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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Rabbitohs' ‘$2 million mistake' exposes the NRL club's major recruitment issue
The Rabbitohs' signing of Lewis Dodd has been labelled a '$2 million mistake' as he prepares to start at halfback for the first time in the NRL. Dodd was named in the No. 7 jersey for South Sydney's clash with the Sharks on Saturday night. In his four previous NRL games this season, Dodd came off the bench in three games and started at five-eighth in the other. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Even with his hefty $650,000 salary, Dodd has been regularly overlooked for selection by coach Wayne Bennett, even amid an injury crisis at the club in 2025. NRL 360 co-host Dan Ginnane wondered whether Dodd had been signed by the Rabbitohs solely because he kicked the match-winning field goal for St Helens in the World Club Challenge back in 2023, when they prevailed 13-12 over Penrith. The 23-year-old Dodd is contracted with the Rabbitohs until the end of the 2027 season on a three-year deal. 'Is there a chance that Souths pushed the button when he kicked that field goal in the World Club Challenge, which is really, let's be honest, in our part of the world, it's a glorified exhibition game?' Ginnane asked. 'He kicks a field goal, they win 13-12, is that a $2 million field goal that he kicked?' Panellist Andrew Webster agreed the Dodd signing was a mysterious one. 'It is one of the more bizarre recruitments, really,' Webster added. 'I've heard from people both in the UK and other recruiters here in the NRL that they were surprised that Souths signed him and threw that amount of money at him. 'Look, it's a $2 million mistake. 'I've heard of other Super League clubs being interested in getting him but they want to be offering some pretty heavy coin for Lewis Dodd to want to move away from the $700,000 a year contract he's on.' Host Braith Anasta said the Rabbitohs' recruitment has left a lot to be desired. 'I really think they've got to change a lot about their recruitment, Souths,' Anasta said. 'I think they've got to take a different direction, moving forward. I say this because, you look at their NSW Cup team, they're coming last, their Jersey Flegg second last, their junior competition is nowhere near where it used to be.' Webster believes South Sydney need to add to their stocks in the forwards. 'They need some middle forwards. That's what they've been missing all year. Through injury and form, they haven't had that at all this year, and where they are on the ladder reflects it,' Webster added. Ginnane pointed out that Latrell Mitchell has missed a lot of games for the Rabbitohs since joining the club. 'Latrell plays 14 games a year. It's fact. He's played 85 games in six years at Souths, so he's going to miss 10 games,' Ginnane added. The Rabbitohs are currently missing a staggering number of players, worth over $6 million, in an injury crisis. Mitchell ($1.1 million), Cameron Murray ($1 million), Keaon Koloamatangi ($650,000), Campbell Graham ($650,000), Cody Walker ($600,000), Brandon Smith ($550,000), Davvy Moale ($500,000), Peter Mamouzelos ($300,000), Jamie Humphreys ($250,000), Jayden Sullivan ($200,000), Mikaele Ravalawa ($165,000) and Bayleigh Bentley-Hape ($120,000) are all currently sidelined.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Bozhidar Kraev scores double as Western Sydney Wanderers progress to Australia Cup round of 16 with win over Peninsula Power
Bulgarian international Bozhidar Kraev scored twice as Western Sydney Wanderers cruised into the Australia Cup round of 16 with a 3-0 win over NPL Queensland club Peninsula Power on Tuesday night. New Wanderers signing, veteran New Zealand international attacker Kosta Barbarouses, also found the back of the net at AJ Kelly Park as Peninsula's attempt to disrupt the visitors by narrowing the pitch proved to be fruitless. Kraev scored twice in the opening 23 minutes, with Barbarouses' goal nine minutes later putting the game to bed. It could have been worse for the Power, but goalkeeper Jordan Thurtell saved a 59th-minute penalty to deny Kraev a hat-trick. 'It was how we planned it, how we expected it and how we wished things to go,' Kraev told Paramount Plus in reflecting on his side's overall performance. The Wanderers starting side also included another of the club's off-season acquisitions in former Central Coast Mariners striker Alou Kuol, while ex-Melbourne City midfielder Steven Ugarkovic, who also recently signed with Western Sydney, was a second-half substitute. Joining the Wanderers in the round of 16 with wins on Tuesday night were Victorian clubs Avondale and Nunawading City. Avondale thrashed West Australian outfit Stirling Macedonia 5-1, while fourth-tier club Nunawading set a record Australia Cup scoreline with a 9-0 thumping of Darwin Olympic.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Caroline Wilson tells Hutchy to ‘grow up' in shock spray live on-air
