Phil Gould to testify in Jackson Topine vs Canterbury Bulldogs court trial
The Bulldogs have confirmed head of football Phil Gould will be called on as a witness in their explosive court trial against former player Jackson Topine.
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The Bulldogs have confirmed that head of football Phil Gould will be called as a witness in their explosive court case with former player Jackson Topine.
Sport Confidential understands that the legal teams involved in the long-running dispute had until Wednesday afternoon to confirm who they planned to call as witnesses in the case.
Gould, one of the most influential figures in the game through his role with the Bulldogs and the Nine Network, is believed to be on the club’s list of witnesses.
Topine’s legal team have already outlined their plans to rely on a number of former players as witnesses including Tevita Pangai Junior, Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Jayden Okunbor.
Topine is taking legal action against the club over an incident two years ago when he was punished for turning up late for a wrestling session. Topine was order to wrestle a number of teammates - the Bulldogs say he was forced to knee wrestle up to 25 players for a total of six minutes.
He has not played since and is believed to be seeking up to $4 million in damages. The matter is scheduled for court on March 23 next year - a fortnight after the Bulldogs open their season in Las Vegas against St George Illawarra.
EELS POACH AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLBOYS REP FROM THE BRONCOS
The Jason Ryles revolution at Parramatta has gathered more steam after the Eels raided the Brisbane Broncos to steal one of the most promising teenage forwards in Queensland.
Jackson Koina, the son of former Eels player Nathan Koina, was one of the stars of the Maroons side that won last week’s national schoolboy championships in Coffs Harbour, taking out Queensland’s player of the carnival award.
The year 12 student started the schoolboys championships on the bench but forced his way into the starting side and was rewarded with a place in the front row for the Australian side at tournament’s end.
It is understood Koina has joined the Eels until the end of 2028 on a deal that will eventually see him transition into the NRL squad.
If the tournament is anything to go by, Parramatta look to have struck gold. Sport Confidential understands that Koina will join the Eels at the end of the season as he looks to follow in the footsteps of his father Nathan, who played four first grade games for the club in 1997 at the height of the Super League war.
Nathan Koina also made a handful of appearances for their reserve grade side that year and the year after.
His son found his way into the Broncos system but will now pull on the blue and gold as the Eels build their future around a group of teenage stars emerging through their system - they have had seven Australian schoolboy representatives across the past two national titles.
The Eels have conducted a clean-out of their playing ranks since Ryles joined the club at the end of last season, focusing much of their attention on retaining their own elite juniors and cherrypicking quality from their rivals.
TIGERS LAND NEW RECRUITMENT BOSS
Shannon Gallant has become the new boss of recruitment at the Wests Tigers as the club chases a return to the finals.
Gallant was in charge of pathways at the Tigers when they discovered the likes of Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn da Silva. Those two players have departed but another generation of budding stars is about to be unveiled by the club including teenager prodigy Haemasi Makasini and Australian schoolboys representative Phoenix Godinet.
Gallant has played a major role in unearthing those players and he is set to take on a greater role alongside coach Benji Marshall and chief executive Shane Richardson as they look to return the club to their former glories.
Another former Tiger - forward Bronson Harrison - has taken over as the head of pathways.
FLASHBACK
The road to the finals saw the NRL labelled the closest competition in history on this day 20 years ago. Ten teams were separated by just four competition points which prompted St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown to declare; “no one has seen a competition so close in the history of the game.”
MANLY STAR’S CAREERS IN LIMBO
Josh Aloiai’s career is all-but over while doubts remains regarding Manly teammate Lachlan Croker.
Manly have started the process with the NRL detailing the medical history of Aloiai as the Samoan international eyes a shock medical retirement through injury.
The Sea Eagles need to submit paperwork to the NRL to have Aloiai medically retired. Aloiai still has two years left on his contract worth about $1 million which will be cleared from Manly’s salary cap if the NRL concede his career is over because of the injury.
Aloiai has struggled with an ongoing shoulder injury this year. It has restricted him to just five appearances.
Aloiai lasted only 21 minutes in his comeback game against the Broncos in round 13 before the injury again forced him from the field.
While the 29-year-old’s career seems almost certainly like it will come to a premature end there are continued concerns for Croker.
The dummy half had been plagued by a knee injury this year but has not played since a NSW Cup match on June 21.
Croker suffered a concussion at training and has been unavailable since.
He missed a large chunk of last season because of ongoing concussion symptoms.
Croker has played just four games this year.
