Au Revoir, Marky Mark

The boys break down the latest in the rugby league news cycle ranging from Mark Nawaqanitawase’s sudden jump back to Rugby Union to the high-stakes roster shuffles at the Brisbane Broncos ahead of their preliminary final.

The "Best of Both Worlds" for Marky Mark

Kenty provided a staggering look at Mark Nawaqanitawase's decision to leave the Roosters and return to Rugby Union. He attributed the move to Rugby Australia rolling back the "Giteau Rule," which now allows players to be selected for the Wallabies while playing overseas.

"It's a best of both worlds for Nawaqanitawase. He goes back to rugby union, he'll take one of those rich Japanese deals or French deals, make a stackload of money, and then out of that he'll still get picked for the Wallabies... the world's his oyster."

Kenty noted that while it’s a smart commercial decision, it is a loss for the NRL. "I thought his development this season was—he's probably the most improved player in the NRL this season. He will go back to rugby union a far better player than what he came from."

Broncos' "Minor Surgery" for the Prelim

With Pat Carrigan suspended and Billy Walters injured, Michael Maguire has been forced into a tactical reshuffle. While Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam return, Kenty raised concerns about the impact on Reece Walsh, who had found a "reactionary" rhythm with the previous halves pairing.

"There was a lot of talk... about how the essentially the new-look Brisbane halves, which at the time was Hunt and Billy Walters, had unlocked Reece Walsh. Now, has he locked up again? We don't know, do we?"

Kenty praised Maguire's "steel sharpens steel" philosophy for the team's elite fitness, noting that "the value of that's now coming out... the fact that they were still playing hard at the end of 95 minutes [against the Raiders] showed what good shape they're in."

Jerome Hughes: Intent in the Seven Jersey

The Melbourne Storm have named Jerome Hughes to return despite a broken arm, a move Kenty sees as a psychological and tactical win.

"The fact that he's in the seven jersey, I really like it. To me, it shows the Storm's intent... Craig Bellamy will want to see confidence from him, he'll want to see him be able to do the general basics without any limitations—no wincing, no holding back, no tentativeness."

Managed Friction: The 76% Club

Addressing a recent player poll where 76% of players said clubs move them on too early, Kenty argued that the issue is often driven by salary cap necessity and player managers.

"Salary cap management is so crucial to your success that you've got to really—you can't afford to have any fat on your cap... if you're not a Tom Trbojevic and you're sitting there and you're on 600 and you give them 400 grand in value, they're going to find a way to get rid of you."

He labeled player managers as the "friction" between clubs and players. "The managers are boom-no-bust at the moment... until the NRL are serious about actually properly punishing and holding standards and actually policing it, it'll never be fixed."

The "Siege Mentality" in Cronulla

Finally, the discussion turned to the Cronulla Sharks and their recent complaints of being disrespected. Kenty was blunt about why the respect hasn't always been there.

"Respect is earned; it's never given. They hadn't earned that respect... they got the shits because they weren't getting it back then. But the way they've played the last three weeks in particular has been sensational... and it is enough to win the comp."

Watch the full episode on Fanatics TV.