Jack Johns, son of Matty, in line to make international rugby league debut for Italy

SPORT CONFIDENTIAL II: The famous name will live on at the World Cup, with Jack Johns, son of Matty, in line to make his international debut for Italy.

THE famous Johns name will live on at the World Cup, 18 years after ­Andrew and Matty pulled on the green and gold for Australia.

Jack Johns, the son of Matty, will not be called up by Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga, but is in line to make his international debut for the almighty Italians.

Coach Cameron Ciraldo put the feelers out a few weeks ago as Jack continued to carve up the Holden Cup for Newcastle.

A five-eighth who also plays in the back row, Jack is eligible for the Azzurri through his mum, Trish, the youngest in a family of seven.

SPORT CONFIDENTIAL: Dogs sniff around Farah

Jack Johns plays for Newcastle in the Holden Cup. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

Matty told us Jack had planned to climb Everest with him and several other Knights to raise funds for the Mark Hughes Foundation in October, but the opportunity to play in a World Cup — and potentially with a star like James Tedesco — was too good to refuse.

“I said to Jack, ‘it’s up to you’, but Jack is keen, and it will be great for him,’’ Matty told us.

Matty and Andrew featured in the 1995 World Cup for Australia.

Should Australia pass on Wests Tigers ace Tedesco, he will be a huge boost to the Italians, who are also expected to field NRL stars Nathan Brown, Daniel Alvaro, Aidan Guerra and Paul Vaughan.

Super League-based pair Mark Minichiello and Terry Campese will also be there.

We can also reveal last year’s Wests Tigers rookie of the year Josh Aloiai, who has played for the Junior Kiwis, is looking to pledge his allegiance to the $251 Cup bolters.

● ● ●

NEW Knight Guerra took some time out from his finals preparations with the Roosters to travel to Newcastle on Wednesday. Guerra caught up with former Rooster turned Knight Shaun Kenny-­Dowall ahead of the back-rower’s switch next year.

● ● ●

RUGBY league has a serious problem when milk — not beer — starts selling out at games.

Last Sunday at GIO Stadium, Canberra Milk — producers of the special Raiders Choc-Mint Milk — gave away 8000 bottles and sold 10,000 by half-time.

Wade Graham wears some of James Segeyaro’s clothes range. (AAP Image/Carol Cho)

MONDAY night’s RLPA meeting was a case of sloppy joes at 10 paces. Corey Norman and James Segeyaro were entitled to be happy given their label, YKTR, got a start when the likes of Wade Graham and Jamie Buhrer modelled some of their latest line.

“It’s hit the rugby league community, but we’d love to expand into the general community,’’ Chicko told us.

● ● ●

WHICH two NRL stars rocked up to the meeting and lasted about five minutes before walking back down Goulburn St?

● ● ●

THE NRL and the RLPA will renew their pay-war discussions on Tuesday. It will be the first time the parties have come face-to-face since the RLPA rejected the NRL’s proposed collective-bargaining agreement.

● ● ●

PETER Beattie and Megan Davis were spotted emerging from League Central on Thursday after surviving their first official ARL Commission meeting.

● ● ●

WHICH Sydney-based club is shopping around its representative back-rower? We’d name him but it is our understanding the player is not aware his club is throwing his name out there. Watch this space.

THE NRL is looking to safeguard itself against a TV rights catastrophe by exploring ways to hold the power to renegotiate club grants and the salary cap.

While the NRL has agreed to cough up $12.5 million to each club to more than cover next year’s $9.4 million salary cap, it also wants to ensure the long-term viability of the game.

Sport Confidential understands the NRL is exploring an option to renegotiate club grants should either of the game’s broadcast partners — Channel 9 or News Corp — be unable to fulfil their financial commitments to the governing body.

Any lapse of broadcast money would be a disaster for the NRL. The AFL has negotiated a similar clause.

Channel 7 boss Tim Worner said this month that sports rights had “reached a tipping point in this country’’. He said: “Given changes in the market, price rises are not sustainable.”

Next year is the first of a new five-year broadcast deal between Channel 9, News Corp and the NRL said to be worth about $2 billion.

REAGAN Campbell-Gillard could barely speak at the start of the week after leading the Penrith team song for a seventh straight week.

“The throat is a little dusty at the moment,’’ Reg said. “I learned the song fairly quickly. I’m the idiot of the team who doesn’t shut up. You get ‘Mez’ (Trent Merrin) dancing. He comes in and does his ‘Borat’ dancing with the water flying everywhere. It’s fun.’’

If you see this car around, you’ll know it’s Jonathan Webb. And it’s not the Toyota.

REIGNING Bathurst 1000 champ Jonathan Webb is sure living life in the fast lane.

Not only is Webb paid to zoom around in a V8 supercar, we were sent this photo of his new wheels — an ultra exclusive McLaren MP4 — which retails for about the same price as a one-bedroom unit in Bondi.

For those who don’t know their cars, it’s the set of wheels on the left in the above photo.

Meanwhile, to celebrate Fox Sports’ 24-hour dedicated Bathurst channel from October 2, fans are being offered the chance to win an ultimate camping trip on the mountain. For details, visit: foxsports.com.au/bathurstcampingcompetition.

LISTEN: Michael Carayannis, Matt Logue and Fiona Bollen to talk about Neil Henry being shown the door, whether the players will protest and who are the genuine title contenders.

You can download League Central podcasts via iTunes.