‘Not Powder Puffs’: Maroons Respond to Carroll’s Sledge In the wake of the Brisbane Broncos’ resounding 58-0 victory over the Gold Coast Titans, Titans coach Justin Holbrook stirred the pot with a controversial remark about the Melbourne Storm. When asked about the Storm’s performance against the St. George Illawarra Dragons, Holbrook quipped, “They’re not powder puffs.” These comments did not sit well with Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes, who took to social media to defend his team. Hughes posted a video of himself training alongside Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona, with the caption, “‘Not powder puffs’ @jholbs6.” The feud escalated when Broncos coach Kevin Walters waded into the fray, saying that Holbrook’s comment was “a bit disrespectful.” Walters added, “They’re a great team, the Storm. I don’t know what he was trying to say.” Storm coach Craig Bellamy also weighed in, saying that he was “disappointed” by Holbrook’s words. Bellamy stated, “I’ve got a lot of respect for Justin, but I thought his comments were unnecessary.” The Titans have since issued an apology for Holbrook’s remarks. Titans CEO Steve Meyer said, “We understand that Justin’s comments were inappropriate and we apologize for any offense that they caused.” Despite the apology, the controversy has raised questions about the perception of Melbourne Storm as a soft team. The Storm have won three premierships in the past decade, but their success has often been attributed to their possession-based style of play. Hughes’s response on social media and Walters’s comments suggest that the Storm are taking Holbrook’s words as a slight. It remains to be seen whether this will motivate the Storm to prove their toughness on the field in the coming weeks.1. ElDiario.ie: Taoiseach to meet Ukraine’s Zelensky at Shannon Airport following NATO summit1. ElDiario.ie: Taoiseach to meet Ukraine’s Zelensky at Shannon Airport following NATO summit 2. RTÉ News: Harris to meet Zelensky during stopover in Shannon 3. BBC.com: Zelensky: Ukrainian president to meet Irish PM 4. The Irish Times: Simon Harris to meet Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Shannon stopover after NATO summit 5. The Guardian: Zelenskiy is expected to arrive in the UK to meet with European leadersMaroons players have hit back at Queensland coach Paul Carroll’s sledge, labelling his comments “disrespectful.” Carroll reignited the Origin firestorm by questioning the fitness of the Maroons forwards, claiming they would be “blown away” in the series opener on Wednesday night. The Maroons have taken exception to Carroll’s comments, with several players taking to social media to defend their fitness levels. “Not powder puffs,” tweeted Maroons prop Dylan Napa. “We’ll be ready for you on Wednesday, Paulie.” “Bring it on,” tweeted Maroons second rower Felise Kaufusi. “We’re not going to be pushed around.” Maroons coach Kevin Walters also weighed in on the debate, saying he was “disappointed” with Carroll’s comments. “I think it’s a bit disrespectful to be honest,” Walters said. “Our boys are working hard and they’re fit. “We’re not going to let Carroll’s comments get to us. We’re just going to focus on our game and let our footy do the talking.”