Caroline Wilson bluntly told Craig Hutchison to 'grow up' during a feisty spat live on Channel 7. Hutchison, Wilson, Kane Cornes and Nick Riewoldt front The Agenda Setters on the network and the two footy greats sat silently while the media identities got into a squabble over one of Hutchy's recent business moves. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The pre-planned segment, which Hutchison clearly did not know was going to happen, related to the media mogul's awkward appearance on radio network RSN last week after he announced a raft of sackings at the station. Earlier this month, the TV host's SEN group purchased RSN in a $3.25 million deal and immediately set about cutting costs, including giving popular hosts Daniel Harford and Michael Felgate the flick. Watch the Hutchy-Caro exchange in the video player above Many long-time listeners of the station only learned the news when Hutchison fronted Felgate's Racing Pulse show last Thursday. So Wilson took the opportunity to make a cheeky plea over her own future on the Channel 7 show. Set up by Riewoldt in a section called The Spill, the former St Kilda captain put the vague question to Wilson: 'The hour on air of the Agenda Setters is the highest risk of all.' The long-time Age reporter replied: 'Well, certainly if you're on air with Craig Hutchison. 'This is no respect, disrespect I should say, to Michael Felgate or Daniel Harford for that matter. 'But if you're going to remove me from the show, can you please not do it with me on-air?' Wilson delivered the jab with a straight face and Hutchison did not take it well. 'This is not something to joke about,' he shot back. When Wilson said 'I'm not joking about it', Hutchy said: 'No, that's incredibly disrespectful and disappointing. That story is incorrect. It didn't happen.' Wilson, clearly surprised by Hutchison's reaction, stuck to her guns. 'Oh, don't. Craig, you walked into the studio, I know Michael Felgate already knew that his show would no longer be continuing,' she said. 'But if you're going to do it to me, I would rather it happen behind the scenes and not on air.' With Hutchison's production company directly involved in The Agenda Setters, perhaps Wilson just signed her own papers? Watch this space. But Hutchy wasn't taking the shot lying down. 'There was a press release the day before and there was a mature, two-way conversation on-air and you're making light of it, which is disappointing,' a seemingly hurt Hutchy replied. Wilson then had the last word, scoffing as she said: 'Oh, grow up.' Cornes and Riewoldt then did their best to keep the show moving, moving onto a story about Travis Boak and his habits in the bedroom the night before a game. Somehow, that topic was nowhere near as awkward as the exchange between the old journalists. In a bizarre segment last week, Felgate had the opportunity to grill Hutchison about why he was losing his job, with the latter doing his best to stress it wasn't a personal decision. Felgate began the interview asking: 'I've got to start with the elephant in the room. An announcement yesterday which came out that there will be programming changes. ' Breakfast with Harf and this show, Racing Pulse, will no longer exist in the new regime. 'Just talk us through the reasoning. Why you don't want Breakfast with Harf and Racing Pulse on the new station?' Hutchison responded: 'First of all they're magnificent shows, so no disrespect at all to the quality of the programs and the identities involved, you in particular Michael and Daniel, who have been incredible servants of RSN. 'There's nothing personal about (cancelling) either of those programs … we need to invest, over time, into the racing product, it's a racing station. 'It's a different audience to the one that we have developed over on SEN Track, very different audience, very different experience, they don't really resemble each other after midday.' He went on to say: 'I know that won't be everyone's cup of tea on day one. 'You (Felgate) have got an enormous following, so does Daniel. The default position from many will be to have empathy for those programs and I respect that hugely. Hugely, because it's not about the quality of the shows.' Harford, who has been an icon of the network, said on his show last Thursday it had been 'a period of uncertainty' for those involved. 'So at the end of August this program will cease to exist,' he said. 'We'll be no longer required and there will be different programming on RSN which is very sad. 'We've been doing this for a long time, which is very sad. We've had a lot of conversations about this internally for a little while. 'Certainly in the last couple of days when we found out what was going to be happening. 'So that's the reality of our situation.' The Hutchison-led group announced RSN will double dip from the Hutchison-backed SEN network and will broadcast SEN Breakfast. SEN's flagship breakfast slot, whish is shared between Cornes, David King, Tim Watson and Garry Lyon, will now be broadcast on two frequencies. Felgate's Racing Pulse will be replaced by Gareth Hall's Giddy Up.
