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The 7th Tackle - with Josh Massoud and Jim Wilson

7News Sports Presenter Jim Wilson and Chief Rugby League Reporter Josh Massoud run through the burning topics from the rugby league world you may not know about.

From the inside story of how Seven scored the Blues team announcement for Origin II, to the rival code trying to poach Blatchey's Blues, it's all in this week's edition of The 7th Tackle.

Tackle 1 - The inside story of how Seven scored the Blues team announcement for Origin II

Let’s set the record straight once and for all on how Channel Seven landed the exclusive live announcement of the Blues squad for Origin II on Tuesday morning. Last week, we were contacted by the Blues hierarchy - not Laurie Daley - to gauge our interest in hosting the event at the Stamford Plaza Hotel, Sydney Airport. Our immediate reaction was one of genuine surprise that the rights holders weren’t televising the announcement.

The NSW team at the announcement. Source: AAP
The NSW team at the announcement. Source: AAP

Our rivals were actually offered the opportunity first as the rights holder. The NSWRL formally approached their breakfast program who flatly rejected the offer. The NSWRL then contacted another department at the rights holder’s Willoughby headquarters and again the answer was 'No'.

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So the Blues came to us. We immediately jumped at the opportunity to broadcast the big announcement live across the country on Sunrise. We were genuinely excited to take rugby league and a significant announcement in the game’s jewel in the crown to a national audience. There was obviously huge interest in Sydney and throughout NSW and in Qld; but also in Melbourne, where Game II will be played in front of a huge MCG crowd next Wednesday night. Our coverage on Sunrise was also taken live on Sky News across Australia and New Zealand.

Our decision to do the live broadcast meant that fans got to see the entire Blues squad and hear from master coach Laurie Daley. The rights holder became interested at the weekend once they got wind Seven had been given exclusivity. To its credit the NSWRL stood firm and Seven was allowed to proceed with the event even though there was a concerted push to have our coverage pulled at the eleventh hour.

The move has shaken the rights holder into action and we've heard that network has already made contact with the NSWRL to ensure it covers the announcement for Game III, which we believe will be held in conjunction with major sponsor Victoria Bitter.

It was a great success and we always had the fan front of mind. We are passionate about Origin and the game and we are committed at Sunrise and on Seven News Sydney to rugby league. And for the record, Seven didn’t pay a cent to broadcast the announcement.

Tackle 2 - Thursday night footy to expand

Don't be surprised to see Thursday night footy become a permanent fixture in the NRL draw under the next TV rights deal. The concept has been keenly discussed in the opening rounds of talks between the NRL and network heavies. The NRL finally appears to have realised there can no longer be delayed matches, meaning the second Friday night game must be sacrificed. The natural move would be to Thursday night, which has recorded impressive ratings on a five-game-a-year basis since 2013.

Dave Smith and the NRL could be in for a change. Source: Getty
Dave Smith and the NRL could be in for a change. Source: Getty

There is also a growing chance the rights - which are up for grabs from 2018 onwards - will be split in a unique way between free to air and pay TV networks. Strong interest surrounds a marquee game on Saturday nights, to be broadcast on free-to-air. Current Pay TV rights holder, Fox Sports, want to replicate the AFL model and broadcast all eight games live in high definition (HD). The free-to-air bidders would be reluctant for that to happen as it impacts on revenue, with viewership split when games are broadcast live on multiple channels.

With some heavy hitters involved in both NRL and AFL broadcast deals, it will be an intriguing negotiation in both codes. Throw the A-League broadcast deal into the mix and fans are the winners as nothing beats live sport.

Tackle 3 - Union bid to steal Blatchey's thunder

First Rugby Union stole Wendell, Sonny, and Israel. Now they want to steal the fastest growing supporter group in Aussie sport - Blatchey's Blues. We can reveal the Waratahs made an approach to the NSWRL to purchase 5,000 of Blatchey's blue wigs to distribute to home fans at this weekend's clash against the Queensland Reds. Appreciating that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, the NSWRL was willing to engage with their cross-code rivals.

A lone Queenslander amongst Blatchey's Blues. Source: Getty
A lone Queenslander amongst Blatchey's Blues. Source: Getty

However, there was a catch. The Blatchey's wigs are packaged with T-Shirts emblazoned with NSWRL sponsors. The Waratahs only wanted the wigs, and weren't willing to pay for both, meaning the deal fell over. That means it will be back to traditional headwear for the cashed-up rugby goers at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night - deerstalker caps and fascinators.

