Sport Confidential: Ash Taylor’s huge pay cut, Wayne Bennett bans Jai Arrow from motorbike
The modest deal that’s set to save Ash Taylor’s NRL career. Plus how Wayne Bennett’s failed poaching bid paid off for South Sydney. SPORTS CONFIDENTIAL
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Former Gold Coast Titans halfback Ash Taylor is on the verge of taking a $900,000 pay cut to save his NRL career.
Taylor is expected to ink a train-and-trial deal with the New Zealand Warriors in the coming days ahead of the 2022 pre-season.
The deal will see Taylor’s weekly wage initially slashed from $20,000 to $1000.
If Taylor proves himself to Warriors coach Nathan Brown during the pre-season, he will secure a fulltime contract and pay rise for the 2022 campaign.
It’s an incredible fall for a player once regarded as the NRL’s next great playmaker who was compared to Johnathan Thurston.
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Taylor has been pocketing around $20,000 per week over the past three years on his $1 million-a-season deal, but train-and-trial contracts are only worth $1000 a week.
Taylor, 26, has been back in Toowoomba for the off-season as he mulls over his future, but the Warriors appear to be his only NRL option at this stage. They will be based at Redcliffe for the 2022 season, giving Taylor the opportunity to remain in Queensland.
ROAD RAGE: BENNETT BANS BIKIE BUNNY
Wayne Bennett has taken the drastic step of banning Jai Arrow from riding his brand new $40,000 Harley Davidson, fearing a freak road accident could wipe his defensive hitman out of Sunday’s grand final.
News Corp can reveal Bennett has put the brakes on Arrow riding on Queensland’s roads after giving the Rabbitohs hardman a rocket in the lead-up to the NRL decider against Penrith at Suncorp Stadium.
Keen to treat himself for playing his 100th NRL game against the Roosters last month, Arrow went on a shopping spree on the Gold Coast looking for an appropriate gift.
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The Queensland Origin star walked away with a shiny new Harley Davidson, but when he turned up to Souths’ team hotel during the finals holding a helmet, Bennett went into meltdown.
According to Bennett, a stack of motorbike riders have died on Queensland roads this year and the Souths super coach says he will not risk losing his key off-season Titans recruit with a premiership on the line.
“I’ve told Jai he’s not riding a bloody motorbike,” Bennett said on the eve of the grand final.
“If he gets knocked off the bike, I could lose a player in grand-final week.
“I turned on the radio the other day ... there’s 200 people who have been killed this year on Queensland roads and 50 of those are motorbike riders.
“I wasn’t happy when I saw Jai with his helmet. I grabbed him and I said I don’t want you riding a motorbike until after the grand final.”
Asked if he was serious about his edict, Bennett said: “I’m dead serious. You have no protection on a motorbike.
“You can have an accident in a car and you have some protection, but on a motorbike you have nothing. Jai only has to get tapped by someone and all of a sudden he comes off and breaks his leg or breaks his shoulder.
“The team is more important than riding a motorbike. He can ride all over the Gold Coast when the season is over, I don’t care then.”
Arrow has been a revelation for the Bunnies this season and set the defensive standard in Souths’ shock defeat of Penrith in the opening week of the finals.
He admits he copped a stinging rebuke from Bennett about his impulse purchase.
“Wayne isn’t too happy with me,” he said.
“Not too many people know I have it. I made an excuse really. I wanted to get a present for my 100th first-grade game and I probably went a bit too far. My dad called me an idiot and mum called me stupid.
“I tried to tell Wayne at the beach one day that I had bought a motorbike and he laughed at me. He didn’t believe me.
“Then I walked into the elevator with the helmet and he said, ‘So you really have bought a Harley Davidson!’ He said I don’t want you riding it, we have come too close now, I don’t want you getting injured.
“I have put my helmet on the rack and haven’t touched it since. It was a quick decision, but I’m loving the bike. I just won’t be on it until after the grand final.”
PVL’S DALLY M BUNGLE
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has broken his silence on the Dally M pronunciation gaffe that has gone viral.
V’landys became an internet sensation after mispronouncing the name of Manly forward Josh Aloiai during Monday night’s medal count.
Appearing live on Fox Sports to reveal the final few votes before Tom Trbojevic secured the top gong, V’landys said “Oshay Olay” instead of “Josh Aloiai”.
