Sports Confidential: James Maloney closes in on goalkicking world record
SPORTS CONFIDENTIAL: PENRITH halfback James Maloney is closing in a remarkable goalkicking feat which could be reached in Sunday’s clash with the Titans.
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HE may only be Penrith’s back-up goalkicker but James Maloney is on the cusp of breaking a world record.
Maloney is on a streak of 39 consecutive goals which includes 16 for Cronulla, Australia’s Prime Minister’s XIII (six), the Kangaroos (four) and Penrith (13).
He needs two more to equal the world record held by Featherstone’s Liam Finn, who kicked 41 goals in succession in 2012, and Jamie Ellis from Hull KR, who equalled the record last year.
Maloney has kicked his last 29 goals in succession at NRL level, six short of Hazem El Masri’s 2003 record. He is only kicking for the injured Nathan Cleary — who kicked 32 goals before his streak ended in round two. Maloney kicked 31 consecutive goals for the Roosters in 2013.
FORAN MAKES A GRAB
CANTERBURY’s Kieran Foran certainly proved a handful against the Raiders last week. The Canterbury halfback scored a try and was up nice and close with Canberra backrower Elliott Whitehead.
BRENNAN SEES GOLD COAST’S FUTURE IN PENRITH
GARTH Brennan is in the midst of plotting the downfall of his former club but the Titans mentor wants to emulate elements of the Panthers’ off-field success. Following a decorated stint as a lower grade coach and assistant NRL coach at Penrith, Brennan is preparing to coach against the club for the first time when his willing Titans side take on Penrith on Sunday.
“(I picked up a fair bit) to do with the development side of things and how it takes a bit of time,” Brennan said. “Up here on the Gold Coast I see a lot of similarities with how Penrith was six years ago with a big and strong junior base. Over time here on the Gold Coast we can put something in place here similar to what the Panthers have done.”
Brennan will be joined by Bryce Cartwright, Mitch Rein and Leilani Latu in making a return to Penrith Stadium. Panthers recruit James Maloney is the only player who will take to the field that Brennan has not coached in some way.
“People think that is advantageous,” Brennan said. “But on the flip side I know how dangerous their players can be. I’m excited to go back and catch up with mates. What I’m more looking forward to is the challenge for my team to see where we are at. We are up against one of the premiership contenders. It’s our toughest assignment of the year.”
EVERYONE KNOWS HINDY
PICTURE the scene: Nathan Hindmarsh, Bryan Fletcher, Jess Yates and James “The Professor” Rochford walking Kokoda.
Out of the jungle emerges a man dressed in two things: a pair of shorts and a large machete.
He walks towards them with a fixed stare as the Professor subtly positions himself at the back of the group.
The man stops and points.
“Hindmarsh?” he says.
The man can’t believe it.
A quick shout in pidgin dialect and a couple more men emerge from the bush with a phone camera, asking for selfies.
It happened the entire way.
As word spread along the track that Hindmarsh was making the trek villagers by their hundreds would come down and ask him for selfies.
Meanwhile, few knew who Fletcher was. Not even the Sydney Roosters fan.
KEMP WANTS DALEY FOR KIWI JOB
FORMER Kiwi star Tony Kemp has called for the appointment of Laurie Daley as New Zealand’s next coach. It is understood Daley is in the mix to replace David Kidwell with the likes of Richie Blackmore, Geoff Toovey and Michael Maguire also chasing the role. Kemp, who played 25 Tests before coaching the Warriors for two seasons, said Daley was an ideal candidate.
“I would prefer Laurie to coach the team,” Kemp said. “His credentials are in an environment where he was preparing for an event rather than a 26 week competition. He has coached in that Origin cauldron and has handled that pressure. He knows how to bring people together. He is indigenous and that can lead towards knowing what the New Zealand make-up is.”
Kemp said the Kiwis needed to put more focus on who will support Daley.
“I’ve been a real advocate of not only selecting the coach but having the right structure around them,” Kemp said. “We got that right in 2010 and they haven’t since. It’s important to select a structure when it comes to New Zealand. We’re not in the same boat as Australia and England.
“The New Zealand Rugby League has no money. You don’t have the liberty of picking a Mal Meninga or Wayne Bennett on a six-figure salary who can put their support team together.
“It’s not apples for apples.”
AUSSIES GO INTERNATIONAL
IT may be sports entertainment rather than sport, but two Australians made their debuts on the big stage in the United States this week.
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce debuted on the WWE’s popular Smackdown wrestling show on Wednesday, which airs on Fox8, having spent time in the company’s development show, NXT.
The pair are known as the Iconic Duo and immediately made names for themselves in their first outing on Smackdown by attacking women’s champion Charlotte Flair, the daughter of legendary wrestler Ric Flair, and costing her the title.
NO POINT TO MANLY APPEAL
MANLY might as well tear up their appeal against their salary cap penalties and toss it in the bin.
