Australian cricketers’ footy fix at World Cup, clubs circle Kalyn Ponga
There’s a surprise player in Kalyn Ponga’s latest contract negotiations as the Broncos and Eels circle the young star PLUS how our World Cup cricketers get their footy fix.
SAINT
THE marketing genius who brought NRL and AFL players together for Indigenous Round. The codes spend every other day of the year at war with each other but for once they put their differences aside and celebrated what unites them. Phil Hillyard’s page one photo of Latrell Mitchell and Buddy Franklin was just magnificent.
SINNER
GOOD on Channel 9 for scoring the exclusive Dylan Walker interview about him beating domestic violence assault charges. But the tears over the “dark days” looked artificial and an attempt to play the “poor Dylan” victim card.
SINNER II
THOSE who laughed off our back-page story headlined “Is league too tough?” about the NRL’s injury toll. Souths now have only 20 fit players.
SHOOSH
WHICH highly paid Sydney Roosters forward copped an almighty spray from coach Trent Robinson in the dressing sheds after Friday night’s loss to the Knights in Newcastle.
SHOOSH II
WHICH league official won $25,000 on Sharks tragic Scott Morrison winning the election last weekend? He had $5000 on ScoMo at $5 with an online bookie.
SHOOSH III
WHICH club has made discreet inquiries to the NRL about the possibility of signing Israel Folau, only to be informed his contract would not be registered?
SPOTTED
FOX Sports soccer presenter Tara Rushton on the red-eye flight from Perth to Sydney after the A-League grand final on Sunday night so she could be at her husband and Sydney Roosters star half Cooper Cronk’s retirement announcement at the SCG on Monday morning.
SPOTTED II
RISING boxer Daniel Lewis, who recently signed with Top Rank in the US, having a coffee with kindy tycoon and pub baron Marty Downes at Bianchinis in Cronulla.
SPOTTED III
NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley catching the train to Sydney Airport for a flight to Canberra on Friday morning.
CORNERED
CATCH you at 7pm Sunday on Fox Sports for a special State of Origin edition of Controversy Corner with host Graeme Hughes, Steve “Blocker Roach and Geoff Toovey to discuss NSW team selections.
CRICKETERS AND THEIR FOOTY HEROES
THE worst part about being in England for five months for Australia’s cricketers on World Cup and Ashes campaigns is missing their weekend footy fix.
Dave Warner and Steve Smith are fanatical Sydney Roosters fans, while Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon love their Canberra Raiders.
Josh Hazlewood supports the Newcastle Knights and Pat Cummins barracks for the Penrith Panthers — with the foot of the mountains the area where he grew up.
Most of the other cricketers are mad AFL fans.
Coach Justin Langer is also a board member at West Coast Eagles and Mitchell Starc is a huge GWS Giants supporter. Our ODI skipper, Aaron Finch, never misses a Geelong Cats game.
Before they left Australia for the World Cup in England, Fox Sports boss Peter Campbell gave the players log-ons to the WatchNRL and WatchAFL websites that allows travelling fans around the world to stay in touch with a live coverage of every game.
Times have sure changed.
In the old days Aussie Test skipper Ricky Ponting had to ring home to listen to his beloved North Melbourne Kangaroos from a radio coverage, or rely on score updates on the internet.
BRONCOS, EELS CHASING PONGA
THERE is much interest in Kalyn Ponga’s next NRL contract with Brisbane and Parramatta rumoured to have him under notice.
Ponga is the third-highest paid player at the Knights behind halfback Mitchell Pearce and front-row enforcer Dave Klemmer but is clearly their biggest star and best player.
He is under contract until 2021 but it hasn’t stopped clubs from making early inquiries, which is perfectly legal. Ponga will become a $6 million player over five years with his next contract.
It’s interesting that Ponga’s father — and not his manager Wayde Rushton — has been the one driving the early contract renewal talks with the Knights.
CODY AND LUKE OK
FEUD, what feud? Cody Walker says he would share a hotel room with his arch rival, Roosters star Luke Keary, if the pair is chosen in the NSW Blues’ 17-man squad on Sunday night.
“We are huge rivals whenever the Rabbitohs play the Roosters and everyone saw that in round one,” Walker said.
“That’s what happens in the heat of battle between two very passionate halves.
“I’d love the chance to play with Luke in the same NSW team. There’s no drama whatsoever.
“I’d share a room with the bloke. Anything that would help us beat Queensland if I’m lucky enough to get picked.”
