What’s the Buzz: Saint, sinner shoosh

JOHN Hopoate denies NRL ban to coach his daughter and which Wests Tigers star was involved in an ugly casino incident.

John Hopoate, chats with the Beacon Hill Rugby League during half time as they play against the Narrabeen Sharks at Lakeside Park, Narrabeen. Picture: Braden Fastier

JOHN Hopoate has defied an NRL ban to coach his son and daughter’s junior team in Manly juniors.

We spotted Hoppa at Blake Park in Narabeen with the Beacon Hill under-12s, the team his daughter Pani and son Lehi play in.

Pani is an incredibly talented player who scored three spectacular 80-metre tries last weekend.

She grew up playing footy in the backyard with her eight brothers.

Pani is already being spoken about as a future Jillaroo, although netball is her favourite sport.

Her dad John, who is still banned from coaching Manly’s SG Ball team, was there as coach.

“She loves it,” Hoppa says. “She really enjoys the confrontation.”

Under league rules, girls can only play mixed rugby league until the age of 12.

“Netball is her first love,” Hoppa said, “But who knows what will happen in the future.”

The NSW Rugby League made the decision to allow Hopoate to coach the under-12s because the competition is under their jurisdiction.

Pani Hopoate starred for Beacon Hill on Saturday.

He also coaches another of his sons in Beacon Hill’s under-9s. Despite his ban from coaching SG Ball, not one parent has complained about him coaching the kids.

“He is actually very popular with the children and the parents,” said Manly official Peter Peters.

“They love having him around and appreciate the time he puts in.”

SAINT

You’ve gotta love anyone prepared to put Shane Warne in his place. Thank you Marlon Samuels.

His spray after the West Indies victory in the T20 World Cup was justified payback to a man who spends his life bagging others.

SINNER

Victoria’s sporting powerbrokers have been loving Sydney’s stadium war. They were convinced the MCG would get all showpiece international events if ANZ Stadium didn’t get the major upgrade it needs.

SHOOSH

Which out-of-town player manager is gravely concerned about his NRL accreditation in light of his involvement in the Parramatta Eels salary cap scandal and third party payments to his star player.

RAT: Broncos deny rift

SMASH: Napa wanted Sam’s respect

SPOTTED

Punter and former brothel owner Eddie Hayson back at Royal Randwick yesterday for the championships, enjoying the day in a private suite with glamorous female company.

SPOTTED II

Limo-loving NRL commission chairman John Grant in a taxi. Yes, we had to look twice, but it was definitely Johnny. Finally the NRL is doing something about cutting exorbitant executive perks

SPOTTED III

Steve Blocker Roach buying a pair of socks from the Putney IGA store then holding up the queue when he got to the counter and realised he picked up the wrong size.

SPOTTED IV

Channel Nine’s Erin Molan and Dave Warner’s wife Candice enjoying a coffee in Coogee. Our mole at the cafe overheard them chatting about all things cricket and footy.

Julie Snook has been added to Channel Nine’s TV sports team.

NINE ADD MORE FEMALE TALENT

CHANNEL Nine has added another top female journalist to their TV sports team.

Broken Hill born and bred Julie Snook will be working alongside Erin Molan and Yvonne Sampson.

The 28-year-old previously presented Nine’s 5am early edition news bulletin after beginning her career as a reporter on country newspapers.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to work alongside some of the best journos in the business,” Snook said,

“And I won’t miss the alarm going off at 1.30am for the early bulletins.

“I started in regional NSW and had the privilege of covering news and sports stories.”

Nine’s veteran sports presenter Kenny Sutcliffe says it’s a great appointment.

“I’ve worked with Julie for a number of years,” Sutcliffe said. “She’s a fantastic journalist and will definitely make an excellent addition to our already cracking sports reporting team.”

WESTS Tigers star Luke Brooks was involved in an ugly incident at The Star casino last weekend.

