What’s the Buzz: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh, Spotted
Wayne Bennett is stubborn and hates being proven wrong. But the supercoach is set to swallow his pride and succumb to public pressure come May 28. PLUS the Roosters-Rabbitohs rivalry going soft.
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The sport may be on forced vacation but the gossip never stops. This is PHIL ROTHFIELD’s latest instalment of Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
SAINT
The appointment of commercial boss Andrew Abdo as a caretaker chief executive of the NRL. This guy is a bright, creative and big-picture thinker who deserves an opportunity under Peter V’landys.
SINNERS
One of the great things about rugby league is the camaraderie and mateship that team sport builds. There are, however, exceptions like the fact we love the Roosters and Rabbitohs rivalry and a century of hate.
That’s why it looked so ordinary when Trent Robinson and Wayne Bennett turned up together at NRL headquarters during the week for a Project Apollo meeting.
Robbo even drove the old bloke to Moore Park. Hopefully hostilities will resume in the build-up to their next game.
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SINNER II
There have been some outrageously ridiculous suggestions about potential CEO replacements for Todd Greenberg.
The silliest was Russell Crowe pushing his mate Shane Richardson, who famously spent 12 months at the NRL in 2015 and achieved nothing. Also, this idea about Phil Gould … the last thing the NRL needs is one of Gus’s five-year plans.
SPOTTED
Referees boss Bernard Sutton has had to get a job at Woolworths at Seven Hills while the NRL competition has been in lockdown. He works from 7pm to midnight unloading trucks.
Sutton has a big family to look after – his wife and four children aged 9, 7, 4 and 1.
“It’s been a good dose of reality to see how other people work on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
“And it’s been good working around people who love their footy.”
SPOTTED
Racing NSW and rugby league boss Peter V’landys leaving Woolworths in Pitt Street with a box of breakfast cereal on Tuesday.
SPOTTED
Former NRL and soccer boss David Gallop reaching out to Todd Greenberg via a friendly text message on Monday, the day he was sacked as NRL chief executive.
SPOTTED
South Sydney Rabbitohs skipper Adam Reynolds and Maroons Origin star Dane Gagai getting out of the house for a game of golf at Eastlake.
SPOTTED
Braith Anasta and Sam Burgess playing at The Coast golf club. Burgess got the chocolates, too. He has reduced his handicap from 12 to 8 since retiring and spending more time on his swing.
SPOTTED
Wallaby skipper and fitness fanatic Michael Hooper training on his own at Manly Oval on Thursday morning despite the disappointment of his salary dropping from $1.2 million to less than $500,000.
SPOTTED
Players Union boss Clint Newton training at Avoca Beach on the Central Coast on Tuesday afternoon.
SHOOSH
Who was the high-flying NRL official doing his resume last week to look for a new job amid fears he would become a casualty of cost-cutting at head office.
SORRY, WAYNE
Wayne Bennett is stubborn and hates being proven wrong.
Yet we’re told the old supercoach is about to abandon the failed experiment of playing Latrell Mitchell at fullback at the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Sources at Redfern are telling us Latrell will return to the centres when the Rabbitohs resume their premiership campaign, hopefully on May 28 against his old club the Sydney Roosters.
Latrell struggled in the first two rounds with lack of fitness to cover the extra ground that is required of fullbacks in attack and defence.
Bennett, we are told, has not given up on Latrell wearing the No.1 jersey later in the year but wants him to get more match fitness.
This story will be denied. Just like Bennett did when we broke the news in this column of Souths signing James Roberts and Latrell last year.
Rest assured it will happen. It will be Latrell in the centres and Alex Johnston at fullback.
BELLYACHE’S NAS SUPPORT
Craig Bellamy has thrown his support behind towering forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona wanting to combine footy with boxing.
“I’ve got no issue with it at all as long as it doesn’t interfere with his football,” Bellamy said. “He did boxing as a kid, he likes it, and I think it’s actually a good thing for him. He’s pretty handy at it, too, which helps.”
We wrote in this column late last year that promoter Matt Rose would offer Asofa-Solomona an opportunity in the ring after video footage went viral of him fighting like a thrashing machine in a brawl outside a Bali nightclub.
The plan is for the Storm giant to take on former Manly and Eels prop Darcy Lussick, who spectacularly knocked out Justin Hodges in 39 seconds in his professional debut last December.
THE OTHER HALF: ASHLEIGH AND TARIQ SIMS
What’s it like having Tariq around the house all day?
In the morning, he’s really motivated and gets things done. But then 2pm hits and he goes into sloth mode and usually has a nana nap.
What extra chores is he doing?
He has learnt how to wipe down benchtops, which is positive.
Can he cook … what’s his best?
He’s pretty limited in the cooking department, but he does make a pretty good teriyaki chicken.
How does he kill time?
He has been training, taking our daughters surfing, finishing off his study and a whole lot of Netflix/Stan streaming.
What’s he like at scrabble/monopoly?
We have a running feud in Monopoly Deal … that’s been happening for a year or so!
What music is he playing?
I have no idea — our taste in music is VERY different. He loves rap, and that’s where I tune out.
Is he tidy?
Hahaha, good joke.
So ... what’s Tariq’s worst habit?
Easily not cleaning up after himself.
Originally published as What’s the Buzz: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh, Spotted
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