NRL 2021: Sydney Roosters closing in on TJ Perenara | Sports Confidential
One of New Zealand’s top rugby stars has sent a cryptic message about a potential move to NRL - and one club in particular looks the likely destination.
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All Blacks star TJ Perenara was the most vocal critic of Israel Folau’s slurs against homosexuals, and now he is closer to playing in the NRL than the former State of Origin star.
Perenara, 29, is weighing up a short-term move to Sydney Roosters to bolster their stocks at hooker, having played league as a junior.
The Roosters have offered Perenara a deal worth around $150,000 for the back end of the 2021 season, once he’s finished his commitments in Japanese rugby with NTT Red Hurricanes.
Meanwhile, Folau – who was sacked by Rugby Australia over his social media posts – has unsuccessfully tried to return to the NRL only to have clubs knock him back over the backlash to his beliefs, and remains in limbo.
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Perenara is the second-best halfback in New Zealand rugby behind Aaron Smith, who earns around $1 million a year. Perenara, on half that salary with NZR, went to Japan this year.
Now NZR wants him to return, and preferably play Tests this year, but Perenara is also being chased by another Japanese club, NEC Green Rockets, who coincidentally are expected to unveil Michael Cheika as their director of coaching soon.
Cheika, who is close to Roosters coach Trent Robinson, has sung Perenara’s praises as a potential league convert recently.
Perenara may take up an offer to switch to league and then earn big money at NEC, or return to New Zealand rugby if they boost their offer.
Ironically, Perenara is a distant relative of dual-code star Sonny Bill Williams, who played for the All Blacks and Roosters.
With the next World Cup not until 2023, Perenara has time to have another season abroad and scratch his league itch. He posted this cryptic message on Twitter on Thursday: “New levels = Harder bosses. Grateful for the challenges”.
SHARKS CIRCLING
Adam Reynolds seems destined to land at rival club Cronulla after the Sharks made him a three-year deal worth $2.4 million, a similar offer to what he’s been given by Brisbane Broncos.
The Souths halfback is set to take the $800,000-a-season deal in the Shire so he can remain in Sydney, and work with incoming coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
That would leave the Broncos scrambling for a frontline playmaker after Tom Dearden signed with North Queensland, while they’re expected to axe Anthony Milford.
Souths did not budge on their one-year extension to Reynolds, who is earning close to $1 million now.
If Reynolds rejects the Broncos, the Brisbane club will target off-contract Eels halfback Mitchell Moses.
New Broncos chief executive Dave Donaghy – formerly in charge of Melbourne Storm - officially begins his role on Saturday and the contracting picture will become clearer next week.
The Broncos are trying to shift prop Matt Lodge, who is signed through to the end of 2022 on a deal worth $800,000 a year.
BACKLASH
Wests Tigers officials had looked at premiership-winning coach Shane Flanagan as a possible replacement for Michael Maguire, but are no longer planning to make a move on Madge after recent scrutiny of their own performances in the boardroom.
GIVING BACK
A unique demand was made by Sonny Bill Williams to publishers of his autobiography; the writer, photographer and other editorial staff had to be of Pacific Island heritage.
Williams is a big advocate for empowering the Pasifika community, and finalised a deal with publisher Hachette that saw Once Were Warriors author Alan Duff write his life story.
But a little-known Sydney photographer, Mona Seiuli, was given the job of a lifetime when asked to shoot the cover picture for the book.
More notable Kiwi photographers were unavailable due to the COVID travel restrictions at the time, but Seiuli and his assistant Gusi Brown proved a perfect match for Williams.
“Growing up as a young Samoan boy, I looked up to guys like SBW, so to have the opportunity to shoot his book cover was an honour and privilege,” Seiuli said.
“It was a bonus to find instant common ground, and click straight away, [I’m] always grateful for what he does for our Polynesian community.”
Also involved in the book is a proofreader in New Zealand of Pacific Island background.
The book, You Can’t Stop The Sun From Shining, will be released in October, but our readers can pre-order a signed copy now.
TSZYU’S KRYPTONITE
Michael Zerafa believes he is Tim Tszyu’s “kryptonite”, as speculation around a boxing grudge match in July continues to swirl with no confirmation from Tszyu’s camp.
“We put out a $1 million offer for him to fight me and there was still no bite,” Zerafa told Sports Confidential.
“What’s Tim’s excuse? There’s money flying around everywhere, he has no overseas options. I think I’m his kryptonite.”
Tszyu stopped Dennis Hogan last month to become the WBO’s No.1 contender at super-welterweight, but a title fight was scuppered when champion Brian Castano agreed to a unification bout with WBC, WBA and IBF champion Jermell Charlo in July.