A little known rule in the powers of the NRL Appeal Committee — rule 57(1) — states: “If the NRL Appeals Committee is of the opinion that the issue or issues raised by an appeal might be decided in favour of the Appellant but consider that no substantial miscarriage of justice has occurred, the NRL Appeals Committee shall dismiss the appeal and may direct the Appellant to pay the Respondent’s reasonable costs of and incidental to the appeal.”
In other words, if the NRL is wrong, but don’t consider themselves too wrong, they can dismiss the appeal and make, in this case Manly, pay the costs.
It is virtually impossible to win.
DON’T BACK DOWN MAROON
PRESSURE is mounting on Triple M commentator Anthony Maroon to make good on a bet he made before round two, with co-commentator Gorden Tallis leading the charge.
A tragic South Sydney fan, Maroon declared on mid-North Coast radio before round two that if Wests Tigers beat Melbourne, “I will stand outside the Macquarie Hotel (in Port Macquarie) dressed as a Roosters cheerleader and sing ‘Rooster, Rooster, man …’”
Full-time score: Wests Tigers 10 bt Melbourne 8.
Maroon has so far resisted, first claiming he works weekends and then that he has an invalid neighbour he helps with dialysis.
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SPOTTED
Broadcast king Alan Jones was an interesting guest speaker at the NRL clubs chief executive’s meeting on the Gold Coast earlier this week. Jones had plenty of things to say regarding player behaviour and the current salary cap system. It is understood Jones pitched up an idea where clubs had to adhere to a points system instead of a traditional salary cap.
GIANTS THROW STONE
RICK Stone has been sacked as Huddersfield coach and has probably picked a bad time to consider returning to Australia given the focus on Wayne Bennett’s performance at Newcastle and Stone’s often overlooked stint as head coach after Bennett and before current coach Nathan Brown.
Huddersfield has narrowed the shortlist for their next coach down to two: former New Zealand coach David Kidwell and Newcastle assistant Simon Woolford.
Woolford leads the race given the guy who turned Huddersfield around, Brown, is now his boss and holds a gold star reputation in the north of England.
MICHAEL FIGHTS ON
NOBODY can doubt the toughness of former world super bantamweight champion Barry Michael, a fighter who, pound for pound, would buy and sell some of the bigger names in Australian boxing in recent years.
Michael, 62, was walking Kokoda two weeks ago when he slipped on a rock on the final day and broke two ribs and fractured several others.
He was flown out of the jungle to a Port Moresby hospital but told he would not be treated until he paid cash upfront.
As his insurance company haggled with the hospital Michael checked himself out and got a plane to Melbourne.
He gambled there wasn’t a punctured lung in among the broken bones.
RUSTY’S FULL PLATE
UNFORTUNATELY Russell Crowe was too busy hosting his Art of Divorce fire sale to pop in to Redfern to rev up the South Sydney Rabbitohs for last night’s battle with archrivals Sydney Roosters.
BUNNIES GO REGAL
AMONG the many eccentric stories the Rabbitohs tell about Crowe is the time he turned up with The Book of Feuds in regal mode, stood at the pulpit in front of the team, opened the book and with a theatrical flourish blew the dust off the pages.
He then began to recount some of the many sins the Roosters had perpetrated against the Rabbitohs since 1908.
NUMBERS GAME FOR LATIMORE
JEREMY Latimore went as far as asking the Dragons’ gear steward why he was constantly wearing the No. 18 jersey despite featuring in all but one of St George Illawarra’s games this year. Latimore wondered if coach Paul McGregor was being superstitious as the Dragons have won every game this year.
“I don’t know why,” Latimore laughed.
“I’m happy to keep wearing it if we keep winning.”
Well, McGregor has changed course with Latimore to suit up in No. 14 for the Dragons against Cronulla on Friday.
GAZ’S KEY TO NQLD’S FALL
RETIRED premiership winner Mark Gasnier has identified a simple reason behind last year’s grand finalists North Queensland and Melbourne’s dramatic slide down the premiership ladder. It is little effort plays in defence, according to Gasnier.
“The little things in the past they would do when you got done on your inside shoulder,” Gasnier said. “That same little extra effort isn’t there. People don’t realise how much that little extra effort means.”
GLOBAL CALL FOR GF TICKETS
ST George Illawarra fans were quick to snap up grand final tickets when they went on sale this week. They are not alone — with fans from PNG, Singapore, New Zealand and England picking up tickets for the September 30 clash.
MOORE BECOMES MR WORLDWIDE
YOU could forgive ABC Grandstand chief league caller Andrew Moore for feeling a little jaded after last round. Moore called the Thursday game in Canberra before being on deck to watch the Roosters beat Cronulla the following night.
He then flew to New Zealand to commentate on the double header on Saturday and then took his place in the commentary back at ANZ Stadium the following day to call the Penrith and Eels game.
MOI MOI SIGNS SIGNS WITH WITH WORKINGTON WORKINGTON
IT has been a dramatic fall from grace for former Parramatta cult hero Fui Fui Moi Moi. After being dumped by the Toronto Wolfpack, Moi Moi has signed on with English third division side Workington.
Originally published as Sports Confidential: James Maloney closes in on goalkicking world record
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