Andrew Fifita’s contract negotiations have stalled because of a player manager row
CRONULLA’S hopes of re-signing boom front-rower Andrew Fifita have stalled because of a player manager dispute.
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CRONULLA’S hopes of re-signing boom front-rower Andrew Fifita have stalled because of a player manager dispute.
The Origin and Kangaroo prop is refusing to negotiate a new deal while embroiled in a legal row with his agency SFX and manager Darryl Mather.
NRL integrity unit boss Jim Doyle has stepped in to try to negotiate a settlement to allow the barnstorming front-rower to determine his future.
The Australian Rugby Union and the South Sydney Rabbitohs are vying with the Sharks for Fifita’s signature.
The disgraced former agent Greg Willett is also involved in the drama.
Willett lost his accreditation after a Supreme Court judge found he cheated two clients — an old school friend and a quadriplegic — out of millions of dollars in a failed business venture.
He has been Fifita’s accountant since he started out at the Wests Tigers and had a number of NRL clients including Braith Anasta, Luke Lewis and Craig Gower.
The Sharks front-rower is still under contract to SFX but wants to do his own contract, using Willett as an financial advisor.
If he signs with Cronulla or anyone else right now, SFX will be legally entitled to eight percent of the money.
Rated the best young front-rower in the game, Fifita will command around $500,000 a season in his next contract, or more than $2 million over four years.
He is obviously serious about testing the market because he rang Souths half-back Adam Reynolds last week to ask him what it was like playing under about coach Michael Maguire.
Still, the Sharks are extremely confident he will stay.
Caine helps troubled Ferguson
LEGENDARY swim coach Dick Caine wants to sort out the troubled life of footy star Blake Ferguson.
He met the State of Origin star at his Carss Park swimming complex last week and offered to help out.
Caine has mentored many of sport’s biggest names over the last four decades, including a number of St George greats from their 11-year premiership reign.
“I’d like to help Blake get back to what he does best, which is playing football” Caine said.
“Part of the process would be visiting children’s hospitals. I’d like him to sit down and talk to a young cancer sufferer.
“I’d take him every week and he’d soon find out how fortunate he is.”
$300M covers all bases for Sydney trip
SYDNEY will turn on the luxury and extravagance normally reserved for rock stars when $300 million worth of US baseball talent arrives next month.
Private charter jets, Rolls-Royce cars, luxury yachts and five-star penthouse accommodation have been booked for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers superstars.
And then there’s basketball legend Magic Johnson and the sport’s commissioner Bud Selig, on a salary of $22m a year, to look after.
All up, $10m is being spent by promoters and the state government to bring the players, franchise staff and Major League Baseball officials into the country.
Every floor of the two hotels at The Star casino, the Darling and Astral Towers, have been booked out to accommodate the baseball teams.
Sharks close to jersey deal
The Sharks were never going to be sponsored by an adult dating firm that first approached the club almost a decade ago.
Every few years the company writes to the Shire club and offers to sponsor the team — then leaks it to the media to get all the free exposure.
The Sharks are actually in serious talks with a major Melbourne-based company and expects to have a name on the front of their jersey for the competition kick-off.
Chairman Damian Keogh, who was recently promoted to chief executive of Hoyts, is heavily involved in the negotiations.
Dogs in a crowded kennel
He’s not in Auckland, but Des Hasler let organisers know he wanted his Bulldogs players in a separate hotel away from other teams at the Nines.
Despite a shortage of rooms that saw three to four teams share most hotels, officials obliged and the Dogs were on their own.
But what they didn’t tell Hasler is that the majority of the huge media contingent for the event was also housed at the same hotel — putting his team, that he loves to keep ‘under the radar’, firmly in the sights of the press all week.
Miracle worker
Footy players do some wonderful stuff away from the game, especially at the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Their winger Sam Perrett has been appointed national ambassador for the Miracle Babies Foundation.
It’s close to his heart because his son Sam Jnr was premature and had unexpected complications including heart surgery.
Three years on Sam and his family want to help other families and hospitals raise awareness of the journey and ongoing challenges of these tiny little miracle bubs.
Family club
And here’s another fantastic community story out of Belmore.
Bulldogs member Rangi Troy needed $15,000 for life-saving cancer treatment not covered by insurance.
The final $4000 was raised at last weekend’s Belmore trial game against the Rabbitohs with supporters from both club pitching in.
As a result, Rangi was able to commence treatment on Tuesday.
SAINT
It was remiss of me not to pay tribute to the tragic passing but wonderful career of Country Rugby League president Jock Colley last Sunday.
Jock’s death leaves an impossible-to-fill hole in the administration of bush football, particularly in his home town of Parkes. He was a tireless contributor to country football.
SINNER
IT’S a bit rude of the Australian Rugby Union to be charging grassroots clubs extra money to bail them out of financial strife when their former CEO John O’Neill walked away with a $2 million golden handshake just over 12 months ago.
ON TRACK
SWIMMING legend Ian Thorpe is still in a private western suburbs hospital undergoing treatment after being admitted nearly two weeks ago. The good news is he’s doing well and making some encouraging progress.
SPOTTED
DISGRACED politician Craig Thompson and Wanderers boss Lyall Gorman enjoying a beer at Rooty Hill RSL on Tuesday. We presume Mr Thompson paid by cash, not credit card.
SHOOSH
A CONTROVERSIAL Sydney punter and one of Australia’s best-known jockeys are under investigation by NSW stewards over a betting sting at recent out-of-town meeting. It could make for an absolutely explosive inquiry.
CAPTAINCY CAPERS
THE relationship between Test forward Sam Thaiday and Broncos coach Anthony Griffin is near breaking point with the Maroons veteran still heartbroken and hurting over being sacked as captain.
SHARK ATTACK
THE Sharks are in danger of losing another of their boom local products on the back of Tyrone Peachey signing at the Panthers.
The Bulldogs are all over outstanding young hooker Michael Lichaa, my tip to be the next big thing in the NRL.
BUILDING CASTLES
CHIEF executive Raelene Castle is making a huge impression at the Bulldogs less than a year after stepping into Todd Greenberg’s role.
The NRL’s only female CEO recently landed a couple of lucrative new sponsorship deals and convinced super coach Des Hasler to extend his contract.
One director told me she is an even better operator than Greenberg, who used to rated the game’s top club CEO.
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