Fallout in the Nine commentary box, David Klemmer’s generosity and Flanno to the Dragons
Andrew Johns hasn’t been spotted on Friday Night Footy for weeks, after an apparently awkward falling out with co-host Erin Molan. PLUS, David Klemmer’s incredible generosity.
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SAINT
WE were recently critical of Knights prop Dave Klemmer for calling an NRL official a ”f … ng idiot” in the heat of battle. Then you hear a story of his incredible generosity. He recently made a $60,000 donation (his Origin earnings) to help pay the medical bills of ex-Knight Scott Dureau, who is fighting cancer. The donation was anonymous on a website. It was a beautiful gesture and shows why Klemmer is so highly regarded in the game.
SINNER
THE NRL giving away thousands of free tickets to the Roosters v Storm grand final qualifier. The SCG is a stunning old venue but league fans want to watch their footy these days without binoculars and at modern rectangular venues such as Bankwest and Suncorp stadiums.
SHOOSH
WHICH former NRL star returned to the clubhouse after 18 holes at Kiama Golf Club last Sunday and won $10,000 playing Keno.
SHOOSH II
WHICH old Balmain Tigers star won $2500 in a pokie jackpot at his team’s 30th anniversary reunion of the 1989 grand final loss to the Raiders?
SPOTTED
MANLY Sea Eagles board member Julie Sibraa — a former governance director for the NSW Labor Party — appearing before the corruption inquiry over her handling of the contentious $100,000 cash donation before the March 2015 state election.
LISTEN UP! Australian entrepreneur John Singleton sits down with Matty Johns. ‘Singo’ has long been involved in Rugby League, of course, as Official Patron of the Newtown Jets, and he might not be done just yet.
SPOTTED II
FORMER league boss John Quayle, businessman John Singleton and retired old coach Warren Ryan having a beer at the Morrison Bar & Oyster Room in the city.
SPOTTED III
SOUTH Sydney tragic, Governor-General David Hurley among the sold-out crowd in Canberra on Friday night.
SPOTTED IV
THE great South Sydney forward Bob McCarthy back on his old stomping ground at Redfern Oval on Wednesday chatting to the players at training before their do-or-die Friday final.
SPOTTED V
NOTORIOUSLY shy Canberra Raiders grand final hero John ‘Chicka’ Ferguson being collected at Canberra Airport on Thursday by legendary old Raiders boss John McIntyre.
SPOTTED VI
PLAYER agent Steve Gillis and Big Sports Breakfast’s Laurie Daley at lunch at Lees Fortuna Court Chinese in Crows Nest.
SPOTTED VII
LATRELL Mitchell’s brother Shaq training hard on the Central Coast. Shaq is quite a handy footballer who has always battled weight problems. He has lost a massive 20kg in recent months and is hoping to play in the Canterbury Cup next year.
DALLY M WILL STAGE STAR APPEARANCE
There will be a special guest on the red carpet at the Dally Ms this year — the great man himself.
The SCG’s sculpture of Dally Messenger, which stood at the front of the old Allianz Stadium, has been brought out of storage for a cameo appearance at the NRL’s player of the year awards at the Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday night.
Messenger, of course, was rugby league’s first super signing and is the player on which the code was built in Australia.
The 250kg bronze sculpture has been mounted on a movable trolley so it can come out of storage.
“We’ve worked closely with the NRL and the Messenger family to ensure that Dally can take his place at the awards named in his honour,” the SCG’s Phil Heads said.
■Meantime, the TAB is expecting huge betting interest in the countdown to Wednesday’s big night.
Roosters superstar James Tedesco is the shortest-priced favourite in history at $1.40, with Storm great Cameron Smith on the second line of betting at $4. The Tedesco/Smith quinella is paying $1.70.
NINE MANAGING ERIN AND JOEY SPLIT
Channel 9 is dealing with an awkward falling out between star host Erin Molan and rugby league immortal Andrew Johns who no longer work together on Friday night football.
The network advertised at the start of the year that Johns would be an integral part of the team every Friday night for the coverage Molan has hosted throughout the season.
