His comments have now opened the door for others to risk the threat of fines and run on to the field in future matches.

Roosters management are also not impressed and thought Albanese’s grandstanding was in poor taste.

The club held a tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack before the match on Friday night, a tragedy over which the PM has worn plenty of flak. The night was also a tribute to the first responders and everyone in the Bondi community who helped deal with the tragedy.

“It hurt our community and it did really affect us as a group,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said of the mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 15 people.

“It impacted us a lot … more than I can put out there publicly. The community in Bondi really felt it and we as a club we represent the eastern suburbs.

“It’s something we have spoken about as a group multiple times about how it impacted everyone. We are not able to do much for a lot of the people but can say thank you to those who risked their lives for others … we can pay tribute to families of the victims … and visiting the site.

“We have support all over Sydney. We have a strong support in the Jewish community – they are a part of our community, family. But whether you are atheist, Catholic, Muslim … we wrap our arms around you and say you are a big part of our family if you live in our area or support the Roosters.”

Mitchell ready to break silence

There are moves behind the scenes at South Sydney to end Latrell Mitchell’s self-imposed two-year media ban.

Mitchell’s silence has been the subject of angst in some sections of the rugby league world, but the Rabbitohs have stood by their superstar as he elected to focus solely on his game.

His decision to refrain from speaking to the media following the 2024 “white powder” photo scandal was backed by Rabbitohs management and Wayne Bennett when the coach rejoined the club last season.

Souths fined Mitchell $100,000 – $80,000 of which was suspended pending any further breach of his playing contract or wellbeing program – after a photograph of him standing over a white substance in a Dubbo hotel room emerged in August 2024. The Rabbitohs’ penalty was on top of a separate $20,000 breach and one-match suspension issued by the NRL.

There is no question the media ban has done Mitchell the world of good from a mental clarity point of view. But he has been considering facing the cameras again and has raised the idea with his inner circle.

He has been encouraged to do media during this year’s State of Origin series. Some commentators north of the border have been trying to drive a narrative that he thinks he is bigger than the game. But that’s not why he hasn’t spoken. Watching him up close in that time – and speaking to him without a tape recorder – it was clear the media ban was only to further his football career and give his family a break from the hype that follows him.

He is under no pressure from Souths to speak, but the club confirmed it is starting to formulate the best way to bring him back. Mitchell did do an interview with ABC News this week, but rugby league was not on the agenda and he only agreed to discuss the Winmarra Foundation, which he co-founded in late 2024. The foundation is a non-for-profit dedicated to empowering young people.

Those who say Mitchell needs to man up and talk should read some of the hateful and often racially motivated comments he has to endure when he does speak. It’s sickening.

He doesn’t appear to have attracted the same flak since he has gone quiet. He has done the odd chat when it is related to issues he is passionate about, and he does regularly post on Instagram.

I spoke with him when he flew to Moree with NRL bosses, Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo to highlight the need to help the region, but he has not discussed football in a long time.

It will be good to hear his thoughts regularly again.

Accommodation fit for a Chief

This is the first look at the new residences PNG Chiefs players will call home when they arrive in Port Moresby for pre-season training at the end of 2027.

The NRL last week signed off on an accommodation deal with Airways Hotel to house their players at the 11-hectare site that already includes swimming pools, a tennis court, basketball court, restaurants, beauty salon and even its own international medical centre.

Airways have agreed to stump up $70 million to build 80 fully furnished apartments – 67 of which will be used by the Chiefs players, staff and families. And while the Australian federal government is providing a $600 million package over 10 years to establish the team, the taxpayer won’t pay a cent for the residences.

The players will have to pay rent, but they won’t have to worry about much, with the rooms to be regularly serviced.

There has been a lot of talk about the challenges facing the players living away from home when the Chiefs take the field in 2028, but the club has been doing its best to change the narrative.

General manager of football, former Nine colleague Michael Chammas, has been on a PR campaign to try to change perceptions.

It appears to be working, with players such as Pat Carrigan, Jesse Ramien, Toby Rudolf and Connor Watson all voicing their interest in linking with the Chiefs. These images will only add to the appeal. Chammas knows the power of the media and is gaining plenty of airtime.

Packer backs NRL in Vegas

Billionaire businessman James Packer has given the thumbs-up to the NRL’s Las Vegas venture after seeing it first-hand.

