Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Bears promised $15m as NRL bid gains momentum
The Bears confirmed the massive amount had been pledged if the 1908 foundation club becomes the NRL’s 18th franchise.
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In a remarkable endorsement, the Bears have been promised a staggering $15m in funding by excited investors.
Club officials confirmed the massive amount had been pledged if the 1908 foundation club becomes the NRL’s 18th franchise.
The financial bonanza is certain to impress when the ARL Commission announces plans for its future competition.
While investors want to remain anonymous at the moment, Bears chairman Daniel Dickson said his club was successfully positioning itself financially for a return to top-flight rugby league.
“There is a huge amount of corporate support from a sponsorship level,” Dickson said.
“The money is one very big piece of the pie and that has always been a challenge for us but we know now that won’t now be our Achilles heel.
“It still stays at the forefront of our mind that we want to make sure this bid is not only financially viable but viable for the Bears followers and to have the recipe for what is going to be a successful 18th team.
“That includes the rugby league community, grassroots and development pathways which we feel we will deliver to the game in spades.
“And, most importantly, it’s not just about the money but we have committed individuals with corporate nous who are big fans of the Bears and the club’s history.
“We are preparing everything we need for when the NRL is ready and that we will be a very attractive partner to be a successful 18th team.”
SAINT
Dylan Edwards, you’re a class act. Humble, likeable and modest. He shone on-field all season – culminating in claiming the Clive Churchill Medal – while his off-field behaviour and demeanour was a credit to the Panthers. Shame some teammates couldn’t display the same humility.
SINNER
Is Mark McLinden – the former Canberra player – serious? Fancy running onto Accor Stadium during the grand final – wearing a shirt which read ‘End coal gas and oil’ – with a plan to chain himself to the goalposts. This clown could have ruined the biggest game of the season.
SHOOSH
Which Panthers player was refused service at a bar late last year for behaviour too grubby to mention in this column?
SHOOSH
Which former Origin, Test and premiership-winning star brushed the corporate boxes to sit among the punters at last Sunday’s grand final?
SPOTTED
A relaxed former Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper walking through Manly with his wife, baby and dog.
SPOTTED
Despite his side suffering a crushing grand final loss, Eels coach Brad Arthur made a point of thanking several journalists – including your columnist – after the post-game media conference with a warm handshake.
SPOTTED
What a lovely moment in a private suite at Accor Stadium after Sunday’s grand final when Panthers legends Greg Alexander, Craig Gower, Lou Zivanovic and Royce Simmons gathered quietly for a celebration drink.
SPOTTED
Former Raiders Laurie Daley, Simon Woolford, David Barnhill and Steve Lidbury enjoying a beer at the Cargo Bar last Friday afternoon.
SPOTTED
Wests Tigers centre Brent Naden celebrating the Panthers’ grand final win with his former teammates. Penrith’s premiership party started at BlueBet Stadium but moved on to local watering hole Duck Duck Goose on Monday night, where Naden met up with Nathan Cleary and the remaining Panthers.
NRL360 HOST FIRES BACK AT ‘D***HEAD’ TROLLS
Controversial News Corp rugby league columnist Paul Kent has fired back at his online critics, labelling his social media trolls “idiots and dickheads”.
Kent stung the Panthers this week with two explosive columns in The Daily Telegraph, and an on-air editorial on Fox League’s NRL360 where he lambasted the players’ post-grand final behaviour, labelling them “rat mugs”.
While he garnered considerable support, Kent was trending on Twitter after being nailed on multiple social media platforms.
But the condemnation from fans didn’t bother Kent, who said: “They’re idiots. I’m not on social media but I get occasional emails from the dickheads. Seriously, they are adult men who paint their faces. How can you let them dictate to you?
“I really don’t care. Twitter is a made up place full of made up people shouting made up opinions that they all agree on. Anyone who doesn’t agree is blocked. You can’t value their comments.
“If it was intelligent or rational reasoning that was different to mine then I might be worried I got it wrong. But it’s not. It’s not logical thinking.
“If their comments were considered and still different to mine then I might have reason to give them weight and take them seriously. But they are really just baseless opinions and their own disagreements.
