Michael Maguire’s scary post-game sprays, Beau Scott’s post-retirement electric dreams
Robert Jennings reveals the scary truth of a Michael Maguire post-game spray, Beau Scott’s post-retirement electric dreams and Lottoland surface gets green light for Souths-Sea Eagles clash.
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Robert Jennings had experienced a Michael Maguire spray before, but said the coach’s post-game address left some of his new Wests Tigers teammates “rattled”.
Jennings and Robbie Farah had seen Maguire explode before while at Souths, while Esan Marsters may have also been exposed under the Maguire-led Kiwis national team.
But the bulk of the Tigers side had only heard tales of Maguire’s anger before he let loose following the side’s lacklustre performance against the Bulldogs last Sunday.
“It was nothing new to me,” Jennings smiled. “That’s just him caring and showing how passionate he is about the team. We deserved that spray after losing like that
“A few of the boys were rattled. They knew he had it in him. They didn’t know (what it would be like) until it actually happened.”
Tigers back-rower Ryan Matterson was expecting a full-time serve.
“Because Madge (Maguire) wears his heart on his sleeve,” Matterson said. “He is full of emotion. It was a good thing and a fair thing. We didn’t play to our potential. It’s frustrating when you put in a performance like that. That’s who Madge is. He is an emotional coach.”
Matterson signed on at the Tigers after gaining a release from his Roosters contract when Cleary was still the Tigers coach.
“It was a pure decision on coming to the club as a whole,” Matterson said. “The coach was never a factor. I met with him once but that was with other people in the club.”
TIGERS’ BROOKS FEARS
WESTS Tigers officials were so concerned last year about the very public chatter of a Cleary reunion at the club that they sought out half Luke Brooks to reassure him of his future.
Brooks had the most to lose if then Tigers coach Ivan Cleary brought son Nathan to the club. The Clearys were very public about their desire to work alongside each other and there was talk at times last year that the scenario would eventuate at the Tigers.
While the Clearys did nothing wrong and should be commended for their tight bond it did leave the Tigers’ hierarchy uncomfortable enough to address it with Brooks midway through last season.
Brooks, after all, had shown the club loyalty when most had abandoned them. He was told that he was their long-term halfback regardless of what Ivan’s intentions were, and if Nathan wanted to come he would wear the No.6 jersey.
Brooks played his best football under Cleary last year, winning the Dally M halfback of the year.
It sets up an interesting showdown when Brooks and Cleary go head-to-head on Friday night.
PASSING THE TIME POST-RETIREMENT
BEAU Scott will be the first to put his hand up if the passing skills of aspiring rugby league players improves dramatically this year.
Scott, who retired at the end of last season, has overseen the creation of a football challenge passing machine popping up in clubs around NSW.
“I knew footy wouldn’t go forever so I started up a company called 1800ARCADE about 10 years ago,” Scott said. “Since retiring, I’ve ramped things up and tried to come up with some new ideas which appeal to sports fans.
“We’ve specifically designed and built a footy passing machine which is proving to be extremely popular and loads of fun.”
In his spare time, Scott also lends his experience on the NRL bunker on weekends.
Scott is also looking to develop an AFL version of the game. For inquiries contact beau@1800arcade.com.au
WOLVES STAND BY WIDDOP
WARRINGTON boss Steve Price has vowed to stand by Gareth Widdop despite their marquee signing for 2020 undergoing another shoulder reconstruction.
Price secured a coup earlier this year when it was announced Widdop would reunite with his former St George Illawarra coach at Warrington for three seasons from next year.
Price threw his support behind Widdop, who is expected to form a halves combination with former Canberra Raider Blake Austin at the Wolves.
“We are fully committed to Gareth joining the club and are looking forward to seeing him at Warrington next year,” Price said.
“He is in good hands with the medical staff at the Dragons.”
The Dragons have kept the door ajar for a late-season return for their skipper who underwent surgery on Monday.
AUSSIES CARVE IT UP
THREE Australians won medals at the Para Snowboard world championships in Finland last week. The small team fought above their weight with Simon Patmore and Ben Tudhope claiming respective silver medals in snowboard cross while Sean Pollard finished with a bronze in the same event. Patmore and Tudhope also came fourth in the banked slalom.
UFC BOSS WEIGHS IN ON BLOW-UP
UFC boss Dana White has called the growing nuclear war between Conor McGregor and UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov “unacceptable”.
