The NRL season may be over, but there's never a quiet moment in rugby league with The Repeat Set delivering your weekly dose of insight.
MORE: Kidwell's dig at unsupportive Kiwi fans | Shaun Johnson targets media following New Zealand's shock loss to Fiji
In this edition we've got inside word on:
+ The real reason SBW won’t face Paul Gallen
+ Media throwing dollars for Pearce to talk
+ The Sea Eagles rookie who put DCE in his place
+ Lyall Gorman's new Manly recruit
Read on for all the info...
The real reason SBW won’t face Paul Gallen
Paul Gallen fears he will never get it on with Sonny Bill Williams in the ring and will drop off chasing the dual international.
Gal has been frustrated in his attempts to lock down a date with SBW and now believes the Kiwi has spent too much time away from boxing for a stoush to be arranged.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Gallen told Sporting News Australia.
“(SBW’s manager) Khoder (Nasser) has some issues with (Pay Per View channel) Main Event and Sonny hasn’t been in the ring for a year-18 months now.
“Whether he still wants to do it is another thing.
“It would be a good thing for boxing and league and union but I won’t be calling him out and carrying on about it.”
The interview everyone is chasing
Mitchell Pearce is back in the country after his US holiday and is staying largely mute on his next move.
The Roosters half was ambushed by waiting media at the airport but added very little to what we already knew.
Some media outlets have offered money in exchange for the exclusive sit-down interview with Pearce, such is the interest in his story.
The No.7 is not keen to talk and is off the media after TV cameras stalked him at home in the days surrounding Cronk’s signing.
He had a shot at one of them for entering a residential carpark.
Pearce will talk once a decision is made on is future.
Gorman quick to add to the Manly family
New Manly CEO Lyall Gorman has already made one big signing – but this bloke won’t be lacing up the boots.
Gorman has brought leading social media and communications manager Liam Tapper over with him from the Sharks.
Gorman is huge on social media and fan engagement and noted Manly’s social numbers and presence was well below most NRL rivals.
Tapper will change all that and help build the Sea Eagles’ profile and, in turn, membership numbers.
Gorman has also been working the phones since his arrival at Lottoland, ringing key people on the northern beaches to introduce himself and make himself available to them.
Maybe, just maybe, Manly have finally found a CEO that might last longer than a set of six.
The Manly prospect who showed up DCE
It’s normally not a great move to show up the boss, especially in your first week in the job.
But that’s exactly what new signing Lachlan Croker did in his first few days as a Sea Eagle.
Croker beat skipper Daly Cherry-Evans in a 2km time trial, stunning Manly insiders.
DCE has led the pack home for as long as anyone can remember, leading veteran official Peter Peters to compare Croker’s win over the skipper to Winx getting beaten.
To his credit, Cherry-Evans was the first to congratulate the 20-year-old.