Looking back on the NRL’s failed five-year plan, Jai Arrow’s move to South Sydney still on
Way back in 2012, the NRL produced a strategic plan to plot the game’s development – but how many of those key growth targets have been achieved? It’s all in SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH.
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- Text messages reveal NRL players financial plight
- Bellamy’s Storm staff make 50 per cent salary sacrifice
SAINT
ALL the NRL players across the 16 teams who have agreed to take massive pay cuts to ensure the game and their clubs can survive. Like everyone else, the lower-tier players are facing financial hardship but there has not been one complaint.
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SINNER
SHANE Richardson has been blowing up about financial mismanagement in the game. This is the guy who signed coach Michael Maguire and superstars Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess to long-term deals then had to pay them out millions of dollars. In fairness, Inglis and Burgess suffered injuries but there were always doubts about their long-term sustainability.
SHOOSH
WHICH free-to-air television network is closely monitoring Channel 9’s position with the broadcasting rights? Nine’s own newspaper is reporting the network is “unenthused” about covering NRL into October and November because they have rights to the T20 World Cup cricket.
SHOOSH
WHO was the happiest person at Redfern when we broke the story last week about the departure of Souths boss Shane Richardson? We’ll give you one very good clue: he is a recently retired Englishman. And the second happiest was coach Wayne Bennett.
SHOOSH II
WE hope our mail is incorrect but we’re hearing the NRL will abandon the women’s comp later in the year due to the cost effect on the Broncos, Roosters, Dragons and Warriors.
SPOTTED
SHARKS legend Paul Gallen stacking chairs at So Fresh juice bar in Cronulla, which is owned by his mate and former boxing champion Peter “Baby” Mitrevski.
SPOTTED
AS if the coronavirus isn’t bad enough, ex-jockey Marlon Dolendo is recovering in RPA Hospital after having the kidney removed that his sister donated 10 years ago. He’s doing OK but faces a tough time on dialysis. The good people at Racing NSW are keeping an eye on him.
SPOTTED
THE enforced break was perfectly timed for Dragons star Trent Merrin, whose wife Jess gave birth to a boy last weekend. And he’s pulling his weight around the home, including serving up this outstanding plate of sushi.
SPOTTED
MANLY owner Scott Penn in lockdown in New York. He still manages to join in all NRL phone conferences and is constantly in touch with his staff to ensure the Sea Eagles survive the crisis.
SPOTTED
LATRELL Mitchell back home in Taree to take care of his heavily pregnant partner Brielle. Surely not even his harshest critics can complain about that while the NRL is in lockdown.
INTO THE SNAKE PIT
They say rugby league administration can be a bit of a snake pit — and here’s the proof it actually is.
The NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley feared for his life last week when he stumbled across a snake in his home office on the Gold Coast.
Experts, who have seen the photo he took, believe it was brown snake that can kill humans within half an hour.
We’ll let Annesley tell the story.
“I was on the phone to (NRL chief operating officer) Nick Weeks about some issue,” he said.
“I looked around and this thing was literally slithering right beside me.
“I went, ‘oh f..k’ and Nick just broke into a hysterical laughter. It was such a shock. I couldn’t believe it.”
Fortunately, a good neighbour came to his rescue.
“I kept my eye on it from a distance,” Annesley said. “I’m thinking how could it have possibly got inside.
“My wife went next door and my neighbour came in with one of those zip-up supermarket freezer bags and a golf umbrella. He got it into the bag, thank god, then took it away.”
The incident has at least created some light relief around Moore Park headquarters as staff deal with the horrible effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
PAY CUT HITTING HARD
AS if Jack de Belin doesn’t have enough problems …
Like every other NRL player, his money is about to be slashed by the St George-Illawarra Dragons.
The former Blues Origin forward is running up huge legal bills to fight a sexual assault charge. He has a QC and a team of lawyers working on the case. It is due back in Wollongong court on April 8.
The banned forward has already spent around $500,000 on legal fees.
ARROW ON TARGET
SOUTH Sydney Rabbitohs boss Blake Solly is confident highly regarded Gold Coast forward Jai Arrow will still be heading to Redfern next season.
This is despite talk the salary cap will be reduced from $9.6 million to around $7.5 million next year, a reduction of around 20 per cent, while clubs recover from the carnage of coronavirus.
We have had it confirmed from NRL headquarters that Arrow’s contract was approved in February, long before there were any concerns about club finances.
