What’s the Buzz II: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh and Spotted
WHAT’S the Buzz II: Ricky Stuart gives his all for charity, Manly abandon plans to bring back a former star and the Allianz Stadium budget blowout.
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WHAT’S the Buzz II: Ricky Stuart gives his all for charity, Manly abandon plans to bring back a former star and the Allianz Stadium budget blowout.
SAINT
NO one in rugby league does more for charity than Ricky Stuart and his foundation that raises awareness and much-needed funding for autism sufferers. Last night, the Raiders coach drove to Cooma on his last free weekend before the season to attend a fundraiser for Louie Mould, the 12-year-old footy player who broke his neck in a trampoline accident before Christmas.
SINNER
PLANS to stage a mid-year rugby league Test match in Denver between England and New Zealand involving about 30 NRL players with all profits going to a private promoter. The same as the Auckland Nines. A private businessman getting all the cash. And no care at all for player welfare.
SHOOSH
WHO was the coach from an out-of-town NRL club who had a blazing row with his assistant coach in front of their stunned playing group during a training session during the week?
SHOOSH II
WHICH former Test and NSW Blues Origin star is revitalising himself at a Thailand health farm?
SHOOSH III
Which well-known radio commentator is struggling to keep his job for the footy season?
SPOTTED
FORMER South Sydney coach Michael Maguire catching up with his old halfback Adam Reynolds while watching boxer Bilal Akkawy at Club Punchbowl.
SPOTTED II
THE great Gus Gould in hospital receiving specialist treatment for an old back injury.
SPOTTED III
ALL Black Sonny Bill Williams’ agent Khoder Nasser doing laps of Coles at Sans Souci on Monday.
SPOTTED IV
SPOTTED FORMER Brisbane Broncos and St George Illawarra Dragons winger Wendell Sailor playing for Thirroul Butchers in the rugby league masters tournament on the Gold Coast before flying home Saturday afternoon to jump on the NRL float at the mardi gras.
SPOTTED V
EX-NSW Blues coach and new Big Sports Breakfast host Laurie Daley on a bus from the city to Northbridge last week.
SPOTTED VI
FORMER Maroons and Australian fullback Dale Shearer watching boxer Brock Jarvis fight in Five Dock on Friday night.
CARNEY OFF RADAR
MANLY have abandoned plans to sign bad boy Todd Carney as a replacement for Blake Green. Coach Trent Barrett earmarked the ex-Raiders, Roosters and Sharks pivot as a potential recruit before the Sea Eagles board talked him out of it.
We’re hearing the NRL was reluctant to register his contract, anyway. I can understand the decision not to register Carney but there are obviously different rules for different players. Matt Lodge is the perfect example. He has shown no remorse over his disgusting and violent behaviour in the US yet will run out for the Broncos next weekend.
ALLIANZ BLOWS BUDGET
WE’RE hearing the cost of knocking down and rebuilding the death trap Allianz Stadium at Moore Park will be a whopping $900 million, $200 million more than Sports Minister Stuart Ayres originally told us. Thank goodness he’s not managing salary caps.
That’s $900 million for a venue that hosts only 10 NRL games a year for the Sydney Roosters and their paltry average crowd of 13,500. No other NRL club will play there. The obvious solution for Premier Gladys Berejiklian is to build a 30,000-seater, which would still be only half full for most games but would at least save hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.
It would also leave enough money to properly rebuild ANZ Stadium as our major-event venue.
DESSIE JOINS MADGE
THE NRL has become an employment agency for out-of-work coaches. Michael Maguire got a job at Moore Park headquarters to help fix the refereeing ranks when he was axed by Souths.
We can now reveal former Canterbury coach Des Hasler was spotted at NRL HQ on Friday morning. It’s the first time Dessie has been back around football since he was marched out of Belmore by the former Bulldogs board.
We’re hearing Dessie will take on a roll with the football department working alongside Brian Canavan and Jason King. Given his experience in the game, this is a good move.
DAY GROWN MEN CRIED
GROWN men do cry, even those as tough as old Bulldogs legend Steve Folkes. Former NRL boss David Gallop remembers the day he stripped Canterbury of 37 competition points over the 2003 salary cap scandal and, in doing so, reduced Folkes to tears.
“I’ll never forget … it was just Folkesy and me in my office with a huge media pack outside,” Gallop recalled. “Both of us just sat there crying. It showed how much the club meant to him.”
Folkes’ funeral will be held at Belmore Sportsground tomorrow from 3pm. All fans are welcome.
MORE CONTROVERSY
WHO’S old enough to remember Controversy Corner on Channel 7 with (pictured) Alan Clarkson, Rex Mossop, Ferris Ashton and Col Pearce? It was a top-rating Sunday morning show renowned for its madness and the Viking Sauna, Patra orange juice and Meapro ham giveaways.
The show is making a comeback on Fox Sports on Monday nights with Graeme Hughes playing Mossop, Blocker Roach as Ashton, Bill Harrigan as Pearce and your columnist as Clarko. It’s part of the new Big League Wrap show at 7.30pm after NRL 360.
PAPALII’S THE NEW KING OF PING
FAST fact: The NRL’s best table tennis player is apparently giant Canberra forward Josh Papalii. This is according to Professor James Rochford who watched NRL players over several weeks playing ping pong at Fox Sports to kill time while filming promos.
“He flogged everyone,” the Professor told us.
TIGERS EASE MANLY PAIN
WESTS Tigers are helping to ease Manly’s salary cap pressure by still paying a fair chunk of Curtis Sironen’s contract money. Manly expect a huge year from a bigger and faster Sironen.
CASE REOPENED
POLICE are investigating an old NSW racing inquiry in relation to the alleged dishonest and fraudulent behaviour of an owner and syndicator. A person was found guilty by stewards of forging a signature and fined by Racing NSW two years ago. Following a recent complaint, police have reopened the investigation to check bank deposits into the account of a racing employee.
RACING GETS BEHIND HUGHES FOUNDATION
IT’S fantastic to see the racing industry getting behind the Mark Hughes Foundation and the search to find a cure for brain cancer.
The Australian Turf Club has formed a partnership with the former Newcastle Knights fullback for fundraising activities during the autumn carnival.
The ATC and the Mark Hughes Foundation will also host the inaugural Matt Callander race day at Randwick on June 23 to coincide with the NRL’s wonderful Beanie For Brain Cancer weekend.
“Racing and rugby league share many bonds and friendships and we hope to bring many of our fans together to support this great cause,” Australian Turf Club chairman Laurie Macri said.
TODD AT BACK
IT’S been well documented how former Independent Commission chairman John Grant liked to travel in limousines, business class and stay in luxurious accommodation. CEO Todd Greenberg can travel in business class, too. It’s part of his contract. Yet, to save money, he never does. Greenberg always travels on domestic airlines with the punters in economy.
Originally published as What’s the Buzz II: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh and Spotted
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