South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell stops NSW premier Chris Minns in his tracks

I was fortunate to spend the day with Mitchell and Walker, and I can assure you Latrell was not interested in being a spokesman for the NRL or the government. He was there to provide support to the young people he was interacting with in Moree and the police who are battling the crime wave. Mitchell made it clear he was on a media ban, but co-operated when asked by V’landys to speak.

Loading

Mitchell showed kindness and generosity by signing autographs and taking selfies with hundreds of kids. It proves he is not the person many people think he is.

“He is a hero to many Indigenous kids and he takes that role very seriously,” V’landys said. “I much admire his conviction.”

It’s clear Mitchell knows his words can make a difference in the area. His personality is not what people see on TV. He does what he does because he knows he can affect lives; not because it’s natural to him, but because he knows it matters.

The more you get to peek behind the curtain with Mitchell, the more you see he is actually a shy individual who, like everyone, wants to be liked.

Walker is far more comfortable with being a public voice for Indigenous issues and his leadership in that area and support for Mitchell can’t be underestimated.

Sorry state

It is hard not to sympathise with Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany, and even the host of NRL 360, Braith Anasta, as they oversee a program that has been loose with the truth.

There was another apology issued during the week by the show, this time to Wests Tigers chief Shane Richardson, after it was claimed on the program that his management, marketing and media company, Rich Digital, stood to gain from corporate deals done by the club he runs.

It was also suggested that Richardson would benefit from the sponsored suites at another stadium; the inference being that is why he wanted the Tigers to leave Leichhardt and play their home games elsewhere. The real reason, as Richardson explained, is the facilities at Leichhardt are substandard, and that the Tigers can’t continue to play there if they are not improved.

Loading

Richardson is understood to have threatened to take legal action about the claims on Fox. That threat resulted in a meek and awkward apology, which came out of the blue on the program and was given no context.

It would be surprising if Delany was not aware of the background to the apology. Ultimately, the decision to keep the program in its current format falls on him. He is a decent man and would hate for characters in the game to be slurred.

Everyone makes mistakes, but accusing a club boss of acting for his own financial gain by doing side deals through his management company is way out of line. The apology shows the network understands that.

Fun and winning games

Canterbury general manager Phil Gould can look after himself when it comes to media attacks on him and his club. In the past week, he has been the subject of a whispering campaign with lies being distributed in viral text messages designed to undermine Gould and some of his key relationships at the club.

Loading

The Bulldogs are also aware of media interest in the departure of some people from the club. One element of the texts that is not true has been given air time by the media, so it is lucky coach Cameron Ciraldo has a steel about him not many are aware of.

Ciraldo has had to endure a campaign, fuelled by texts, that he does not pick his teams. Instead, it is claimed Gould chooses teams. But Ciraldo is choosing teams. Gould doesn’t even attend selection meetings.

When it came to announcing the team for Friday’s 30-26 upset win over the Roosters, Ciraldo said to the group with a smile as Gould watched on: “Gus, why don’t you announce the team since you picked it?”

It is interesting to read criticism levelled at Gould for recruitment and failing to land players in key positions. Gould knows better than anyone where the club is deficient and tried to sign Jarome Luai and Addin Fonua-Blake. I have been told by sources with knowledge of the situation that Luai indicated to some at the Bulldogs he was heading to Belmore. For whatever reason, he opted to go to the Tigers.

Gould has landed some big signings, such as Stephen Crichton, Viliame Kikau, Josh Curran and Reed Mahoney. Gould also signed Ciraldo. The club also has a strong line of players coming through the juniors. In time, things will change for the club and commitment to Ciraldo’s program is starting to bear fruit.

Tale worth telling

Roosters chairman Nick Politis was the first person to ring me last Sunday. Politis was fuming about the story we broke that revealed he and fellow billionaire James Packer had broken bread after years of not speaking.

The story was right, and that’s why Politis was upset. He thought it deserved to remain between himself, Packer and peacemaker Mark Bouris.

Loading

Politis and Packer were mates before they fell out after Packer left the Roosters board and bought a stake in South Sydney.

Unfortunately, the Packer-Politis reunion was the talk of the NRL, and had been for a week. Politis was of the view that leaking the story would damage the new-found trust he and Packer had established. However, they are two of the biggest names in the game and it’s a story every day of the week.

Politis told me it would damage the rebuilding of a friendship. It is understood Packer was also unhappy we had the information and the level of detail, particularly that he drove the reconciliation. The positive is the pair are back on good terms and that is good for both.

Las is more for NRL

It’s not fashionable to praise the NRL – and I’ve done more than my share of bagging over the years – but it’s hard to ignore the apparent Las Vegas “halo effect” and the great start to the 2024 season.

There is no question the Vegas venture was the best promotion the game has undertaken since Tina Turner was banging out What You Get Is What You See and The Best in the late 1980s and early ’90s.

Some of the early numbers are compelling, breaking records in many cases.

Viewership: The Roosters-Broncos season opener was the most watched regular-season match on record, while both Vegas matches were the most viewed matches on Fox. Overall viewership on Channel Nine has increased by 5.9 per cent this year, while 9Now streaming has grown by 40 per cent.

Membership: The Sea Eagles, Knights, Dolphins and Warriors have had big increases, while the Broncos have topped 50,000.

Digital engagement: There were 225 million impressions across NRL social platforms during the first four rounds, a 27 per cent increase on 2023.

Crowds: The total attendance for the opening four rounds was 734,500, the highest cumulative attendance for this period since crowd figures became official in 2011. Last weekend, 202,491 people attended round four, an average of 25,300 a game.

“Thanks to our fans, it has been a sensational start to the season and we are enjoying positive momentum since Las Vegas,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.

The NRL also highlighted some key football-related statistics: there has been an average of six more play-the-balls a game compared to the same time in 2023; on average there is half a line break per game more compared to the same time in 2023; play-the-ball speeds are faster in 2024 compared to last season; one-on-one tackles have increased and three-man tackles have decreased.

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter

NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now