BY CURTIS WOODWARD – EDITOR

@woodward_curtis

HEY CHANNEL NINE, GET BACK IN YOUR LANE

I think it is awesome expansion is back up for discussion. But let’s be wary of where the chat is coming from to begin with. Western Australia should be the next cab off the rank. We never should have turned our backs on them at the end of 1997 to begin with. But Perth hasn’t been mentioned at all in the last few days. It’s all about a second team in Brisbane. Why? Because Channel Nine want it that way. Nine Network director Tom Malone has a ‘preference’ of sending a Sydney club up to Brisbane… yeah that’ll work.

COMMUNICATION IS GREAT BUT ANNESLEY GONE TOO FAR

Graham Annesley analysing and breaking down referee’s decisions from the weekend prior is a great idea in theory. Annesley has given the on-field officials nowhere to hide and puts the onus on them to perform. But Annesley has taken it too far. All it does is create this never-ending perception the NRL is incompetent. Human error will happen. Don’t make it worse by highlighting the mistakes from every single game, every single round. Annesley admitted Darius Boyd should have been penalised for blocking Clint Gutherson as teammate Jamayne Isaako kicked the winning field goal for the Broncos on Friday night. Really? Gutherson was never getting there and gave up on the play, anyway. It wasn’t worth an admission from Annesley. It just feeds the outrage.

TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY FARAH

Wests Tigers have named Robbie Farah in their extended squad to play Cronulla this Sunday. It will be a miracle if he gets on the field. The question is, should he really be given the option? The dummy half is a legitimate club legend but the bloke has a fractured tibia. Benji Marshall, Luke Brooks and Josh Reynolds are all playing great footy. Wests Tigers are on a roll. And if anyone is going to exploit a wounded Farah and his leg, it’s the Sharks. What to do? What to do?

PAUL MCGREGOR

How the hell is Paul McGregor still the head coach at the Dragons? Perhaps St George Illawarra can’t afford to pay him out…

NSWRL FINALS BEGIN

Steele Sports and Hawkesbury Radio will team up this weekend to call eight games of footy. That’s all four NSW Cup finals and all four Jersey Flegg finals.

@woodward_curtis