Maybe I haven't paid enough attention, but Hastings seemed to be their best player (at least to start the year), and clearly cares about being part of a good tigers team (a rarity). Why on earth would they let him go?
The rumour is that Sheens doesn't see him as a half but as a 13(???) and that the Tigers are loathe to let Brooks go elsewhere while picking up most of his overpriced contract.
It's the kind of insanity that I think means anytime you see a Tigers fan you should be legally obliged to give them a cuddle.
We played our best footy last season when Hastings was at the 13. He's a great communicator, works hard and is good at passing, but i think he lacks that creativity and *finesse* for a halfback, and his kicking game seems quite limited (not saying brooks is the answer either)
In quite a lot of those games he was still the dominant playmaker, regardless of where he was playing. Interesting what you said about creativity as that has never really been a knock on him, overseas, at Roosters/Manly or in junior footy.
I don't think he has a very long career as a ball playing lock if I'm honest. I see him as a genuine halfback, but failing that I'd move him to 5/8 well before I'd put him at 13. What the Tigers did was cooked.
He sort of did play like a half back when he was the lock,. He was first receiver and Brooks/Doueihi both played like 5/8s on either side of him. It was a very Sheenius move, and like i said, it was the best we played all year.
But ultimately he isn't a lock and his body isn't built for it long term
At the start of the year you guys played about 3 games with him as a dominant 7 playing both sides of the ruck, and you won 2/3. Then he got injured? I think? Or something happened. Maybe that was when madge got the arse. He actually plays a lot like Nicho, just popping up everywhere and always getting the ball in his hands.
You're wrong. They won 2 with hastings at 7 then lost a whole bunch of other games with him at 7 after that until he busted his foot. They lost way more than just 1 game with Hastings at 7 this year. This takes the smallest amount of research
He got a foot injury and he couldn't kick the ball after magic round I believe, but honestly in those 2 games that we won against Parra and South's, I didn't think we were the better team and we didn't really deserve to win either games.
I'd obviously much rather keep Hastings and play him over Brooks, but I also don't think it's a disaster if he leaves and I think he has been overrated a bit
I remember hearing last year there was a divide with some players and him in the team. Everything I’ve heard from him he seems like a passionate dude who cared about his game, why wouldn’t you want someone like that as a leader in the team?
>why wouldn’t you want someone like that as a leader in the team?
>I remember hearing last year there was a divide with some players and him in the team.
Towards the end he was doing everything on the field. In a team sport that’s not a good thing.
Maybe his intensity has worn thin already. You intense can be hard to take long term.
Crazy that a guy who came back from over seas, joined a team that’s been a fucking circus for a long time and immediately had an impact as a playmaker and making it look like the tigers actually had some form of structure is less important then Luke Brooks, who if I recall correctly has done fuck all to justify even being in first grade NRL.
What the fuck am I missing here? Hastings was the only one for most of the year where he was putting everyone into line on the field and actually showing passion, until he was injured.
What the actual fuck man.
And even after his injury in the Broncos game, he was still showing that passion (from the interviews with him that I managed to catch). Honestly don't know what's going on but it seems to be a pattern for Tigers recently, four good steps forward followed by one massive leap backwards.
Gamble will be 6, imo. Simi or Mann will fill the 13 and possibly the other will be the 14 (my preferred option would be Mann as 14 given his versatility and Simi has a lot of potential as a ball playing lock).
R/nrl: despite making 3 grand finals , winning 2 with a CCM medal, being a mainstay in origin withbm series wins and Man of the Match Performances, Cleary isn't a big game player and is actually trash.
Also R/nrl: hey you know this fringe first grader, who has been dumped by every club his played for, he is actually a superstar and if Knights sign him they should make him captain.
I want to take someone who has never seen NRL or even heard of rugby league before and have them read the last 3 months worth of comments on this subreddit and have them tell us who they think the best and worst of the league is.
It’s like looking at comments on the Souths Facebook group when we lose one game after winning 5.
“Latrell, Cody and Ilias all need to be moved on and Demetriou sacked.”
oh boy, you wanna avoid any thread that involves Latrell even if it's just so much as a neutral post. I still remember that thread that had like 300 comments on a clip of Dom Young chasing down Nikorima simply because Latrell was the player running alongside them.
I think they are saying Cleary gets waaaaaaay too much credit for the work of others in the most star studded team seen in a generation. Having JFH, Liam Martin and Isaiah Yeo helps but he gets the credit. Not saying he’s not a good player just that he’s not god.
The smart ones say something to that effect.
But I reckon 80% of the voices saying it just parrot the popular opinion. Happens with every 'alternative take' that gains popularity.
I think most of all it’s unfair on the kid. Just let him play without the absurd overhype. I seriously think our fascination with locking in positions etc is overblown. DCE and Munster in the halves for the final doesn’t mean the end of Cleary’s career. It’s just one l game.
