NRL 2021: Random Rabbitoh Snoop Dogg, Adam Reynolds hits back at Cooper Cronk
Russell Crowe has revealed how the famous South Sydney Rabbitoh landed in front of 55 million eyeballs as a new chapter is written in the Book of Feuds.
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Snoop Dogg has emerged as the ultimate random Rabbitohs fan, and Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe has solved the mystery of how the rapper became a consistent wearer of a Souths face mask.
“He reached out to say hey and we caught up with a couple of texts a few months ago,” Crowe told Sport Confidential.
“He is a great artist and a legend of a bloke.
“I sent him and his family some masks last year.”
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The blue face mask has become a constant on Snoop Dogg’s Instagram feed, where he has shared the snap with his 55 million followers. Crowe said the association between Snoop Dogg and the Rabbitohs goes back to 2006 when Crowe purchased the club.
And this isn’t the first time Snoop Dogg has been snapped wearing Rabbitohs gear.
“He even visited Redfern in 2008 to be photographed with Nathan Merritt after he learned some fans referred to Nathan as Nate Dogg,” Crowe said.
“It was a crazy day for the block when he turned up. The word went around like wildfire and the streets were packed with kids.
“A few years later he was blown away to hear the news that Nathan had gone on to become the biggest tryscorer in South Sydney’s long history. He sent a video to celebrate Nathan’s success.”
A NEW CHAPTER IN THE BOOK OF FEUDS
A new rugby league feud has ignited on the eve of the season with South Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds firing back at Cooper Cronk declaring “I don’t care about his comments”.
It comes as Reynolds prepares for a crunch meeting regarding his future next week just days before the opening match of the season against Melbourne on Thursday night.
Reynolds was savaged by former Storm and Roosters halfback Cronk on Fox League on Tuesday. Cronk said “he’s got to three prelims in the last three years and failed”.
“That’s part of (being in) the spine, part of a halfback, part of a leader, is to get the team to the prelim and then take them to the trophy,” Cronk said.
Cronk’s Roosters beat Reynolds on their way to the 2018 premiership. Reynolds was unmoved Cronk’s criticism.
“Does it bother me, no? It’s an opinion,” Reynolds said.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I’m sure there are people out there with opinions of him and the teams he has played in. It’s not disappointing. I don’t care about his comments. I respect what he has done in the game but I don’t care what’s been said.
“If he was my coach or on the coaching staff I would care but he is not. All I can focus on is playing footy and playing well for Souths.
“There are reasons why we weren’t good enough on the night. Simple as that. You can come out and blame an individual player for not making the grand final. That’s fine. I’ll wear the criticism I’m the halfback and I’ll wear the blame for it and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
It further ignites the rivalry between the clubs which reach boiling point in 2019 when Luke Keary labelled Cody Walker ‘disrespectful” for sledging Cronk.
Of more immediate concern for Reynolds is his future at Redfern having been knocked back a one-year deal to stay at the club.
He will meet with Rabbitohs management next week.
“I’ve got no idea when it’s going to be sorted,” Reynolds said. “I’m not too sure what they are going to come back with. I can’t say anything until we know their process. Two or three years (is what I want). I just don’t want to be signing multiple contracts.”
Rabbitohs boss Blake Solly said Reynolds’ record “speaks for itself”.
“We would love to keep him, negotiations are at the early stages and hopefully we can find a deal that works for Adam and works for the club,” Solly said.
Secret session that ended Suaalii’s hoop dream
In the midst of his contractual battle between NRL clubs Roosters and South Sydney, and Rugby Australia last year, wonder boy Joseph Suaalii had a one-hour training session with hoops legend Shane Heal to see if he was good enough to play US college basketball.
Suaalii, 17, had played basketball as a youngster, but the fact he seriously considered moving to the US to pursue a career last year is a stunning revelation.
Suaalii, who represented NSW in rugby league, rugby union, AFL and basketball, discussed the move with his family and advisers.
“I was asked to work him out for an hour to assess his basketball talent because he was potentially exploring high school or college basketball as an option,” Heal told Sport Confidential.
