1: Pain in the neck
It has been revealed that Penrith and Kiwis prop Sam McKendry played on for 14 minutes against the Eels last week despite breaking his neck in a tackle. McKendry was hurt in the first half and, believing it was a relatively minor shoulder injury, returned for a stint in the second half. It's an extraordinary feat but certainly not the first. Goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, who served with the Luftwaffe during World War II and faced considerable opposition when he was signed by Manchester City (20,000 attended one protest), entered football folklore when he played on despite suffering a serious injury in the 1956 FA Cup final. His neck was noticeably crooked as he collected his winner's medal and an x-ray three days later revealed it to be broken. He was later made an honorary OBE. McKendry would probably settle for a return to the playing field and a World Cup winner's medal.
2: Hot diggity dog
Tonight's match at ANZ Stadium celebrates the 25th anniversary of the grand final between the Bulldogs and Tigers and league bosses have got into the swing of things by offering a 1980s theme for the pre-match buildup and they also offered tickets at 1980s prices for 1988 minutes recently ($10 for adults, $20 for a family and $5 for juniors). For anyone who missed out on the ticket deal, the chiko roll (Australia's take on the chop suey roll) is due to make a comeback for the match and, along with hot dogs, will be priced at $2.50. As one league commentator said, it's only fair given that's when they were probably made.
3: Game of the week