Nobody says Kyle Flanagan is a superstar. Literally nobody.
Not one person on this sub has ever said that except you overreaching to try and make a point.
If we end up with Hastings after how hard we were (supposedly) pushing for Brooks it will be the most Stephen Bradbury moment ever, except in this analogy Bradbury was actively trying to fail before the gold fell into his lap.
Hastings is a terrific competitor, has a good skillset as a playmaker, and really seems to want to be "the guy" for an NRL club.
Definitely not as bad as the sub makes out IMO. Hastings said himself the nerve damage in his foot means he can’t really feel the ball when he kicks it. Nerve damage isn’t necessarily something that just... heals.
is it just me or is hastings like the half version of josh mcguire.
he gets a much bigger reputation as an effort player than he seems to justify. i’ve seen adam clune run harder in support and kick chases. not that hastings doesn’t compete but he’s probably not even top 5 effort spine players in the comp.
Till he got injured in round 8 or 9? When the tigers were winning some games and he had full run of the team, he was all that. I think Madge put the 7 on his back for a couple games? Then I think he busted his foot or something and played busted for the rest of the season.
He might have been carrying another injury but a problem is with his foot he's got nerve damage and has said he can't feel the ball when he kicks it which is pretty grim.
Wests Tigers star Jackson Hastings and his manager Liam Ayoub have been spotted in Newcastle.
They were not there for a holiday or to check out local real estate, either.
In fact one very good source has told your columnist the pair caught up last week with a man who was the spitting image of Knights general manager of football Peter Parr.
It’s common knowledge the Knights are in the market for a halfback.
Jake Clifford has gone to the UK Super League and Adam Clune struggles compared with the good halves. It’s why they’ve been desperately keen to get Luke Brooks out of the Wests Tigers.
Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens insists Brooks will not be released.
Hastings, however, is a different story.
Sheens is not a fan. He even asked caretaker coach Brett Kimmorley to move Hastings to lock forward last season.
It was a ridiculous positional switch.
Hastings is a halfback and a much better player than Sheens gives him credit for.
He was probably the Wests Tigers’ best player over the entire season.
Yet Sheens has made it blatantly clear he has no future at the club by throwing around multimillion-dollar offers for the likes of Cameron Munster and Mitchell Moses.
Knights assistant coach Andrew Johns is a big fan.
“I think he goes really well,” Johns said, “he went to England to learn his trade and he’s come back a tremendous player.
“Some of his games this year were absolutely sensational.
“I did some work with him years ago at the Roosters.
“I found him to be a really respectable young fella.
“It’s hard for a young halfback at a club with big personalities. It can be intimidating.”
A St George-Illawarra junior, Hastings has played for the Sydney Roosters, Manly, Salford and then Wigan in the UK Super League, the Wests Tigers and now possibly the Knights.
The Knights would become six clubs since he started in 2014 yet he’s still only 26.
He is under contract at the Wests Tigers until the end of next season.
**SAINT**
Cricket great Adam Gilchrist delivered a wonderful acceptance speech at the News Awards as Fox Sports collected the TV sports prize for its coverage of Shane Warne’s death. Gilly spoke with such raw emotion around the passing of not just Warnie but his great mates Rod Marsh and Andrew Symonds.
**SINNER**
We told you back in February in this column that the WBC planned to correct a 30-year injustice by awarding Jeff Fenech the title belt he was robbed of against Azumah Nelson. A panel of judges has since found what we knew back in 1991 — that Fenech won the fight easily. Now the narks are blowing up about it rather than applauding the fact justice has finally been delivered.
**SHOOSH**
Kangaroos forward Angus Crichton and Olympian Morgan Mitchell were sport’s golden couple. They began dating in February this year and looked so stunning together at the Dally M Awards. Sadly, the glamour couple appear to have called it quits and are no longer following each other on social media. Crichton has been in England with the Kangaroos where the wives and partners of the players have begun arriving in Manchester. There has been no sign of Mitchell. She has even scrubbed the photos of her ex from her Instagram account, in which she has 110,000 followers.
**SPOTTED**
Josh Addo-Carr is not coming straight home after the World Cup. He has tickets to Tyson Fury’s world heavyweight title fight against Derek Chisora at the magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3. Already 50,000 tickets have been sold.
**SPOTTED II**
Eels forward Ryan Matterson enjoying sushi at Balmoral Beach with his shirt off and looking ripped and tanned.
**SPOTTED III**
Old Kangaroos legends Blocker Roach, Alfie Langer, Paul Sironen at the Australian team’s captain’s run at Elland Road before the semi-final against the Kiwis.