“He’s got a great body type, very athletic. My opinion was that he’d probably been out of the game for too long to develop those elite skills to make a smooth transition.
“He would’ve had to work extremely hard to develop his shot and those technical skills, and he is the type of kid who really believes in himself and could have done, but my advice after that session was that it was going to take a lot of work.
“When I found out he had signed [with the Roosters] I was really excited. I am looking forward to seeing him develop in league.
“He is a great kid with a great mentality, he believes he can do anything and after working him out, I can’t wait to see his career unfold.”
Vote: NRL’s best worst jersey
Fresh from selecting each NRL club’s best jerseys for you to vote on at dailytelegraph.com.au, our expert panel was redeployed to choose the worst strips and they found some rippers.
Who could forget Manly’s camouflage number of 2012?
Another beauty was the Roosters’ 2011 jersey which became known as the ‘high pants’ strip.
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The jersey wasn’t a shocker by any means but what made it special was its design flaw. Due to the shorts being the same shade of blue as the bottom strip of the jersey, giving the impression the players shorts were pulled up way too high.
The Broncos’ aqua number from the early 2000s got a run as did the Warriors’ recent and polarising tablecloth jersey. And while the Storm, Penrith and Manly again with a Wolverine number were all near the podium, the standout has to be Parramatta’s 1997 M & M jersey.
SBW v Hall punch-on on hold
The double-header boxing event featuring Sonny Bill Williams and Barry Hall has been postponed due to Ramadan.
The two footy superstars were to co-headline a boxing card next month, however it will now be held in late May or June so devout Muslim Williams can prepare in camp without fasting.
Williams has competed in three sports – rugby union, rugby sevens and rugby league – while fasting during the Islamic holy month, but wants an unhindered camp for his ring return having last fought in 2015. Ramadan 2021 runs from April 12 to May 12.
Williams and Hall will fight separate opponents and if both win, they’ll face off mid-year. The winner of that bout is expected to fight Paul Gallen at the end of 2021.
Smith’s Hollywood net session
Steve Smith and Hollywood megastar Zac Efron having a net session?
Onlookers at the SCG had to do double-takes recently, when Australia’s finest batsman was giving Efron cover drive tips.
Smith met Efron in Byron Bay earlier this year when he went to the coastal town for a fitness camp with celebrity trainer Luke Zocchi, who trains Efron and Chris Hemsworth.
With Efron now staying in Sydney for work, Smith invited the Baywatch star to try his hand in the nets.
Wallaby wanderer set for Aussie return
Wallabies defector Izack Rodda is tipped to return to Australian rugby mid-year, and sign a deal with either NSW Waratahs or the Brumbies for the 2022 season.
Rodda stunned Australian officials when he walked out of his contract after a falling out with Queensland Reds coach Brad Thorn last year, refusing COVID-19 enforced pay cuts to join French club Lyon.
He was the starting Wallabies lock and Australia struggled without him during the Tri Nations series.
But officials are confident Rodda will reject the one-year extension option in France to return to Australia, to play for one of the Reds’ rivals.
If he signs by June, Rodda will be available for Wallabies selection this year.
NSW desperately need a top-class lock and believe he’ll come to Sydney.
But seeing Tahs coach Rob Penney remain in charge next season is unlikely, given their horror start to the 2021 Super Rugby season.
Many NSW players want former assistant Simon Cron at the helm, believing he can lure world-class talent to Sydney. But Cron is also in high demand in Japan and New Zealand and may be out of their price range.
Some tip NSW assistant Chris Whittaker to take over from Penney.
NRL crowds are back
Regular season crowds will be back at their highest level since the opening round of last season with some venues able to be at 100 per cent capacity.
The blockbuster opener between South Sydney and Melbourne will be restricted to just 50 per cent capacity but the likes of Suncorp Stadium and GIO Stadium will be able to hold 100 per cent. Teams who play in NSW are restricted to 75 per cent capacity.
Venues and crowd size
AAMI Park, Melbourne: 15,000 (50 per cent capacity).
McDonalds Jones Stadium, Newcastle: 24750 (75 per cent capacity).
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane: 52500 (100 per cent capacity).
Central Coast Stadium: 15,000 (75 per cent capacity).