We’re told he was in an argument with a female patron, who was judged to be in the wrong before security staff removed her from the premises.

Wests Tigers reported the incident to the NRL integrity unit. Checks with security at the casino confirm Brooks was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The club has, however, reminded the young halfback to be more careful in future when he is out and about.

VOSS FUTURE UP IN THE AIR

ANDREW Voss’ contract at Fox Sports is up at the end of the NRL season. The network has secured chief caller Warren Smith on a five-year deal but Voss was only signed short-term because of past issues at Channel Nine and the fact they were unlikely to want him back.

New sports boss Steve Crawley starts at Fox Sports next month. He is not a fan of Voss, although chief executive Patrick Delany is.

Crawley and Voss fell out when the caller launched legal action against Channel Nine. We will be monitoring this one closely.

The Roosters could still leave Allianz Stadium.

ROOSTERS COULD STILL LEAVE ALLIANZ

THE Roosters’ future at Allianz Stadium is anything but secure. If the greenies get their way, the new Allianz Stadium will be built on its current site, not on the other side of Driver Ave. This poses a problem for current tenants the Roosters, Sydney FC and the Waratahs who would have to relocate for three years.

The Roosters would move to ANZ Stadium. Club research shows a huge part of their fan base is now in the west.

If they attract bigger crowds than their 16,000 average at Allianz, there is every chance they would stay at ANZ. And that leaves no NRL club at all in Moore Park.

CRL UNDER FIRE

THE 100-year-old bush club of rugby league legend Noel ‘Crusher’ Cleal has folded. The Warialda Wombats officially withdrew from Group 19 last week.

This is the proud old club that produced the great Ray Stehr, Stan Jurd and Noel and Les Cleal. “It’s very sad,” Crusher said. “They just haven’t got enough people to run the club.”

The CRL stands accused of ignoring the plight of dying clubs in the bush.

They are claiming registration numbers have increased but they are counting league tag players and overlooking the fact male numbers in proper rugby league are falling dramatically.

GREENBERG GETS AROUND TWITTER

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg is wasting no time looking towards the next broadcast rights deal.

He is one of an elite group of business leaders who has secured a spot at the table with Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey in Sydney this week.

His invitation comes just days after Twitter shook up the sporting landscape when it secured the rights to stream NFL games to its 800 million users worldwide.

Significantly, Greenberg is the only sporting executive invited to the exclusive Sydney dinner.

The Nine Network and Foxtel have locked up the rights to televise NRL games until 2023 under the $1.8 billion deal signed late last year. But Dorsey, recognised as one of the world’s top innovators, clearly has his sights set on securing more sport on social media outlets … and it seems NRL is at the top of his list.

INSPIRED: The men who showed the Roosters the way

VICTORY: Eels crush Raiders

AFL MAKING MARK

AFL audiences are growing strongly in the tough Sydney market on Fox Sports. Ratings are up an incredible 36 per cent from the opening two rounds of the competition. Those figures should be even better after yesterday’s Swans v GWS blockbuster at the SCG.

POSITIVE MESSAGE

Bulldogs boss Raelene Castle text messaged her Canberra Raiders counterpart Don Furner during the week to thank coach Ricky Stuart for his praise of Canterbury’s handling of the bottle-throwing incident at Belmore on Monday night.

BIRD SPOTTING

Cronulla players celebrated the 21st birthday of Jack Bird at a flash Double Bay restaurant last Saturday night after their victory over the Wests Tigers. The party was delayed two weeks because his birthday fell on the Sunday before the Monday night Manly game.

A LITTLE LEWIS

The Sharks are also celebrating forward Luke Lewis becoming a first-time dad. Lewis’ lovely wife Sonia gave birth to a baby girl, Hazel, on Tuesday. Lewis now has to sort out his future at the Sharks with his contract up at season’s end.

Originally published as What’s the Buzz: Saint, sinner shoosh