to it. There just has to be.”
As Kent went on to point out, there were reports that Parramatta was looking to snare Klemmer before the mid-season transfer deadline, only adding fuel to the fire.
“It’s interesting yesterday Parramatta approached the Knights to get him on a loan deal,” Kent said.
“My understanding is Klemmer was willing to go, but he’s got next year at Newcastle. He wanted next year at Parramatta plus the year after, which they were not willing to go to, which suggested the fact that maybe he was happy to leave Newcastle.”
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Former teammate James Graham said that Klemmer “looks very frustrated” and could understand why he may have pushed against coming from the field.
“He has very high expectations of himself and takes pride in his performances and especially his numbers,” Graham said.
“He can be one of those guys who is reluctant to leave the field of play. This is against his old club from him as well. I can understand why he may have wanted to stay out there.
“There were times the rotation with those middle forwards and Klemmer would protest leaving the field of play if he thought he could have an impact on the result.”
Corey Parker though called it “a load of BS”, taking aim at Newcastle for disciplining Klemmer, who he called a “the alpha male of the club”.
“Seriously, dropping someone because he said no to coming off to the trainer,” Parker said.
“I played 16 years and everytime I was asked to come off I was reluctant to a point where I would say to the trainer a few expletives to let him know I didn’t want to come off. He’s the alpha male of the club playing against his former club.
O’Brien’s time at Knights running out? | 02:43
“Are we playing rugby league? He’s the front rower of a rugby league club, is he just going to bow and come off? I played with and against Klem and he’s a tough, uncompromising, resilient front rower.”
Graham though responded by pointing out that sometimes a player has to put their own personal thoughts to the side and prioritize the team’s best interests.
In this case, even though he thought the decision to take Klemmer off was “strange”, Graham said coach O’Brien may have been trying to set a standard by dropping the enforcer.
“No one wants to come off but if your club is seeing something and you’re part of a rotation and it’s coming from the top,” Graham said.
“It does seem strange [to take him off then]. We’ve all sprayed trainers. I think it’s the fact he didn’t come from the field of play. Personally, I think it’s they’ve had a bad week, O’Brien is trying to set a precedent and build his club from him.
“We’ve heard about O’Brien setting standards for next year.”
‘This is what gives me the s****!’ | 02:04
The drama is hardly what Newcastle needed as it looks to arrest a concerning form slump which has seen the club drop four-straight games and lose 14 of its past 17 to plummet down the ladder.
Knights coach Adam O’Brien came under fire earlier in the week for his comments after the latest loss to the Bulldogs, in which he pointed out his involvement in “four grand finals.”
“It is a hard one for me as well,” O’Brien said at the post-match press conference.
“Previous to getting this job here I was involved in four grand finals.
“I know how those teams prepared. I know the systems they used defensively.
“You don’t unlearn that knowledge. Applying it and getting it ingrained is going to take some time clearly.
“Week to week we can talk about one area of that defense and we can fix it in seven days, but then we will let another area of our defense down.
“It is going to take a bit of time and I know some people don’t want to wait that long, but it is.”
Adam O’Brien’s coaching has come under scrutiny. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
O’Brien spoke to the media again on Tuesday to clarify those comments, admitting he would “like to have” that press conference back.
“I clearly did not articulate the message I was going to get across and I apologize for that,” he said.
“It looks like I’m an egomaniac. I was trying to get my message across to the supporter who sits on the hill that must be wondering do they practice defense and tackle technique? Are they fit, tough?
“I was trying to talk to them that the boys are training at a really high standard. I’ve tried to give hope to people on the hill that we are training at a high level – that’s not translating to the field and that responsibility is squarely on me.
“I’m not taking the accolades of the success at those clubs, that is Craig (Bellamy’s) and Trent (Robinson’s) work. I’m trying to create that here. We are on the path but we aren’t there yet.”