No such luck for Tyson Frizell, whose new contract at the Knights will not be registered while there is so much financial uncertainty in the game.
NRL MISSING ITS OWN TARGETS
THE NRL produced a five-year strategic plan way back in 2012. It is sad to look back at it.
Eight years later and the key growth targets still haven’t been achieved:
● An NRL Growth Fund will have made $200m available for investment in key projects.
— FAIL They have no investment fund
● Club membership will reach 400,000
— FAIL Actual membership is 319,000.
● Average attendance at NRL games will increase to 20,000
— FAIL Actual average is 15,800.
NOT SO PLUMB CRAZY
NOT all footy stars are locked up in isolation while the competition is suspended.
Roosters skipper Jake Friend has started his own plumbing business.
He picked up his new van and will work as a labourer alongside a mate, who is an experienced plumber.
“This is something I’d planned to get into when I retire,” Friend said. “We all need something after football.
“I still want to play for another year or two but I’m also thinking about doing a plumbing apprenticeship.”
Friend is allowed to be out and about and working during coronavirus because plumbing is regarded as an essential service.
The new business is called Friendly Plumbing.
“Things aren’t great out there but everyone is still going to need a plumber,” he said, “Toilets and drains will still be getting blocked.
“I’ll be doing a lot of the dirty work and my mate will be the brains behind the operation. He’s been doing it for 15 years and he’s a gun.”
Friend also owns a coffee shop at Randwick opposite Sydney Children’s Hospital called High St Society. They remain open for takeaway coffee.
The 30-year-old hooker is off contract with the Roosters but has already started preliminary discussions regarding a contract extension.
“I’ll be playing on for sure next year,” he said. “I’ve only just turned 30 and still have plenty to give. Hopefully we have another premiership or two to win before I even think about retirement.
“I’m thinking beyond footy but it certainly doesn’t mean I have any plans to give it away.”
DIFFERENT VIEWS OF DIFFERENT TIMES
QUEENSLAND State of Origin players are not quite the rock-solid bunch they would have you believe.
Former Maroons forwards Martin Lang and Kevin Campion have had an “interesting” exchange on social media over the weekend.
It started when old warhorse Marty posted on Twitter a video of a press conference 28 years ago when Kiwi forward Brent Todd joined the Gold Coast Giants.
For anyone disillusioned with the behaviour of the modern day NRL player....I suggest you watch this.
— Martin Lang (@Martin_Lang11) March 27, 2020
The Gold Coast’s Brent Todd...in his first press conference.
“I moved to the Gold Coast because the sheilas are good lookin & I want to f**k them all†pic.twitter.com/ADEN6Si8Gl
Campion replied to Lang: “Harsh mate. Let’s not open up a can of worms here. Toddy a champion guy and that was 28 years ago. I’m sure he never slept with any of his good mates missus.”
We understand Campion was referring to one of Lang’s old teammates.
OLD MASTER STILL PUTTING UP A FIGHT
NOT all oldies are locked up in isolation during the coronavirus crisis.
This is 74-year-old Queensland boxer Dennis Cherry, who fought for the WBF Australian Masters title in the 64-69kg weight division at Caloundra RSL last weekend.
The fight against Stephen March — 11 years younger — was declared a draw after five rounds.
STORMING ON
THERE’S been talk of Cameron Smith retiring because of the coronavirus and doubts about the NRL’s future but we find this hard to believe.
The 36-year-old, 413-game veteran was spotted on Friday collecting gym equipment and a program from the Storm’s high-performance team to use while at home.
BRINGING THE PAST BACK TO “LIVE”
FOX Sports will be screening great rugby league games from before 2010 to entertain viewers while the code is in lockdown.
The old commentary will be cut and replaced by Andrew Voss, Dan Ginnane and Warren Smith. Experts including Steve Roach and Greg Alexander will also comment as though it’s a live game.
Fans will be able to vote for great matches from the past.
Rest assured we will see the one and only Tommy Raudonikis in action because whenever Fox Sports run his old interview with Yvonne Sampson they get a ratings spike. And as part of the “live” flashback, Fox will run old Daily Telegraph paper clippings from the preview stories and match reports.
JACKPOT
NRL clubs that rely on pokies funding are doing it tougher than others following the indefinite closure of all licensed club premises.
Not so the Wests Tigers. They received their grant at the beginning of the year from Wests Ashfield and have already been paid in full.