INJURED STAR’S LATEST SETBACK
Ex-Bulldog and Canberra forward Ryan Sutton has suffered another serious setback on his rugby league return with Sutton now sidelined again through injury.
Sutton made a successful comeback for Ipswich in the Queensland Cup after a year on the sidelines. However, the joy was short-lived for Sutton who has ruptured his biceps while training for Ipswich. The injury is another major blow for the 29-year-old who had hoped to resurrect his NRL career with the Titans this year. Sutton was cut loose by the Bulldogs earlier this year with injuries cruelling his stint at the club. He has not played in the NRL since round 27, 2023.
He scored a try in a 38-minute stint for Ipswich.
INJURED DRAGON VISITS RAIDERS
Injured St George Illawarra winger Sione Finau toured Canberra’s facilities this week as he considers a potential move to the Raiders.
Finau is off-contract at the end of the season and is exploring his option. The 23-year-old was ruled out for the season after suffering a shoulder injury while scoring a try for the Dragons against Canterbury on Saturday night.
He would look to replicate the form of Savelio Tamale who switched from the Dragons to Canberra this year. Tamale, also a winger, was in dynamic form before injury struck.
Finau has played seven games since making his debut in 2023.
MANLY CLOSE IN ON NEW DEAL FOR TRBOJEVIC BROS
Manly held crunch talks with Paul Sutton - the agent of the Trbojevic boys - on Thursday as they close in on new deals for the brothers.
Sutton was spotted by Sport Confidential with one of his younger clients at a cafe adjacent to their home base at 4 Pines Park on Thursday afternoon before making a surprise appearance at training.
Sutton was tightlipped on the nature of his visit but it is understood he held talks with Sea Eagles chief executive Tony Mestrov over contract extensions for Tom and Jake Trbojevic.
The parties are believed to have walked away hopeful that they can lock away new deals for the brothers - who are both off contract at the end of next season - in coming weeks.
Jake Tbojevic insisted there was no rush to get a deal done and reiterated that he had no desire to play against Manly.
”I am fine,” Jake Trbojevic said.
“I have another year and a bit (on contract). There is no rush or anything.”
INJURED SEA EAGLE CLOSING IN ON RETURN
Manly powerhouse Taniela Paseka has resumed running as he takes a significant step towards playing again this season. Manly coach Anthony Seibold confirmed Paseka, who hasn’t played since tearing his Achilles in the opening month of the season, had also visited a specialist in Melbourne last week in his bid to get back on the field in time for the club’s finals campaign.
“Nela should be available round 26 or 27,” Seibold said.
“He went down to Melbourne last week - he saw a specialist down there - really good progress. He ran for the first time this week, which is great.
“He is still another five or six weeks available from being right to play. He can see the finish line now. Running this week was a really big thing for him.”
Paseka underwent surgery after rupturing his achilles tendon in the opening half of the club’s win over Canberra in March. The Sea Eagles have felt his absence but there is genuine hope that if they can qualify for the finals, Paseka will be available to strengthen their premiership claims.
The 120kg prop would be welcomed back with open arms.
“He has got a really good report,” Seibold said.
“He has to tick off another two things on his criteria. He will be really handy for us. He played the first three games and we won those games well. We have missed him this year.”
OLYMPIAN REVEALS SECRETS BEHIND HIS RECORD-BREAKING RUNS
Paris Olympian Andy Buchanan has lifted the lid on some of the secret methods behind his record-breaking runs. Buchanan, the Australian record holder for the marathon, finished 45th in Paris and recently broke the Australian record for the half-marathon on the Gold Coast.
Afterwards, he revealed that he kept his mind on the job by listening to the sound of his shoe hitting the ground and spotting dogs in the crowd.
“Before the race, I try to stay nice and relaxed,” Buchanan said at ASICS launch of its new shoe, the Gel Kayano 32.
“A good example with the Gold Coast …. was I actually had no idea what time the race started until the night before. I just like not to think about it. I don’t look at the weather, I don’t pay attention to the field.
“You can worry about all these things you can’t control. During a race with my sports psych, we knew these negative thoughts were going to come in and it is all about accepting that and he calls it trying to find an anchor to shift those thoughts.
“I love the sound of a really thick shoe with a carbon plate on the road. That is my anchor. So I listen in for that heel strike and take off. Sometimes I look for dogs in the crowd.
“That is a little distraction for me. They are little things I do that help me be in that moment. It’s all about being in that moment.”
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Originally published as Phil Gould to testify in Jackson Topine vs Canterbury Bulldogs court trial
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