Titans owner Darryl Kelly robbed in brazen Super Bowl sting
It was set to be the trip of a lifetime for Titans owners Darryl and Joanne Kelly, but a brazen robbery outside Miami’s Super Bowl hosting stadium turned it into a disappointment.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Gold Coast Titans co-owner Darryl Kelly was the victim of an elaborate pickpocket ploy which robbed him of the chance to attend last week’s Super Bowl.
Blindside can reveal Kelly was robbed outside Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium by expert thieves who pinched his $1400 ticket moments before he arrived at the gate.
Kelly and wife Joanne flew to America to attend the game alongside fellow Titans owners Brett and Rebecca Frizelle.
But the Kelly gang never made it into the stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers.
“I got my ticket pick-pocketed just before I got to the gate,” Kelly said. “A bloke bumped me and a woman behind me fell over as a distraction.
“I was going to help her and he nabbed my ticket. He took the ticket out of the lanyard. I didn’t notice until I got to the gate.”
Watch the 2020 NRL Nines tournament LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Stadium staff were not interested in helping Kelly and police told him at least 36 tickets had been stolen in similar circumstances.
The tickets were being on-sold by the thieves for thousands of dollars.
Joanne was happy to give her husband her ticket, but he didn’t want to send her back to the hotel alone.
“There was a bloke there that wanted to buy a ticket so we sold it to him, hopped in a cab and went home. We watched the second half on the TV,” Kelly said.
“That’s life. Worse things happen.”
The trip to the States wasn’t an entire disaster for the Titans owners, who headed to Nashville to tour the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
“We went up to Tennessee and spent some time with the Titans having a look at their facilities,” Kelly said.
“Everything is bigger and better in America but we’re not that far behind. There is nothing wrong with our facility.
“It was a good trip but I didn’t get to go to the Super Bowl.”
ALFIE SIDELINED
BRONCOS legend Allan Langer and his horde of blue-shirted NRL trainers have been muzzled.
Blindside can reveal the NRL will launch a crackdown this season on trainers, with clubs to face fines of up to $10,000 if they don’t follow new rules for the 2020 premiership.
In recent years, fans have become sick of the sight of NRL trainers in blue and orange shirts constantly racing on to the field of play. The issue reached a flashpoint in last year’s NRL grand final when a charge-down from the boot of Luke Keary hit a Sydney Roosters trainer who was loitering behind his side’s attacking line.
Langer is among 16 blue-shirted NRL trainers, and the Origin legend is a familiar face to viewers when he runs on to aid players and administer tactical advice.
But the NRL has had enough. This season, Langer and his colleagues will be restricted to three “tactical opportunities” per half to enter the field of play. The blue-shirted trainers will still be granted access at stoppages of play if a player is injured, for example, but the days of unlimited stints on the field are over.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley confirmed the beefed-up law and said heavy fines would be in place for breaches.
“The days of the blue trainers constantly on the field relaying messages will be significantly curtailed,” he said.
“The fans hate it. In our fan survey, the trainer issue received the highest percentage of agreement among NRL fans.
“Of more than 20,000 survey responses, 90 per cent of fans wanted to see less of the trainers on the field so we have to take heed of that response and listen to the people.
“In recent seasons we’ve seen trainers spending more and more time on the field running messages. No sooner had the game kicked off than a trainer was on the field in players’ ears.
“We understand that coaches want to get messages out there whenever they feel the need, but we have to find a better balance.
“We intend to strictly enforce the new rules. If there is a breach, there will be fines in place with penalties increasing for repeat offenders.”
FRESH INVESTMENT
BRISBANE’S king of fruit and vegetables has bought up big on the Broncos.
Broncos board member Tony Joseph has gone on a spending spree during the past six months, doubling his shareholding in the club.
Joseph is the chairman of Brisbane Markets, the city’s biggest fresh produce market, and has been in the fruit and vegetables game for nearly 50 years.
A long-term Broncos board member, Joseph has increased his ownership of the Broncos from 60,000 to 120,000 shares since September, making a number of purchases.
Joseph’s investment in the Broncos sits around $50,000 and he is now one of the club’s highest individual shareholders.
Blindside called and texted Joseph to ask about his reasons for doubling his investment but did not receive a reply.
The Broncos are the NRL’s richest club and are in an incredibly strong financial position following the completion of their $27 million headquarters at Red Hill.
NO HARD FEELINGS HOLMES
COWBOYS fullback Valentine Holmes insists there is no bad blood between him and his former Cronulla teammates.