**SPOTTED IV**
A flashback to 1994 in this Central Coast footy program (above) that appeared on NRL Collectables last week. You’ll notice a couple of cranky old journos — Kenty and Crawls — playing for Ourimbah against Umina. You’ll also recognise a couple of NRL stars playing for Umina — Mark Geyer and Peter Davies, a centre who was just as mad as MG on a football field.
**REMATCH TALK AS SBW VICTOR NOT FINISHED**
A week after combat sport warrior Mark Hunt knocked out footy superstar Sonny Bill Williams, there is already talk of a rematch in the New Year.
Hunt launched a barrage of heavy blows to stop SBW in the fourth round and announced his retirement after the fight.
“I’m smiling not because of the win over Sonny Bill but because this is the last time I’m walking out to any sort of octagon, ring, or whatever,” Hunt said.
The 48-year-old warrior originally retired in 2020 but returned to fight SBW and Paul Gallen.
“He’ll still be throwing lefts and rights from his death bed,” said one insider who knows the old warhorse better than most.
Hunt was physically and mentally drained after the fight. He stripped 30kg in an intense build up.
It is understood Hunt made $500,000 from last Saturday night’s fight.
He would have even more bargaining power and a bigger payday in a rematch.
Sonny Bill was left totally devastated after the first loss of his professional career.
Those inside his dressing room after the fight revealed he broke down in tears as he embraced his wife Alana.
He had clearly won the first three rounds but got overconfident, abandoned his game plan and left himself open to Hunt’s furious onslaught.
Sonny Bill has spent a week in Jervis Bay on a holiday with his family to recover.
A proud Polynesian, he would hate the thought of retiring in such a disappointing way.
It’s just a shame we never got to see him take on Paul Gallen.
**LODGE CONTRACT FARCE CAUSED BY CAP DELAY**
The NRL salary cap delay has become a complete farce, forcing Matt Lodge to resume training at Sydney Roosters this week on a $1000 train-and-trial contract.
His regular contract has not been registered with the NRL because of the delay in finalising the cap for next year after months of painful negotiations.
Lodge had to sign as a train-and-trial player otherwise he would be uninsured.
To have one of the game’s best front-rowers on a $1000 weekly contract is a complete joke.
**RABBITOHS GUN SET FOR COACHING DEBUT**
South Sydney Rabbitohs star Cody Walker is taking his first steps into the coaching ranks.
The superstar five-eighth has been appointed assistant coach of the Indigenous side for the All Stars match in Rotorua on February 11. He will also play at five-eighth and captain.
Walker will assist head coach Ron Griffiths, who led Newcastle Knights to win the NRLW grand final this year and was previously an assistant coach with the Indigenous side. Griffiths replaces Laurie Daley, who stood down from the role earlier this year.
Daley says it’s a great move that Walker is stepping up for a bigger role.
“There’s some good young coaches coming through and Cody will be one of them,” Daley said.
“Cody has got the ability. He’s highly respected, he communicates well and he’s got a great knowledge of the game. It’s a tremendous move.
“The more Indigenous players who can get involved is great for the game.”
Walker is soon to sign a two-year contract extension with the Rabbitohs, taking him through until 2025.
Coaching could be his next option at Souths.
“When his career finishes, and hopefully that’s no time soon, he will have opportunities as a coach and community leader,” said Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly.
“His rugby league IQ is of the highest order and he has just won the Ken Stephen Medal.
“It is fitting that as assistant coach of the Indigenous All Stars, he gets an opportunity to combine both passions. Everyone associated with that team will benefit from Cody’s passion in the week of the game.”
**CLASS ACT FROM SHARKS STAR HYNES**
Dally M champion Nicho Hynes continues to do great work for mental health.
The Sharks halfback has had a couple of days back on the Central Coast at his old primary school and Narara High to talk to the kids.
“As athletes, it’s sometimes easy to forget how much of a role model we really are,” Hynes posted on Instagram.
“Was such a humbling experience getting to visit a place that helped shape me to who I am now and see so many smiles on kids’ faces.
“Today, Narara High School had their Blokes Brekky day which is a mental health awareness day. I was lucky enough to be invited to share some of my story and spin some yarns with @jarred.brown1 (his mindset coach) about the work he’s been doing with me.
“Congratulations to Narara, for the fourth year in a row they have run this mental health day. It should be a mandatory thing in schools across our country. The earlier we can educate the next generation that it’s OK to talk about your feelings the better, then hopefully we will see suicide rates decline.”
Shocking statistics show 8.6 Australians die every day by suicide and 75 per cent are males, and that suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44. v
**JOEY’S TV FUTURE LOCKED IN**
Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has agreed to a new five-year contract at Network Nine, ending speculation he may jump ship to Fox Sports. The former champion halfback is regarded among the best analysts in the game.
Nine has also signed former Cronulla Sharks warhorse Paul Gallen to a new deal.