Walker’s popularity continues to grow with sponsors and corporate types.
He has just signed a new third-party deal with Infraworks, a company that specialises in construction infrastructure. He will be a mentor for young indigenous employees.
CAN’T BEAT OLD BOY
ROOSTERS boss Nick Politis had an immediate connection with Sam Walker, the boom Ipswich halfback he is trying to sign as a long-term replacement for Cooper Cronk.
Politis is an Ipswich Grammar old boy, the same school where Walker has emerged as the hottest young talent since Kalyn Ponga.
Walker is the son of former NRL star Ben Walker. He plays rugby union for the school and rugby league for Ipswich Jets in the Mal Meninga Cup. He has been on a scholarship at the Broncos since he was 12.
TOP MORNING AFTER A GREAT KNIGHT
It’s wonderful to see Nathan Brown putting back into junior footy in Newcastle.
The morning after his side knocked off the Sydney Roosters, the Knights coach set up the ground at 7.30am and worked on the barbecue for his son Jackson’s Under 8s South Newcastle team.
Just like hundreds of volunteers do every Saturday morning. Club legend Danny Buderus declared the bacon and egg rolls were the best all season.
“I didn’t have a beer because I was up early,” Brown said, “I love watching the young bloke and all his mates and how much enjoyment they get out of their footy.”
GAL’S ELECTION MESSAGE
Sharks warhorse Paul Gallen has a direct line to PM Scott Morrison.
At the height of election night, Gallen sent him a text message with a video of him holding up a vote-for-ScoMo banner at training.
“If you win you owe me,” Gallen texted and it lobbed as the PM was nervously monitoring the ABC website for the latest figures.
He laughed, showed the text to his staff and replied: “Thanks legend.”
TOP DOG’S FITTING TRIBUTE
Canterbury Bulldogs have honoured late club legend Steve Folkes by naming their high performance centre at Belmore after the Kangaroo and Origin second-rower.
Folkes’ children Hayley and Dan attended last week’s official opening.
Chair Lynne Anderson said it was fitting the facility was named after such a wonderful athlete.
“Folkesy wasn’t the biggest or the fastest, but he took great pride in being the fittest and it is only right that we have named our gym the Steve Folkes High Performance Centre in honour of a great Bulldog legend.”
JUSTICE FOR THE FANS
We have campaigned long and hard on these pages for more affordable food and drinks at the footy. As a result the new Bankwest Stadium introduced $4.90 pies, hotdogs, sausage rolls, hot chips, water and soft drinks, plus beers as cheap as $6.50.
Now ANZ Stadium will offer the same deal, even at Origin II on July 10 and on NRL grand final day — a whopping 20 per cent reduction on previous pricing.
The cheaper prices are for all NRL games from next weekend when the Bulldogs host the Raiders.
GET BEHIND GOOD CAUSE
More than 800 guests will attend the second Matt Callander race-day fundraiser at Rosehill next Saturday, a function hosted by his dad Kenny Callander. The popular Channel 9 rugby league boss introduced the Beannie for Brain cancer round before tragically passing away last year.
Organisers running a raffle with 200 tickets at $1000 to win a Toyota Hilux valued at over $63,000. You don’t need to be attending to win. Tickets can be purchased at markhughesfoundation.com.au. All funds raised goes direct to the Mark Hughes Foundation and brain cancer research.
ALL GOOD BETWEEN MANLY GREATS
Daly Cherry Evans and Brett Stewart have repaired a rift that dates back to 2014 at Manly in the days where they barely spoke to each other. On Friday night at Brookvale they stood together chatting and laughing while the team warmed up for the game against the Titans.
CRONULLA CASE CLOSED
The NRL has finally closed its investigation into the Cronulla Sharks salary cap scandal. It has been confirmed their former chief executive Lyall Gorman signed a statutory declaration that the club was cap compliant, despite almost $1 million in rorts being uncovered. The recently departed Manly CEO has escaped punishment but faces tough questioning if he tries to take on another administration role in the game.
Maguire, Cobbo relationship is Broncos’ most intriguing storyline
It was fire and brimstone as Michael Maguire took control of his first pre-season at Red Hill. But, reveals ROBERT CRADDOCK, the disciplinarian offered a much more gentle tone when he talked about Selwyn Cobbo.
The day cricket was outshone by rugby league in November
Australia needs to be careful as it manages an ageing champion team – and a potentially disinterested fan base. If this is the future, we can see why they’re clinging desperately to the present.