NRL 2020: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh | Origin commentary to be most biased ever
Which battling radio station is using its own producers to phone in fake open line calls because they have so few listeners? And the Origin commentary to be most biased ever. It’s all in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have made the painful decision to offer fullback Corey Allan a release from the final year of his contract if he can find another club.
It’s a difficult one because he is so admired among the playing group and coaching staff at Redfern.
The Rabbitohs are in negotiations to extend and upgrade Latrell Mitchell’s contract and can’t afford two fullbacks for the balance of their roster.
Allan, who filled in so capably for Mitchell during the finals, has been told he can look around if there is an opportunity for a long-term deal with a rival club. He has only one year left on his contract.
The Broncos, Cowboys, Sharks and Wests Tigers would be interested in the 22-year-old.
Check out all the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
Kayo is your ticket to the best sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
SAINT
The Sydney Roosters handed over a cheque for $77,000 to the NSW Rural Fire Service on Thursday, from money raised by an auction of their World Club Championship jerseys in February. This club does fantastic charity work. In partnership with major sponsor Steggles, the Roosters have also donated $4 million to Lifestart, the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Children’s Cancer Institute over the last 10 years.
SINNER
If you thought Gus Gould was horribly biased in the grand final, it will be even worse for Qld fans in Origin I in Adelaide on Wednesday night. The network can’t get Maroons legends Fatty Vautin, Wally Lewis, Darren Lockyer or Johnathan Thurston into Adelaide to balance the coverage because of the Qld border closure. At least they’ll have old Queenslander Karl Stefanovic as a co-host.
SHOOSH
Which battling radio station is using its own producers to phone in fake open line calls because they have so few listeners?
SHOOSH
Which sports bookmaking firm has banned a punter and mathematical whiz who has won $25,000 betting on the IPL cricket in India?
SPOTTED
Breaking News: ABC 702 made it to ANZ Stadium to call the Bledisloe Cup after inexplicably snubbing the first two games of the series to waste taxpayers’ money on country footy games that should have been restricted to their regional areas.
MORE NEWS
Contract capers: Tedesco leads all-star list of Blues free agents
Transfer talk: Club by club guide to off-season signings
SPOTTED II
2GB’s Jim “handbags” Wilson hosting the GWS Giants’ best-and-fairest medal night at the Ivy with NRL legend Cooper Cronk on a front-row table.
SPOTTED III
Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett relaxing with family at Cabarita Beach on the north coast. Baz has taken a week off before starting at Belmore.
SPOTTED IV
Nick Politis and Cooper Cronk at lunch at Grappa restaurant in Leichhardt — Wayne Bennett’s favourite venue, where he was sprung breaking the COVID bubble during the season.
SPOTTED V
NSW’s far north coast has been a popular spot for league types since the grand final. Head of Football Graham Annesley is in Tweed Heads to quarantine before entering Queensland. While out exercising on Wednesday morning, he ran into Amy Shark and husband Shane, also quarantining after Amy’s outstanding pre-grand final show, which by comparison left the AFL’s offering looking more like rejected talent show contestants.
SPOTTED VI
South Sydney Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly having dinner with his Melbourne Storm counterpart Dave Donaghy at the very flash 6 Head restaurant at Campbell’s Cove last week.
WARNIE BACK IN QUARANTINE
It’s been a tough year for Shane Warne, who arrives home in Melbourne next week for two weeks of quarantine before joining the Fox Cricket commentary team.
By the time he gets out of quarantine, it will be seven weeks Warnie has spent in isolation this year in the UK and Dubai to meet his commentary commitments.
In Melbourne, Warnie has asked for accommodation with a balcony so he can smoke.
There was also drama in the UK last week when a magistrate banned him from driving for 12 months over speeding tickets.
SHOWING UP FOR ORIGIN
Fox Sports have wheeled out their biggest names to cover all three Origin games.