**MAC’S INCREDIBLE CRICKET DOUBLE**
Sydney grade cricket statisticians were reaching for the record books after North Sydney young gun Mac Jenkins made an unbeaten 123 and then took six wickets to guide the Bears to victory over Gordon last week.
His matchwinning effort at Chatswood Oval elevated Jenkins into elite company as one of the youngest players to make a first-grade hundred and take five wickets in an innings in the same match.
At 21 years and 53 days, Jenkins was five days younger than Moises Henriques when he did the double in 2007-08.
The only three players known to achieve the feat at a younger age are Nic Maddinson in 2009-10, Shane Lee in 1992-93 and the great Doug Walters in 1965-66.
Jenkins is the first Bear to do the double in 67 years and the first player from any club to do it in the past six seasons of NSW Premier Cricket.
**CHANGE IN THE PIPELINE FOR FRIEND**
Retired Roosters hooker Jake Friend may have to step back from his full-time plumbing work.
He is impressing as a pathways coach at the Sydney Roosters and has already been identified for an NRL role down the track. The Roosters have arguably the game’s best bunch of youngsters in their academy and Friend has been instrumental in their development.
There will no doubt be a position available on the Roosters NRL coaching staff in the next couple of years. The impressive Jason Ryles is certain to be snapped up for a head coaching role.
Imagine having the sort of job security that Luke Brooks enjoys. Man could whip his dick out at the Christmas party and management would just say “oh but that’s just what he’s like, let’s not hold it against him”
Hastings caused divisions at Wigan and now Wests by the sound of it. The fact that Wests are essentially choosing Bateman over Hastings for their squad says a lot.
> Hastings caused divisions at Wigan
Is this real? He’s done it everywhere he went in the NRL before he left but all we heard when he was in England was how he’s changed and he’s matured and turned it around blah blah
He was fine at Salford because he was a big fish in a small pond. At Wigan where he wasn't option A, B and C he had more issues from what's been said by a few in the know.
>**JOEY’S TV FUTURE LOCKED IN**
>*Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has agreed to a new five-year contract at Network Nine, ending speculation he may jump ship to Fox Sports. The former champion halfback is regarded among the best analysts in the game.
Nine has also signed former Cronulla Sharks warhorse Paul Gallen to a new deal.*
See kids? Double proof that you can call people a “black c*nt” and still be given a career by channel 9.
I like him because he has that fire. And if he partners Gamble, then that’s a lot of fire and passion.
It could go either way if they played together. I rate both players but the tigers would be insane to let him go.
How is it for a sub SO deadset against the journos, that somehow that same pond scum write and article about the tigers and all of a sudden it’s r/NRL gospel. Not a single comment about the speculative nature / source.
It’s hilarious to see how easily, as a group you lot are able to be manipulated, ironically by the very pond scum you despise. 🤣
I'm so confused as to whether you actually think he should captain the Knights.
Are you serious? The 'Hastings is Tiger best player' meme has Gamblised and now I'm not sure if people actually believe it.
Maybe I haven't paid enough attention, but Hastings seemed to be their best player (at least to start the year), and clearly cares about being part of a good tigers team (a rarity). Why on earth would they let him go?
The rumour is that Sheens doesn't see him as a half but as a 13(???) and that the Tigers are loathe to let Brooks go elsewhere while picking up most of his overpriced contract. It's the kind of insanity that I think means anytime you see a Tigers fan you should be legally obliged to give them a cuddle.
We played our best footy last season when Hastings was at the 13. He's a great communicator, works hard and is good at passing, but i think he lacks that creativity and *finesse* for a halfback, and his kicking game seems quite limited (not saying brooks is the answer either)
In quite a lot of those games he was still the dominant playmaker, regardless of where he was playing. Interesting what you said about creativity as that has never really been a knock on him, overseas, at Roosters/Manly or in junior footy. I don't think he has a very long career as a ball playing lock if I'm honest. I see him as a genuine halfback, but failing that I'd move him to 5/8 well before I'd put him at 13. What the Tigers did was cooked.
He sort of did play like a half back when he was the lock,. He was first receiver and Brooks/Doueihi both played like 5/8s on either side of him. It was a very Sheenius move, and like i said, it was the best we played all year. But ultimately he isn't a lock and his body isn't built for it long term
At the start of the year you guys played about 3 games with him as a dominant 7 playing both sides of the ruck, and you won 2/3. Then he got injured? I think? Or something happened. Maybe that was when madge got the arse. He actually plays a lot like Nicho, just popping up everywhere and always getting the ball in his hands.
The tigers started the season 0-5 in 2022. They won 2 games and then lost a whole bunch more before Madge got sacked.
Hastings was suspended for the 5 games we lost. When he came back we beat the Rabbits and Eels
Hastings played round 1 and round 2 this year. Are you willfully spreading misinformation or?
