NRL 2023: Canterbury Bulldogs to forego Mad Monday to help homeless
Canterbury has ditched Mad Monday plans after its horror season and will instead spend the day giving back. See what a host of clubs have planned in Sport Confidential.
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The Canterbury playing group have copped plenty of flak this season but they deserve a pat on the back after it emerged that they would spurn Mad Monday celebrations to feed the homeless.
Sport Confidential has been told that rather than celebrate a season that has been an abject failure, the battling Bulldogs will gather together as a group on Monday to help those less fortunate.
They will then celebrate their awards night on Tuesday before coming together as a group for a quiet get-together later in the week.
The Bulldogs’ decision to reject Mad Monday came as NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo backed the clubs and their players to be on their best behaviour as they prepare for the traditional end-of-season celebrations.
“We expect clubs to enjoy the end of season celebration in a professional and respectful way,” Abdo said.
“Everyone in the game knows the standards expected of them.”
Sports Confidential has spoken to several clubs who are poised to draw the curtain on their seasons this weekend.
They are all attacking Mad Monday in different ways. Gold Coast, for example, have no plans for Mad Monday while the Dolphins and Manly will hold their get-togethers behind closed doors with security staff to accompany the players.
It is understood Sea Eagles players will catch up on Tuesday because they have their presentation night on Monday night.
Wests Tigers are planning a day at the races on Saturday — they play Manly on Friday night.
SHEENS-TIGERS SIGN NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
The Tigers and Tim Sheens have entered into a formal agreement not to discuss the head coach’s abrupt departure from the club.
The affable Sheens has kept a low profile since the club’s decision to dump him as head coach a year earlier than planned.
Sheens has taken a step back from all media commitments, with incoming coach Benji Marshall becoming the public face of the Tigers.
Now we can tell you why. As part of Sheens’ severance package he has agreed not to publicly discuss his exit. So too has the club.
The Tigers haven’t totally gagged Sheens though. He is free to discuss his decorated coaching career and his second-coming at the Tigers, which hasn’t quite gone as planned.
Sheens was brought back to oversee the football department but stepped into the head coaching role as part of a succession plan that would see Marshall take over in 2025.
That plan was recently changed, meaning Marshall will be head coach for next season and Sheens will depart the club ahead of schedule.
It will be the end of a love affair between Sheens and the Tigers, the club he led to the 2005 premiership. Sheens deserves immense recognition for the work he has done in the game.
He should be celebrated for what will be his final match in charge against the Sea Eagles on Friday.
Marshall is among those who have benefited from Sheens’ wisdom over the years.
“I will probably go for a dinner with Tim next week and (give him) a big thank you for everything he has given, not only teaching me his coaching, but in my playing career too,” Marshall said.
“I spent a good 12 years under him where I learned how to play footy. Without his coaching and style of coaching, I don’t think would have made it as far because he encouraged me no matter if I threw a pass over the sidelines, he would tell me to throw it again and embraced all the quirky differences I had as a player that some of the other coach might not have seen as strengths.
“Really lucky in that sense.”
Sheens will finish his long career with four premiership and having coached 693 games – second only to Wayne Bennett.
Sheens is expected to return to England. It is unclear if he will be given a BBQ as part of his severance package.
DOGS’ LEAKY SHIP
They are the three leaks which have divided the Canterbury playing group and instilled a level of distrust among the squad and the coaching staff.
Cracks started forming at Canterbury last October following captain Josh Jackson’s shock retirement.
Within hours of Jackson telling his teammates via the group’s WhatsApp message that he was retiring, the message had found its way to this masthead.
It was a sign of things to come. More recently, internal information flowing from the club into the public arena has irked officials and prompted a witch hunt to find out how the information is finding its way into external hands.
Tevita Pangai Jr’s retirement leaked before some staff even knew. The latest incident came after revelations on Sunday by colleague Phil Rothfield of fabricated quotes which were used to try to inspire the side.
Bulldogs officials have no doubt it was shared by someone within the club’s inner sanctum. The off-field disconnect is starting to plague the team’s on-field performance according to some at the club.
Footy clubs and defence in particular are built on trust, attitude and turning up for your mate. Clearly the Bulldogs have not done that this year as they have conceded the most points in the competition.
How can you do that when you do not have that trust of the player next to you? It is something they will try and spend summer fixing.
FOX TROTS OFF?
There has been some conjecture surrounding Josh Addo-Carr’s future at Canterbury in recent days.
So much so that he was the talk at the chief executive’s conference on Wednesday with suggestions a third party had been offering the representative winger to rival clubs including his former team the Tigers.
We contacted his agent Mario Tartak who assured us that Addo-Carr was going nowhere and that he had received assurances from the Bulldogs that they had no plans to move him on.
BROKEN BACK? SPINAL
It is unclear just how long Jacob Kiraz was playing with a broken back. The Bulldogs flyer had felt stiffness in his back but did not think anything of it, preferring to play through the pain.
Eventually he had the injury scanned where it showed a lumbar spine stress fracture. Rest is what is needed to aid recovery. Kiraz should be fit to resume training when Canterbury starts pre-season.