Tszyu’s camp has been negotiating with undefeated Spanish fighter Sergio Garcia (33-0, 14KO), who is ranked No.2 by the WBC, but COVID travel restrictions make it unlikely that this fight could happen next.
LONG JOURNEY
Celebrations for the Penrith Emus – who won their first Shute Shield match in seven years last weekend – were quickly muted when they realised a player from the Parramatta Two Blues was receiving CPR on the sidelines.
The player has now thankfully recovered.
It was a monumental moment for the Emus last Saturday when they defeated their western Sydney rivals 11-7, having been kicked out of the competition two years ago because they couldn’t field competitive teams.
It was 2471 days between victories (the previous was against West Harbour in July 2014), and coach John Muggleton said axing their second grade team was a key decision.
“This year we’ve taken out reserve grade to concentrate on first grade so we’re working with a squad of players rather than blokes who you don’t know whether they’re going to turn up,” Muggleton said.
“There were games last year where we were counting heads as they walked in, now we’ve got a full squad that’s allowed us to have extra fitness sessions on Monday and Wednesday nights.”
The win at Holroyd Sportsground was particularly emotional for club veterans Willie Tooala, Ezekiel Seia, and brothers Matthew and Joseph Faoagali, and club administrator Jim Hook who fought tirelessly to get the Emus back into the tournament.
The Emus are back home this weekend at Nepean Rugby Park to host powerhouse club Sydney University.
Meanwhile, Shute Shield coaching extraordinaire Darren Coleman is linked to the head coaching jobs of both NSW Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels.
Waratahs assistants Chris Whittaker and Jason Gilmore, who jointly took over when Rob Penney was sacked mid-season, are both also keen on the top job.
IN THE DARK
Journalists covering the Olympics in Tokyo are still in the dark about whether they’ll have face-to-face access to athletes but one thing is already assured – their expenses will be the lowest for any Games held.
Reporters must stay in assigned media hotels throughout their trip and won’t be allowed to wander outside, including the night-life districts of Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Usually Olympic Games are an economic boon for the host city but without tourists and thirsty journos packing local bars and restaurants, these Tokyo Games will be slim pickings due to COVID restrictions.
Rules for journalists travelling to cover the event will be outlined in a “playbook” on Friday, but it’s expected they’ll need to spend three nights in quarantine upon landing in Japan, followed by a two-week quarantine in Australia following the Games.
Reporters are banned from catching public transport while in Japan, and if they use taxis instead of the dedicated media bus, they won’t be allowed to speak in the back seat.
OLYMPIC DREAM
The talented daughter of Wallabies legend Phil Kearns is one step closer to making her Olympic debut after being short-listed in the Australian women’s water polo team for Tokyo.
A rising star centre forward, Tilly Kearns was named this week in the 16-player Stingers squad for the Tokyo Olympics.
The squad will be trimmed to 13 for the Olympics but Kearns is not the only daughter of a famous footballer in contention for Tokyo.
NRL pointscoring machine Daryl Halligan’s daughter Bronte is an established regular who has made over 100 appearances for Australian since bursting onto the international stage as a teenager.
And Queensland goalkeeper Gabi Palm is also in the squad. Her father Mitchell Palm was a goalkicking five-eighth who toured Canada and France with the 1989 Wallabies.
DRAGONS LOCKED IN
St George Illawarra have locked in Ben Hunt and Zac Lomax for an extra season despite the pair in the midst of long-term deals.
The players inked the longest contracts in the club’s history – respective six year deals. Both players had player options in their favour and have already told the club of their intentions to take them up.
That means Hunt will remain a Dragon until at least the end of 2023 where the St George Illawarra skipper will be 33 by the time his deal ends.
Lomax only agreed to his long extension in 2019 but had an option his way for the 2026 season. The rising star has already taken up that option.
That leaves Lomax, 21, as just one of four players whose deal will expire in five season’s time. They include; Jason Taumalolo and the Trbojevic brothers.
Paul Vaughan also took up his player option for 2022 last year.
GAZ IS BACK
Mark Gasnier will join the St George board after a constitutional revamp was approved by members on Tuesday night. As part of the sweeping changes, directors are now able to appoint three additional people to the board of the St George side of the joint-venture. Gasnier is the first person to be appointed. Former NSW Minister John Ajaka was given a life membership so too was benefactor Bob St Clair.
The motion needed 75 per cent of members to agree in a show of the hands ballot.
TRUE LOVE
Rugby league superstar Greg Inglis has proposed to Alyse Caccamo in England. The pair met while Inglis was playing for South Sydney and Caccamo was working at the NRL. They are in England as Inglis prepares to make his long awaited Super League debut for Warrington against Hull KR this weekend.