Yvonne Sampson, Cooper Cronk, Michael Ennis and Paul Kent will do one-hour pre-and post-game shows.
Matty Johns and Cronk will join commentator Warren Smith to call the action for replays. The Pay TV network has been getting strong ratings throughout the week for their replays of last week’s grand final without the Gus Gould bias.
LUSSICK’S CHALLENGE TO NAS
Toronto Wolfpack forward Darcy Lussick has challenged Melbourne Storm’s grand final hero Nelson Asofa-Solomona to a fight on the Tim Tszyu undercard at Bankwest Stadium on December 16.
Lussick knocked out Justin Hodges in his only professional appearance while big Nelson showed extraordinary punching skill outside a Bali nightclub late last year.
ALL BLACKS REUNION FOR SBW
Sonny Bill Williams is still tight with his old All Blacks teammates.
On Thursday night he and his agent Khoder Nasser were spotted at the Intercontinental Hotel in Double Bay where the team is based.
SBW is still to decide on his own playing future. He’s waiting on word from Toronto Wolfpack about their future in the UK Super League, which is looking more unlikely every day. The tip is he’ll fight Barry Hall and then Paul Gallen, then retire from all sport.
MOLONEY EYES BOXING BOILOVER
Forget about Tim Tszyu and Jeff Horn — Jason Moloney has the biggest fight of any Australian boxer this year in Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon.
Moloney takes on Japanese punching machine Naoya Inoue for the WBA and IBF bantamweight world titles — belts once held by Aussie champs Jeff Fenech and Lionel Rose.
It would be the sport’s biggest upset since Jeff Horn beat Manny Pacquiao if Moloney can get the decision against a man regarded among the top three fighters in the world in any weight division. Inoue has won all of his 19 bouts, 16 by knockout.
Not that Moloney cares.
“I’m ready to go and I know I’ve got what it takes to beat him,” he said.
Moloney is at the ridiculously good odds of $8.50 on the TAB. The fight is live on Foxtel’s Main Event.
MORE NEWS
How former Blues half can show shattered Cleary the way
Skipper’s ‘unbelievable’ bravery comes at cost for Raiders
Rock and roll Blues bleed for new anthem
STABLE SHARKS SET FOR FUTURE
The biggest weakness undermining Cronulla in recent years has been management instability.
The Sharks have had four chief executives since the 2016 grand final — Lyall Gorman, Barry Russell (who should never have been allowed to go), Richard Munro and Dino Mezzatesta.
The good news is that Mezzatesta has just been appointed to a three-year deal. He is a sharp operator who, alongside chairman Steve Mace, will ensure the Sharks’ long-term future.
VALUE OF COACHING LOYALTY
AFL champs Richmond could teach NRL clubs plenty about coaching stability and loyalty.
In his first seven seasons as Tigers coach Damian Hardwick missed the finals, finishing well down the ladder four times — 15th, 13th, 12th and 12th.
He would have lost his job at an NRL club with those results. Hardwick has since won three premierships in four years. It’s an important message for trigger-happy NRL clubs.
John Morris is under pressure at Cronulla despite making the finals two years straight. Even Brad Arthur at the Eels is apparently under the pump despite a fourth, fifth and third in the past four years.
It’s ridiculous.
RAY A MELBOURNE CUP SCRATCHING
In a cruel twist of fate, the COVID-19 pandemic will bring to an end one of the great streaks in Australian sport.
On Tuesday, when the Melbourne Cup jumps at Flemington, it will be the first time since 1993 that The Sunday Telegraph’s racing editor Ray Thomas won’t be trackside.
The last Cup Ray missed was Vintage Crop’s victory in 1993. He hasn’t missed a year since.
But quarantine rules will prevent the world’s nicest man from making his 27th consecutive annual pilgrimage south. Instead, he’ll be working as hard as ever from Royal Randwick.
Originally published as NRL 2020: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh | Origin commentary to be most biased ever