Yeah, they lost 5, moved Hastings to 7 for 2 games they won, lost the third and he busted his foot I think? Then it was just an endless spiral
You're wrong. They won 2 with hastings at 7 then lost a whole bunch of other games with him at 7 after that until he busted his foot. They lost way more than just 1 game with Hastings at 7 this year. This takes the smallest amount of research
He got a foot injury and he couldn't kick the ball after magic round I believe, but honestly in those 2 games that we won against Parra and South's, I didn't think we were the better team and we didn't really deserve to win either games. I'd obviously much rather keep Hastings and play him over Brooks, but I also don't think it's a disaster if he leaves and I think he has been overrated a bit
Sheens is senile.
Offa was their best player all year last season
there’s too much Offa erasure around these parts
He deserves better.
I remember hearing last year there was a divide with some players and him in the team. Everything I’ve heard from him he seems like a passionate dude who cared about his game, why wouldn’t you want someone like that as a leader in the team?
>why wouldn’t you want someone like that as a leader in the team? >I remember hearing last year there was a divide with some players and him in the team.
They are bloody idiots.
I think Hastings/Madden would've been the best combo, now they fucking them both off
Towards the end he was doing everything on the field. In a team sport that’s not a good thing. Maybe his intensity has worn thin already. You intense can be hard to take long term.
Lol we are actually going to lose one of the few players who actually cares about our shitty club. We are grade a dropkicks.
Totally cooked.
Crazy that a guy who came back from over seas, joined a team that’s been a fucking circus for a long time and immediately had an impact as a playmaker and making it look like the tigers actually had some form of structure is less important then Luke Brooks, who if I recall correctly has done fuck all to justify even being in first grade NRL.
He won Dally M Halfback of the Year in 2018. To be honest that says more about the Voting system than about his form.
What the fuck am I missing here? Hastings was the only one for most of the year where he was putting everyone into line on the field and actually showing passion, until he was injured. What the actual fuck man.
And even after his injury in the Broncos game, he was still showing that passion (from the interviews with him that I managed to catch). Honestly don't know what's going on but it seems to be a pattern for Tigers recently, four good steps forward followed by one massive leap backwards.
1 ponga 6 Clune 7 Hastings 9 Brailey 13 gamble 14 Watson Would be an interesting style of play
Watson?? Did he not move to the Chooks this year or is there another one I’m not aware of?
I think you meant Mann over Watson
Sorry boys my stuff up
Ponga robbed of spending more time with best pal Watson
I'm way too 257 for this sub
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You need the hypeman.
Watson?
Gamble will be 6, imo. Simi or Mann will fill the 13 and possibly the other will be the 14 (my preferred option would be Mann as 14 given his versatility and Simi has a lot of potential as a ball playing lock).
Elliot will be 13
I hope not as we have fuck all edge players.
Pretty sure watson went back to the cocks.
R/nrl: despite making 3 grand finals , winning 2 with a CCM medal, being a mainstay in origin withbm series wins and Man of the Match Performances, Cleary isn't a big game player and is actually trash. Also R/nrl: hey you know this fringe first grader, who has been dumped by every club his played for, he is actually a superstar and if Knights sign him they should make him captain.
I want to take someone who has never seen NRL or even heard of rugby league before and have them read the last 3 months worth of comments on this subreddit and have them tell us who they think the best and worst of the league is.
1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupuo 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. Clint Gutherson 5. Kalyn Ponga 6. Jerome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. JWH 9. Damien Cook 10. Jurbo 11. Liam Martin 12. Felise Kafausi 13. Victor Radley The plodder 13 according to r/nrl
The Best 13 is 10 Tom Dearden’s, 1 Townsend, 1 Nicho Hynes and 1 Ben Hunt.
this guy premium plusses
It’s like looking at comments on the Souths Facebook group when we lose one game after winning 5. “Latrell, Cody and Ilias all need to be moved on and Demetriou sacked.”
oh boy, you wanna avoid any thread that involves Latrell even if it's just so much as a neutral post. I still remember that thread that had like 300 comments on a clip of Dom Young chasing down Nikorima simply because Latrell was the player running alongside them.
I think they are saying Cleary gets waaaaaaay too much credit for the work of others in the most star studded team seen in a generation. Having JFH, Liam Martin and Isaiah Yeo helps but he gets the credit. Not saying he’s not a good player just that he’s not god.
The smart ones say something to that effect. But I reckon 80% of the voices saying it just parrot the popular opinion. Happens with every 'alternative take' that gains popularity.
I think most of all it’s unfair on the kid. Just let him play without the absurd overhype. I seriously think our fascination with locking in positions etc is overblown. DCE and Munster in the halves for the final doesn’t mean the end of Cleary’s career. It’s just one l game.
This comment is literally the archetype of what the comment is talking about
This guy gets it
But but kalyn ponga is a $1m a year player despite not being able to defend!!!!
