MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: Roosters’ roadblocks on Rabbitohs’ Allianz Stadium out of line

Get stuffed Sydney Roosters, you don’t own Allianz Stadium.

I’ve got the utmost respect for the Chooks as a club and the people running the joint, but as an old Rabbitoh it annoys the hell out of me they are blocking the Bunnies’ bid to play fulltime out of Moore Park.

I know an agreement has been reached for Souths to play a smattering of home games there over the next five years, but it should be their permanent home.

It smacks of arrogance and putting your own interests ahead of the rest that the Roosters have continued to put roadblocks in place.

The heat was turned up further earlier this season when the Roosters refused to refer to South Sydney by name on the scoreboard and simply called them the “visiting team”.

See what I mean by arrogant.

I’m pretty sure we, the taxpayer, funded the stadium for a multitude of teams and sports to play out of.

Allianz is the best arena in the NRL and should be used every weekend, not just when the Roosters are on the bill.

I work just down the road from the ground and bump Souths supporters every single day.

Most hate trekking out to Accor Stadium for home games.

It’s a long trip and the ground is soulless and devoid of atmosphere unless it’s at least half full.

Many have given up going there altogether, preferring to sit on the couch rather than make the long journey.

They are happy the Rabbitohs are returning to Moore Park in some form from next year but want all home games there.

Anyway, the ongoing toing and froing between the clubs only adds to the animosity of two tribes who have been going at each other since 1908.

As a boy from the western suburbs, I didn’t fully understand the rivalry until I joined Souths in 1990.

But I quickly learned they hated each other and loved nothing better than getting one over their next-door neighbour.

Souths can inflict a bit more damage on the Roosters’ premiership hopes with a last-round win at Allianz – in what is ironically a Souths’ home game - on Friday night.

A Rabbitohs victory won’t see the Chooks tumble out of the top four but it will further erode their confidence ahead of a monster week one finals showdown with either the Warriors or Penrith.

You need your key players at this time of the year and I believe the loss of Sam Walker – and potentially Reece Robson - will be too much for the Roosters to overcome.

Look at how Manly fared when Tommy Turbo was out or that flat spot the Dolphins went through when halfback Isaiya Katoa was sidelined.

The Bunnies would love to show the Roosters who bosses Allianz Stadium while giving themselves a nice little confidence booster heading into the play-offs.

Either way, It will add another colourful chapter to Russell Crowe’s Book of Feuds.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED

I had to Google it twice to make sure I wasn’t hearing things when I learned Nathan Cleary has never taken out the Dally M player-of-the-year medal.

How has the best player of his generation not won rugby league’s most prestigious individual award?

What have the Dally M judges been doing all these years?

It really does beggar belief, even allowing for the fact Cleary was injured in some of those campaigns.

But he did debut in 2016 and has been part of four grand final wins, winning one of them on his own.

And who’s to say he won’t have another ring to add to his sock draw come early October?

The best three halfbacks I played with were at club level were Greg Alexander, Craig Coleman and Geoff Toovey.

To this day, Brandy is the most natural player I’ve ever seen play.

Tugger was a cheeky, relentless in-your-face half who tormented opposition sides while revving up his own forwards before letting them take over.

Tooves is the toughest I’ve seen, pound for pound, and has the prop forward’s cauliflower ears to prove it.

He put his head where you wouldn’t put your feet.

Cleary is a mix of all three.

He’s natural gifted, shows his toughness by taking the line on, perfects every general play kick and routinely turns four points into six with his deadly accurate goalkicking.

He plays like a halfback version of Cameron Smith.

Fast, slow, pause... it’s like he’s got a remote control out in the middle.

He will surely add the Dally M to his collection this year.

BEFORE I GO

From Wayne Bennett putting on Jai Arrow’s socks to the emotional welcome the 31-year-old was given as he entered the field for a few seconds, what wonderful scenes we witnessed at Cbus Stadium on Saturday.

I may be an old hard-headed prop forward, but I was really moved by the whole thing and proud of the rugby league community for again showing their support.

Right from the moment Jai’s devastating MND diagnosis became public, the game has embraced him and his family.

Club rivalries have been shelved — and rules bent — to get behind the cause.

To those who came up with the idea to allow Jai to get kitted up for two games and reach his 100 matches for South Sydney, a big well done.

And for those in charge to quickly come up with the necessary rule changes – and get total buy-in from everyone involved – I salute you.