Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Let's draw on the wisdom and experience of Robert Craddock. Hello, dear Crash. G'day, Gerard. Yeah, there's a bit happening, isn't there? Yes, yeah. All right, so the Abdo resignation in the NRL world.
Chapter 2: What led to Andrew Abdo's resignation from the NRL?
How's this unfolding?
Yeah, well, columnist Andrew Webster first flagged it quite a few months ago that Abdo was looking around. And I think he denied it at the time, but it came as a bit of a surprise. Not a total shock this morning to see he had resigned after six years.
The challenge for Andrew Abto, Gerard, was that because he was working basically beneath the very domineering Peter Volandes, who's seen as very much the head man, anything good that rugby league did, Volandes got credit for. And any areas which they struggle, people say, oh, Abdo's got to get onto this. It's about time he did something. You know what I mean? So it was that sort of situation.
And, you know, like Craig Tolley, he's a South African. He's hardworking. He will find, I imagine, the tennis job a lot easier. Rugby league is a breathless beast, which a bushfire that burns 20 hours a day. And, you know, his phone would crackle from virtually sunup to sundown and beyond. So he did a pretty good job.
He steered the game to a pretty solid place after taking over from Todd Greenberg.
So well regarded? Is it a clue for Tennis Australia?
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it is. Look, Tylee is a hard man to replace because he was such a visionary and notoriously hard worker. But I think they've tried to replace Tylee with Tylee Mark II. I mean, that's one of Abdo's traits as a person. He's a really hard worker. It is a coup. He is well regarded in rugby league.
You know, he left the game in good shape after, you know, there was a lot of trials and tribulations of the COVID years. They got up, you know, rule changes went well. The Vegas project came up under with him at the helm. And so he's a very, very solid operator, not to be underestimated.
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Chapter 3: How did Oscar Piastri's performance impact McLaren at the Canadian GP?
It's just because, you know, he's such a friendly guy. But he, this could be, he's back. He's coached him, I think, six times for one series win. So he doesn't have a great record. So it's a very important series for Laurie. Not so much for the Queensland coach, Billy Slater, who's won, I think, three of his four series wins. Got him back from nowhere last year. Really, he's so forensic, Billy.
He just looks at everyone and everything. They'll have a plan for every play you watch. And I enjoy watching him coach. He's a really thoughtful, meticulous planner.
Yeah.
Just give us a feel for the Jai Arrow news of last week where he'd been diagnosed with MND. There was perhaps the most heartbreaking press conference I've seen on a football front as that was revealed and obviously immediate retirement. He's been an origin player in the past. What's been the ripple effect, Crash?
Gerard, I don't think I've seen a press conference being so widely talked about by people. And Even people outside the game. I mean, Danny Kermason interviewed Jai after the press conference and he stumbled over his words. He had motor neurons disease, of course, and it was a tragic, tragic sight. He was in tears at the press conference.
And it's made the game really look at itself, Gerard, because... You know, I remember being in Fox Sports once when they were doing a Legends series, and there was a long list of players. And beside so many of the players' names, there was these three initials, NFI, not fit for interview. And I said to him, wow, all these players. And that was the past, you know, for guys from 30, 40 years ago.
The worry for Jai Arrow and his story is that he's existed under modern protocols when concussions and things like that have been monitored to the nth degree, or the game thought it was. Now, we can't confirm yet whether the two are totally related, but what we do know is that rugby league players are so susceptible to injuries head knocks and conditions like this.
So it's a real, you know, it's a chastening moment for the game, Gerard. Rugby league used to poke fun at rugby union because you'd almost tickle a guy in the cheek and you'd concede a penalty for touching his head. We'd say, oh, harden up. Well, not anymore. Now the game is really trying to get to the bottom of this. But he's a good man, John. There's a lot of feeling for him at the moment.
Tapping the wisdom and experience of Robert Craddock here on a Monday. We'll just glance an eye to the enhanced games next and a bit on the cricket front as well. This is Waitley for Hyundai. Enjoy early deals at Hyundai Prefix. On now at participating Hyundai dealers, pay.com.au, businessownerspay.com.au it and start earning rewards today and Radius Telematics. Waitley on SEN.
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