Sydney Cricket Ground: 36,000 (75 per cent capacity).
Panthers Stadium: 16,900 (75 per cent capacity).
GIO Stadium, Canberra 25,000 (100 per cent capacity).
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney: 15,000 (75 per cent capacity).
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Luke Keary sent a scare through the Roosters when he pulled up lame at a training session two weeks ago. The hamstring injury ruled him out of the trial but Keary said he will be clear to play in the competition opener against Manly where he will wear the No. 7 jersey.
“I just pulled up tight,” Keary said. “It was nothing serious. Just precaution. I just missed one session. Missing the trial was just a precaution.”
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Israel Folau’s French club Catalans has all but confirmed their marquee centre won’t be returning this year after they left him out of their numbered squad released this week. Instead Folau’s no. 4 playing shirt has been given to ex-Panther Dean Whare. Folau is still contracted to Catalans but told the club he could not return for personal reasons. He is holding out hope of coming back to the NRL.
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Good news that Sydney Roosters Harold Matthews star centre Cooper Toy has made a full recovery after sending a scare through the club last weekend. Moments after scoring a first half hat-trick, Toy was rushed to hospital after copping a hit in the back and there were serious fears for his health. He was discharged from hospital after suffering muscular spasms and has been cleared to play against Cronulla this weekend.
ALL EYES ON
The clock. Just six sleeps to go until the NRL season starts. One last free weekend for the players which means a nervous wait for club officials. The season will start with a bang with the defending premiers Melbourne against most people’s tip to win this years competition – the Rabbitohs.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Nathan Gardner 43 top grade games with Cronulla from 2010-14.
Ricky Stuart knowing Nathan Gardner’s name was enough for the Parramatta junior to join the Sharks. A top 25 spot was also on offer and having his path blocked by Jarryd Hayne at the Eels made it a no-brainer.
By round 10 in 2010 he was in first grade.
“From a few rounds in Ricky kept hinting I was close,” Gardner said. “After a few weeks of hearing that I thought it’s never going to happen. Ricky came up after training one day and asked if I was ready and he was going to name me. It was everything, I dreamt of doing. Seeing my family on the sidelines, it really felt like I had done it.”
Gardner finished his first season already with a highlight reel of tries. Two near length of the field efforts saw him nominated for Dally M rookie of the year and given an extended and upgraded contract.
“People still mention those tries,” Gardner said. “It’s good to still be remembered in some way. “I was on cloud nine having a good start. I was extremely happy with what I achieved that year. I was going to be building onto bigger things. I was pretty lucky I had mum and dad tell me to do good things with my finances back then.”
Gardner played 18 games the following season and featured in the opening six games of 2012 before injury struck, rupturing his ACL against the Dragons.
“Being the type of player I was I relied on agility and speed,” Gardner said. “I went into a dark place and thought ‘this was it’ and ‘would I ever make it back?’. It was one of the hardest things I’ve been through and I didn’t really recover from it.
“I played a reserve grade game in the final round of that year and I was scared to run the ball and get tackled. I wasn’t ready to play.”
Gardner tore his hamstring four times as he tried to comeback the following season. The injuries mounted and Gardner never regained a permanent spot, playing just nine games in the next three seasons. The Sharks ASADA saga also plagued Gardner’s progress.
“My body never got back to 100 per cent,” Gardner said. “I became a fringe player who filled in during Origin or being a backup. That was hard. I threw everything into footy. I didn’t want to give up but I felt like I had to because it didn’t feel like it was going to happen. I was forgotten about.”
Gardner, who works in fire protection, retired a year later at 25.
“I distanced myself from watching footy so I wouldn’t have to think about it,” Gardner said. “When I sorted myself out it made it easier to deal with not playing any more I can sit there and watch and know it’s good that I did play that once upon a time.”
ON THIS DAY
New Manly coach Trent Barrett was given a rough initiation into life as a head coach when his Manly side were flogged 28-6 against the Bulldogs in his first game as an NRL coach five years ago. The social media backlash started instantly with people wanting the return of former favourite son Geoff Toovey. The Bulldogs raced to a 22-0 halftime lead.
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