But like last year, when he took himself off The Footy Show when Molan replaced Paul “Fatty” Vautin, Johns suddenly disappeared from the Friday night broadcast, replaced by Billy Slater in the commentary box.
Naturally Nine’s director of sport Tom Malone is denying there is a problem.
But he did say: “There are plenty of people in TV who get on with each other and others who don’t. This is not a story.”
Molan declined to comment but Johns said: “Where did you hear that from? Good old rugby league just thrives on rumours and innuendo.”
ARKO’S BIG MILESTONE
The great Ken Arthurson will celebrate his 90th birthday on Tuesday.
The legendary old Manly and Australian Rugby League boss is in good health and still sharper than a few current administrators around the clubs. He will celebrate with family on the northern beaches.
“I can’t believe it,” Arko said, “I never gave myself any chance of making 90 although they say only the good die young. If that’s the case I’ll make 100 and get a letter off the queen.”
GUS PUSHES FLANNO
We’ll soon find out how much sway Phil Gould has got at St George Illawarra
At the completion of his review, Gould recommended the club appoint ex-Cronulla premiership winning coach Shane Flanagan as Paul McGregor’s assistant.
We understand McGregor has spoken to Flanagan and talks continue. It would be a huge boost to the Dragons’ hopes in 2020.
QUAYLE ON COMMISSION
Former NRL boss John Quayle has moved another step closer to joining the independent commission. The board of the NSWRL has chosen Quayle as their nomination under plans to allow the state leagues to have one member each on the commission.
The 16 NRL clubs are still to ratify the changes to the ARLC constitution but having Quayle on board is seen as too good an opportunity to knock back.
NO ROOM FOR IZZY
The NRL will not relax its stance on Israel Folau even when the game’s Independent Commission chairman Peter Beattie officially steps down from the role at the end of next month.
His replacement — Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys — fully supports Beattie on the issue and will make his position clear on what he expects from role models in the game once he starts.
WAYNE’S WORLD
Wayne Bennett was not always as relaxed at NRL Finals time as he’s been this season at South Sydney.
In 1987, your columnist spent a week in the ACT when Bennett had his first NRL job as co-coach of Canberra with Don Furner for their grand final preparation against Manly.
Back then, the seven-time premiership coach was suffering from paranoia, claiming the Roosters had tried to sabotage his game plan the previous week by tapping in and intercepting the frequency on the walkie-talkie he shared with Furner.
As a result, he asked former Raiders boss John McIntyre to buy some new hi-tech gadgetry for the grand final — similar to what Federal Police used — to ensure the Sea Eagles would have no chance of listening in on their tactics.
GREEN KEEPER
Former Aussie wicketkeeper Brad Haddin is a massive fan of the Canberra Raiders. He was spotted among the official guests in the NRL suite at GIO Stadium in the national capital on Friday night, desperately cheering for his Green Machine.
ROOKIES RUMBLE
The Dally M rookie of the year award looks to be a race in two between Broncos prop Payne Haas and star Eels winger Maika Sivo.
Manly’s Ruben Garrick has also had an outstanding debut year, playing every minute of every game — almost unheard of for a rookie.
LIVE CROSS
Channel 9’s coverage of the NRL grand final next weekend will include crossbar cameras at both ends of ANZ Stadium. It is a first for rugby league and had to be approved by the NRL’s football department. The cameras are of similar quality to cricket’s stump cam.
SHARKS ON SHOW
There will be no shortage of Cronulla tragics at the Dally M Awards on Wednesday night — not that the Sharks will be winning too many gongs.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be there to present the medal. Also Game of Thrones star Brendan Cowell — a lifelong Cronulla supporter — has accepted an invitation to be there.
There will be much glamour on the red carpet including former Miss Universe Australia Tegan Martin.
COACHES ON NOTICE
The NRL faces a major blow up next time they try to fine a coach for criticising refs. It has been noted that Manly coach Des Hasler has escaped punishment for suggesting “we were dudded” after the loss to Souths last weekend, which is the same as saying his team was robbed.
Originally published as Fallout in the Nine commentary box, David Klemmer’s generosity and Flanno to the Dragons