The diving cycle, Daly’s 350th milestone and the 'Trojan Horse' of player managers
Paul Kent and Warren Livingston dissect the latest NRL news that has been dominated by the perennial debate over "milking" penalties, the uncertain future of a Manly icon and the dangerous influence of external powerbrokers within club walls.
The Endless Cycle of Diving
The game has once again found itself embroiled in a debate over players laying down to secure penalties. For Kent, the outrage is nothing more than a recurring chapter in rugby league history that surfaces every few seasons.
"I've been writing about the NRL this competition for 30 years. Every three, four years it's in the cycle. It just comes up again and we all get our knickers in a knot. The fact is it's just part of the game. Diving is a gamesmanship thing. If you can con the referee into thinking that you've been hit high, that's part of the fabric of the game. It's been around forever. You're never going to get rid of it."
Addressing suggestions like Corey Parker’s idea to sin-bin divers for ten minutes, Kent was sceptical, noting that it is impossible for a referee to truly know if a player is legitimately hurt. Instead, he proposed an old-fashioned remedy to kill the benefit of the dive.
"The best way to do it is if a player lays down, the referee blows his whistle, whoever's standing at dummy half picks up the ball, moves five metres infield and plays the ball. If you're really hurt, you stay down and get treatment. If you're not, you've just cost your team all momentum in attack. You've let the defence get set. The coach will say, 'Don't you stuff up our set by laying down trying to milk a penalty'."
Daly Cherry-Evans and the Age Factor
As Daly Cherry-Evans prepares for his 350th game this Saturday, a milestone Kent described as a "magnificent achievement," the celebration is being clouded by questions regarding his form and his move to the Roosters.
"In boxing, there's an old saying: you can get old overnight. Rugby league is a bit of a slower burn, but the danger for the Roosters and the danger for Daly Cherry-Evans is this recent form slump. Is it just a form slump, or is it the beginning of the end? Has he lost his legs? When you're 24, it's a form slump. When you're his age, you don't know what it is."
Kent highlighted a "worrying" lack of enthusiasm in some of the captain’s recent defensive efforts and suggested that Cherry-Evans might be "the last person that should be advising Daly" on when to hang up the boots.
The 'Trojan Horse' of Player Managers
The conversation took a darker turn when discussing the internal politics at the Sea Eagles. Kent warned of the "unhealthy" environment created when a single player manager gains too much leverage over a club’s recruitment.
"What player managers try to do is get a core group or a tipping balance number of players within the club so they can basically control the club. It's the Trojan Horse. Once they get in there, suddenly you realise you've hitched your ride to somebody and then you're in trouble. We got this manager, he brought us these four players, but now he's telling us if we don't sign this guy, he's going to come in and take his players away. You're being dictated to by the manager."
Kent noted that strong clubs have strict edicts to limit the number of players from any one stable to prevent managers from "dictating who they will and won't sign."
Trouble in Perth and the Tino Rumours
The episode also touched on the NRL’s new Perth franchise and potential breaches regarding the recruitment of Gold Coast star Tino Fa'asuamaleaui.
"The news is they have approached Tino before the 1st of November. The recruitment manager Ezra is from the Gold Coast and the story is that he's close to Tino and has approached him outside or before the 1st of November. Gold Coast have blown up. Because the NRL owns the Perth Bears, he's made a fatal mistake. They simply just can't tolerate it. They have to abide by their own rules."
Quick Hits: Abdo, Eels and the Best Fit for CEO
In the 'Ask Kenty' segment, the panel addressed the potential vacancy at the top of the NRL if CEO Andrew Abdo moves on, with Kent naming a clear frontrunner.
"I think Ben Ikin is the perfect man for the job. He's been involved in club football, he's running Queensland Rugby League, he's handled the media. He's intelligent. As an ex-player, he's won Premierships, he's played for Australia. He's done it all. You walk into a room and people take notice of him."
Finally, Kent poured cold water on the "hype" surrounding a Parramatta Eels revival under Jason Ryles.
"I like the Eels, but I'm not into the hype. Last year they won seven games, this year they've won seven games. They had the starting spine they hoped to start with next year on the weekend and still got beat by a South Sydney side that was a touch off A-grade. That's a concern for Parramatta fans."
Watch the full episode on Fanatics TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im-Nhbx4jVU
