Happy Monday, dear reader! And welcome to another edition of Mercer’s Mondayitis. Hope you had a great weekend, and I hope that your team won. If they didn’t, there’s always next week.
Anyway, let’s dive into a few things that happened over the weekend.
Tempers flare on Dolphins vs Roosters
Just a warning ahead of time, a bit of bias might creep in here because I’m a Roosters fan. But the scenes at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night were absolute chaos. Just after Rugby convert Mark Nawaqanitawase scored his second try, players from both sides engaged in some push and shove. In the aftermath, four players were sent to the sin bin—Spencer Leniu and Naufahu Whyte for the Roosters, and Francis Molo and Aublix Tawha.
On the replay, you can see that Leniu shapes up to a Dolphins player, and that’s when both teams come together. A lot of the blame has been put on Leniu since you can see what happens, and given the firebrand’s reputation, you can see why. While people like Billy Slater and Corey Parker showed their bias and stuck with the Dolphins, I’m going into bat for the Roosters here. Having played rugby league, I know that you can get someone to shape up to you just by saying something to get under their skin. Slater of all people should know this.
So, while everyone is saying, “What are you supposed to do when someone shapes up to you?” Well, maybe you shouldn’t provoke them, cause as much of a hothead that Leniu is, I’m sure he wouldn’t have shaped up after the Roosters scored ‘just cause.’
As for what Slater and Parker said, I’m not surprised that shit like that came out of their mouths. I would say they need to do better, but I know they won’t.
Ethan Strange is the real deal
The Canberra Raiders are flying high at the top of the ladder, and while several players are contributing to their season, one man is showing fans why he could be the next Laurie Daley. When his side needed him to stand up against the Sea Eagles on Friday night, Ethan Strange stood up with a man-of-the-match performance.
Raiders coach, Ricky Stuart, said that Strange is a future State of Origin and Australia player, and I agree with that. Strange is only 20 years old (he turns 21 on August 16), and he is already an excellent ball runner with a left-foot step reminiscent of Brad ‘Freddy’ Fittler. The more he develops, the better he will get. No doubt Kevin Walters already has him pencilled in for the Ashes tour at the end of the season.
Erceg back in the winners circle
Aussie Flyweight contender Steve Erceg returned to the winner’s circle when he beat Ode Osbourne in a Bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night on Sunday.
After a slow start, Erceg made the proper adjustments in rounds two and three to get a 29-28 unanimous decision win. Osbourne had the speed advantage; he just slowed up and coasted in the second round. In the third, he let Erceg take him down and control him on the ground, with the Aussie almost locking in a rear naked choke in the last 10 seconds of the fight.
The win over Osbourne was one Erceg needed to have. The three fights he lost in the UFC were all to the best of the best of the Flyweight division, so it was nice to see his hand raised.
Linkin Park announces first Australian tour since Chester Bennington’s death
Rock band Linkin Park has announced they will tour Australia in 2026, the first time in 13 years.
From March, the tour kicks off in Brisbane at the Entertainment Centre, then on to Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, and Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. It is not clear if the band has any other dates or venues, but we will keep you updated on them when and if new dates are announced.
The last time Linkin Park played in Australia was at the Soundwave, with Chester Bennington as the lead singer. Sadly, Bennington passed away in 2017; he was 41 years old. The band went on hiatus after the death of their lead singer.
In September last year, Emily Armstrong was announced as the band’s co-lead singer with Mike Shinoda. Armstrong was the co-founder of the band Dead Sara and had performed with the likes of The Offspring, Demi Lovato, Beck and Awolnation.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
You’ve made it to the end of another Mercer’s Mondayitis. Thank you for taking the time to read, and if there is anything you want to see in the column, don’t hesitate to let me know.
Until next time, take care!