Holmes will return to the NRL this year with North Queensland after spending 2019 trying to crack the NFL with the New York Jets.
The Queensland Origin star quit the Sharks abruptly after the 2018 season, securing a release from his 2019 NRL contract with Cronulla to have a go at gridiron.
Former Sharks skipper Paul Gallen slammed Holmes at the time, claiming he let the club down and wanted him banned from the NRL for two years.
But Holmes says he is on good terms with the club he helped clinch the 2016 NRL premiership with.
“They’re all good,” Holmes said. “It’s something (Gallen) was a bit disappointed with which I can understand. He would have reacted that way to anyone – it wouldn’t have just been me.
“We are all good. I don’t take anything to heart. I’m pretty easy going. We had a chat about it all. I’m not off them or anything.
“Everyone has their own opinion.”
Holmes will come up against his former Cronulla teammates for the first time when the Sharks and Cowboys meet at Sunshine Coast Stadium on May 16.
BAD HIT
TITANS legend Preston Campbell’s son Jayden has already made waves at the club.
The promising 19-year-old has a bright future ahead but he was a tad rattled after being embroiled in the incident that snapped Ryan James’ ACL and ended the skipper’s season a fortnight ago.
James broke through the line at Titans training and ran towards the last line of defence in Campbell. Young Jayden did what any decent fullback would do, making a try-saving tackle, but within seconds the regulation hit turned to disaster.
“It was Jayden Campbell who tackled me,” James told Blindside. “It wasn’t even a huge tackle, it was a pretty straightforward shot. I came to Jayden and I had AJ Brimson on my inside. I was going to pass it but decided to take the tackle and that’s when I landed weirdly and got twisted under Jayden.
“There’s no hard feelings with Jayden. It could have been anyone, it was one of those things.”
BOYD BACK ON THE MEAT
FORMER Broncos skipper Darius Boyd’s life as a vegan is over.
The veteran Bronco embarked on a dietary overhaul over summer after joining millions around the world in watching The Game Changers.
The hit Netflix documentary delved into the world of veganism and why a plant-based diet can work wonders for all people, including elite athletes.
Fascinated by the documentary, Boyd went meat-free for several months and also cut out dairy. But upon his return to pre-season, Boyd found his body struggling to cope with the demands of training, particularly in the stifling Brisbane heat.
It is understood a number of other Broncos players briefly dabbled with a vegan lifestyle before abandoning the idea.
Boyd has since returned to eating meat and has been one of Brisbane’s best trainers over the pre-season. Despite his advancing years – he turns 33 in July – Brisbane’s data shows Boyd is one of the club’s fittest players as he eyes a make-or-break season at left centre.
MORE NEWS
Jim Tucker’s top 50 Queensland rugby union talents for 2020, part three
Dayne Zorko to captain the Brisbane Lions again in 2020
WARHORSE STILL GOING
ONE of the NRL’s toughest ever players has made a comeback.
Record holder Luke Douglas has had a short-lived retirement after opting to captain-coach Ballina in the northern NSW competition this year.
Douglas, 33, played a record 215 consecutive games in a 263-game NRL career for Cronulla and Gold Coast.
He managed this feat despite playing in the gruelling front row, regularly showing an incredible ability to overcome injuries in quick time.
Douglas spent the past three years in the Super League before deciding to retire at the end of 2019.
A product of Yamba in northern NSW, Douglas has moved back to the Gold Coast but will keep playing at grassroots level.
BENNETT FILTHY WITH POMS
SOUTHS super coach Wayne Bennett had no idea his axing was coming with the England national team.
Bennett has maintained a dignified silence since his dumping by the British RFL but privately the legendary coach is filthy over his treatment.
Bennett was keen to take England to the 2021 World Cup and had no inkling his tenure was coming to an end until a phone call from RFL hierarchy.
The former Broncos mentor’s tenure with the Poms was largely successful, with Bennett steering England to the 2017 World Cup final, which they narrowly lost 6-0 to Australia at Suncorp Stadium.
Kiwis call up Penrith young guns as injury crisis cuts deep
Dealing with an unprecedented injury crisis, Kiwi coach Stacey Jones has been forced to name an almost unrecognisable squad for the Pacific Championships including a junior NSW Origin star.
Billy Slater in insane career shift
Storm legend and Queensland coach Billy Slater has taken up a new position that nobody saw coming after the NRL season.