Packer attended a dinner at a Greek restaurant on the Vegas strip, where he sat next to Peter V’landys and Roosters supremo Nick Politis. Also at the dinner were the likes of Andrew Abdo, Roosters board member Mark Bouris, ex-Storm and Roosters half Cooper Cronk, PNG Chiefs head of football Michael Chammas and commentator Braith Anasta.

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Packer was full of praise for Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould and former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, who is now the chief executive of Tabcorp. Packer wasn’t intending to go to the game until Politis reached out to him.

We asked Packer for his Vegas analysis. “I am trying to keep my head down as a general rule,” he said. “I had good fun in Vegas and thought it was a success. That’s about all I have to say.”

Packer enjoyed reuniting with some of his old friends in league and as a part-owner of the Rabbitohs, his endorsement is significant.

Politis fury at e-bike drama

The Roosters will review their use of e-bikes and scooters after Billy Smith came off his on Thursday afternoon. To say that the club’s chairman, Nick Politis, was upset is an understatement.

Smith was clowning around when the incident happened, ruling him out of the derby on Friday night and the Panthers match this week. Smith was one of the Roosters’ best players in their round one loss to the Warriors. It’s worth remembering the club has shown enormous patience with Smith as he has battled a horrible run of injuries. This one, though, is not being looked at with any degree of sympathy.

Sheffield Sheeran

One of the great celebrity sporting sightings has only just come to light. Megastar English musician Ed Sheeran decided he wanted to catch some cricket when in Australia recently.

Sheeran and a couple of his mates lobbed at a NSW Sheffield Shield match against South Australia at the SCG. They enjoyed a couple of beers in the Members and, with only a handful of hardcore cricket fans in attendance, watched proceedings undisturbed from one of the stands.

Sheeran couldn’t believe his luck that there was nobody at the venue. While he is a cricket tragic, he didn’t know about the lack of crowd interest in Shield fixtures. Sheeran was a close mate of the late, great Shane Warne and if the king of spin was alive today, he could’ve given him the lowdown about Shield cricket.

Seven and hell

The NRL is chuffed that it has the Seven Network doing a weekly NRL show in prime time. It’s great for the code and for league fans. The more coverage, the better.

But it’s going to need to rate to make it worthwhile for Seven. There is talent on the show, Agenda Setters, but viewers didn’t flock to its March 9 debut.

Here is the ratings breakdown compared to Nine’s 100 per cent Footy.

Sydney
100% Footy: 93,000; Agenda Setters: 29,000

Brisbane
100% Footy: 51,000; Agenda Setters didn’t make top 50 (cut-off was 19,000)

National
100% Footy: 244,000; Agenda Setters didn’t make top 50.

Tough times for Cleary

The biggest loser out of the Matildas’ recent Asian Cup draw against South Korea in Sydney was Nathan Cleary. The result meant the Matildas had to travel to Perth for their next game, which meant more time away from his girlfriend, Matildas forward Mary Fowler. It’s great to see how genuinely in love the pair are. Cleary was in the crowd for the South Korea game.

In a challenging week or two for Cleary, the roof of his Penrith home collapsed during a storm. It’s estimated that the damage will cost about $300,000. We’re hoping Cleary is insured, as even a cashed-up NRL champion can’t afford that kind of impact on their bank balance. The Cleary home is now unlivable and will be for some time.

Cleary cannot blame the previous owner for what has happened: Nathan brought the property from his dad, Ivan.

Lomax’s words all his own

Zac Lomax upset plenty of fans when he said he was leaving league to join a “truly international game” after signing with Super Rugby’s Western Force. The fact is that Lomax has a point.

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What needs to be pointed out is that the words in his media statement belonged to Lomax – not a Rugby Australia spin doctor. There were many who thought his comments were written for him, but we have been told RA received the quotes from Lomax’s camp and put them into the media release it distributed.

NRL bosses are not impressed with the Eels, as they wanted Lomax to remain in the game. They are questioning exactly what Parramatta got out of Lomax’s exit and why they knocked back the $750,000 transfer fee offered by Storm chairman Matt Tripp.

The Eels had begun legal proceedings to prevent Lomax from joining the Storm, given his release from a four-year contract was contingent on Parramatta providing written consent. The winger was granted a release to join rebel rugby competition R360, but had been left in limbo after its inaugural season was put back until 2028.