Knights target legendary Cowboys recruiter; funeral fit for Broncos royalty
Brisbane’s strongest asset in the David Fifita contract tug-of-war with the Titans isn’t his mum, Gwen, or CEO Paul White, it’s a Broncos teammate. Plus, club’s greatest fan farewelled in style.
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The Cowboys are in danger of losing one of the NRL’s leading recruiters and the man who spotted superstars Jason Taumalolo and Kalyn Ponga.
Sports Confidential can reveal NRL rivals Newcastle are eyeing off Cowboys recruitment manager Clint Zammit to head up the Knights’ roster development under coach Adam O’Brien.
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Zammit has extensive experience in recruiting, having spotted scores of Queensland kids who became NRL players. Zammit was the man who poached Ponga from the Broncos Academy and before that, he signed Taumalolo as a 13-year-old while the youngster was touring Australia with his Auckland rugby league club.
Alex McKinnon is currently Newcastle’s recruitment chief but the Knights are keen to add more manpower by poaching Zammit from the Cowboys.
BRISBANE CONTRACT CONFUSION
Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold has hit back at comments — from his own chief executive — that he has performance clauses in his Brisbane contract.
In the latest soap opera to play out at Red Hill, the coach and CEO are seemingly at philosophical odds over the structure of Seibold’s employment terms.
Seibold’s lengthy five-year deal is the most controversial contract in the game and the besieged Broncos coach has vehemently denied the $3 million arrangement is laced with key performance benchmarks.
Speaking on Channel 9’s 100% Footy on Monday night, White was asked if it was “bad business” not to insert a get-out clause to protect the Broncos during the course of Seibold’s deal.
“There’s performance measures in every contract,” White said.
“To say that’s there no performance measures in Anthony’s contract is certainly not true.”
But Seibold was stunned by White’s revelation, insisting talk of contractual performance measures is news to him.
“I didn’t see that, but there are no performance measures in my contract,” Seibold said.
“It’s a five-year contract.
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“I haven’t seen that commentary but there are no performance measures. It’s not in my contract.”
Asked why White would say there is, Seibold said: “I don’t know, it’s caught me left field.
“I’m not sure, you need to talk to Paul. I’m not sure what context it was taken in, but every contract … if the board doesn’t think I’m the right person for the job, I’m man enough to sit down and have a conversation with them.
“But I don’t have any performance measures that mean, ‘If you don’t achieve this result, you lose your job’.”
BRONCOS’ FIFITA TRUMP CARD
A key player in the David Fifita contract tug-of-war between the Titans and Broncos is towering Brisbane bookend Payne Haas.
Fifita is keen to sort out his future in the coming days and there is a feeling he will ultimately sacrifice $550,000 and stay loyal to the Broncos because of his close bonds with Brisbane players.
The prospect of Fifita facing his Broncos teammates and telling the entire group face-to-face he is walking out on them to join the Titans would be a gut-wrenching scenario for the Queensland Origin superstar.
Haas is the man who will be in the forefront of Fifita’s mind.
While Fifita knows several players at the Titans, including Tanah Boyd, his best mate is Haas. The pair are so close Fifita stays over Haas’ house in the lead-up to games and when the Maroons young gun was arrested in Bali last year, Haas was with him to help him through the ordeal.
Several Broncos players have made a pact to take less money to keep their talented squad together. Haas could have easily earned more elsewhere but he signed six-year deal with the Broncos and Fifita will be aware of that loyalty when he finalises his own future.
FUNERAL FIT FOR BRONCOS ROYALTY
When it comes to Brisbane Broncos fans, they don’t come much bigger than Redcliffe’s Bill Vidler.
So it was only fitting that after Bill passed away suddenly last month, he was given what was described as a “funeral fit for Broncos royalty”.
The chapel at George Hartnett Metropolitan Funerals at Redcliffe was overflowing with the Broncos spirit, with Bill’s treasured jersey from the team’s first year in the NRL and his Broncos scarf taking pride of place on his coffin.
Not only was the team’s theme song “We Are The Broncos” played several times during the service but the lyrics were printed on the back of the remembrance card.
Bill’s family also received letters of condolence from the club and Bill’s all-time favourite player, “The King” Wally Lewis.
Books on Wally, the Broncos, Wayne Bennett and Darren Lockyer were also on display.
“You wouldn’t have found a bigger Broncos fan than Bill,” his widow Penny Vidler said.
“He was a diehard fan from day one. He lived and breathed the Broncos.
“It was a lovely way to farewell him and I know he would have been looking down with a big smile on his face.”
‘CONTACT’ ON QLD NETBALL
The COVID-19 saga has seen the departure of some prominent CEOs in both the NRL and cricket, including Cricket Australia boss Kevin Roberts.
Now there are rumblings in Queensland netball circles. It seems many associations want change at the top and are taking steps to oust Netball Queensland president Jane Seawright.
TEAM SEIBOLD SNAPPED
Anthony Seibold’s future at the Broncos has become such a hot issue in Brisbane it has led to an explosive clash with the local paparazzi.
Sports Confidential can reveal a Brisbane photographer has clashed with members of Seibold’s coaching team while attempting to follow the Broncos coach to his home in recent weeks.
Seibold has been under huge pressure following six straight losses and his cause has not been helped by a particular paparazzi following him constantly.
The issue came to a flashpoint when the ‘snapper’ trailed the car of Seibold’s assistants. The parties had a verbal altercation at a set of traffic lights with the photographer told in no uncertain terms to get off Seibold’s case.
CODE SWITCH FOR KEARNEY
Former Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has hopped codes since departing from his NRL coaching gig.
The 48-year-old is now back in Brisbane since getting the punt, with many linking him to a possible move to Red Hill to help the under-siege Broncos.
However, Kearney has been spotted helping out the Ipswich Grammar School’s First XV earlier this month.
The former New Zealand coach was helping out some of the young forwards at the bottom of Kangaroo Point cliffs last week.
COACH KILLERS
Cowboys coach Paul Green has expressed surprise at the savage treatment of several NRL mentors this season. Steve Kearney was sacked a fortnight ago while there are fears Broncos coach Anthony Seibold will not see out the season if the Broncos bomb out of finals contention.
The COVID-19 saga has placed extraordinary pressure on NRL clubs and Green had hoped the unprecedented health crisis would allow some compassion for the code’s coaches.
Asked if he felt for Seibold, Green said: “It’s pretty tough but it’s the job we took on, you know what you are getting into it.
“I said when the shots were being fired at me, I thought there would be more consideration for coaches this year given the challenges we’ve all had.
“Some clubs have handled it (the COVID crisis) better than others, but the pressure is still there. It hasn’t lessened in any way.”
REMEMBERING THE GAME’S JEWEL
The 40th anniversary of State of Origin has passed in the blink of an eye.
Just 48 hours ago, the code was supposed to celebrate State of Origin with Game Three at Suncorp Stadium, exactly 40 years after Artie Beetson led Queensland onto Lang Park on July 8, 1980.
But the coronavirus pandemic changed all that, with the Origin series now scheduled for three matches in November after the NRL grand final.
In any case, it is worth remembering the magical sight of Big Artie leading Queensland out at age 35 for his debut in Maroon as he skippered his side to the 20-10 victory that ignited the Origin concept.