THURSDAY
IF the Old Fox has any regrets about his coaching career - other than not earning more money - then it surely must be his decision not to jump on the plane back in 2002.
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At the time, Benny was in camp with Queensland Origin, along with the best of his Broncos players, and was having so much fun he decided he couldn't be bothered to make the trip south for Brisbane's clash with Wests Tigers at Leichhardt.
So he handed what appeared at first glance to be a blatant hospital pass to his unheralded assistant coach, a bloke by the name of Craig Bellamy.
Lo and behold, Bellamy steered the "Baby Broncos" to a 38-6 demolition of Wests Tigers and, before the dust had settled, had scored himself a job at Melbourne Storm.
The rest, as they say, is history. Tonight "Bellyache" and Benny clash head-to-head for the 38th time, and it's win No.28 for the former understudy.
The 50-0 pizzling is the 10th time in a row Bellamy has toweled up Benny the Bunny. It's all getting a little bit embarrassing for the great man. Maybe he would be better off forfeiting the next time?
FRIDAY
PRIME Minister Scotty from Marketing is usually the centre of attention wherever he goes, but today he is clearly starstruck after encountering a celebrity with a far higher profile: ex-Knight Steve Crowe.
ScoMo is visiting Newcastle Airport for some sort of announcement/political spin and bumps into Crowe, who these days works as corporate affairs executive manager at Williamtown.
According to reliable sources, the self-proclaimed Sharks fan recognises Crowe as the man who helped the Knights win the greatest grand final of all time by belting the you-know-what out of Cliffy Lyons and, like an infatuated groupie, asks for a selfie.
Crowey obliges but the pained look on his face is a dead giveaway. He's humouring a pest.
SATURDAY
I NOTE with interest revelations about Jarryd Hayne's first breakfast as a resident of the Big House, which according to the Daily Telegraph comprises "a bowl of rice bubbles, the option of a cup of tea or coffee and a ration of long-life milk".
It's a far cry from the five-star hotel buffets at which the Hayne Plane feasted during his high-flying days as a code-crossing superstar.
Still, things could always be worse. At least it's not stale bread and water, which some might suggest is all a convicted rapist deserves.
Meanwhile, last week it was the hallowed turf of Bathurst's Carrington Park that brought nostalgic memories flooding back for this columnist.
This week it's Wagga Wagga, as the Knights and Raiders do battle.
I played my share of junior footy and cricket in Wagga, back in the day, including a game against a young bloke called Michael Slater, who would go on to open the batting for Australia.
Slater was well on his way to a big score when I came on to bowl what could loosely be described as offspin. In amongst a flurry of boundaries, he hit a rank long hop (my stock ball) straight to mid-wicket ... who dropped the chance.
In hindsight, that was the Sliding Doors moment in two cricketing careers. Here's hoping the Knights' 24-16 comeback victory against the Raiders proves a similar turning point.
SUNDAY
ON the subject of the aforementioned Michael Slater, hasn't he just been hammering the aforementioned Scotty from Marketing on Twitter?
Poor old Slats. He's been over in India, commentating on the IPL, and now Scomo has gone and locked the bloody door because of the Bubonic Plague.
"If our government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home," Slater tweets.
"It's a disgrace! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this ... how about you take your private jet and come and witness dead bodies on the street!"
Breakfast-TV host Karl Stefanovic then interchanges with Slats: "PM, good morning to you. Do you have blood on your hands?"
It's not hard to see where they're coming from. I mean, how would Scomo like it if he was overseas, say at a Pentecostal Church conference in Honolulu, and all of a sudden they moved the goalposts and said he wasn't allowed to come home?
It's just not cricket, as Slater might say.
There are, presumably, worse places to seek refuge than the Maldives, where Slats and the other Aussie IPL players are currently holed up. But they just want to come home.
Maybe Steve Crowe can have a word to Scomo and get them all on a flight that lands at Newcastle Airport? Now that would be a publicity stunt.
MONDAY
IT'S a special week for the NRL as the build-up for Magic Round kicks off.
Peter V'landys will no doubt be eager to avoid a repeat of last season, when without even so much as an abracadabra, spectators disappeared into thin air.
TUESDAY
JAKOB Arthur, son of Parramatta coach Brad, is named to make his NRL debut for the Eels as five-eighth against the Warriors.
This is becoming something of a trend in the NRL. Eels fans will be hoping young Jakob is more of a Nathan Cleary than a Kyle Flanagan, who barely a year after calling the shots for the two-time premiers, can't get a game this week for the likely wooden spooners.
WEDNESDAY
I AM intrigued to read that Tim Tszyu's manager, former Manly and Melbourne prop George Rose, is trying to claim credit for the "Tszyu-castle" tag.
I'd suggest Georgie first read it on the back page of this newspaper.