Newcastle legend Andrew Johns was given the option of skipping commentary duties on Sunday night so he could enjoy the club’s first grand final in 25 years.
uncertain
he → give → years
“Nine gave me the option, but Cam Smith will be near me, and I told him if I need to go and have a breakdown, he’ll be there,” Johns said in the hours before Sunday’s grand final.
asserted
Johns → give → final
“It’s my job, and I want to do my job.
asserted
I → ’ → job
I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since I made my debut as a player.
asserted
I → think → player
I think it’s because I’ve got no control [over the result].”
asserted
I → think → result
Despite leading Newcastle to both their premierships in 1997 and 2001, Johns now calls Bronte, a beachside suburb in Sydney Roosters’ heartland, home.
asserted
Johns → lead → heartland
When Johns left for Accor Stadium on Sunday morning, he was ambushed by a handful of Roosters’ supporters, who blocked the road and gave the eighth Immortal a friendly serve.
asserted
who → leave → serve
The comical incident happened outside the home of Johns’ good mate, Rob Bruns, who runs the Bronte Boardriders and erected the banner out the front of his home which read, ‘Get Back To Newy Joey You Blow-In’.
asserted
You → happen → Joey
“My son Louis must have told them when I was leaving; they blocked the road and started shaking my car,” Johns said.
asserted
Johns → tell → car
“I was like, ‘can you leave me alone’.
asserted
you → leave → me
Louis is a Knights fan, but he’s in the Roosters system – he’s in the SG Ball this year.
asserted
he → ’ → Ball
But he’s not torn [when it comes to who he follows].
asserted
he → tear → who
David Fifita was left shaken during the Prime Minister’s XIII trip to Papua New Guinea when his phone was stolen by a fan.
asserted
phone → leave → fan
Team management did their best to track Fifita’s phone via GPS, while local police were called in to find the device.
asserted
police → do → device
The South Sydney back-rower only last month revealed how he still listened to voice messages and watched videos of his late father, who died just over 12 months ago.
asserted
who → reveal → father
Authorities eventually found Fifita’s phone, and none of his photos or videos had been wiped.
asserted
none → find → photos
The PM’s XIII team won 60-10 against the Kumuls, a team made up of mostly local talent.
asserted
team → win → talent
The official attendance was less than 10,000 fans, which is not expected to improve for the Kumuls’ games in this year’s World Cup.
asserted
which → expect → Cup
There was a comical moment on the trip home late Saturday with at least one PM’s XIII player playfully heckling Chiefs general manager of football Michael Chammas about tabling him a tax-free deal.
asserted
player → be → deal
Chammas, according to sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly, struggled to hear the player because he was seated at the front of the plane.
uncertain
he → accord → plane
Edwards double surgery ends World Cup plans
Dylan Edwards will be one big name missing when Kevin Walters names his Kangaroos’ World Cup team on Monday.
While it has already been reported that Edwards required surgery for a PCL injury he suffered in the first half against Newcastle last Sunday, what is not as well known is that the fullback will also use the off-season to undergo a shoulder reconstruction.
asserted
fullback → end → reconstruction
Edwards aggravated a shoulder saving a try against the Broncos late in the season, which forced him to miss a month – and also cost him points in the Dally M race, where he finished third behind teammate Nathan Cleary.
asserted
he → aggravate → Cleary
Spotted I
Roosters players, including Mark Nawaqanitawase, bringing sand from Bondi Beach to sprinkle in the corners of the Accor Stadium playing surface before Saturday’s captain’s run.
asserted
players → include → run
Stadium management confirmed this really happened.
asserted
this → confirm → ?
Spotted II
Aussie sprint sensation Lachie Kennedy, who ran 100m in 9.85 seconds to win silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games this year, helping promote Athletics Australia’s new seven-year partnership with Nine, the owners of this masthead, which will run through to the end of 2033.
asserted
which → run → 2033
Kennedy loves the North Queensland Cowboys.
asserted
Kennedy → love → Cowboys
Nelson Asofa-Solomona joined the retiring players’ parade at Accor Stadium and strolled right past Paul Gallen, the Cronulla champion he will fight at the end of the year.
asserted
he → join → year
Broncos captain Adam Reynolds and Daniel Saifiti, the brother of Knights’ prop Jacob Saifiti, along with Konrad Hurrell, the new Tongan media manager for the World Cup, were also among the 18 players to call it a day.
asserted
Reynolds → call → it
The Aporia
