Albo’s early exit, Bennett snub couldn’t take shine from Ron Coote’s night

After weeks of debate, public slanging matches and noses being placed firmly out of joint because of the voting process, the NRL Hall of Fame dinner was an outrageous success.

There wasn’t even an argument among guests, let alone a fight. How un-rugby league.

History squares the ledger eventually and so it was with South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs international Ron Coote being named the 14th Immortal at a sparkly dinner at the SCG on Wednesday night.

Nevertheless, there were two curious parts of the evening that surprised those in attendance and watching at home on Fox Sports.

The naming of Coote in the middle of the night instead of the end was confusing.

I can tell you it was solely to accommodate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who had to return to Canberra that evening on “parliamentary business”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presenting Ron Coote with a blazer.Credit: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

The NRL didn’t know of this until Tuesday, prompting a late reshuffle of the schedule, but wasn’t upset about it. Other guests were less supportive, saying it detracted from the night.

There was more anger about Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett snubbing the event – including the decision to pull a live cross when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside fellow supercoach Jack Gibson.

Bennett had agreed to “virtually” accept his jacket and ring from former ARL boss John Quayle, but the idea was speared at the last minute.

It was left to Souths’ premiership-winning captain Sam Burgess to accept on Bennett’s behalf.

Burgess had flown in from Warrington, where he is coaching in the Super League, to attend the dinner because he, too, was being inducted.

The talk of the room before, during and most certainly after the event was about Burgess spending 24 hours on a plane to attend while Bennett couldn’t make the long haul from Brisbane.

Some theorised the Bennett no-show was a direct result of him being left out of the voting process, which makes no sense because he was in line for both Hall of Fame and Immortal honours.

Sam Burgess collects the Hall of Fame blazer on Wayne Bennett’s behalf.Credit: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

Remember, ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys had been pushing the idea of Bennett being considered for Immortal status even though the honour has solely been given to players.

Bennett didn’t mention the voting process when he told V’landys last week he would not be attending.

He was on the front foot on Thursday morning, phoning journalists to tell them he didn’t attend for “personal reasons” and that he doesn’t like attending extravagant dinners.

He told me via text that it was Fox Sports’ decision to not go ahead with the live cross, which the broadcaster has confirmed. Because Bennett was at his farm in Warwick, the picture quality would have been poor.

It’s a shame Bennett didn’t attend given his significant contribution to the game, although the taxi driver who took your humble correspondent home has a solution the next time an inductee doesn’t front.

“If you don’t front up, you miss out,” he grumbled. “Goes to the next reserve.”

Come on down Tim Sheens.

Righting a Ron

What an honour to be in the room when Coote was finally handed the Immortal status so many believed he should have received a long time ago.

When he wasn’t one of the five players inducted in 2018, most believed his time had passed.

When the rules were changed this year to allow players into the Hall of Fame three years into retirement instead of five, many figured Cameron Smith would sneak in ahead of him.

When Albanese uttered Coote’s name, it felt like the game was righting a wrong.

After being overlooked five times for the award, an emotional Coote struggled to find the right words when interviewed on stage.

He was a little more expansive afterwards when speaking to Brad Walter from NRL.com about why he left Souths for the Roosters in 1972.

“I left Souths over money,” Coote, 79, said. “Kerry Packer wanted me to go to the Roosters, he was a great bloke. That wasn’t about money changing hands but the advice that he gave me that helped me go further in my financial future. I had young kids and those young kids now own McDonald’s stores, and they’re all doing really good, so I’m very happy for the help I’ve got from people like Kerry Packer and [Roosters chairman] Nick Politis.”

Feud shortage

Despite the public slanging match between Darryl Brohman and inductee Les Boyd, the event proved that long-standing feuds can be put on the shelf – at least for one night.

Who could have envisaged during the heady days of the Super League War that almost 30 years later former ARL powerbrokers Ken Arthurson and John Quayle would be honoured during a live broadcast on Fox Sports, the creation of which was at the heart of the Rupert Murdoch’s breakaway competition?

It was also interesting to watch host Andrew Voss and 2GB’s Ray Hadley share the stage after the former took legal action against the latter in 2011. Both imparted lovely words about their late colleague David Morrow.

Also sharing the stage were former Storm teammates Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk, who fell out after Cronk joined the Roosters in 2018 – although neither has explained in great detail what was at play.

Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater pose with their Hall of Fame rings and blazers.Credit: Getty Images

They sat at separate tables but hugged on stage after they were received their blazers.

Smith showed great poise when Voss asked him about his late mum, Sonia, who died late last month after suffering an aneurysm. She was 66.

“Mum was a big part of my life, a big part of my football career,” he said. “She loved the game of rugby league … She was heavily involved in my junior football in particular. She’s a life member of my junior football club, Logan Brothers. She did a tremendous amount of work there for 20-odd years.”

Smith then stood at the side of the stage, wiping tears from his eyes.

When Coote was revealed as the next Immortal, he was just as happy for him as the rest of the room.

Taken for a ride

Back to the cabbie who took me home …

Benji Marshall … worth a punt.Credit: Getty Images

After criticising Bennett for not showing up, he rattled off stories about famous footballers who had been in his taxi over the years.

One was Benji Marshall during his playing days at the Wests Tigers, although the cab driver had no idea who he was at the time.

Marshall was getting a ride from the Beach Road Hotel in Bondi when the pair struck up a conversation. The cabbie told him he’d lost significant money gambling on AFL earlier that day.

“Do you bet on the NRL?” Marshall asked.

“Yes!” the driver replied. “The Wests Tigers cost me today, too. That Marshall kid kicked out on full and bombed a try.”

“You can’t trust that bloke,” Marshall smiled.

On Wednesday night, Marshall was also inducted into the Hall of Fame.

THE QUOTE

“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know who that is.” — Men’s 100m Olympic gold medallist Noah Lyles when asked on the Shannon Sharpe podcast what he thinks of NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic. It’s quite funny how easily Lyles gets right up the nose of NBA players.

THUMBS UP

Adam Sandler is pulling out all stops to make sure the sequel to 1996 cult comedy Happy Gilmore isn’t a dud. He’s even practicing his golf swing: “You gotta hop, skip then a hit. I did it recently. I fell. I laid there for a while and someone brought me a lemonade and I lay on ground drinking it.” If only Chubbs was around to help.

THUMBS DOWN

If cyclist Matthew Richardson wants to swap allegiances from Australia to Great Britain, then so be it. If he’s eligible, good luck to him. But did he really have to do it just weeks after claiming Olympic silver for Australia in Paris? It devalues the medal.

It’s a big weekend for … competitors in the Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak. With final five positions up for grabs in both the men’s and women’s competitions, it should be a hectic few days as they get pitted and pray in the green cathedral and so on.

It’s an even bigger weekend for … Daniel Ricciardo, who will line up in the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend desperate to forget what happened a year ago in the same race when he crashed in practice, breaking his wrist and missing several events in the middle of last season.