{"id":420277,"date":"2024-09-03T21:49:28","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T21:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=420277"},"modified":"2024-09-04T00:10:08","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T00:10:08","slug":"big-money-dud-contract-exposed-as-cleanout-hits-road-block","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=420277","title":{"rendered":"'Big money': Dud contract exposed as cleanout hits road block"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dragons<\/a> are set for a cleanout following their disappointing exit from the finals race, with cult hero winger Mikaele Ravalawa<\/a> already shopped around to rival clubs.<\/p>\n

The Fijian flyer was the Dragons' pin-up boy last season, scoring a record equalling 20 tries – a remarkable feat in a team that struggled to score points all year.<\/p>\n

But the 26-year-old Ravalawa has not been the same player in 2024, struggling with a knee injury and being dropped from the team mid-season.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Teddy axed, six changes in Gal's Kangaroos team<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> 'Like a big brother': Demon's touching tribute after triumph<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Drastic solution to end boxing scam after $150m disappeared<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Ravalawa has scored just three tries in 12 games in the NRL and was recently suspended for abusing a touch judge in the NSW Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the must win game against the Eels last weekend, the burly winger had a shocker.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An official from a rival club confirmed he had been offered Ravalawa – who has two years to run on his contract – for 2025.<\/p>\n

"The Dragons are shopping him around but he is a winger on big money who is struggling for form," the official told Wide World of Sports.<\/p>\n

"I don't fancy their chances of finding a buyer."<\/p>\n

Several other Dragons are likely to be also moved on or given the option to explore the market in coming weeks.<\/p>\n

SON OF A GUN DEBUTS<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Modern rugby league has never known a tryscorer like the great Martin 'Chariots' Offiah – who once scored 10 tries in an English first grade game.<\/p>\n

Offiah had a couple of guest stints in Sydney with the Roosters and Dragons in the '80s and '90s, scoring tries for fun.<\/p>\n

Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and<\/strong><\/em> 9Now<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And another Offiah could be about to make a name for himself – Martin's 18-year-old son Tyler made his rugby union debut for Bath in England last weekend against the mighty Munster\u2026 and scored the winning try.<\/p>\n

It prompted his proud dad to re-name him 'Tryler'.<\/p>\n

COUNTRY RUGBY LEAGUE DRAMA IN JUNIORS\ufeff<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There's been huge drama in the Newcastle junior league, with the NSW Rugby League investigating reports that an on-field trainer has been using dirty tactics in under 15 games.<\/p>\n

At least two rival clubs claim they heard the trainer on the field tell his players to 'take out' star players during games.<\/p>\n

\"NRL<\/p>\n

An email leaked to Wide World of Sports from a distressed parent to the local league contained the following snippet:<\/p>\n

"On 16 August 2024, during a match where my team was playing, I clearly heard Mr [redacted] instructing his son to target the knees of one of my players. Specifically, Mr [redacted] directed his son to 'attack the knees of number 12 and put him out for the year'."<\/p>\n

Both the NSWRL and Hunter Junior Rugby League are looking into the allegations.<\/p>\n

BENNETT'S BUNNIES REBUILD CONTINUES\ufeff<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When Wayne Bennett calls and offers you a job, it's pretty hard to say 'no'.<\/p>\n

And so Steve Antonelli will join Souths next season as defence coach.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Antonelli brings a wealth of experience to the Bunnies and rounds off a well balanced coaching team with the legend Bennett and interim coach Ben Hornby.<\/p>\n

"I can't wait – it will be a great challenge," said Antonelli, currently an assistant at the Eels.<\/p>\n

"It was great to hear from Wayne again and I wasn't about to say no."<\/p>\n

A former Australian Schoolboys rugby union player, he switched to rugby league and signed with the Panthers in 1985.<\/p>\n

But his true calling was coaching and he has an extensive resume including stints at Canberra, Parramatta, Canterbury and at Souths in 2021, where he first met Bennett.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Dragons are set for a cleanout following their disappointing exit from the finals race, with cult hero winger Mikaele Ravalawa already shopped around to […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":420279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=420277"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":420284,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420277\/revisions\/420284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/420279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=420277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=420277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=420277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}