Matty Johns’ idea to make the NRL Nines a more important competition
The fans love it as a preseason warm-up but NRL clubs are more reticent about risking their stars so close to the season. But Matty Johns has a simple idea to make the Nines more attractive. IT’S ALL IN SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH.
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SAINT
TOO often, NRL players get a bad rap over the misbehaviour of a few imbeciles. The Roosters have been wonderful ambassadors for rugby league on this tour of Europe — always polite and happy for a chat and as good off the field as they are on it.
On Thursday night, Trent Robinson, Boyd Cordner and Craig Fitzgibbon drove for five hours from Manchester to Hull and back for a fundraiser for Mose Masoe, who recently suffered a career-ending spinal injury.
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SINNER
IAN Prendergast continues in his $400,000-a-year job as boss of the RLPA, despite signing with AFL rivals Carlton as chief commercial officer. Prendergast plans to stick around until April on the big bucks, although NRL clubs are refusing to deal with him. It was Clint Newton who represented the players’ union at last week’s CEO conference in Perth.
SHOOSH
THE debate around a Perth team in an expanded NRL continues. One big fan of a team in the west is Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who says: “Our game is good enough to be played on the national stage and we should be backing a team out of Perth.”
SHOOSH II
WHICH troubled ex-player disgraced himself as a guest speaker at a western Sydney sportsman’s charity lunch with revolting stories about sex, drugs and other atrocities during his career.
SHOOSH II
WHICH almost always independent Nine newspaper columnist made the most of Singapore Airlines business class on the way to the World Club Challenge by constantly asking for more Henschke?
SHOOSH III
THE NRL wants to bring London-based actor Aisha Jawando to Sydney for grand final week. We watched Aisha play Tina Turner in the musical Tina at Aldwych Theatre. She was outstanding and would be a smash hit in the build-up to the GF.
SPOTTED
SYDNEY Roosters’ billionaire supremo Nick Politis at Barcelona’s famous Camp Nou, where his Roosters NRL superstars and FC Barcelona rugby players met on the hallowed turf for this group photo.
SPOTTED II
THE Roosters are off to Old Trafford today to watch Manchester United against Watford in the English Premier League (Monday, 1am, AEDT) before heading to the airport for the flight home.
SPOTTED III
THERE’s everything a player could possibly need at FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou. Like the chapel used for pray before games. It’s right next to the tunnel to the ground.
ROOSTERS’ SLEEPING BEAUTIES
Sleep is the secret to getting the Roosters ready for the opening round of the NRL.
The week before leaving Sydney for Europe for the World Club Challenge, the players were given their tip sheets.
“It was all about creating a sleep bank,” says head of high performance Travis Touma. “Each night they were asked to get an extra hour. It eases the effect of jet lag.”
Tips included no caffeine within six hours of going to bed, limited use of electronic devices, setting the room temperature to 21 degrees in hotel rooms and taking a warm shower an hour before bed.
Getting back to Sydney in a healthy state is why the Roosters have spent a fortune on business-class airfares for every player to help them sleep and eat healthier food.
They even have a doctor and three physiotherapists travelling with the team.
“The food is much better in business,” Touma said ahead of this morning’s match against St Helens. “Quality nutrition is as important as the sleeping.
“Plus, after the game they can stretch out and we’ve got the space to use our compression units on the plane.
“Everything we do is designed around getting them home in the best possible condition for the start of the premiership.”
JOHNS’ NINES VISION HAS MERIT
Matty Johns has a great idea to encourage coaches to take the Nines seriously.
Instead of handing out big prizemoney to the winning club, Johns says the NRL could hand out salary cap deductions instead.
For example, the winning Nines team gets $300,000 off their cap. The runners-up $200,000.
It’s an idea I bounced off Todd Greenberg here in the UK and he liked it. The NRL’s senior management will discuss the idea when they do a review of last weekend’s Perth Nines.
It’s hard to convince clubs to support the tournament, especially after the Dragons lost three key players with bad injuries: Korbin Sims, Cameron McInnes and Matt Dufty.
SAM’S NORTHERN SOUL
Sam Burgess loves it here in Manchester whenever he returns home to the north of England.
There are many rugby league teams in nearby towns but Manchester itself is all soccer and Burgess can walk the streets most of the time unrecognised.
“I was there for two weeks over Christmas and wasn’t stopped once,” he said, “It was a nice change.”
In Sydney, Burgess is constantly chased by the paparazzi and fans wanting selfies.
FLANAGAN’S XERRI WISH
KYLE Flanagan has spoken for the first time of wanting to play NRL alongside his best mate Bronson Xerri at Sydney Roosters.
“If there was an opportunity, I’d drive him straight over here,” Flanagan said. “We’re best mates, we grew up in Bangor and we love playing footy together.”
Xerri has knocked back a contract extension at the Sharks as he weighs up his long-term future.
We revealed on these pages last year how his father approached the Roosters about a possible opportunity when Latrell Mitchell left.
Xerri recently got his boating licence and bought a jet ski. He spends much of his spare time on Port Hacking with Flanagan on their days off from footy.
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CODES UNITED
THE NRL and AFL will join forces for the first time to promote their finals after the Tokyo Olympics.
There is concern interest will drop off in both footy codes once the Olympics start on July 24 and go through to August 9.
Fox Sports has approached NRL boss Todd Greenberg and AFL chief Gill McLachlan about the plan for a series of joint commercials.
The highest-profile players in the two codes will urge fans to get back to the footy and pump up the run home to the finals.
“It would be good to work together,” Greenberg said. “I like the idea.”
ROOKIE ROOSTER’S WORLD CLUB TRIP
The Roosters have such a high opinion of boom teenage back Sam Walker that the former Ipswich Grammar pupil has accompanied the team to the World Club Challenge in Manchester.
The son of Ben Walker signed at the Roosters last year as a 16-year-old and is touted as the hottest youngster out of Queensland since Kalyn Ponga at the Cowboys.
He is under the care of Cooper Cronk, who is grooming him to play first grade next year at age 18. I watched him at training and he reminds me a lot of a young Daly Cherry Evans.
CRONK AT HOME
Cooper Cronk has not made it Europe for the World Club Challenge but there’s no shortage of assistant coaches to help out Trent Robinson. He’s had Craig Fitzgibbon, Matt King, Nathan Cayless and Michael Cheika all working with the side. Cronk is back in Sydney on babyminding duties with son Lennox while his wife Tara Rushton is hosting Fox Sports’ A-League coverage.
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SMALL SCREEN FOR BRAITH
Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley will not stand in the way of commentator Braith Anasta getting his player manager accreditation — but thinks his real future is television.
Crawley says Anasta is world class in front of the cameras and could one day host his own show.
“When I see Braith with the headsets on, he could be on ESPN in America or any of the major networks,” Crawley said, “He looks the goods and works very hard on his delivery.
“Not many former players can make good hosts, but Braith can and that’s what we’re working towards.”
AUSSIE CRUELS
As if Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle didn’t have enough to worry about …
The cashed-up AFL is now making inroads into sacred rugby union territory at famous GPS schools. Kings is the latest private school to start an AFL program.
It is kicking off in the lower-school grades, with a plan to build each year and eventually be available in all are groups.
ROOSTERS BOSS ON THE UP
Sydney Roosters boss Joe Kelly has been given a huge promotion.
As well as chief executive of the NRL team, he is now also in charge of the five licensed clubs under the Easts Group banner — the Bondi Junction leagues club, Kingswood Sports, Berkeley Sports, Waverly Bowlo and Woy Woy Leagues.
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