Saint, sinner, shoosh: Roosters to reject Bronson Xerri
Bronson Xerri wants out of Cronulla but one potential new home looks unlikely. PLUS Sky Sports Radio earmarks Fox Sports stars as potential Big Sports Breakfast show hosts next year.
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SAINT
FREDDY Fittler is often seen as just a happy-go-lucky commentator and rep footy coach. He actually does more for charity than most others in rugby league.
Last week, Freddy handed over a $60,000 cheque to Father Chris Riley from his Hogs for the Homeless charity tour. This week, he’s off to Bourke, Walgett and Brewarrina to talk to schoolkids and run some clinics. He is a very good man.
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SINNER
STILL no word or any transparency from the NRL on the integrity unit case of Brisbane Broncos forward David Fifita more than three weeks after he was arrested in Bali and had to pay $30,000 for his freedom.
SHOOSH
WHICH very capable official is being talked up as the potential next chief executive of the NRL if the relationship between the incumbent CEO Todd Greenberg and new ARLC boss Peter V’landys doesn’t work out?
SHOOSH II
WE’RE hearing the NRL will introduce a 20-40 kick rule in the 2020 competition. It works the same way the 40-20 does but from the opposite end of the field. The idea was the brainchild of rugby league independent commissioner Wayne “Junior” Pearce.
SPOTTED
WE didn’t know Gus Gould was a DIY handyman. We spotted the great man on the travelator about to go shopping at Bunnings Taren Point last week.
SPOTTED II
NEW St George Illawarra assistant coach Shane Flanagan training at a gym in Cronulla in Sydney Roosters shorts — obviously pinched from his son, Kyle.
SPOTTED III
FOX Sports star Hannah Hollis looking absolutely stunning at her wedding to long-time partner Tom at Jonah’s at Whale Beach. League Life colleagues Yvonne Sampson, Lara Pitt and Jess Yates were among the guests with their hubbies.
SPOTTED IV
JOHN Longmire at the SCG watching the U2 concert, looking like he was enjoying it more than many of the Swans’ performances at the venue last season.
SPOTTED V
JUST a week after shoulder surgery, a determined Kieran Foran was back in the gym at the Bulldogs’ Belmore training headquarters doing light exercises.
SPOTTED VI
AN enthusiastic Shaun Johnson back at training with Cronulla Sharks, three weeks ahead of schedule for the rep stars who played in recent Test matches.
RADIO EYES FOX’S BRIGHTEST
Sky Sports Radio has earmarked Fox Sports stars Matty Johns, Yvonne Sampson and Gorden Tallis as potential Big Sports Breakfast show hosts next year.
The station is looking to replace long-time host Terry Kennedy with a big name to work alongside Laurie Daley in the hope of becoming a major player in Sydney’s morning ratings. They have struggled to get above one rating point for years.
Johns was a ratings smash hit in his former role as the face of Triple M’s Grill team, driving huge advertising sales. He’s had 12 months off air and has met with the station about the Big Sports Breakfast job in recent weeks.
Your columnist understands the network’s dream is to have Daley, Johns and Sampson. The three are incredibly popular with the punters.
Maroons legend Tallis has also been part of discussions because it is a national show and he has so much appeal in Queensland.
The stumbling block is all three are under contract at Fox Sports, a network fiercely protective of their NRL brand. And Fox Head of Sport Steve Crawley could be concerned about the extra workloads.
Meanwhile, there is talk Macquarie Sports Radio will bring back their breakfast show, with Mark “Piggy” Riddell and Mark Levy in the new year.
SHANE WARNED OFF
POLICE warned Fox Sports their star commentator Shane Warne would be removed from Adelaide Oval if he tried to smoke inside the ground during the pink-ball Test.
A message from the SA Police commissioner was passed on to the network’s head of television Steve Crawley that Warne was to obey the venue’s strict non-smoking policy.
Warney has been sprung previously during breaks from the commentary box at the ground.
“They’ve even said they’ll throw him into a paddy wagon if he lights up,” Crawley said.
The leg-spin champion has a long and well-documented history with the gaspers.
