No, it is the overall results that give the interest. For much of the last four seasons the key point of interest has been: who will get beaten by Penrith in the grand final?
That is, clearly no longer the case. With just one win from four matches, the Panthers are struggling like a Ferrari missing a couple of pistons – in their case, Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau. In their place at the top of the ladder, Canterbury are sitting pretty with four wins out of four, and the smart money is divided between them and the Broncos to win this year.
Even the Tigers have won a couple of matches – while the Eels, without Clint Gutherson, are the new Tigers. These days they’re entitled to a victory lap if they win so much as the toss. The point is, it ain’t same old, same old, but instead is a fresh comp, with fresh results.
Hard work beats all
Thank you, thank you all. TFF received, if I do say so myself, a phenomenal response to my piece this week on chatting to Dennis Lillee, in the run-up to his first public appearance in Sydney in ten years at the end of this month, when he will be speaking at The Chappell Foundation dinner on 30 April. (Tickets available.)
My theme was that even 50 years on, Lillee still has that thing about him that reduces even 63-year-olds like me to ten-year-olds once more, as we remember how it was to watch him in his pomp. I have been inundated with texts and emails since, and love this memory from Alan Campbell, the former chairman of selectors for NSW.
Dennis Lillee in full flight.Credit: Fairfax Archive
“When we ran the Pace Australia program in Sydney,” he recalls, “Dennis was addressing a group of young quicks. Probably guys like Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, etc.”
The young men lean in, notebooks in hand. Hark! The great man speaks.
“There are three things that make a great fast bowler,” Lillee starts. “I’d like you to write them down.
“No.1: Hard work.”
“No.2: Bloody hard work, and …
“No.3: F—ing hard work. Now, let’s get to the nets …”
Class closed.
Follow the beer money
Still on Brett Lee, at least tangentially, and eyebrows were raised this week when a curious creditor emerged for the Sydney Beer Company – for which Lee was the public face and minor shareholder, though never a director or manager of day-to-day operations – after it went bust, owing ten million dollars.
Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath.Credit: AP
As reported by the Financial Review, “The McGrath Foundation, a charity group that raises funds for breast cancer and support in the community and is spearheaded by another former international fast bowler, Glenn McGrath, is owed $33,000.”
I know. Odd indeed that a breast-cancer charity should be a creditor to a beer company. Upon inquiry, though – so settle down – I was firmly told by a spokesperson: “The McGrath Foundation did not make an investment in Sydney Beer Co. The money owed relates to the support Sydney Beer Co had committed to us as a corporate partner of the McGrath Foundation in the lead-up to and during the Sydney Pink Test. Also, the McGrath Foundation is no longer exclusively a breast cancer charity. In January we expanded our care to support people through any type of cancer.”
We’ve been told!
Hoops coach’s slam dunk
Here was an interaction between Louisiana State University coach Kim Mulkey and a reporter this week, after Mulkey’s basketball side was knocked out of a prestigious NCAA tournament:
Reporter: “Coach, this is the second straight year you got eliminated in the Elite Eight …”
Mulkey: “Is that terrible or is that good?”
Reporter: “Terrible.”
Mulkey: “How many Final Fours you play in?”
Reporter: “Uh, none.”
Mulkey: “So it’s probably pretty good, huh?”
Reporter: “Yeah.”
Mulkey: “Alright.”
What They Said
Stop the fight! It’s official. We have the most rugby league quote of 2025. Take it away, Lachlan Iias: “‘Flanno’ wanted us to keep playing our footy, and after ‘Liddsy’ scored his try, we spoke as a spine about the need to keep playing the way we want to play.”
New Parramatta signing Dylan Walker: “You can’t be a premiership-winning player, play for Australia, play for NSW, play over 230 games if you’re a dickhead.” Discuss.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese using sporting references to define his style of leadership: “I see myself as the captain of the team. I’m not playing halfback, hooker and fullback and front row. I’ve run a proper cabinet government.” Extra points if you can spot a Peter Dutton metaphor to define his own style. I’m presuming that Clive Palmer style is liking dropping a heavy shot put on your toe.
