League legend Garry Jack hails estranged son Kieren’s 250-game AFL milestone
League legend Garry Jack has reached out to salute his estranged son Kieren’s 250-game AFL milestone for the Sydney Swans. PLUS, have Souths found their new GI already?
League legend Garry Jack has reached out to salute his estranged son Kieren’s 250-game AFL milestone for the Sydney Swans. PLUS, have Souths found their new GI already?
SAINT
OLD Tommy Raudonikis turned 69 last week and, while he’s never been a saint, you’ve got to admire the courage he’s showing in the fight to beat throat cancer. He’s an inspiration to us all.
SINNER
THE Greg Inglis retirement deal that allows South Sydney Rabbitohs to save $1.5 million on their salary cap yet keep the superstar on the payroll. This has not been an option for other clubs and is a blatant example of an NRL administration that lacks consistency and transparency. If Paul Gallen gets hurt next week, can the Sharks give him a job and sign another player with his cap money? Hardly.
SHOOSH
WHICH punter has been forced by legal authorities to hand over his mobile phone to Racing NSW stewards as part of an inquiry into an alleged betting sting on a horse race.
SHOOSH II
MORE international frequent flyer points for Peter Beattie and Todd Greenberg in June for an international board meeting with other northern hemisphere delegates in Singapore. Why this cannot be done via a Skype video hook-up is anyone’s guess.
SPOTTED
BLUES State of Origin coach Freddie Fittler making coffee at his wife Marie’s cafe, the Kanteen, in Warriewood on Wednesday morning.
SPOTTED II
NRL boss Todd Greenberg having a beer and watching the Sharks’ comeback win over the Panthers with mates at the Oatley Hotel after a tough week in the Federal Court.
SPOTTED III
Ye of Little Faith: Two Cronulla ‘tragics’ in full supporter gear getting an Uber outside Shark Park at halftime on Thursday. The fairweather fans told the driver they’d “seen enough”.
SPOTTED IV
FORMER Cronulla football manager Phil Moss entering Sharks Leagues Club on Thursday, presumably to be interviewed for the vacant general manager of football role which Tim Sheens recently knocked back.
SPOTTED V
OLD champion Glenn McGrath at the opening of Bunnings, Lake Haven. He was bowling in an aisle to a couple of customers using a plank of wood as a bat.
CORNERED
CATCH you on Controversy Corner — back at our normal time of 7pm Sunday night — with Graeme Hughes, Billy Harrigan and Geoff Toovey as we discuss and dissect pertinent rugby league issues.
A MUM’S SACRIFICE FOR KIERAN
LEAGUE legend Garry Jack acknowledged his estranged son Kieren’s 250-game AFL milestone and spoke of the contribution of his wife.
Sadly, Jack and his wife Donna were not invited to Kieren’s landmark game celebration for the Swans against Richmond at the MCG on Saturday.
They were also not on the invite list for his wedding to journalist Charlotte Goodlet in the Blue Mountains last year. Kieren’s brother Rhys also did not attend the wedding, while his other brother Brandon was best man. But the former champion Balmain Tigers and Kangaroos fullback generously acknowledged his son’s wonderful achievement.
“I just want to congratulate our son Kieren on his 250th game,” Jack said. “A fantastic achievement that reflects all his hard work, dedication, determination and sacrifice to the Swans for over a decade.
“I would like to make a special mention to Kieren’s mum, Donna, who selflessly sacrificed everything for all three of her boys so they had the opportunity to achieve their dreams.”
The family rift came to a head in the lead-up to Kieren’s 200-game milestone in July 2016 when Donna said it was “so sad’’ his parents were not wanted at the game and he had “no appreciation for all the years helping you get there’’.
Kieren could not be contacted for comment.
CAMERON’S KIDS GET TOO CLOSE
IT’s the cutest rugby league photo of the year — Jada and Jasper Smith nervously watching their dad kick the goal to break Hazem El Masri’s NRL points-scoring record in Townsville last weekend.