Which is putting it lightly.
It began after McGregor announced his retirement and Nurmagomedov responded with a light jab over Twitter.
McGregor responded: “Your wife is a towel, mate,” he wrote, along with a pic of Nurmagomedov’s wedding, where his wife’s head and face was covered.
Nurmagomedov, predictably, went Defcon 1, referencing allegations we cannot legally repeat here that McGregor was being investigated for sexual assault in Ireland.
“You are a hypocrite who is not responsible for your actions,” he said.
Believe it or not, it then took a darker turn.
McGregor fired back in a tweet suggesting Nurmagomedov had married a goat, before quickly deleting it.
Nurmagomedov, a Russian champion with many supporters, including his father, who are not allowed through immigration when he fights in America because of their questionable past, then responded: “If you think that insulting entire religion yoube safe, you are mistaken.”
AUSSIES WRESTLE IN ON THE ACTION
WE told you this time last year about Aussie duo Billy Kay and Peyton Royce making their debuts in the WWE.
Well, on Monday the pair, known as The IIconics, will appear on the grandest stage of them all — WrestleMania 35 — as one of four teams facing off for the women’s tag team title.
And for the first time ever a women’s match will headline WrestleMania when former UFC star Ronda Rousey takes on Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. Book now at mainevent.com.au
LOTTOLAND SURFACE NOT A GAMBLE
LOTTOLAND was officially given the green light to host Saturday’s match between South Sydney and Manly after NRL officials inspected the Brookvale Oval surface on Wednesday.
The pitch has been under the microscope following Sydney Roosters veteran winger Brett Morris’ criticism of the ground after hurting his knee against the Sea Eagles in their round 2 win.
The NRL commissioned an independent report and made slight adjustments to the surface to enable it to be up to NRL standard.
The NRL last month produced its injury analysis report into grounds and found and average of 1.5 injuries per game last year at Lottoland — the third lowest of any ground.
However, the venue was highest in the league for number of games missed per injury with an average of 4.9 matches.
Former Test player Luke Lewis made an interesting point on ABC Grandstand last Saturday when he said he and his teammates wouldn’t necessarily get injured playing at Brookvale but would finish the match with tight muscles.
That would limit their time spent training the following week and Lewis said that left him vulnerable to tearing a muscle in the next round.
EDWARDS FACES HIS NIGHTMARE
PENRITH fullback Dylan Edwards described it as “one of my toughest nights”.
Edwards had a horror showing against the Storm with six handling errors — two directly leading to tries. Ivan Cleary has promised to keep the faith in the 23-year-old, who is in his comeback from a shoulder injury and looking to put the performance behind him.
“I just tried to get myself out of it and obviously it didn’t work,” Edwards said. “I just tried to keep on trying and it kept backfiring on me a bit.
“You can’t blame the conditions on what I did. It was all down to my own ball handling. It wasn’t anything else. It was just on me, really. The ones that led to tries were hard pills to take, they’re the hard ones. The two that led to tries there.But I just think, switch onto the next job and obviously I’d make a few more times, which wasn’t really helping.”
Edwards played just eight matches last year before a shoulder injury ended his season.
He said the shoulder was not an excuse for a slow start.
“I had a decent pre-season so I thought I’d come in reasonably good,” Edwards said. “Obviously the match fitness is the big thing. You can’t train for match fitness, but I thought the pre-season I had, I’d come in decent nick.”
IT’S TSZYU X 2
TIM Tszyu looks more and more like his famous father Kostya with each day, although in truth they are very different fighters.
Tim was in Fox Sports this week ahead of next month’s fight against Joel Camilleri.
Having finally acknowledged his pedigree, Tszyu is looking to make the most of boxing talents and is working closely with Fox Sports.
SONG REMAINS THE SAME
JACK de Belin has led the singing of St George Illawarra’s team song since Ben Creagh retired in 2016. There was a moment of confusion in the sheds after the Dragons beat Brisbane last Thursday, before hooker Cameron McInnes stepped up to fill the void left by his suspended teammate.
KAFUSI’S BABY RUN
FELISE Kaufisi had to make a mad dash from Melbourne to Bathurst last week, missing the team’s captain’s run. The Storm backrower stayed in Melbourne to be with his heavily pregnant wife before playing for the Storm in their win over Penrith last Saturday.
Originally published as Michael Maguire’s scary post-game sprays, Beau Scott’s post-retirement electric dreams
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