The Sea Eagles forward has seen the funny side of it, changing his Instagram name to “Josh Aloiai aka Oshay Olay” and V’landys said it was an honest mistake.
“I’ve had a good laugh about it,” V’landys said.
“I said Oshay Olay, I missed the J at the start and got myself all mixed up.
“It’s been pretty funny actually. One thing I will give myself a pat on the back for is getting some of the other names right. I could have crumbled but I got on with the job.
“At least I got some good feedback for my blue suit, which I bought in America.”
A MOTHER’S LOVE
Here is a photo that proves how much Melbourne Storm star Brandon Smith means to his mother.
Smith was accompanied by his mother Tirohia at Monday night’s Dally M Awards in Brisbane.
His appearance at the NRL’s showpiece event was incredibly awkward as news broke at the same time that Smith and Cameron Munster had been embroiled in a white powder scandal.
Smith looked like a dejected figure as he received the Dally M hooker of the year award and made a hasty exit with his mum by his side.
Tirohia was sporting a tattoo on her shoulder with a block of cheese and the words ‘CHAMP CHEESE’.
Smith has earned the nickname “Cheese” and his mother is clearly his biggest fan.
AIR JORDAN INSPIRES BOOZE-FREE REYNOLDS
Adam Reynolds is ready for his last dance at Souths. So it’s only fitting the Broncos-bound playmaker has been inspired by the much-loved Last Dance documentary starring Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
Reynolds will play his 231st and final game for Souths in Sunday’s grand final before moving to the Broncos and would relish the type of winning finale Jordan enjoyed during his six NBA titles with the Bulls.
Reynolds isn’t sure if Wayne Bennett is the NRL’s equivalent of Bulls legendary coach Phil Jackson, but the pair share a special bond. Reynolds is so determined to go out a winner this week he has lost 2kg and gone on a booze ban during the finals.
“I love (American) basketball,” he said of his fondness for The Last Dance documentary.
“It (Last Dance) is just a bit of a caption for me. I’m not too big on captions but felt it was fitting being my last game at Souths, there was no huge meaning behind it.
“I watched the doco a while ago when it first came out. I’m definitely not the Jordan of our team. maybe I’m the nobody in the background.”
Of his decision to shun alcohol and lose weight, Reynolds said: “It’s easier to do when you are in a camp-based environment. I’ve lost a few kilos along the way, but that was always the plan at the end of the year.
“I’ve been limiting my drinking and not going silly. I haven’t had one for a couple of weeks. There’s bigger things than alcohol. We are professional athletes so making sure your body is feeling good at this time of the year is the main thing.”
BENNETT’S FAILED RAID ON REDFERN
Wayne Bennett is pleased his Broncos poaching attempt on Cody Walker failed. After all, they have ended up together at South Sydney.
Walker is Souths’ playmaking X-factor in Sunday’s grand final against the Panthers, but if Bennett had his way four years ago, the Indigenous ace would have been at Red Hill instead of Redfern.
The year was 2017 and Bennett, then the Broncos coach, was so keen to lure Walker he flew the playmaker north for a lunch meeting in Brisbane.
Bennett deliberately tested Walker out by asking him where he wanted to play. Walker said he would play wherever Bennett wanted him. Bennett liked the answer. It showed him Walker was a team player.
The Broncos tabled a two-year deal and were convinced they had their man, only for Souths to increase their offer at the eleventh hour to keep Walker at Redfern.
As it turned out, Bennett was sacked by the Broncos the following year, opening the door for him to reunite with Walker in the red-and-green.
“I tried to get Cody to the Broncos when he was at Souths,” Bennett recalls.
“I couldn’t believe how skilful he was. Someone said to me he played like the famous Ella brothers (Wallabies stars) and it was a good comparison.
“I saw him as a fullback or utility player at the Broncos, but I just thought find a position for him because he was so good. He came to Brisbane and we had a meeting. I clicked with Cody straight away, he was a tremendous bloke.
“We were close to getting him, but Souths upped the ante to keep Cody and I’m glad I ended up here to really appreciate his talent as his coach.”
BURGESS TURNS CHAUFFEUR
Rabbitohs legend Sam Burgess will watch Sunday night’s grand final from Thailand alongside South Sydney co-owner Russell Crowe.
