But then an email from a disgruntled customer lobs in my inbox.

"I would like send a big thank you to Robert Dillion [sic] for spoiling my breakfast this morning," writes Peter, of Shortland.

"I was having a read of this morning's Herald while eating my Weet-Bix and being a rugby league fan I started with that section.

"I turned to page 37 and had just put spoon to mouth and what do I see but poor Lachlan Fitzgibbon chundering in full view.

"Not good for me and I suspect not a good representation of Lachlan either. So thanks Mr Dillion [sic] for spoiling my breakfast. I would send you the bill but somehow I don't think you would pay up."

Sorry about that, Peter. If it means that much, I'm happy to reimburse you for your Weet-Bix (even though I reckon you probably have 50 boxes stashed in your pantry).

How many do you normally eat? Two or three? I'll send you a cheque for a dollar to cover it.

Mind you, perhaps I've done you a favour. Given that you've missed your usual morning roughage, presumably you'll need less toilet paper tomorrow.

Anyway, thanks Peter. You've inspired me to go around for at least one more week.

IN one of the greatest recruitment coups in their history, the Knights announce they have signed Test forward Tyson Frizell to a three-year contract.

But rather than shouting it from the rooftops, it's all a bit low-key and sheepish.

Frizell will reportedly be paid $700,000 a season, which will be about 99 per cent of Newcastle's salary cap next year.

The Knights' three-paragraph statement concludes with the line: "The club has and always will act in good faith in relation to contracts."

That must be a massive relief to their players amid all this speculation about pay cuts.

VETERAN South Sydney official Shane Richardson takes the term "salary sacrifice" literally when he parts company with the Bunnies.

"In times like these, leaders have to step forward and lead," Richardson says. "It became very clear to me on Tuesday that I needed to step down.

"The cost of having me remain in the football department was one of our largest costs and as a club we need to cut the cloth."

Souths owner Russell Crowe says: "This is a selfless and honourable gesture he has made."

Others reckon it's easy to be selfless and honourable if you're offered a six-month payout and an ongoing consultancy role.

Incidentally, I've heard no mention of whether coach Bennett - who has probably earned more money from rugby league than anyone in history - has also volunteered to take a pay cut.

ALL this coronavirus doom and gloom is starting to do my head in, so in search of some light relief I tune into the Ben Cousins documentary on Channel Seven.

Wow, such is life ... on ice. Don't do drugs, kids.

It gets me thinking that of all the loose cannons over the years to have played in the NRL - including several at the Knights - none come close to this bloke.

Mind you, given that rugby league's longest off-season has now kicked off, I'd like to think its players can remind those aerial ping-pong types which code is the greatest game of all.

MAJOR sponsor nib vows to stick solid behind the Knights during the coronavirus crisis, although chief executive Mark Fitzgibbon says they may need to consider alternative promotional activities.

This appears an ideal opportunity for some outside-the-square marketing.

I'm picturing an ad featuring big Klem, Junior Pearce and KP. Klem looks straight down the camera and says: "Get your new COVID Cover deal from nib. Sure, the premiums cost $1 million a month, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Terms and conditions, of course, would apply, especially to the over-70s.

AT times like these, it's important to remember there is always someone less fortunate than yourself.

In this case, the Australian Rugby Union, which announces a $9.4 million operating deficit. That's for last year, incidentally.

Perhaps the NRL isn't doing it so tough, after all.

FOXTEL are apparently so concerned about an exodus of subscribers that they have suddenly included the movie channels in my package, free of charge.

Without their usually footy "content", they are clearly struggling to fill the gaps. So much so that resident clowns Nathan Hindmarsh and Bryan Fletcher ask Sam Burgess the following question during a quick quiz: "Would you rather eat chocolate that tastes like poo, or poo that tastes like chocolate?"

Big Sam opts for the latter.

It's going to be a bloody long season ...