How sweet was it to see the Knights send Wayne Bennett home a loser, considering the mess he left after leaving here.
Even sweeter was seeing him then have a whinge about a no-try call, perfectly correct in my opinion, go against his team.
How about giving credit to the Knights for their resilient defence, Wayne?
Greg Hunt, Newcastle West
Draconian protest punishments miss the point
Public protest on our streets (and waterways, if needs be) is our democratic right and a way of drawing attention to important issues that are being ignored by political decision-makers. If ever there was an issue that deserved greater attention, it is the need to act urgently on global heating.
If some protesters are charged with breaking the law, they are subject to due process and suffer the consequences. It is important to keep in mind that they are being punished for breaking the law, not for protesting.
Why do some people call for draconian punishments in these instances, yet other types of far more egregious wrongdoing such as banks and governments found to be systematically ripping people off seem to go largely unpunished despite the scale of severity, and with relatively little fanfare in the letters pages?
Climate protests are aimed at changing the world for the better - if not for human survival - and certainly not for the worse, so it all seems rather out of perspective.
Kate Newton, Charlestown
Coal's king for a while yet
I find it amusing how some people cherrypick numbers and statistics to demonise coal and now nuclear energy. I can only assume these people have never been subjected to power blackouts that were common occurrences back in the 1960s and '70s.
This was before the big three power stations were built, when small inferior power stations were struggling. It's a similar circumstance to that renewable energy is finding today.
I can say from experience that price doesn't matter when power is unavailable. Back then, most people I knew would have paid all they could afford to have the power back on, especially those trying to run a business, cook a meal or even have a hot shower.
I think that today's generation has had it so good for so long with power supply they take it for granted. Maybe a stint in the army or camping out with kerosene lanterns may shock them into accepting the reality that until coal fired power can be replaced with something better, not just some of the time, but all of the time, coal will be king for quite a while.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
Healthy habits make difference
There has been some criticism of Elle Mcpherson and her approach to treatment, or non-treatment, by medical professionals.
Most localised breast cancer patients will be alive in five years. Not so when it has already spread. People have been ignoring good medical advice over many years.
How many forget, or stop taking, blood pressure tablets, diabetes medication, anticoagulants, antibiotics and many others. Don't smoke, don't drink too much, do more exercise, eat more greens, don't eat fatty foods, are mostly ignored by a large proportion of the population.
Everyone is entitled to make their own decisions and, of course, take responsibility and consequences for them.
John Hollingsworth, Hamilton
Voters deserve all the answers
Very little coverage has occurred in some media of federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek's formal statement on the curtailment of the proposed Regis Resources goldmine in Central Western NSW which, in part, she cited "traditions disclosed to me privately that must remain confidential due to their cultural sensitivity" as the reason the mine was curtailed.
When the local Indigenous group supported the mine and it was then rejected on a submission from another external Indigenous group then surely the entire local community deserves to be told why the mine was curtailed.
Jobs, livelihoods and state revenues were lost. So much for an election promise of a transparent government and not leaving anyone behind.
I hope Ms Plibersek's decision was not influenced by any Green lobby she needs to keep on the side in her electorate.
John Cooper, Charlestown
Right to disconnect works fine
John Hollingsworth ("Right to disconnect may come at a high price", Letters, 3/9), your example against the right to disconnect is ridiculous.
I find it disingenuous you don't mention an employer can contact an employee for a reasonable reason. One such reason would be last minute rostering in emergency services.
For jobs like journalism, aged care, nursing etc, if there is any doubt the parties on either side of the employment contract come up with a working solution that will ensure long term viability of the business and hence the employment of those working for the business.
The employment contract would include a reasonable right to call employees to fill last minute vacancies. Other industries might have an on-call allowance.
I have had a number of jobs where I received such an allowance to ensure I was available (and sober) for an after hours recall if required. Individual employees were rostered to be on call.
This is another way of dealing with the need for businesses to be able to call up staff at the last moment for important jobs such as nursing, or reporting breaking news.
Can you not accept that employees have a right to disconnect outside reasonable requests such as calling in staff to see if they can work at the last minute?
Glen Wilson, Cardiff
Another Hunter footy star shines
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; if Heeney don't get you, Warner must. Go the Swans.
Mike Sargent, Cootamundra
No staying power in double header
I can see that we're an ageing population by the number of supporters that stayed to watch the womens' Knights after the men made it to eighth spot.
Fans must've gone home to bed to prepare for work and school or they were either not interested in it or didn't want to miss the bus home.
Bryn Roberts, New Lambton
Protesters won't boost economy
Joanne Jaworoski ("Time for coal to pay its way", Letters, 10/9) says that 5000 people will be attending the farcical port blockade - how will these people travel to and from Newcastle? In cars? Trains?
Both use coal in the manufacturing process and burn fossil fuel, a little bit hypocritical I'd have thought. And she writes that "only" 1284 passengers would visit the city on the cruise ship.
I'll bet everything I have that these passengers would contribute more to Newcastle's struggling cafes and retail businesses than the protesters freeloading at Camp Shortland in their nylon tents.
Matt Ophir, Charlestown
There's plenty we can cut out
I congratulate Jan Phillip Trevillian ("Tighten belt, don't blame profits", Letters, 9/9), on emphasising non-essential spending.
Apart from supermarket shopping other wastes such as smokes, vapes, drugs, and tattoos could be added to the list of waste.
Careful budgeting would also help people enter the housing market.
