"Queensland is in a great position with DCE playing the best football of his life, Ben Hunt, Milf [Anthony Milford], [Michael] Morgan, [Cameron] Munster and Ash Taylor is there as well ... we are very blessed when picking the team and Kevvie [Walters] has a very big decision to make. But I don’t want anyone thinking DCE didn’t get on with me or anyone else in the team. That’s just not right.” When I asked Cherry-Evans if he had explored the possibility he was on he outer with the Queensland team he said: “I haven’t [raised it] because I didn’t think it was a genuine issue. There’s speculation ... I’m not naive enough to think there’s talk of it and I feel if was a genuine issue it would have been brought up.” DCE never talked about it with Thurston – and the pair spent time together on Thursday at the NRL captains’ launch. “I see him all the time and if I feel it was uncomfortable or awkward then I’d feel there might be some truth to it,’’ Cherry Evans said. ‘‘That’s not the case.” He isn’t happy about the persistence of the rumour. “It’s just annoying when it comes to speculation. After a while when it doesn’t come out to be true, nothing comes out to say that it’s not true. It’s just left to the people to interpret that’s it not true.” Shame on Broncos for poor handling of Lodge

The Broncos’ handling of the Matt Lodge case has been nothing short of inept. The club championed Lodge for more than a year, demanding he be allowed to return to the NRL. They arranged for him to meet with chief executive Todd Greenberg and chief operating officer Nick Weeks, where he vowed he had turned the corner and there would be no repeat of his violent rampage in New York. Greenberg and Weeks agreed to let him back in 2018 which, in retrospect, was probably a mistake. But their cause has not been helped by the Broncos, who have refused to put Lodge in the public domain to apologise for his actions. Out of view: The Broncos have refused to put Matt Lodge (inset) in the public eye while New York couple Ruth Fowler and Joseph Cartright have expressed fury to see him given a contract with the NRL. Coach Wayne Bennett had a chance to speak on Lodge’s behalf and show some remorse when he was asked at a corporate lunch during the week why he accepted Lodge back into the fold. Bennett’s response encapsulated everything bad about the game: “We signed him because he’s a good football player.”

My understanding is that Lodge has tried to apologise to the victims through their lawyers. For some obscure reason, that apology has never been made public. Nor have the Broncos put him up to be interviewed. Not even by their own website, which could have given him a soft interview to get his message out. Loading Greenberg has been left to carry the can for allowing him back into the game. He’s copped abuse from all quarters and every press conference he’s held in the last two weeks has been derailed by discussion about Lodge. The next time the Broncos ask to bring back a player for a second chance, he has every right to tell them to go jump. SBW scuttlebutt laughable

The yarn on Sonny Bill Williams returning to the Roosters was an interesting one to watch. A couple of weeks ago, a club official contacted me to say that Sonny was coming back to the Roosters and that everyone in the game was talking about it. Having enjoyed a good relationship with Sonny and his agent, Khoder Nasser, I was surprised, so I organised to catch up with Nasser to find out what was was going on. It’s safe to say Nasser laughed in my face when I suggested it to him. But from what I’ve been told, it was no laughing matter in New Zealand. All Blacks coach Steve Hanson was in touch with SBW to say he is firmly in the plans of the All Blacks for now and beyond – so he couldn’t understand why there would be any reason to explore a deal with the Roosters. Still All Black: Sonny Bill's return to the NRL has been much exaggerated. “Sonny is committed to the All Blacks and vice-versa,” Nasser said. “It’s as simple as that. If people want to drive a wedge between Sonny and the All Blacks or the coaching staff they are going to need to do much better than that.” Having talked to the Roosters, there is no question they will always have a place for SBW but don’t think he will play NRL again. The belief is rugby is better for prolonging his career in top-level sport. They made attempts made to catch up with Williams over the summer period, but those were related to Williams potentially mentoring a player or two.

Pearce opens up on exit Mitchell Pearce and Trent Robinson had some fiercely honest discussions around the time he was leaving the club, and Pearce says he has left the Roosters on decent terms with the coach and management. Pearce admits Origin probably cost him his place at the Roosters as his form and the Roosters faded at the worst possible time last year. “Yeah, I think Origin knocked me about last year,” Pearce said . “We haven’t had too many wins and losing last year was a real kick in the guts. Iwanted to deliver for the club and in the end we came up short. Istill hope I can get a chance at Origin but, to be honest, my goals have changed a bit this year. Rep stuff, Iwant to play for Australia and for the Blues, but Newcastle is a real focus.” Sit up, take note: Mitchell Pearce has been granted co-captaincy of the Knights. Credit:AAP Pearce’s departure from the Roosters was headline-grabbing and not much has been said about the fallout. Pearce and Robinson met at the coach’s eastern suburbs home at the height of the drama, and said it like it was. The result was Pearce leaving the club – but Pearce is adamant that he and Robinson are issue-free.

“It was all good once we finally got to sit down and have the honest chat ... we are all good. Both Robbo and Nick [Politis] have been really good to me throughout my entire career. ‘‘Nick in particular – he has backed me privately and publicly when it wasn’t always easy for him. Robbo is one of the best coaches in the game and at a club like the Roosters there are always tough decisions to be made. Once we had that honest chat, life goes on. I think I’d be the furthest thing from their minds right now. They want to win a comp and I’ve got my challenge up at Newcastle.” Pearce admits the Roosters signed Cooper Cronk because they felt he couldn’t deliver a competition win for the Bondi club. “That’s the way that they saw it,” he said. “Idon’t take it personally.” Pearce then said the Roosters’ 2017 failure was not solely down to him. “There are always different reasons that you don’t win the comp. I didn’t lose any confidence out of that. It didn’t bring any doubt to me. That’s why I left and went to another club. It was take it or leave it for me. ‘‘Look, the Roosters can have a crack at the comp this year. I could have been a part of that – but I chose a different path to be part of a club that has been re-building. It’s a different challenge. “I think my best years are ahead. I was speaking with Cam Smith and Thurston ... they are playing their best footy well into their 30s. As a half, you gain more knowledge from this point on.”

Lean and keen for women's league Don’t be surprised if the NRL opts to go with a four-team competition instead of six when the first women’s premiership begins later this year. There has long been a belief among the elite women’s players, especially the Jillaroos, that there aren’t enough skilled female players to fill six teams in year one. Their fears have been amplified by the AFL women’s comp, already renowned for one-sided contests and games where hardly any points are scored. The NRL cannot afford to have the same happen in its women’s competition. So senior figures are being pressured by the top women’s players to stage a four-team competition instead. This would ensure players only make first grade if they have genuine talent, and keep all games close. If the four-team format goes ahead, it is likely to comprise teams from Brisbane, New Zealand and two teams from Sydney.

Surf news breaks Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa had the exclusive radio interview with Mick Fanning pencilled in for the morning after the surfing legend was set to announce his retirement via his social media on Wednesday night. Fitzy accidentally let the cat out of the bag 12 hours earlier: “Mick Fanning on the show tomorrow ... he’s hanging up the surfboard. Far out.” Silence from the rest of the on-air team. “Do they know about that yet?”