Sport Confidential: Roosters $2.2m jersey, Jason Taylor’s mysterious black eye, raunchy Rah Rah

SPORTS CONFIDENTIAL; Roosters kit worth more than a one-bedroom unit in the east, Tiger Taylor’s mysterious shiner, Rah Rah’s raunchy advertising.

SYDNEY Roosters really are Sydney’s glamour club with their jersey and shorts now worth a club record $2.2 million in sponsorship.

The Bondi boys welcomed Magic Glass coming on board as a chest and front-of-shorts sponsor this week, joining long-running partners Steggles, QBE and World First.

Should they find one more sponsor for the back of their shorts, the playing kit will surge past $2.5 million annually, or about the price of a one-bedroom unit in the east.

While it is still a far cry from the $4 million-plus their Moore Park neighbours the Sydney Swans rake in annually with QBE, Citibank and VW, it’s not bad for a mob who finished 15th on the NRL ladder last year.

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Mitchell Pierce, Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend with the sponsor-heavy jersey.

Roosters boss John Lee would not put an actual figure on the overall sponsorship, but said the addition of Magic Glass had made it a record.

“The pioneer of sponsorship, Nick Politis, started this in 1976 and paid $50,000 a year for three years. Who would have thought the value of this jersey would now be worth more than 40 times what was paid in the first year,’’ Lee said.

Big things are expected at the Chookies this season, especially with a mostly trouble-free off-season, and the wonderful bond already struck up between new halves Mitchell Pearce and Luke Keary.

RAH RAH’S RAUNCHY ADVERTISING

THE Auckland Nines might be the hottest ticket in town across the ditch, but the general manager of marketing at the Auckland Blues is doing her best to drum up interest in the rival code.

Sport Confidential “spotted’’ the LinkedIn account of Kym Aust-Howlett, who posed in a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a bikini top, with a caption which read, “Not long until the Super #rugby season kicks off #seewhatididthere Blues tickets on sale today’’.

Kym Aust-Howlett’s LinkedIn post

We checked it out with the Blues to see if they endorsed such a provocative advertising campaign by their marketing boss.

A Blues spokesman told us: “Private LinkedIn accounts are not an official part of the Blues’ marketing plan.’’

Aust-Howlett, who used to work at the Waratahs, left nothing to the imagination during a series of similarly racy pics on her Twitter account.

However, after inquiries from Sport Confidential, all of Aust-Howlett’s social media accounts were mysteriously locked. #booooo.

JT’S BLACK EYE BRINGS BACK MEMORIES

WESTS Tigers coach Jason Taylor was hounded about two things — how he got a black eye, and why James Tedesco was heading over to the Auckland Nines.

Jason Taylor sporting a decent shiner at Sydney airport. Picture: John Fotiadis

We can tell you JT copped a stray elbow while playing touch football earlier this week, while Teddy was simply crossing the ditch to continue working with the club’s strength and conditioning coach, Marcus Kain.

Meanwhile, centre Tim Simona could be part of a swap deal with the Sydney Roosters who are looking to off-load Dale Copley.

MAXWELL BLOWS FULLTIME

THE whistle has been blown on Jared Maxwell’s decade-long stint as an NRL referee. He won’t be part of the fulltime squad this season.

SPEEDY A JACK OF ALL TRADES

BRENTON Speed has been heard on the A-League and NBL, now the Fox Sports caller is about to juggle NRL and the AFL.

Fox Sports’ head of TV Steve Crawley told us: “Brenton is the best commentator rugby league and AFL audiences may never have heard of, but when he begins calling for Fox League and Fox Footy this season, people will stop and go wow. He is the real deal.’’

PANTHERS PASSPORT DILEMMA

HAD a back strain not forced Penrith’s Viliame Kikau to miss the Auckland Nines, a lost passport definitely would have.

The giant Panthers prop lost his passport after a Fijian holiday during the off-season, and club officials were frantically trying to get one sorted before he pulled up sore.

Just last year Kikau was due to travel to Auckland as 18th man for the Warriors clash - and a possible NRL debut - only to be forced off the team bus at Sydney airport when it was discovered he could run into visa issues trying to return from Auckland.

SILVER LINING IN RUSSEL BAN

SHOULD Andre Russell fail to fight a one-year ban for a drugs whereabouts ban, the Sydney Thunder will need to find a replacement international for next summer’s BBL.

One good bit of news for Thunder fans was speedster Pat Cummins quietly inked a two-year extension midway through the recent tournament.

MUNDINE MAULED BY ITALIAN

A POSTER hanging outside Maroubra’s Backyard Italian promoting Friday’s Anthony Mundine-Danny Green read: “Watch Mundine Get Mauled In The Backyard’. Yes, Maroubra, a suburb just 10km from The Man’s very own gym in Redfern.

ATROCITY WATCH IS OVER

AFTER a 31-day career filled with more drama than a Donald Trump phone call, The Telegraph’s atrocity watch has retired.

With the Auckland Nines kicking off on Saturday it’s time to focus on the action onfield.

The month produced seven scandals, comprising two drink driving-related charges, a wild street brawl, hidden cocaine found in underpants, alleged steroid use, hair pulling claims, and a player turning up to training “under the weather”.

The longest clean streak lasted a glorious eight days, although this record carries an asterisk given Peni Terepo was involved in a car crash, refused to give a blood-alcohol test and didn’t bother to tell us, or his club.

Originally published as Sport Confidential: Roosters $2.2m jersey, Jason Taylor’s mysterious black eye, raunchy Rah Rah