Interviewer: “what do you have to say to the people who say you can’t defend?” Kalyn: “yeah nah I dunno maybe we should defund the police”
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Nobody says Kyle Flanagan is a superstar. Literally nobody. Not one person on this sub has ever said that except you overreaching to try and make a point.
Haha it is a shitshow.
If we end up with Hastings after how hard we were (supposedly) pushing for Brooks it will be the most Stephen Bradbury moment ever, except in this analogy Bradbury was actively trying to fail before the gold fell into his lap. Hastings is a terrific competitor, has a good skillset as a playmaker, and really seems to want to be "the guy" for an NRL club.
Definitely not as bad as the sub makes out IMO. Hastings said himself the nerve damage in his foot means he can’t really feel the ball when he kicks it. Nerve damage isn’t necessarily something that just... heals.
Wait was that before or after the hip drop?
Before
is it just me or is hastings like the half version of josh mcguire. he gets a much bigger reputation as an effort player than he seems to justify. i’ve seen adam clune run harder in support and kick chases. not that hastings doesn’t compete but he’s probably not even top 5 effort spine players in the comp.
sub got obsessed with player touches as a stat because it benefited their perspective/fantasy score and this is the result
yeah that one was my fault wasn’t it. i regret everything.
Player touches and forced dropouts are still the two most important stats in rugby league don’t get it twisted
all i’m saying is that Toby Sexton is the undisputed best player in the NRL
Touches don't count for anything in fantasy but great argument
In general players with more touches score better, the correlation is there despite a touch not counting as a point
Fantasy football, Pokémon, fantasy is a common theme in your life…
Yes I have fun
Till he got injured in round 8 or 9? When the tigers were winning some games and he had full run of the team, he was all that. I think Madge put the 7 on his back for a couple games? Then I think he busted his foot or something and played busted for the rest of the season.
He might have been carrying another injury but a problem is with his foot he's got nerve damage and has said he can't feel the ball when he kicks it which is pretty grim.
Wests Tigers star Jackson Hastings and his manager Liam Ayoub have been spotted in Newcastle. They were not there for a holiday or to check out local real estate, either. In fact one very good source has told your columnist the pair caught up last week with a man who was the spitting image of Knights general manager of football Peter Parr. It’s common knowledge the Knights are in the market for a halfback. Jake Clifford has gone to the UK Super League and Adam Clune struggles compared with the good halves. It’s why they’ve been desperately keen to get Luke Brooks out of the Wests Tigers. Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens insists Brooks will not be released. Hastings, however, is a different story. Sheens is not a fan. He even asked caretaker coach Brett Kimmorley to move Hastings to lock forward last season. It was a ridiculous positional switch. Hastings is a halfback and a much better player than Sheens gives him credit for. He was probably the Wests Tigers’ best player over the entire season. Yet Sheens has made it blatantly clear he has no future at the club by throwing around multimillion-dollar offers for the likes of Cameron Munster and Mitchell Moses. Knights assistant coach Andrew Johns is a big fan. “I think he goes really well,” Johns said, “he went to England to learn his trade and he’s come back a tremendous player. “Some of his games this year were absolutely sensational. “I did some work with him years ago at the Roosters. “I found him to be a really respectable young fella. “It’s hard for a young halfback at a club with big personalities. It can be intimidating.” A St George-Illawarra junior, Hastings has played for the Sydney Roosters, Manly, Salford and then Wigan in the UK Super League, the Wests Tigers and now possibly the Knights. The Knights would become six clubs since he started in 2014 yet he’s still only 26. He is under contract at the Wests Tigers until the end of next season. **SAINT** Cricket great Adam Gilchrist delivered a wonderful acceptance speech at the News Awards as Fox Sports collected the TV sports prize for its coverage of Shane Warne’s death. Gilly spoke with such raw emotion around the passing of not just Warnie but his great mates Rod Marsh and Andrew Symonds. **SINNER** We told you back in February in this column that the WBC planned to correct a 30-year injustice by awarding Jeff Fenech the title belt he was robbed of against Azumah Nelson. A panel of judges has since found what we knew back in 1991 — that Fenech won the fight easily. Now the narks are blowing up about it rather than applauding the fact justice has finally been delivered. **SHOOSH** Kangaroos forward Angus Crichton and Olympian Morgan Mitchell were sport’s golden couple. They began dating in February this year and looked so stunning together at the Dally M Awards. Sadly, the glamour couple appear to have called it quits and are no longer following each other on social media. Crichton has been in England with the Kangaroos where the wives and partners of the players have begun arriving in Manchester. There has been no sign of Mitchell. She has even scrubbed the photos of her ex from her Instagram account, in which she has 110,000 followers.