SEA EAGLES GUN FLIES COOP
Manly’s rising star Kaeo Weekes could be on the move within weeks after it emerged that he had been given permission to explore his options on the open market.
Sport Confidential understands that the Sea Eagles reluctantly granted Weekes permission to talk to other clubs when it became clear he would struggle to crack a spot in first grade next year.
The fullback spot at Manly is locked up by Tom Trbojevic while the halves positions will be in the hands of Luke Brooks and Daly Cherry-Evans next year.
That left little room for Weekes to force his way into first grade and it is understood he is already on the radar of a handful of clubs.
Canberra are among the sides on the lookout for a five-eighth as they prepare for Jack Wighton’s departure at the end of the year to join South Sydney.
Weekes has history in the No.6 jersey. He represented the NSW Under 16 side at five-eighth in an outfit that also included Newcastle centre Bradman Best as well as Manly teammates Josh Schuster and Ben Trbojevic.
Ironically, his former Junior Blues teammate Schuster stopped him getting his hands on the No.6 jersey at the start of this year, before he was switched to the back row and Parramatta recruit Jake Arthur handed the start at five-eighth.
SIMS EYES NEW CONTRACT
Tariq Sims has told Melbourne he is keen to play on next year but he will need to be patient as he waits to find out whether there is a deal for him at the Storm.
The former NSW back rower has struggled to play consistent football this year, having suffered a calf injury in the pre-season that left him behind the eight-ball. However, Sport Confidential understands that he wants to play on and has begun exploring options in England as an insurance policy in case a deal doesn’t eventuate in the NRL.
It is understood his preference would be to stay at the Storm but Melbourne have a tight salary cap and may not be able to accommodate him.
NRL’S INDEPENDENT MOVE
The NRL is set to investigate bringing in an independent decision-maker to rule on integrity issues.
Sport Confidential can reveal that the matter was on the agenda at Wednesday’s chief executives meeting, having been previously suggested by the Rugby League Players Association.
Under the proposal, an independent person – most likely a judge – would replace NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo in overseeing sanctions for offences related to code of conduct, playing contracts, illicit drugs and football department breaches.
Abdo would continue to take charge of matters such as the no-fault stand down rule and judiciary procedures.
Any plan to change the system would come into effect for the start of next season. So too will a change to the rules around player agents as the NRL once again investigate the prospect of banning agents looking after both players and coaches.
The issue has been a regular point of conjecture in recent years as NRL and club officials become concerned about the power wielded by some agents, and the resulting influence they have over clubs.
It is understood the issue was raised with clubs on Wednesday and is set to be discussed over the off-season.
FLASHBACK
Rugby league and soccer were in the headlines for troubling reasons on this day 15 years ago. Three players across the two codes were involved in spitting incidents in 24 hours. Spitting accusations were levelled against rugby league players Wade McKinnon (Warriors) and Matt Hilder (Newcastle) plus A-League’s Dino Djulbic (Perth Glory).
BURGESS SPOTTED
George Burgess was spotted at South Sydney training during the week, fuelling speculation he was about to launch another re-boot of his career, this time with the Rabbitohs. However, we checked with South Sydney officials and while Burgess will always be welcome to spend time with the club, there are no plans to throw him an NRL lifeline next year.
Burgess tried to reignite his career at St George Illawarra last season but that lasted just four games.
MR SHEENS REPLACEMENT
The Tigers are still on the lookout for a head of football to provide some support for rookie coach Benji Marshall.
There remains a strong push for former captain Mark O’Neill to return to the club. Another name who has been mentioned is Matt Betsey – the club’s head of pathways.
Betsey was a coaching and development manager at Cricket Australia before he joined the Tigers in 2021.
The other leading contender is assistant coach and club legend Robbie Farah, who is believed to be keen on transitioning into an off-field role.
BAD BOY NORMIE
Former NRL bad boy Corey Norman has found himself at the centre of drama in France after he was found to have illegally played for FC Lézignan.
Norman was suspended for eight games at the end of last season while playing for Toulouse, after he was found guilty of intentionally placing a hand between the buttocks of Warrington’s Oliver Holmes.
Sport Confidential understands Norman and his new French club were found to have played him when he still had four games of that ban still to serve.
SPOTTED
Sprint guru Roger Fabri has teamed up with the likes of Braith Anasta, Todd Carney and Bronson Xerri to host a master clinic in October. If you are interested reach out to Farbi via Instagram.
VIVA LAS VEGAS
Australian golfing superstar Cameron Smith has offered to help the NRL sell the game to America as part of rugby league’s plans to open next season in Las Vegas.
Smith, a well known Broncos fan, has not been contacted by the NRL but would love to be in Vegas for the double header if his schedule allows.
I would love to be there,” Smith told Sports Confidential.
“We don’t have our schedule yet. For sure, I would definitely go out there and watch.”
Asked whether he would be open to helping promote the game, Smith replied: “I can’t see why not.”
The NRL has already outlined their hope to have actors Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman involved in the Vegas experience.
Smith, who has confirmed he will return to Australia at the end of the year to play the Open and PGA, would be another big name to help take the game to America.
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