Jarrod Wallace takes aim at Kevin Walters over his Origin axing
Gold Coast Titans heavy-hitter Jarrod Wallace has taken aim at Maroons coach Kevin Walters for his Origin axing, blaming the coach for his poor stats in Origin II.
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Titans prop Jarrod Wallace has spoken out about his Origin axing, claiming he didn’t deserve to be dropped by Queensland coach Kevin Walters.
Wallace was the fall guy for Queensland’s 38-6 hammering in Game Two in Perth, copping the axe for the second time in his Origin career for the decider at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, won 26-20 by the Blues.
Wallace was busy with limited game in Origin II. Named on the bench, the Gold Coast bookend received 27 minutes of game time, making 22 tackles and seven runs in the heavy defeat at Optus Stadium.
In previous outings for the Maroons, Wallace has been accused of a lack of involvement, but the 28-year-old believes his contribution was statistically solid in his Perth recall.
“I thought I was hard done by to tell you the truth,” Wallace told Blindside.
“I only played 20-odd minutes and made a fair few tackles and hit-ups in that time.
“If Kevvie wanted me to do more, then give me more minutes.
“I came on at a time when we were already on the back foot and I felt me and ‘Glaz’ (Tim Glasby) came on and brought the energy and the go-forward.
“I didn’t think I deserved to be dropped but that was the choice Kevvie made and I have to respect it.
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“I can’t sit here and cry over spilt milk, that’s what happened, but now my job here is to look forward and play good footy.”
Wallace said he was mindful he needed to be busy from the outset after some quiet displays in his five previous matches for the Maroons.
“Last time I was a starting front rower and probably didn’t have the same impact,” he said.
“But this time my job was to come off the bench and get busy and I did that.
“I didn’t think there was much more I could do in 27 minutes of game time.”
ALFIE’S WALLACE SLEDGE
BRONCOS legend Allan Langer hasn’t lost his quick wit.
The former halfback may now be 53 years old but age hasn’t weared his sense of humour.
Operating as Brisbane’s trainer at Robina last Saturday night, Langer watched on as Titans prop Jarrod Wallace picked up a ball and pinned the ears back for the tryline as Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough gave chase.
Wallace was brought down just five metres from the line, with the ball spewing free in the process. Wallace buried his head into the turf in despair.
As Langer ran on with water, he couldn’t help himself, stopping to whisper in Wallace’s ear.
“Alfie said, ‘You need to do some sprint training mate, you almost went 100 metres’,” Wallace told Blindside with a laugh.
“I was spewing I didn’t get there. All of the people to run me down was my old teammate ‘Macca’ ... he gave it to me as well, don’t worry about that.”
COSTLY CUT FOR TITANS
GARTH Brennan’s sacking could come at a heavy price for the Titans with the club facing an estimated $200,000-plus payout for terminating the Gold Coast coach.
Blindside understand Brennan is far from satisfied with his dismissal with the Titans coach still in negotiations with club hierarchy over the finer points of a severance package.
The Titans could have avoided a payout altogether. Brennan’s original deal expired at the end of this year with a 12-month option for 2020 contingent upon the Titans making the finals this season.
But when Mal Meninga came on board as Titans culture chief last November, club bosses waived the option, activating an extension for Brennan last summer in a quest for stability.
Just seven months later, however, Brennan was shown the door, leaving the Titans to confront a costly payout scenario. Brennan remains bitterly disappointed with his demise but has attempted to clear his head with a family getaway in New Zealand.
ON THE WAY HOLMES?
D-DAY is approaching for Valentine Holmes amid fears out of United States that the former Queensland Origin winger won’t make the cut at the New York Jets.
Holmes has been laid low in recent weeks with a minor back injury, but he is hopeful of being passed fit for the Jets’ opening pre-season clash against the New York Giants next Friday.