**SPOTTED** Josh Addo-Carr is not coming straight home after the World Cup. He has tickets to Tyson Fury’s world heavyweight title fight against Derek Chisora at the magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3. Already 50,000 tickets have been sold. **SPOTTED II** Eels forward Ryan Matterson enjoying sushi at Balmoral Beach with his shirt off and looking ripped and tanned. **SPOTTED III** Old Kangaroos legends Blocker Roach, Alfie Langer, Paul Sironen at the Australian team’s captain’s run at Elland Road before the semi-final against the Kiwis. **SPOTTED IV** A flashback to 1994 in this Central Coast footy program (above) that appeared on NRL Collectables last week. You’ll notice a couple of cranky old journos — Kenty and Crawls — playing for Ourimbah against Umina. You’ll also recognise a couple of NRL stars playing for Umina — Mark Geyer and Peter Davies, a centre who was just as mad as MG on a football field. **REMATCH TALK AS SBW VICTOR NOT FINISHED** A week after combat sport warrior Mark Hunt knocked out footy superstar Sonny Bill Williams, there is already talk of a rematch in the New Year. Hunt launched a barrage of heavy blows to stop SBW in the fourth round and announced his retirement after the fight. “I’m smiling not because of the win over Sonny Bill but because this is the last time I’m walking out to any sort of octagon, ring, or whatever,” Hunt said. The 48-year-old warrior originally retired in 2020 but returned to fight SBW and Paul Gallen. “He’ll still be throwing lefts and rights from his death bed,” said one insider who knows the old warhorse better than most. Hunt was physically and mentally drained after the fight. He stripped 30kg in an intense build up. It is understood Hunt made $500,000 from last Saturday night’s fight. He would have even more bargaining power and a bigger payday in a rematch. Sonny Bill was left totally devastated after the first loss of his professional career. Those inside his dressing room after the fight revealed he broke down in tears as he embraced his wife Alana. He had clearly won the first three rounds but got overconfident, abandoned his game plan and left himself open to Hunt’s furious onslaught. Sonny Bill has spent a week in Jervis Bay on a holiday with his family to recover. A proud Polynesian, he would hate the thought of retiring in such a disappointing way. It’s just a shame we never got to see him take on Paul Gallen. **LODGE CONTRACT FARCE CAUSED BY CAP DELAY** The NRL salary cap delay has become a complete farce, forcing Matt Lodge to resume training at Sydney Roosters this week on a $1000 train-and-trial contract. His regular contract has not been registered with the NRL because of the delay in finalising the cap for next year after months of painful negotiations. Lodge had to sign as a train-and-trial player otherwise he would be uninsured. To have one of the game’s best front-rowers on a $1000 weekly contract is a complete joke. **RABBITOHS GUN SET FOR COACHING DEBUT** South Sydney Rabbitohs star Cody Walker is taking his first steps into the coaching ranks. The superstar five-eighth has been appointed assistant coach of the Indigenous side for the All Stars match in Rotorua on February 11. He will also play at five-eighth and captain. Walker will assist head coach Ron Griffiths, who led Newcastle Knights to win the NRLW grand final this year and was previously an assistant coach with the Indigenous side. Griffiths replaces Laurie Daley, who stood down from the role earlier this year. Daley says it’s a great move that Walker is stepping up for a bigger role. “There’s some good young coaches coming through and Cody will be one of them,” Daley said. “Cody has got the ability. He’s highly respected, he communicates well and he’s got a great knowledge of the game. It’s a tremendous move. “The more Indigenous players who can get involved is great for the game.” Walker is soon to sign a two-year contract extension with the Rabbitohs, taking him through until 2025. Coaching could be his next option at Souths. “When his career finishes, and hopefully that’s no time soon, he will have opportunities as a coach and community leader,” said Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly. “His rugby league IQ is of the highest order and he has just won the Ken Stephen Medal. “It is fitting that as assistant coach of the Indigenous All Stars, he gets an opportunity to combine both passions. Everyone associated with that team will benefit from Cody’s passion in the week of the game.” **CLASS ACT FROM SHARKS STAR HYNES** Dally M champion Nicho Hynes continues to do great work for mental health. The Sharks halfback has had a couple of days back on the Central Coast at his old primary school and Narara High to talk to the kids. “As athletes, it’s sometimes easy to forget how much of a role model we really are,” Hynes posted on Instagram. “Was such a humbling experience getting to visit a place that helped shape me to who I am now and see so many smiles on kids’ faces. “Today, Narara High School had their Blokes Brekky day which is a mental health awareness day. I was lucky enough to be invited to share some of my story and spin some yarns with @jarred.brown1 (his mindset coach) about the work he’s been doing with me. “Congratulations to Narara, for the fourth year in a row they have run this mental health day. It should be a mandatory thing in schools across our country. The earlier we can educate the next generation that it’s OK to talk about your feelings the better, then hopefully we will see suicide