Caccamo posted on Instagram that “the way it all unfolded is something I will cherish forever”.
“Yep did cry the whole time.”
Warrington coach Steve Price confirmed Inglis would play this weekend.
“Greg will be in the 17 this weekend,“ Price said.
“You‘ll have to find out on game day whether it’s off the bench or starting.
“It‘s exciting for the club and it’s exciting for Greg. He can’t wait for the game. There is no expectation from our pointof view, we just want to see Greg enjoying his rugby again.”
BUSTED
James Roberts and Will Smith have been hit with suspended fines for breaching a game-wide warning not to attend the Tim Tszyu and Dennis Hogan bout in Newcastle last month.
The players were effectively given a warning with the suspended fines a low amount. Players were told not to attend the fight but it is understood they were not hit with harsher penalties because the edict not to go to the boxing occurred late in the afternoon. They pair did not breach any NSW health guidelines.
MAGICAL START
Magic Round sales are tracking strongly with more than 40,000 people expected each day – with three day passes surpassing figures from the only previous Magic Round in 2019. Interstate ticket purchasers across the weekend make up 30 per cent of tickets sold.
TIMELY RETURN
The eagle-eyed Fox Lab crew clocked St George Illawarra’s Jordan Pereira’s sin bin time as being one minute short and the official interchange logs back that up.
However, NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley has cleared up what happened – with the confusion because of Nat Butcher’s try on the stroke of half time.
“It’s a lapsed game time, so when the clock gets to zero and a siren goes, there was a kick at goal being taken,” Annesley said. “Although the clock stays at zero, until the referees blows halftime after the kick that’s still counted as game time. There was a minute or so of that … that’s why when he comes back and the clock restarts he had already served a minute longer than what the clock actually says.
“The sin bin clock continued to countdown even though the game was at zero.”
ALL EYES ON
Wests Tigers. Can they turn around their season or will coach Michael Maguire come under fire for more drama when they play the Dragons on Sunday. Anything less than a decent performance will again put the blowtorch to the club.
FLASHBACK
The Tigers and coaching drama were in the headlines on this day 10 years ago. Except in this case it was good news when coach Tim Sheens inked a three-year extension – brushing Penrith – to re-sign with the Tigers. Sheens had signed until the end of 2014 – but only coached at the club for just one more year.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Liam Fulton 163 top grade games for Wests Tigers between 2003-08, 2010-2014
Liam Fulton was told his body wasn’t ready for first grade and he would have to go through an NRL pre-season to get it right. Just a month later he was playing off the bench against the Warriors in the final round of the 2003 season weighing just 84 kilograms.
“Terry Hill pulled out with a bad hamstring,” Fulton said. “He hated going on away trips. With about 20 minutes to go Tim Sheens tells (trainer) Andrew Leeds to warm me up. Some bloke on the fence is telling me ‘hey bro give it your best shot’. I heard him so I thought I’d try to smash Leedsy as hard as I could. The bloke then yells out ‘if that’s your best, you’re going to get smashed’.
Fulton played three games the following season. He made his mark during the Tigers’ 2005 premiership run following the retirement of Scott Sattler.
“The team was just a bunch of mates,” Fulton said. “We’d go to lunch and usually Gibbsy (Bryce Gibbs) or I would do silly stuff. We’d get the boys to chip in $5 each and have someone eat a chilli. We had really good camaraderie. When it comes to the grand final, I just wish I didn’t drink as much. I can hardly remember after the game. I was so young, I thought we were going to win more. I still laugh with Mark O’Neill that it took him 200+ plus games to play a finals game and I won a comp in my 32nd.”
His next game though proved was less memorable when a shoulder injury ruled him out of the 2006 after just one game. With the Tigers salary cap biting, Fulton spent a season with Huddersfield in 2009.
“They were trying to move pieces without anyone knowing – I remember reading the Sunday telegraph that I was looking to go to England,” Fulton said. “That was the first time I’d even heard about it. A couple weeks later I signed with Huddersfield.”
The deal happened so late that Fulton completed a full pre-season with the Tigers before meeting his new teammates at the end of March. Fulton joked that Sheens was his bodyguard at Tigers training – ensuring no-one hurt him otherwise the deal would be off.
The arrangement was for just one season with Fulton given an extra year on his Tigers deal to return to the club.
Fulton played out five years before becoming one of the first people to retire because of repeated concussions.
“I was adamant I wasn’t going to retire,” Fulton said. “I was 29. I remember driving home from my last game at Newcastle and I heard on the radio that it’ll be my last game. That never crossed my mind. When a medical report came in and said the next head knock could be catastrophic that’s when I knew I couldn’t play again.”
Fulton, a mortgage broker, said he is in good health.
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