New York Post journalist Brian Costello is the paper’s chief Jets correspondent and has been watching Holmes closely at training. He believes the former Maroons and Cronulla flyer faces an uphill battle to emulate Jarryd Hayne by playing NFL.
“I would expect to see him in the first pre-season game and the fourth pre-season game,” Costello said.
“Those games are typically when bottom-of-the-roster guys get their shot.
“I think the Jets have been impressed with how quickly he has picked things up but they know how difficult what he is trying to do is.
“I don’t think he is a contributor yet ... he is just viewed as another guy trying to make it on the roster who has taken an unusual path.”
Should Holmes fail to make the 53-man squad, he can stay on for a season under the NFL’s International Pathway Program.
The North Queensland Cowboys are keeping their salary-cap powder dry and will be ready to strike if Holmes decides to return home next year.
The Jets believe Holmes could possibly make it as a kick returner – similar to a fullback in the NRL.
Holmes celebrated his 24th birthday in New York last week and admits he has never studied so hard.
“Physically, it wasn’t bad,” Holmes said.
“It’s more learning the plays and just being in meetings and trying to remember what we had to do with protections, runs, receiving routes and then special teams stuff, as well.
“There’s a lot of studying to do. Back home, I didn’t need to study. I kind of knew what I was doing.
“Everyone knows how cut-throat this sport is. One slight mistake and you could be gone the next day. I’m just taking it day by day at the moment and not thinking about long-term stuff.”
TOUGH CALL FOR COWBOYS
THE Cowboys face some intriguing recruitment-and-retention decisions in the final weeks of the season.
Blindside understands veteran back-rower Gavin Cooper is keen to play on next season with the Cowboys not ruling out a 12-month extension for the popular forward.
Front-row stalwart Matt Scott announced his retirement last week and Cooper was expected to follow suit, but the veteran of 303 NRL games has indicated to the Cowboys he is keen to lace on the boots in 2020.
Cooper turns 34 later this month and has interest from English Super League clubs. Having lost Matt Scott, the Cowboys believe Cooper’s experience could be vital is helping the club’s emerging crop of young players next season.
While Cooper is keen to soldier on, there are question marks over Scott Bolton. The 32-year-old is off-contract at season’s end and is disillusioned with the NRL following his five-game ban earlier this year for his off-field incident.
Bolton believes he was hung out to dry by the NRL and is weighing up whether he wants to play on.
OATES SET TO SIGN
QUEENSLAND Origin winger Corey Oates is close to finalising a new deal with Brisbane that will move him a step closer to becoming a Bronco for life.
Blindside can reveal Oates’ management is in the final stages of negotiations on a three-year worth around $500,000 a season that will keep the Maroons flyer at Red Hill until the end of 2022.
Oates could earn more on the open market, but is happy at the Broncos and is keen to build on his brand as one of the club’s most likeable players with Queensland fans.
Oates turns 25 in October, meaning he will be entering his late 20s upon the completion of his next Broncos deal.
The Broncos are running out of cash after recently securing Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai Jr to upgraded deals but there will be enough room in the salary cap to retain Oates, a veteran of 135 NRL games and the greatest tryscorer at Suncorp Stadium.
SEIBOLD BACKS HOLBROOK
BRONCOS coach Anthony Seibold has thrown his support behind his new coaching counterpart at the Titans, Justin Holbrook.
The Titans announced the signing of Holbrook on Wednesday on a two-year deal and Seibold believes the current St Helens coach will have great success on the Gold Coast based on his past experiences with the 43-year-old.
“I worked with Justin in the Junior Kangaroos team in 2015,” Seibold revealed.
“I only spent seven or eight days with him and we worked really well together. I really enjoyed the week with him, he was working with the Roosters at the time and he was a competent coach. We had a good week. We beat the Junior Kiwis on the Gold Coast, he is a good young coach and has gone on to bigger and better things.
“He will do a good job at the Titans, he was a really good coach and I was impressed with the week I spent with him.”
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