Dose of courage Mbye takes one for the team despite health fears

October 31, 2021 â€" 5.40am

The NRL’s vaccination debate has already raised questions about two players, Canterbury’s Luke Thompson and Melbourne’s Nelson Asofa-Solomona, who have made their opposition to forced inoculation well known.

But today a different take on the vaccination issue: Moses Mbye and his decision to get the shot for his future and his team.

There are players in the NRL who have medical concerns about vaccines. Mbye’s health battle has made headlines: he had a well-documented scare in the lead-up to Origin II in Perth in 2019 when he could have died. Mbye suffered anaphylactic shock on the eve of the Origin clash caused by a severe allergic reaction. Swift action from Queensland doctor Matt Hislop probably saved his life.

Mbye now always carries an Epipen with him but despite extensive medical testing he still does not know what triggered the attack. He tries not to let his fears affect his life but, like many people with an existing medical problem, he had concerns about being vaccinated against COVID-19.

He told his new club, St George Illawarra, of his fears. Not surprisingly, Mbye put off getting the jab. However, after careful consideration and medical advice he elected to get his first dose last week so he could fulfil his contract and play the game he loves. He didn’t want to be a burden on his new team, given the restrictions unvaccinated players are likely to face.

Mbye has always put the team first: he quit as Wests Tigers captain last year because he didn’t think he was doing the job justice.

Moses Mbye switched from Wests Tigers to the Bulldogs at the end of last season.Credit:NRL Photos

Mbye did not want to comment on the vaccination issue, but he is sure to be anxious when he gets his second dose in the coming weeks.

The situation we raised last week with Thompson was reportedly resolved. He is considered to be anti-authority by the Bulldogs as much as anti-vax, and his agent has been telling the club he will get vaccinated. But he is not rushing to do so.

Manu puts Roosters in awkward position

Joseph Manu has told the Roosters he wants to change positions as he attempts to negotiate a rich new deal â€" and the club may need to bow to his request to keep him.

The Roosters have been discussing last-ditch tactics to prevent Manu testing his value on the open market from Sunday. Players who are out of contract for 2023 are able to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1. Central to the Roosters’ planning to keep Manu will be a meeting with coach Trent Robinson, who is due to resume work this week.

The Roosters tried to tie Manu to a new deal, but he wants to be considered a five-eighth or fullback. The Roosters have those positions well covered with stars Luke Keary and James Tedesco.

Manu has been told he has to be patient if he wants to secure his future at the club in either of those positions. He could be forced to wait three years for an opportunity. If that’s a non-negotiable, he will need to look elsewhere.

What will work in the Roosters’ favour is the way they cared for Manu after he busted his cheekbone against South Sydney in round 24. The club rallied around him and showed just how much he is valued. Manu will be offered similar money to what the Roosters were willing to pay Latrell Mitchell â€" $800,000. The Roosters won’t match the $1million-plus deals he will be able to get elsewhere.

Ire of the Storm

Speaking of vaccination, Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been very public on social media about his views, so his decision to not get the jab is no surprise.

Asofa-Solomona has told the Storm he does not want to be vaccinated despite Victorian health orders prohibiting professional athletes from entering the team’s facility if they are not.

“Jab or no jab, everyone is welcome. We respect your decision, please respect ours,” he posted on social media.

The Storm could stand down Asofa-Solomona and are considering their legal options.

Empire strikes back

There is plenty of outrage that the NRL’s 17th team has dropped Redcliffe from its name and will be known as the Dolphins, rather than being tied to a geographical area. But they really should be called the Kayo Dolphins, given the involvement of News Corp in the process and the company’s desire to sell more subscriptions to Foxtel’s streaming service.

The way the Dolphins came into the NRL, as the club of choice of the News Corp-owned Brisbane Broncos, says it all. News Corp spent millions and millions of dollars trying to take over rugby league during the Super League War, but its quiet and relatively inexpensive takeover of the Brisbane league market is too clever. It has cost less than $20million to fund the Dolphins and protect the Broncos.

There is a belief that a plot to back a Redcliffe bid â€" at the expense of those from Brisbane’s booming south-western corridor â€" was hatched at a high-level meeting with Lachlan Murdoch in Los Angeles. None of this would have happened without a green light from the Murdochs. That the other expansion candidates, the Brisbane Jets and Firehawks, got only 45 minutes to present their case and 30 minutes to answer questions from the NRL, says it all.

Danika Mason and her dog Charlie.

Heads and tales

Channel Nine reporter Danika Mason has spent a lot of time covering rugby league and reporting on concussion. So she can see the irony in the concussion she suffered last week while working out. She was mid-exercise when her dog â€" Charlie, all 32 kilograms of him â€" who was charging around her home training area, crashed into Mason’s head. She was left seeing stars and suffering headaches so headed to the doctor. Charlie was none the wiser and thankfully suffered no ill effects.

Back in the Dog house

We brought you the story last year about Bulldogs trainer Garry Carden being dumped by the club after 37 years of service. Former players were incensed that Carden was let go. Well, under the reign of the club’s general manager of football, Phil Gould, Carden has been brought back as a conditioner with the Bulldogs’ Harold Matthews Cup team.

Terrigal idea

Greg Inglis is returning to bush footy with the Macksville Sea Eagles in Group 2 on the Mid North Coast and now we can reveal Paul Gallen was approached to make a playing comeback with the Terrigal Sharks. The 40-year-old says he has boxing on his mind and won’t take the risk of pulling on the boots again.

“They wanted me for a few games and a mate of mine coaches the team,” Gallen said. “I just couldn’t risk it because I’ve got my [Channel] Nine job and I also have a few fights planned, and I don’t want to risk injury.”

Naiqama’s encore

Three-time UK Super League premiership winner and grand final man of the match Kevin Naiqama has employed Sam Ayoub as his agent to look for one last deal in the NRL, and the 32-year-old is poised to join the Roosters. It was anticipated he would retire after his third straight Super League title with St Helens a few weeks back.

The Roosters and Tigers have shown interest in Naiqama and his silverware-winning days may not be over yet. Speaking of agents, former player manager Wayne Beavis celebrated his 80th birthday at an event organised by star client Brad Fittler on Thursday night.

Pedigree Chooks

A couple of weeks back, we told you about some famous names in the Roosters’ junior ranks, including Zac Fittler, the son of club legend Brad. Also in the squad are Jonti Morshead-Feildel, the son of celebrity chef Manu Feildel, and the son of former Wallaby Michael Brial, Toby.

We’ve since learnt there is another rising star with the right pedigree: Jack Elsegood’s nephew Baxter Warner is said to be some kind of player. Souths were very keen on Warner, but he went to a system that Elsegood is familiar with at the Roosters. A fullback and winger, he was recently re-signed by the Roosters.

Marathon man

In lockdown, walking became the thing to do for physical and mental health. Former TV producer Lachlan Spark is taking things up a notch, or 300. The 222 is Spark’s mission to run 222 half-marathons back-to-back to raise money for mental health charities.

He hopes to break the world record for consecutive half-marathons and will film a documentary along the way to highlight the physical and mental challenges. Spark plans to depart Constitution Dock in Hobart on January 2 and expects to arrive in Cairns on August 11. For more information and to support Spark, go to the222.com.au

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