It also set off alarm bells in the football department at NRL headquarters.
Under the rules of the game, ball kids can only be on the field for conversion attempts.
It’s in case a shot at penalty goal ricochets off the posts and remains in play. Fortunately, the Melbourne skipper slotted the kick straight between the posts and the safety of Jada and Jasper was never in doubt.
You can guarantee they will be watching from the sideline next time.
SOUTHS FIND THEIR NEXT GI
The Rabbitohs won’t be paying ridiculous money to replace Greg Inglis at fullback because they already have the hottest young talent in the game in their junior ranks.
Joseph Suaalii is already being compared to Inglis and Israel Folau as a rookie fullback in Harold Mathews. The 16-year-old knocked backed contract offers from the ARU, the Waratahs and half a dozen NRL clubs to sign at Souths.
Your columnist has watched videos of some of his tries this season. He is so much like Inglis in the way he runs the football, palms off his opponents and can throw 20m cut-out passes.
We’re tipping he’ll play first grade as soon as he turns 18.
SCG CRASH LANDING
ALAN Jones always said the old Allianz Stadium in Moore Park was a death trap. He could have said the same about the SCG. Well, at least for the parachutist who was rehearsing for the Anzac Day game last week and crash-landed on the roof of the Ladies Stand.
The victim required medical treatment but, fortunately, was OK.
Wind shifts are notorious around the SCG because of the grandstands which can make landings difficult. The NRL will cancel the parachute show if there is any risk on Thursday.
DIG DEEP TO HELP WOMBAT
There is an important fundraiser for Manly Sea Eagles legend Graham ‘Wombat’ Eadie on the far north coast of NSW on Friday, April 26. Wombat needs help to pay for upcoming heart surgery.
Guests at the Billinudgel Hotel will include the great Steve ‘Turvey’ Mortimer, Steve Menzies and Jamie Lyon. All proceeds go to the former champion fullback’s medical costs.
Please contact Mitchell Lambert on (02) 66725121 if you would like to donate auction prizes.
OSSIE HEARTBREAK
The saddest and most upsetting sight of the year … old St George and Canberra Raiders front-rower Paul ‘Ossie’ Osborne at the funeral of his son last Thursday morning. Noah Osborne was an 18-year-old who tragically passed away after having an epileptic fit.
Ossie’s nine kids and mum Sally gave Noah a beautiful send-off. Dragons CEO Brian Johnston was there in support and, in a lovely mark of respect, the Canberra Raiders wore black arm bands last weekend.
THE CODE-HOPPER
Former Bulldogs and Dragons star Luke Patten has gone from the NRL bunker back to the playing fields. He quit his job as a video ref last year and is now working down the mines on the south coast. He’s also playing fullback in the South Coast Group Seven competition for the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles on weekends.
TV STAR’S SURF RESCUE
CHANNEL 7 sports guru Jim Wilson is on the Gold Coast for the school holidays. On Tuesday, while he was swimming at Surfers Paradise beach, Wilson noticed a middle-aged woman getting caught in a rip. He and his 17-year-old son Joey swam out to rescue the lady.
When we rang after being tipped off about their heroic act, Wilson played it down. “She was in trouble so we helped out,” he said. “I’m really proud of my son more than anything else.”
SALUTING MEDIA LEGEND CHIPPY
The media lounge at Bankwest Stadium has been named in honour of legendary sportswriter Peter “Chippy” Frilingos in keeping with the recognition he held in the old Parramatta Stadium.
When Parramatta were looking for a team name in the mid-1960s, it was Chippy who first proposed the Eels as a suitable moniker, the name borne from Parramatta’s Aboriginal meaning “the place where the Eels dwell”.
The media facilities on Level 4 of the western grandstand of the new 30,000-seat Bankwest Stadium are magnificent — a far cry from what they used to be in the ‘70s, when Chippy and the rest of us would climb a ladder to access a tin shed that was the media box at Cumberland Oval.
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