Blatchey's meanwhile, continues to grow. On the back of a record 15,162 turn-out at ANZ Stadium for Game I, more than 10,000 will be on hand at the MCG next Wednesday night.

Tackle 4 - Maloney exit makes space for Tupou

Daniel Tupou is shaping as the winner from a break-down in negotiations between teammate James Maloney and the Roosters. The axed Blues winger looked certain to be forced out of Bondi because of salary cap constraints a few short weeks ago. But with Maloney unhappy with a two-year offer worth around $850,000, it now appears there will be enough space to accommodate the lanky winger.

If he is to stay put, Tupou will have to accept unders compared to what he could earn elsewhere. He recently knocked-back an offer to play rugby in France, which was worth around $600,000-a-season. With his mother and sister battling illness, Tupou does not want to change his current situation, and it would take big money from another Sydney club to make him switch.

Tupou in action. Source: Getty
Tupou in action. Source: Getty

The Roosters’ desire to hold onto Tupou has also grown in recent weeks, with promising Kumul flanker Nene Macdonald set to part ways with the club at the end of this year. We're tipping that he'll join the Gold Coast Titans.

Tackle 5 - Mal in a corner over DCE

Maroons coach Mal Meninga had no option but to support Daly Cherry-Evans over the backflip that enraged his fellow Queenslanders. Anything less - including demotion to the Maroons bench for Game II - would have been sheer hypocrisy.

Meninga and DCE in Origin camp. Source: Getty
Meninga and DCE in Origin camp. Source: Getty

We can reveal Meninga has been engaged as a hired gun on two occasions in the past two seasons to convince players from his old club, the Canberra Raiders, to renege on deals with rivals.

The first was Josh Papalii in early 2013, when the devastating back rower signed a three-year deal with Parramatta. Within a few weeks of speaking with Big Mal, Papalli back-flipped and stuck with the Raiders.

Then last year Canberra had Meninga back on the job, this time to convince a far more valuable player to stay - Anthony Milford. And although Milford honoured his three-year deal with the Broncos, the meeting with Meninga very nearly convinced him to remain a Raider.

Tackle 6 - Kurt in our thoughts

The NRL intends to distribute funds raised in next month's 'Rise for Alex' Round to a variety of players who have suffered career-ending injuries. That was the wish of the weekend's inspiration, Alex McKinnon, whose thoughts would undoubtedly be with another young footballer this week.

Although not as widely reported as McKinnon's catastrophic injury last April, 21-year-old hooker Kurt Drysdale has spent this week in a coma after breaking his neck in a tackle over the weekend.

Drysdale was injured in an innocuous looking tackle while playing for Cabramatta against Wentworthville in the Sydney Shield on Sunday. Drysdale's head appeared to be twisted toward the left as the tackle was completed, but no action was taken against the Magpies defender, with an NSWRL spokesman describing the outcome as a "horrible, horrible accident."

A former Sharks junior, Drysdale was taken straight to Royal North Shore hospital and, according to the NSWRL, remained in a coma on Thursday afternoon. It's believed doctors must wait until he regains consciousness before they can make a diagnosis on his future. But the gravity of current situation suggests a long and difficult path ahead for both Drysdale and his devastated family. We hope the game looks after him with the same commitment as it has displayed toward McKinnon over the past 12 months.

Drysdale in his Cronulla juniors days. Source: 7News
Drysdale in his Cronulla juniors days. Source: 7News

Tackle 7 - Cows out to pasture

North Queensland's past two victories over cellar dwellers Manly and Parramatta have masked some serious concerns over the fatigue levels of their Origin stars. The Cowboys have somehow recorded 10 straight victories, coming from behind on a number of occasions to win when all looked lost. Coach Paul Green is smart enough to look beyond the results and understand his top players need a break.

Does JT need a break? Source: Getty
Does JT need a break? Source: Getty

That said, don't be surprised if Matt Scott, Johnathan Thurston, James Tamou and Michael Morgan are all spared from next weekend's clash in Canberra, to take place just three days after Origin II in Melbourne.

Should the quartet make the trip to the ACT, they will not have slept in their own beds for 13 nights - extending back to last Sunday's arrival in Sydney for the Eels clash.