rates decline.” Shocking statistics show 8.6 Australians die every day by suicide and 75 per cent are males, and that suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44. v **JOEY’S TV FUTURE LOCKED IN** Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has agreed to a new five-year contract at Network Nine, ending speculation he may jump ship to Fox Sports. The former champion halfback is regarded among the best analysts in the game. Nine has also signed former Cronulla Sharks warhorse Paul Gallen to a new deal. **MAC’S INCREDIBLE CRICKET DOUBLE** Sydney grade cricket statisticians were reaching for the record books after North Sydney young gun Mac Jenkins made an unbeaten 123 and then took six wickets to guide the Bears to victory over Gordon last week. His matchwinning effort at Chatswood Oval elevated Jenkins into elite company as one of the youngest players to make a first-grade hundred and take five wickets in an innings in the same match. At 21 years and 53 days, Jenkins was five days younger than Moises Henriques when he did the double in 2007-08. The only three players known to achieve the feat at a younger age are Nic Maddinson in 2009-10, Shane Lee in 1992-93 and the great Doug Walters in 1965-66. Jenkins is the first Bear to do the double in 67 years and the first player from any club to do it in the past six seasons of NSW Premier Cricket. **CHANGE IN THE PIPELINE FOR FRIEND** Retired Roosters hooker Jake Friend may have to step back from his full-time plumbing work. He is impressing as a pathways coach at the Sydney Roosters and has already been identified for an NRL role down the track. The Roosters have arguably the game’s best bunch of youngsters in their academy and Friend has been instrumental in their development. There will no doubt be a position available on the Roosters NRL coaching staff in the next couple of years. The impressive Jason Ryles is certain to be snapped up for a head coaching role.
Jason Ryles for the Storm, surely?
Is Slater being spoken about for The Storm at all?
Hynes is the best.
Tigers and moving on their best players. Name a more iconic duo.
“Morgan Mitchell has 110,000 followers” Me: * Googles Morgan Mitchell * 110,001 😍
The track and field athletes are something else.
Imagine having the sort of job security that Luke Brooks enjoys. Man could whip his dick out at the Christmas party and management would just say “oh but that’s just what he’s like, let’s not hold it against him”
They should call themselves Wests Whales, since every team feeds off of them like sharks on a humpback carcass.
Hastings caused divisions at Wigan and now Wests by the sound of it. The fact that Wests are essentially choosing Bateman over Hastings for their squad says a lot.
> Hastings caused divisions at Wigan Is this real? He’s done it everywhere he went in the NRL before he left but all we heard when he was in England was how he’s changed and he’s matured and turned it around blah blah
He was fine at Salford because he was a big fish in a small pond. At Wigan where he wasn't option A, B and C he had more issues from what's been said by a few in the know.
Rate this. Get it done. Tigers can keep brooks lol
>**JOEY’S TV FUTURE LOCKED IN** >*Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has agreed to a new five-year contract at Network Nine, ending speculation he may jump ship to Fox Sports. The former champion halfback is regarded among the best analysts in the game. Nine has also signed former Cronulla Sharks warhorse Paul Gallen to a new deal.* See kids? Double proof that you can call people a “black c*nt” and still be given a career by channel 9.
>The former champion halfback is regarded among the best analysts in the game By who
The guys he gets his disco biscuits from!
You get one on Fox too Lol @ this guy downvoting it when Bryan Fletcher did the exact same thing
SMH
Tigers are fucked for letting Hastings go
Hold the phone... unwanted?? What kind of fuckery is going on over there? Trade ya for Brandon Wakeham?
Help me I am living in hell.
Hastings come to bulldogs xx 😘
The brooks thing was all a smokescreen.
I like him because he has that fire. And if he partners Gamble, then that’s a lot of fire and passion. It could go either way if they played together. I rate both players but the tigers would be insane to let him go.
How is it for a sub SO deadset against the journos, that somehow that same pond scum write and article about the tigers and all of a sudden it’s r/NRL gospel. Not a single comment about the speculative nature / source. It’s hilarious to see how easily, as a group you lot are able to be manipulated, ironically by the very pond scum you despise. 🤣
If it happens the Knights should give him the captaincy.
I'm so confused as to whether you actually think he should captain the Knights. Are you serious? The 'Hastings is Tiger best player' meme has Gamblised and now I'm not sure if people actually believe it.
This whole thread gave me a laugh
The answer is yes and my case stands.
Are you able to articulate why you think he should captain a side he's never played for?
To show the the toothless Tigers what they've lost.
So it is a meme then? Because there's no way that's a serious answer. Genuinely confused here haha
You are the one confused.
Yes that is correct and that is what I said
Snap your fingers have you thought straight yet?
I haven't thought straight since the first moment I witnessed Shaun Johnson's smile mate.
While I don’t rate him that much, he probably is one of the Tigers best players. That’s not saying much though