The Weekend Hangover is back with all the drama from Round 25 of the NRL.
This week, Ricky and the Raiders are filthy with Freddy and Joey, the massive cost of Manly losing a home final, Gus Gould throws up another bizarre rule change and did two NRL legends say goodbye or just thank-you on Sunday afternoon?
Why the Raiders are filthy with Freddy, Joey and Co
The Canberra camp is incensed over the running commentary surrounding Hudson Young’s alleged eye gouge on the Warriors’ Adam Pompey.
Young’s case has been referred straight to the judiciary on Tuesday.
He is staring at a long stint out of the game after being found guilty of the same offence and earning a five-game suspension earlier in the year.
They believe the kid is on a hiding to nothing after copping it in the media since Saturday night.
Immortal Andrew Johns is leading the anti-Young charge, insisting the Raiders forward be rubbed out for the entire 2020 season.
Joey barked: “If they’re fair dinkum, next season will be over too (as well as the rest of this season).
“You’re looking at 20 weeks.”
NSW coach Brad Fittler also weighed in heavily, arguing Young doesn’t have the necessary maturity to play first grade.
“It’s ludicrous. It’s ridiculous. It’s silly,” Fittler said of the act.
“It’s obvious he’s not ready for first grade.
“He’s not ready for the pressure first grade provides.
“He’s just not ready for our game.”
The Raiders are fearful the judiciary will react to the adverse publicity and make an example of Young.
Coach Ricky Stuart is adamant his player is not guilty but he faces an uphill battle convicting the judiciary panel of that.
The massive cost of Manly losing a home final
Cronulla fans are rejoicing to the news Saturday night’s qualifying final against Manly may be moved from Brookvale Oval to Bankwest Stadium.
Traces of asbestos have been found on a section of the hill at Lottoland, leading the NRL to threaten to move the game away from the dilapidated northern beaches venue.
Brookvale Oval has been a reoccurring horror show for Cronulla for more than 50 years.
The Sharks become toothless once they cross the Spit Bridge, losing an incredible 39 times in 47 matches since 1967.
They’ve enjoyed just six wins and two draws on the northern beaches for an overall win percentage of just 14 per cent.
Their current losing streak at the ground is five games and they once went 12 years (1983-95) without winning at Brookie.
But there is some good news for Cronulla heading into Saturday night’s game, assuming it goes ahead at Brookie.
As the ground is no longer called Brookvale Oval, the Sharks can claim they have never been beaten at Lottoland!
Was this a goodbye or just a thank-you?
The retiring Robbie Farah was the star of the show – or, as he put it, a movie with a shit ending – at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday afternoon.
But while Farah did a lap of honour of his favourite ground after the Sharks finished the Tigers’ season, two other players bid a discreet farewell just in case they are not back next year.
Benji Marshall and Chris Lawrence don’t have contracts for next season, and it appears mixed news on that front for the two veterans.
Marshall is expected to nut out a deal in the next few weeks but Lawrence and the club are miles apart on financials at the moment.
“Benji’s playing a few (mind) games. He will be sorted,” Farah said.
“It’s been a challenging month or so for Chris. He’s a club legend and deserves to finish his career here.
“I hope that wasn’t his last game.”
Lawrence insisted his lap of the ground wasn’t a farewell, although it certainly looked it.
“I was just showing my appreciation to the fans for showing up,” he said.
“Hopefully that’s not my last game.
“There is a chance (it’s the end) but I will be doing everything possible to stay.
“They’ve made their intentions and I’ve made mind and we will see what happens when the dust settles.”
Sharks to head west next year?
Cronulla are a club on the move – a move west.
The Sharks could become the latest Sydney club to use Bankwest Stadium as a home ground as they prepare to become nomads for the next two years.
With the Shark Park precinct to undergo a major development, Cronulla is set to use Kogarah Oval as its main base while exploring opportunities elsewhere.
Bankwest Stadium could play host to at least one game next year, while there are plans to stage home games on the Sunshine Coast and on New Zealand.
Shark Park is such a big part of Cronulla’s psyche and that will be impossible to replicate elsewhere.
It could have a major say on their premiership chances over the next two years.
Another bizarre Gus rule change
It’s not only the Dragons Phil Gould has had on his mind lately.
The rugby league rulebook is taking up a lot of Gussie’s time of late, with the great man disappointed Saturday night’s meaningless St George Illawarra-Gold Coast clash didn’t trial 12-a-side, one ref, no scrums and no 20m seven tackle sets.
Gould came up with a new innovation during the Storm-Cowboys game on Friday night, arguing the attacking team should get a greater benefit when the defensive side deliberately gives a penalty away inside their 10m zone.
“I reckon if you give a penalty away like that within 10m of the line you should be able to kick the goal and then tap it and have another set of six at the line,” Gus declared.
“Now they’ve (the attacking team) got to go back their own side of halfway and get the kick off.”
What do you reckon?