With BEARIy an NRL team to bless himself with, WA Premier Roger Cook is being a touch cheeky hoping to steal the 2028 NRL Grand Final from Sydney (“Minns braces for holy fight over grand final”, ST, 9/8). Arguing that WA hosted the AFL Grand Final during Covid in 2021 only triggers bad memories and is at odds with the spirit of celebration and good will surrounding NRL grand finals. Gloomy AFL grand finals might need to be played in places of last resort. Mr Cook’s preference for hosting the footy instead of the Papal visit surely highlights a level of artificial opportunism. Not surprisingly, the solution for Mr Minns’ quandary lies in the Fourth Commandment about keeping the Sabbath. Change the footy grand final to Saturday and the Pope’s mass on Sunday! Traffic problems solved. Score for the weekend: Minns 1, Cook 0 and if miracles are to be prayed for, the Eels playing on the big day. Go Parra! Alan Sexton, North Parramatta 16August 2026
