What’s the Buzz: Saint, sinner, shoosh - Trent Barrett favourite to replace Dean Pay at Belmore
He’s currently an assistant at one of the competition pacesetters and Canterbury see Trent Barrett as their top coaching recruitment choice. This and much more in this week’s edition of Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
Opinion
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There is a strong tip around rugby league circles that the Brisbane Broncos are keen to chat with highly regarded NRL 360 host Ben Ikin about a possible interest in the club’s chief executive role.
Under siege CEO Paul White will step down at the end of the season after 12 months of turmoil.
Ikin is under contract to Fox Sports for another two years but has spoken to the network’s Head of Television Steve Crawley about the role at the Broncos should the job be offered to him.
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“It would certainly be of interest,” Ikin said, “It’s such a coveted position but I’ve got a great gig at Fox Sports and I’m very mindful of that and how supportive they’ve been over a long period of time.”
Ikin is currently on the board of the QRL and was once a director at the Cowboys.
He has a strong background in all areas of rugby league, especially commercial.
He is also highly regarded by the club’s owners, News Corp.
BAZ IN FOR PAY TO REBUILD BULLDOGS
Trent Barrett is emerging as the favourite to replace Dean Pay as coach of the Canterbury Bulldogs to oversee a major rebuild at Belmore.
The Bulldogs are expected to announce within 48 hours that Pay will finish up once his contract expires at the end of this season.
The Barrett deal is not done yet but Canterbury officials have earmarked him as their No.1 target.
He is currently assisting Ivan Cleary at Penrith and has helped turned the Panthers into a genuine premiership threat.
Barrett is a great coach of playmakers. He helped Daly Cherry-Evans lift his game to become Queensland captain and Kangaroos halfback while under his direction at Manly.
He is also doing a great job with Nathan Cleary at the Panthers.
In Barrett’s favour — ahead of others — is his strong relationship with senior players.
At Canterbury, Barrett would have a $3 million war chest to rebuild the struggling franchise.
SAINT
Rugby league is not a big sport in Western Australia yet the South Perth Lions are a wonderful advertisement for the code. One of their former players, police officer Glen Willett, was recently struck down with Motor Neurone disease. And so the club rallied big time. Builders and tradies involved with the team organised a working bee and chipped in to install a desperately needed new roof on Glen’s home for his wife and two young children, worth around $20,000. The club also raised another $17,000 from raffles. Glen is doing it tough but was blown away by the support and generosity of all involved.
SINNER
John Hopoate’s use of social media to support Manly prop Addin Fonua-Blake over his vile abuse of referee Grant Atkins. Surely there are mechanisms in place to ban the likes of Hoppa from having an account to publish such pathetic rubbish.
SHOOSH
Which former rugby league journalist is now working as a private investigator, tracking down dodgy types for insurance companies.
SHOOSH II
We’re hearing of interest north of the border for a couple of handy playmakers at the Broncos — Blake Green and/or Kieran Foran.
SPOTTED
A couple of handy boxers, Daniel Lewis and Paul Gallen, at the opening of the new indoor MX Dome at Eastern Creek on Wednesday testing their skills on these dirt bikes.
SPOTTED II
Former chief executive of Australian soccer and North Melbourne AFL president Ben Buckley enjoying a couple of Friday night beers with celebrity chef Matt Moran at the Charing Cross Hotel in Waverley.
SPOTTED III
A couple of out-of-work old Canterbury Bulldogs, NRL and ARU bosses Todd Greenberg and Raelene Castle catching up for lunch at a Japanese eatery in Pyrmont to no doubt chat about their far less stressful lives.
SPOTTED IV
Rugby League Independent Commission chairman and Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys in getting his locks trimmed at HeadQuarterz hair salon in Gladesville on Saturday morning by hairdresser Alana.
Originally published as What’s the Buzz: Saint, sinner, shoosh - Trent Barrett favourite to replace Dean Pay at Belmore