Ponga backflip exposes injustice; why ‘embarrassing’ Dragons blame game must stop — Crawls

It is understood the Rabbitohs will explore their salary cap situation this week as Murray heads off for expected surgery that could potentially sideline the star forward for up to five months.

The NRL has a rule in place that states clubs can apply for up to $350,000 in cap relief providing the player injured on rep duty is ruled out for at least 12 games.

The issue for the Rabbitohs is that the rehabilitation for a scapholunate reconstruction would fall short of the 12-match cut off due to timing of the injury.

But if Murray ends up requiring surgery it would still see him potentially miss the first eight rounds next season.

Given Murray chews up $1 million of Souths’ salary cap, that almost equates to the top-end of the maximum $350,000 entitlement in cap relief.

Don’t forget the Rabbitohs were also left to wear the fallout of Murray’s two-match ban for his involvement in that wild melee during State of Origin this year.

No wonder NRL clubs are often so reluctant to release their players for rep duties.

To make matters worse on this occasion, it’s since been revealed Murray suffered his injury at training before the game against the Kiwis.

But he still went out and played because he didn’t want to let the team down.

Surely it would make little sense to see the Rabbitohs penalised here, especially after Ponga escaped punishment.

We all know Ponga was never going to get picked after the way he went about disrespecting the Kangaroos and coach Mal Meninga in the first place.

The backflip was ultimately nothing more than a public relations stunt to save him from a possible sanction.

It’s not as if Murray isn’t equally important to the Rabbitohs.

THE MAN TO FINALLY SMASH BENNETT CURSE

Unassuming Tongan coach Kristian Woolf looks like he could finally be the man to smash the Wayne Bennett curse when he takes charge at the Dolphins.

It was amazing scenes watching Tonga’s thrilling victory over the Kiwis to advance to the Pacific Nations final against the Australians.

And as much as the players deserve huge respect for what they have achieved, so does the coach who has been arguably the greatest driving force in Tonga’s emergence as a genuine powerhouse of international rugby league.

For decades now taking over from Bennett has proven a poisoned chalice for so many seemingly well credentialled successors.

Go back over history and plenty have tried and failed following in the footsteps of the supercoach.

From Ivan Henjak at the Broncos to Steve Price at the Dragons, Rick Stone at the Knights, Anthony Seibold at the Broncos and Jason Demetriou at the Rabbitohs.

But Woolf looks primed to stand on his own two feet.

He had great success winning three straight premierships at St Helens in the Super League, and what he’s done for Tonga is simply amazing.

Woolf is an interesting personality who in some ways comes across as the perfect mix between Bennett and Craig Bellamy.

He’s not one of those coaches who sets out to try and sound like the smartest man in the room.

But he obviously knows his footy, while there is this unassuming confidence that obviously resonates with players.

You get the feeling this bloke will be around for the long haul.

HUNT/FLANNO BLAME GAME NEEDS TO STOP

The tit-for-tat blame game going on between Ben Hunt and Shane Flanagan is becoming more than a tad embarrassing.

But at what point does Hunt take some ownership for the breakdown of his relationship with his former Dragons coach?

Instead, Hunt continues to take this passive aggressive approach of excusing himself of any fault, while still taking sly little digs at Flanagan through the media.

Like this from Hunt in The Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend: “I haven’t heard from Shane and I guess that says something about where things are at, but I didn’t have a drama”.

So, Hunt didn’t have a drama?

Maybe he forgot about his not-so-subtle crack at Flanagan and his son Kyle recently when Hunt suggested the Dragons should sign Clint Gutherson and play him at five-eighth (the position Kyle played this year).

The fact is Hunt’s been pushing to get out of his contract for more than a year now and finally the club has given him a release so he can get on with what is left of his NRL career.

It’s high time both parties showed a bit more dignity and stopped digging the knife into each other’s back.

STORM YOUNG GUNS IN HUGE DEMAND

It proves what a finely tuned machine the Melbourne Storm are that they are even in a position to fight to keep both Jonah Pezet and Tyran Wishart.

With the annual game of NRL musical chairs about to kick off in earnest, 21-year-old Pezet would be the ideal signing for the Newcastle Knights.

The only issue is that the Knights still can’t find a club willing to take Jackson Hastings for the final season of his existing $680,000 contract.

Pezet is a former Knights junior who appears more than ready to step up.

While the Storm are doing all the can not to lose him, it’s understandable Pezet is growing restless to step out of the shadow of Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster.

The Storm also have the in demand Wishart who is still contracted for 2025, while the Storm have an option to keep Wishart for 2026.

DOLPHINS’ SURPRISE ROLE FOR HUNT

Sean O’Sullivan is the other halfback who could be looking for a new home if Ben Hunt ends up at the Dolphins.

What’s interesting is the Dolphins want Hunt to play a running five-eighth role with young gun Isaiya Katoa continuing to develop in the chief playmaking role.

Katoa continued his phenomenal rise nailing the winning field goal for Tonga against the Kiwis on the weekend.

While O’Sullivan has struggled to cement a permanent NRL spot, he showed with his stunning 40 metre field goal in the win over the Warriors in golden point late in the season how he can also handle the clutch moments.

Given his exceptional kicking game and game management, O’Sullivan would be a more than handy pick up for a club like the Dragons on a fraction of the wage Hunt was on.