He was once paid $200,000 as the face of a Nicorette quit campaign but had to give the money back when he was caught lighting up on a boozy night out.
CA’S DOUBLE STANDARDS
TALK about double standards at Cricket Australia and its integrity unit.
Ricky Ponting has a longstanding relationship with bookmaking firm BetEasy. He is a shareholder and features in their advertising and marketing promotions.
This relationship has not prevented him taking on coaching roles with the Australian cricket team — and rightly so, despite the fact he gets prior knowledge of selections.
At the same time, Emily Smith is banned — even from club cricket — for the entire summer for a harmless post on Instagram in which she innocently shared the Hobart Hurricanes line-up an hour before the game.
It had no influence on pre-game betting and the match was washed out. anyway.
Her ban is a shocking over-reaction and should be immediately overturned.
HOT BRANDY
A dog named after Panthers legend Greg “Brandy’ Alexander won last week at Albion Park, paying $9.70. He didn’t back it. No such luck for a $41 longshot nag called Buzz, which was unplaced at Kembla.
ACROSS THE BOARD
THE Penrith Panthers have an important board election coming up in February that has been kept very quiet for a reason.
The team’s poor performances, coach sackings, high-profile player departures, Gus Gould’s redundancy payout and multimillion-dollar losses have put huge pressure on incumbent directors.
No one has mentioned the fact time is running out for potential new board members.
Applications close on December 5 — this coming Thursday. We’re told there are no new nominees at this stage.
DAN A FOX SPORTS MAN
NRL caller Dan Ginnane has knocked back an offer from Channel 9 to stick with Fox Sports.
Planning for life after the soon-to-be-retiring Ray Warren, Nine approached Ginnane recently to jump ship.
Nine are now left with only one caller — Matt Thompson — should Warren retire in the next 12 months.
Crawley is delighted to have secured Ginnane and says comparisons to Warren “are not totally ridiculous. He’s got a lot of talent and we’re very happy to have him on board.”
Ginnane’s close friendship with night host Paul Murray at stablemate Sky News helped Fox Sports.
“It gives us a great team with Warren Smith, Andrew Voss, Brenton Speed, Matt Russell and now Dan,” Crawley said. “We need that many callers because we cover eight live games every week.”
CRAWFORD’S RINGING ENDORSEMENT
WE told you last week how Australia’s young boxing star Daniel Lewis was heading to the US to spar with the world’s No.1 ranked boxer Terence Crawford, a four-division world champion.
On Friday, your columnist spoke to Crawford about his progress.
“He’s a very good fighter,” Crawford said. “Young, hungry and determined. A work in progress with lots of potential. I think he can go a long way.”
Crawford knocked out Jeff Horn last year to win his world title belt. He says Lewis has similar ability.
“Put him in against Jeff Horn and, and oh man, that would be a good fight for both of them,” Crawford said.
PARRA POUCH JOEY
THE Parramatta Eels have confirmed Andrew Johns will join their coaching staff next season to work with their halves.
Johns has a long association with club recruitment boss Peter Sharp, who was one of his first coaches as a junior in Newcastle. Joey also worked alongside Eels head coach Brad Arthur when they were assistants at the Manly Sea Eagles under Geoff Toovey.
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SOUR XERRI
Boom centre Bronson Xerri still wants out at Cronulla but is unlikely to find a new home at the Sydney Roosters with best mate Kyle Flanagan.
We can reveal a third party has contacted the Roosters offering Xerri for next year. Apparently he’s prepared to do a ‘Ryan Matterson’ and walk out on the Sharks.
The Roosters are reluctant. They have already earmarked two players to step into Latrell Mitchell’s spot at left centre — boom youngster Billy Smith or Brett Morris.
Xerri is apparently not happy about Jesse Ramien’s signing on much more money than he’s earning. Many rate Xerri a future Origin player.
TOUCH UP
Cronulla junior teams will be well prepared for the touch footy junior State Cup in Wagga Wagga in February. On Sunday we spotted Paul Gallen, Joel Caine and Steve Turner coaching teams involving their sons and daughters in the Shire.
Originally published as Saint, sinner, shoosh: Roosters to reject Bronson Xerri