John Asiata on verge of surprise NSW selection, NRL players using a horse racing product
It was the double snubbing that could well force a former Parramatta ace out. Plus NSW coach Brad Fittler are on the verge of a shock selection for North Queensland.
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NSW coach Brad Fittler and the Blues’ State of Origin selectors are on the verge of a shock selection for North Queensland. PLUS, the Eels fan favourite ready to quit and bonuses that sealed Clint Gutherson deal.
SAINT
CURTIS McGrath. You probably don’t know the name but you soon will. A two-time Paralympic gold medallist, the Aussie para-canoeist has just signed a deal with a book publisher to tell one of Australia’s most remarkable stories. A former Australian Army combat engineer, McGrath lost both his legs in a mine explosion in Afghanistan. He told medics of his plan to win a gold medal at the Paralympics moments after the blast.
SINNER
YEP. You guessed right. It’s Nick Kyrgios. Again. The Australian tennis brat seems to have a mortgage on this section of the column. At least now, after his latest disgrace had him throw a chair at the Italian Open, we can call him a tosser. Let him forever be known as Nick Kyrgitoss.
SHOOSH
WHICH recently retired NRL star made a disgrace of himself in Brisbane during Magic Round? Allegedly an ambassador for the game, the former player spent the entire weekend on the drink and made a fool of himself on multiple occasions. His former teammates were embarrassed by his behaviour.
SHOOSH II
A CASHED-UP Sea Eagles fan is said to be in line to buy the NRL club. Manly owner Scott Penn has said the club is not for sale but word out of Brookvale is he’s considering the $10m-plus deal. The mystery buyer is believed to be a northern beaches identity who has a plan to invest heavily in junior football and wants to build a training facility and stadium.
SPOTTED
BRIAN To’o sheepishly walked into Penrith HQ last week to ask if he could have some free tickets for his family after learning he would make his NRL debut.
“Sure,’’ the Panthers official said. “How many you need?’’
That’s when things got awkward.
“Ah, 105,’’ he said.
The Panthers obliged and that is why To’o was the only Panther to still have a smile on his face after Penrith’s season from hell continued when they were thumped by the Warriors.
A winger with the world at his feet, To’o was spotted thanking his legion of family and friends after the match in a moment the teen will never forget.
To’o also received an upgraded contract before making his debut and is earmarked for a bright future.
SPOTTED II
EVEN heroes need heroes. Wests Tigers fan favourite Josh Reynolds was spotted at Miranda Cinema eagerly watching the new Avengers blockbuster. We have been told that Reynolds has a man crush on Thor.
SPOTTED III
FORMER Kangaroos hardman Mark O’Meley in Brisbane last weekend, but he wasn’t there for Magic Round. The tough-as-nails prop was in Queensland to watch his son, Nick, play for NSW in the annual Interstate University Challenge. Nick, 21, was selected in the Australian University side after starring for NSW in their loss.
“I’m very proud of him,” O’Meley said. “I can’t even spell university so he has already outdone me.”
BONUSES CLINCH GUTHO DEAL
CLINT Gutherson’s new deal with Parramatta could be worth a staggering $2.3 million over three years.
The player known as “King Gutho’’ is in line for a bonus that when added will earn him $750,000 a season.
Despite claims that the Eels stood their ground in the protracted contract negotiations and had a player recruitment victory by signing Gutherson for $650,000 a season, a series of sweeteners made the Eels pay the fullback’s asking price.
On top of an upgraded deal for the remainder of this season, Gutherson was paid a $50,000 signing bonus, will be a given a car and is in line to receive an extra $350,000 in State of Origin bonuses.
In contention to be selected for NSW later this month with the Blues in the middle of an injury crisis, Gutherson has an Origin clause that will increase his contract by $50,000 a year should he be picked by the Blues.
Gutherson is also eligible for the $50,000-a-year Blues bonus in 2020, 2021, and 2022 in a coup that would make him a $750,000 player.
The Sunday Telegraph understands what is quite possibly the most talked about deal since the Super League wars is almost identical to the offer Gutherson’s management put to the Eels late last year.
TSZYU KEEN TO LINK WITH KOSTYA
TIM Tszyu may one day be trained by his father Kostya, with the son of a gun revealing his dream to fight for a world title in Russia.
In a move that would reunite the new Australian super-middleweight champion with his dad, Tim admitted he has a burning desire to fight in front of his father in his homeland.
Considered Australia’s next big boxing thing, Tim has completed his remarkable rise with minimal involvement from his dad. Regarded as Australia’s hardest pound-for-pound hitter, Kostya moved to Russia in 2012 and has been ringside for just one of his son’s professional fights.
Taking a fight to his father’s homeland would allow the father and son to team up for the first time in over seven years.
“Winning the Australian title was one of my dreams,’’ Tim said about his 12-round victory over Joel Camilleri on Wednesday night.
“So is fighting on the big stage in Russia. But for now my focus is to continue here in Australia with some more big fights.”
Tim speaks fluent Russian and is growing a legion of fans in the former Soviet state.
His biggest fan is still his father.
“He would love to fight in front of his dad in Russia,’’ one of Tim’s trainers said.
“I think that would make Kostya so proud. The distance between them is no doubt hard. They keep in contact via Skype but he would much prefer him to be ringside.”
STIMSON’S NO ORDINARY JOE
EXPECT the Canterbury Bulldogs to announce this week that they have signed promising forward Joe Stimson.
The 23-year-old has been stranded in reserve grade at the Melbourne Storm, and he hoisted the for-sale sign earlier this year.
Stimson will leave the all-conquering Storm at the end of the season after signing the big-money offer to join the Bulldogs. He had been linked to St George Illawarra to fill the Jack de Belin void.