Burgess is currently in South East Asia working as Crowe’s personal driver during the filming of his latest movie.
Burgess and Crowe have a very tight bond, so much so that the Rabbitohs great is coaching Crowe’s local footy team the Orara Valley Axemen in next year’s Group 2 competition.
CIVONICEVA IS BIGGER THAN TEXAS
Former Panthers and Broncos warhorse Petero Civoniceva is one of the happiest men in Queensland as he prepares to watch his ex-Penrith club in Sunday’s grand final at Suncorp Stadium.
The famous Civoniceva sporting genes are living on his daughter Tallulah. The 17-year-old has secured a scholarship with Texas university as she eyes a sporting career in softball.
Video footage of Tallulah’s softball prowess was sent to Texas University scouts.
Within hours, they had made contact to snap up the daughter of big Petero, the Queensland Origin front-row legend who played 235 games for the Broncos before spending four seasons at Penrith. Tallulah has represented Queensland in softball and it’s no surprise she is regarded as a power hitter.
BYE BYE BENJI
Souths veteran Benji Marshall is playing ducks and drakes in the lead-up to the grand final but another former champion playmaker, Cooper Cronk, is adamant the 36-year-old will retire.
Cronk knows all too well about closely-guarded announcements. During his stellar years at Melbourne and the Roosters, Cronk always liked to control his own messaging when it came to big calls on his career.
Now he believes Marshall will retire after his 347th NRL game in the Suncorp decider, despite Benji insisting he could play on next season.
“This is Benji‘s last game — for sure,” he said on NRL 360. “He won’t want to be making the announcement this week with everything else going on.
“He will be just sitting back getting his focus right to play the best game of his life and then he will worry about the decision later. But I dare say this is his last game.”
NO FREE KIKS FOR PANTHERS
Viliame Kikau says he is keen to stay at Penrith but the Panthers will have to pay in excess of $800,000 to keep the barnstorming back-rower.
Kikau’s price tag could soar even further if he carves up Souths in Sunday night’s NRL grand final with his agent also revealing French rugby could be an option for the Fijian sensation.
Kikau started his career in rugby before being picked up by NRL scouts at the Cowboys and his asking price will put huge pressure on the Panthers to retain him.
The 26-year-old Kikau is off-contract next year and can field formal offers from November 1.
“As a yardstick, offers of $800,000 are a minimum, and then we’ll determine if he is worth more than that,” said his agent George Christodoulou.
“If a deal is acceptable, ‘Kiks’ will re-sign with Penrith, but if they only have $500,000 left in the cap, we will have to go to market.
“It’s an option to explore rugby union. That’s his pedigree, he was a Fijian schoolboy in rugby, he played rugby all his life growing up.
“Right now, he is happy in the NRL, but the reality of being a professional athlete in rugby league, you have a 10-year window at best to set yourself up for life and we can‘t bury our heads in the sand.”
WILSON READY TO FIGHT BACK
One of Australia’s most promising boxers, Queensland super featherweight Liam Wilson, is ready to climb off the canvas.
Wilson (9-1, 6KO) suffered his first professional defeat in July after being clobbered by world-ranked Filipino Joe Noynay and he was keen for a rematch with the ‘Jaw Breaker’.
But after Noynay contracted Covid, Wilson will instead return to the ring in December against Gold Coast-ranked Bruno Tarimo (26-2-2, 5KO), who is ranked No.5 with the IBF.
It shapes as a danger fight for Wilson, who cannot afford a second consecutive loss after his world-title hopes were rocked by his comprehensive loss to Noynay.
“This shows Liam‘s courage,” Wilson’s promoter Matt Rose said.
“Liam wants a world title and he isn’t afraid of testing himself against the best fighters.
“He was very disappointed to lose to Noynay and Tarimo is a world-class opponent, so Liam has his work cut out.”
Broncos star reveals sweet proposal details
Brisbane Broncos star Kotoni Staggs has revealed how a rainy day nearly ruined the most important moment of his life with girlfriend Brittany Becht.
Broncos star reveals sweet proposal details
Brisbane Broncos star Kotoni Staggs has revealed how a rainy day nearly ruined the most important moment of his life with girlfriend Brittany Becht.