Captain’s knock: Albanese.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
World No.12 women’s tennis player Daria Kasatkina on switching allegiances from Russia: “I am delighted to let you all know that my application for permanent residency has been accepted by the Australian Government. Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home. I love being in Melbourne and look forward to making my home there. As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will be representing my new homeland Australia, in my professional tennis career from this point onwards.” Oi.
Marnus Labuschagne after Queensland lost the Shield final: “The Queensland spirit just lives so deep within. It is passed down from generation to generation. We kept digging in … and we found ourselves almost stealing the Shield off South Australia.”
LeBron James on if played in the 1970s: “Giannis Antetokounmpo would have 250 points in a game in the ’70’s – 250. That’s no disrespect, but seriously.”
Gout Gout on the raucous athletics meeting last week, where, to everyone’s amazement, he came second in the 200m: “The silence was loud.”
Gout: “Life is never normal. You’ve got the ups and downs, you’ve got the halos, you’ve got the rocks, you’ve got the sand, you’ve got the fire. So it’s definitely not normal, but it’s something I can get used to and something I can cope with.”
Sea Eagles CEO Tony Mestrov on the Daly Cherry-Evans imbroglio: “Being a CEO of an NRL club is a lonely place at times. Even my wife asked me, ‘How can you let Chez go?’”
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Jakub Mensik following his victory over Novak Djokovic in the Miami Open final, recounted how, before the first round, he was on his way to the referee’s room to announce his withdrawal – only to find that as the official was out for lunch, he took another option: “It was a big inflammation. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t run. I started to treat it, started to take painkillers. Nothing was helping. During match day it was the same …. I tried to step on the treadmill. I couldn’t move. I was visiting the referee’s office to say: ‘Guys, I’m pulling out,’ but he was having lunch. So OK, let’s visit the physio first …”
Carlton coach Michael Voss on his side’s 0-4 start of the season: “That will be something we review strongly. We’ve already had a really honest chat about that within the rooms, but that’s not us. That’s not us. We’ve got a standard that we play to and we didn’t meet that tonight.”
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil: “There’s a place for LIV Golf in the world. That’s one thing I’ve 100 per cent committed to. I think the notion of being the F1 of golf is real. It’s 100 per cent real.” Closer to professional wrestling of the combat arts world in my view. All hype, zero substance. Though at least pro wrestling has a genuine audience, which LIV does not. In terms of following, the numbers are catastrophic.
Team of the Week.
Novak Djokovic. Nudging towards 38, just lost the final of the Miami Open to a 19-year-old – and hasn’t won a slam since the 2023 US Open, nor even a tournament since he won Olympic gold in Paris. In the distance, a lady with wonderfully well fleshed proportions, is warbling lightly.
Taniela Tupou. The one-time tearaway prop for the Wallabies has been dropped by the Waratahs, his starting place in the front row taken by young Daniel Botha, making his debut in the sky blue.
Canterbury Bulldogs. Flying high in the NRL, at the top of the table.
Auckland FC. In their maiden A-League season, they look to have the premiership sewn up!
South Australia. Won their first Sheffield Shield in 29 years, beating someone or other last week.
Min Woo Lee and Minjee Lee. The Aussie golfers are just the third set of siblings to win on both the PGA and LPGA tour – with Min Woo Lee winning the Miami last Sunday.
Scotty James. The Australian won the halfpipe gold medals at the world championships for the fourth time!
RIP John Cullen. A life member of Eastwood Rugby Club – having built TG Millner field with his mates – he played over 100 first grade games for the Woodies, coached 1st grade in the early 70s and coached kids rugby and cricket for 25 years. One of those unsung heroes of grassroots sport. Vale, John.