ASIATA SET FOR BLUES SURPRISE
HE’S the 110kg, ball-playing, fleet-footed bolt from the Blue.
NSW coach Brad Fittler and the Blues’ State of Origin selectors are on the verge of causing a shock, with North Queensland Cowboys utility John Asiata earmarked for a spot on the Blues’ bench.
Despite not even being publicly mentioned as a contender in a long list of bolters that includes Clint Gutherson, Payne Haas, and Tevita Pangai Jr, the Cowboys’ Mr Can-do-it-all and Samoan international was earmarked as the utility at the Blues’ last selection meeting.
In a planning decision that they have managed to keep a secret for almost three weeks, the NSW coaching hierarchy agreed that Asiata was leading the list of contenders for the all-important utility spot on the bench. The wrecking ball is regarded as one of the most skilful forwards in the NRL.
While he has mostly run out as a prop for North Queensland, he has also played NRL in the halves — substituting for an injured Johnathan Thurston in a 2017 match against St George Illawarra .
Out of sight and out of mind for most NSW fans since joining the Cowboys, the Parramatta and Sydney Roosters junior’s versatility and form have not gone unnoticed by Fittler and his coaching team — which includes Danny Buderus, Craig Fitzgibbon and Greg Alexander.
Asiata has consistently been one of the Cowboys’ best this year and the 26-year-old was a star during Jason Taumalolo’s recent stint on the injured list.
NRL PLAYERS IGNORING WARNINGS ON ANIMAL GEL
NRL players are self-treating injuries with a horse racing product that has not been cleared for human use.
Amid an NRL injury crisis, your columnist can reveal a host of rugby league players are using Rapigel — which carries the prominent warning on the label “For Animal Treatment Only’’.
Rapigel, commonly used to treat inflammation in racehorses, is secretly being used by some of rugby league’s biggest stars and has developed a reputation among players as something of a miracle cure.
“A lot of the boys are getting really good results with it,’’ said a current NRL player who wished to remain anonymous. “It is just like a really strong version of (the anti-inflammatory cream) Voltaren. It is great for any sort of soft tissue injury.’’
A 250 gram tub of Rapigel sells for $23.99 at Pet Warehouse. Containing menthol, camphor and isopropyl alcohol, Rapigel is not on ASADA’s banned list and there is no suggestion the players are breaking any WADA drug codes.
“I first saw it back in 2008,’’ said another player. “It kind of just popped up and everyone started using it.
“The boys were getting really good results and used it as an anti-inflammatory.
“Everyone stopped using it (in 2013) following the peptide crackdown. We were told it was probably OK but there was a risk because it had not been approved for use on people.’’
The gel resurfaced earlier this year with the next generation of NRL players turning to the product labelled “for use on horses and dogs” to self-treat soft tissue injuries.
This column understands players are using the product without the knowledge of their clubs.
“It’s not banned,’’ one player said. “But you don’t want people to know you are using a cream for horses.’’
The risks associated with using the super strength anti-inflammatory remain unknown with Virbac — the makers of Rapigel — declaring they have not conducted human trials.
There are a staggering 66 players on the NRL injury list.
BEVAN CAN WAIT NO MORE
It was the double snubbing that could well force a former Parramatta fan favourite to make a mid-season switch.
Eels flyer Bevan French is on the hunt for a new club after he was overlooked for an NRL start against the North Queensland Cowboys when Will Smith suffered an 11th-hour training injury on match eve.
A reserve-grade standout at No. 6 all year, French thought he was next in line for an NRL crack and was left bitterly disappointed when coach Brad Arthur instead recalled Jaeman Salmon.
French will quit the club if he can find a new home before the June 30 transfer deadline, with several clubs already expressing interest.
THE HORSE HAS BOLTED SAY RIVALS
HOLDEN drivers fear the Fords will continue to fly despite go-slow changes ordered after the all-conquering Mustang was proved to be unfairly fast. Ford teams were forced to make aerodynamic changes after the Commodore won just one of the first eight races.
“All they’ve done is made an adjustment to the rear wing,’’ said a Holden driver. “It won’t do a thing.’’
The Supercars season resumes this Friday at the Winton SuperSprint.
DUGES CASHES IN HIS MULLET
THE title of “NRL’s worst haircut’’ is up for grabs next week after Josh Dugan selflessly relinquishes his crown for a good cause.
Dugan will shave his head and say goodbye to the mullet that looks like it was created by a hairdressing apprentice from Mt Druitt TAFE to raise money for the children’s charity Bear Cottage.
Wests Tigers’ hair apparent Mahe Fonua is at short odds (and long at the back) to become the next champ.
BEAVER BACK ON THE FIELD
THE AGELESS Steve Menzies’ love affair with league continues with the 45-year-old to strap on the Albion headgear for this year’s Legends of League.
Having played top-flight footy until 39 in one of league’s longest careers, Menzies will be joined by the likes of Michael Crocker and Wendell Sailor in a blast from the past.
But age might finally be getting the best of the “Beaver’’, who revealed he has turned to Australia’s No. 1 supplement company Body Science for some help.
“I need all the help I can get these days,’’ Menzies said. “And the guys at Body Science are the best in the business.’’
BIG WILLIE’S LITTLE ONE
Willie Mason will become a first-time father at 39 with his wife Claire due next month.
One of league’s greatest characters, Mason expects the birth of his first born to be a life-changing moment. We wish Claire and the big fella all the best.
Meantime, Mason will return to Belmore next week to honour the late Steve Folkes, with his teammates from the 1980 premiership-winning side and 2004 team he coached to the title, invited to the Storm clash. The club will honour both Folkes and the premiership winning teams with a halftime parade.
● There could be another Bulldog baby as soon as Sunday with Lachlan Lewis and wife Steph expecting their first child.
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