“I don’t write to be controversial but I think there is a really strong group of men aged between 18 and 24 who really dislike me. But that drops off pretty quickly and I think men in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s agree with me most of the time.
“As far as people liking me or disliking me, who cares?
“I’m always suspicious of people who they say don’t have an enemy in the world. If you haven’t got the strength to make an enemy then you haven’t got the strength to make a true friend either and I’ve got as many of those that I need.”
Discussing Penrith’s post-grand final celebrations, Kent wrote in The Daily Telegraph: “They are sportsmen who appear to show no sportsmanship. They’re carrying on like 16-year-old schoolboys. The carry-on from some of the players since winning is immature and lacks humility.
“There was nothing gracious about some of the behaviour after the grand final, like there was very little gracious after winning it last year. You can’t educate mugs.”
WHY KANGAROOS SELECTORS SNUBBED GRAND FINAL HERO
Kangaroos selector Laurie Daley has revealed why he and Australia’s World Cup selection panel overlooked Clive Churchill Medal winner Dylan Edwards.
Edwards, a key figure in Penrith’s grand final win, was a shock omission from the 24-man touring party, along with Dally M Medal winner, Cronulla’s Nicho Hynes.
Daley praised Edwards’ form but claimed his lack of versatility was decisive.
“It was a real tough decision because Dylan deserved selection on form but, unfortunately, when you’re in a touring party then versatility needs to come into play,” Daley said.
“We’ve got James Tedesco, who is the captain, and then you’ve got guys like Latrell Mitchell, Cam Munster and Val Holmes, who can all play fullback but also play centre and wing.
“That versatility cost him (Edwards), which is unfortunate.
“He has impressed everyone and played so well in the grand final, so he was discussed but, in the end, we had to make that tough decision.”
Asked about Hynes, Daley said: “The fact Ben Hunt is there as the utility plus who can play hooker. He is there with Harry Grant.
“And we have players like Matt Burton and Jack Wighton, who can play a number of positions, so we felt, for the balance of the team, this was the right way to go.”
Australia has been placed in group B at the World Cup along with Fiji, Italy and Scotland. England has been assigned to group A with Samoa and France while New Zealand is in group C.
A CUP OF LUXURY FOR ROOS TOURISTS
Unlike the old days of economy class flights and two-star roadside motels, the Kangaroos will be pampered during their seven-week World Cup journey in England.
Australia’s entire touring party will have individual rooms at the iconic and elegant The Midland in Manchester, which has stood for 118 years.
The hotel’s website says: “Step into its timeless elegance and experience award-winning restaurants and an idyllic urban spa. Over the years we’ve hosted everyone from rock stars to politicians to royalty.
“From our 312 sumptuous bedrooms to our award-winning food and drink and impressive event spaces, every part of The Midland experiences transcends the ordinary.”
The first deal between Rolls and Royce was signed in one of the hotel’s suites. Regular guests would outlay around $A320 a night to stay at The Midland.
Australia’s team and staff flew from Sydney to Manchester on Thursday night in business class seats on Emirates airlines. For everyday travellers on that route, those seats would cost about $12,000 return. The Rugby League World Cup has picked up the tab.
Former players talk of staying in run-down motels during previous overseas tours.
“Things have certainly changed,” said one former Kangaroo tourist. “They stay in luxury these days. Our accommodation many years ago was modest, at best.”
The Kangaroos will remain in Manchester for almost their entire campaign, only leaving for a night or two before certain matches. Players will travel directly to other matches and return that night.
BUMPER BOUT AHEAD
This will be one of the great all-Australian fights.
Those are the words of leading world boxing promoter Eddie Hearn ahead of a massive bout between Sydney’s Brock Jarvis and Queensland’s Liam Paro in Brisbane next Saturday.
“We are expecting a tremendous fight,” Hearn told The Big Sports Breakfast.
“Brock Jarvis is trained by Jeff Fenech. These two are like father and son. Brock is so exciting and looks like he’s carved out of stone. He is so relentless in the ring.
“Liam Paro is number one in the world. He’s got a world title shot in his hands.
“You’re going to see one of the great all-Australian fights; both guys going all-out for victory from the first bell to the last bell. It will be all-action.”
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