Peter Valandis defends two-hour lunch meeting to select immortals, Hall of Fame inductees

There is no doubt that those who made the decision were highly qualified, but the concerns raised by those advocating for a new procedure are also legitimate regarding the absence of former judges and living elders.

The last time the Immortals were inducted was in 2018, when the late greats of journalism Ian Hydes Is the chairman of the committee. Bob Fulton, Wally Lewis and Andrew Johns (unfortunately absent due to illness) and other league celebrities Noel Tasker, Ray Warren, Phil Gould, Wayne Bennett, Steve Crowley and Todd Greenberg It’s the jury. Another immortal, Graeme Langlandswho died earlier that year. The living immortals should have a say this time.

The problems in the selection process began with a tweet Daryl Broman, Who is frightened? That The Boyd Family Inducted into the Hall of Fame. How Boyd was inducted is somewhat of a mystery, as he was nominated relatively late.

In 1983, NSW’s Boyd hit Queensland’s Brohman with his elbow during an interstate Origin match, breaking Brohman’s jaw. The incident became infamous in rugby league. The following year, Boyd played just three games after his return before being banned for another 15 months for gouging out the eye of a Canterbury player. Billy JohnstonThis effectively ended Boyd’s career in Australia.

I don’t know how I would have reacted when he was named in a room full of powerful people, but in terms of ability alone, Boyd was far behind many other players of his era.

The Hall of Fame selection panel needs more time and more education to make their decision. No doubt the head of the sport, V’landys, and the NRL CEO Andrew Abdoshould be part of this process, and several senior journalists or commentators should also be included. However, the key person should be the league historian David MiddletonHe knows past players better than anyone.

Bennett angry about political football talk

He was outraged when Wayne Bennett refused to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in protest of how the award was chosen.

Bennett’s absence had nothing to do with rugby league politics. While he believes there needs to be a degree of consistency in the way the awards are judged, and perhaps a different judging format, his absence was not some bold statement. Sam Burgess Receiving the Hall of Fame honour, the former South Sydney star is delighted to have done just that.

Organisers did try desperately to get Bennett interviewed by John Quayle via video link, but that was unsuccessful.

Delany’s behavior is unforgivable

If you haven’t Patrick Delanyone might reasonably ask: how can he still be the boss of Foxtel?

News Corp thugs won’t make such demands because they are his employees, but they are being made broadly across the media and sports world. Many people have asked me this week to call for his sacking. They are disgusted by his behaviour. Others say it’s just a joke and should be ignored.

I certainly have no right to ask for anything.

A photo of Mr. Delany, now chief executive of News Corp-controlled Foxtel, posing in a Nazi-style pose emerged online on Sunday. Mr. Delany later apologized for the photo.

The initial context provided by Delaney was that he was somehow mimicking the poses of football supporters. It was later revealed that he was indeed mimicking Mark BosnichThe infamous incident in 1996 at Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane stadium.

After a brief but sincere conversation with Delany, he made it clear to me that he does not consider himself anti-Semitic. He is deeply remorseful and his apology is sincere. He and his family have Jewish ancestry. Is that OK? Others can answer that question, including his family.

As far as this column can tell, the video was filmed 12 years ago, and there was no immediate apology. He will say that’s because he doesn’t remember it happening. He didn’t know anyone filmed the video. This is his story, and we have to accept that. We read and hear that he has spoken to all the right people and made all the right noises, but why do this in the first place?

You might be wondering why this news is in the sports column. Firstly, Delany is one of the most influential figures in Australian sport.

You might also be wondering why I am so pretentious? Those who read this column carefully will know that I am Jewish. I don’t take it personally. I have no religious beliefs. I don’t participate in politics or comment on things that don’t directly concern me.

Although I sincerely apologized to Delany and called him personally, I could not ignore his actions. My late father would be ashamed of me if I did so. The Nazis destroyed my family. I sent Delany my grandmother’s description of what happened, and it was heartbreaking to hear it.

If anyone is interested, you can google Irene Wedler. She tells of her experiences in Auschwitz and her face-to-face encounter with one of the most notorious mass murderers in history.

Yet, her account, harrowing as it is, fails to do justice to what my father went through at age five. It affected him for the rest of his life. And it obviously had a knock-on effect on me.

Of course, none of this was Delany’s fault; he just did it without thinking it through. We all make mistakes, but some are harder to forgive than others.

Trell is like this

South Sydney will Latrell Mitchell Going into next season will not be found in contracts or clauses.

The club will make it clear to him that his role with the Rabbitohs is that of a footballer and that must be his priority.

It may sound simple and implicit, but given Mitchell’s huge public profile and role in the Aboriginal community, the club wanted him to make it clear. In other words, they wanted him to focus on his sport rather than spend time serving as a community leader.

That may be hard for Mitchell to do, and the Southern team is not saying he should neglect what’s important to him, but they are making it clear that his priorities are football and family. They want him to limit his involvement in other areas.

How Mitchell feels about that remains to be seen, but it’s a safe bet that this is the message Souths owner and new coach Wayne Bennett will be delivering to Mitchell in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Mitchell’s life has been difficult since a photo of him taking drugs in a Dubbo hotel was released because he knows better than most that he is a role model for many people. More importantly, he knows the pressure he has put on the people he loves: his family and teammates.

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Mitchell accepted the punishment offered by the NRL, a one-match ban and a $20,000 fine, for bringing the game into disrepute.

Mitchell has come under fire from his critics recently, with some comments he has been unable to refute. Interestingly, concerns raised by former assistant coach Sam Burgess when he left the club last year – about the special treatment Mitchell and others have received – have resurfaced, with his views now more respected.

Mitchell knows he has to make up for his mistakes and that he can dominate again. Don’t ever think opposing teams will ignore what’s happening to him.

If South can’t reach a consensus, then six clubs will call his agent to ensure he joins.

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