NRL Blindside: Latest rugby league gossip and inside info
TITANS coach Garth Brennan was keen to lure Corey Norman to the Gold Coast, but a potential move was hit on the head by the club’s owners after one night last year.
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COREY Norman blew his chance to head to the Gold Coast Titans before he even thought it would be an option.
Titans coach Garth Brennan was keen to lure Norman to the club next season to form a playmaking combination with halfback Ash Taylor.
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That potential move was hit on the head by co-owner Darryl Kelly last week after he declared the Parramatta playmaker did not fit the rebuilding club’s “culture”.
The Titans’ rejection of Norman stems back to last year’s Gold Coast game against Cronulla at Cbus Super Stadium.
Norman and ex-Eels forward Kenny Edwards attended the Titans’ corporate facilities to watch good friend James Segeyaro return from injury for Cronulla.
Norman upset club heavyweights with his behaviour in the corporate room.
It wasn’t forgotten when Brennan, who only joined the club this season, raised the idea of signing Norman with club powerbrokers.
For the record, Blindside was also a guest in the Titans corporate area that night and wasn’t impressed with Norman’s behaviour either.
TITANS’ BENNY TALK
TITANS coach Garth Brennan says it is up to club powerbrokers to make a call on poaching Wayne Bennett, but he believes the Gold Coast is on the way to success.
Broncos coach Bennett has been linked with a move to the Titans to take up a possible coaching director or head of football role.
Titans heavies are lukewarm on the idea at best, however club co-owner Darryl Kelly did not rule out at least having a conversation with Bennett.
Brennan is contracted to the Titans until the end of 2019 and can earn an extension if the club makes next year’s finals series.
Brennan said he felt the club was improving nicely given it finished 15th in 2017.
“I think we’re tracking along really nicely and developing really well,” he said.
“The club will have to make that decision (on Bennett) if they think that’s warranted. It’s up to the club to make the call on that one.”
Titans forward Jai Arrow has been coached by Bennett, but threw his support behind Brennan’s team.
“I didn’t have any problems with Wayne,” Arrow said.
“He is a great mentor and gave me the opportunity to play my first NRL game.
“He was like a father figure to me. I liked him a lot and can’t thank him enough for the opportunity he gave me.
“Garth is doing a great job.
“That’s not up to me if they want to get someone here, but I think all the staff have done a great job this year and deserve to be here for next year and a few more to come.
“As Garth said, I’m excited about what’s here at the club. We’re only young.”
DREAM DEBUT AGAINST IDOL
BRONCOS young gun Gehamat Shibasaki made his NRL debut in Townsville against the club he grew up supporting and here is the photo to prove it.
Shibasaki was raised in Townsville and grew up idolising Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston.
Here is a photograph of them from a North Queensland signing session in 2009.
OATES SET TO DEPART
THE Broncos are facing an uphill battle to keep Corey Oates.
The word among Broncos players is that Oates is unlikely to be at Red Hill next season after fielding offers in excess of $700,000 a season.
The off-contract Maroons winger is still sorting out a management dispute and by the time his agreement with his current agents expires, the Broncos may not have enough cash in the salary cap to retain Oates.
BENNETT’S SOFTER SIDE
WAYNE Bennett is finding a softer side in his senior years.
The 68-year-old was a VIP guest at the Celine Dion concert in Brisbane a fortnight ago.
Bennett was quiet for most of the night but there are rumours he couldn’t help but belt out Dion’s hit song My Heart Will Go On — a tribute to the Broncos board members trying to sack him.
CLEARY’S DISMAL RECORD
THE hype over Ivan Cleary as an NRL coach is baffling to say the least.
In an NRL players’ poll last week, Cleary was ranked the second best coach in the game behind Craig Bellamy, but cold, hard statistics show he has a losing record.
Since his debut in 2006, Cleary has won 137 of 291 games for a dismal 47 per cent success rate.
It ranks him a lowly 17th among all NRL coaches during that time, well behind Anthony Griffin, who was sacked by Penrith on Monday despite being eighth with a 55 per cent strike rate.
Even Wayne Bennett leaves Cleary in the shade. The besieged Broncos coach boasts a 57 per cent success rate, joining Bellamy, Trent Robinson, Des Hasler and Geoff Toovey in the top five coaches based on win percentage.
After 12 seasons of coaching, Cleary still hasn’t won a title.
MCQUEEN LOOKING NORTH
THE Cowboys are eyeing off former Queensland Origin back-rower Chris McQueen.
The versatile McQueen has struggled for game time this season at the Wests Tigers, who are happy to subsidise his move to North Queensland.
The Cowboys are only prepared to offer McQueen a basic deal but the premiership-winning utility is prepared to take it to resurrect his NRL career.
SAM’S JUST REWARD
BRONCOS forward Sam Thaiday celebrated his 300th NRL game last night in Townsville, reaching a significant milestone in a career which has had its ups and downs.
Last year was one of Thaiday’s toughest as he was axed from the Queensland Origin side after 29 games before losing his Kangaroos spot for the World Cup.
Maroons coach Kevin Walters gave Thaiday a courtesy call, albeit on his birthday, to inform him his Origin career was over.
But Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga forgot to do the same, prompting Thaiday to slam him in a social media post.
Thaiday said he and Meninga had settled their differences.
“We go and hit up buffets together,” he said.
That’s a scary thought for Sizzler owners.
WHISPER 1
WHICH powerhouse NRL club has been rocked by revelations of a steamy in-house affair between two well-known employees? Whispers of the shock liaison are growing louder in the NRL fraternity. The office fling will go down like a lead balloon with the club’s chief executive.
WHISPER 2
WHICH leading player manager has come under fire for brazenly trying to poach a Queensland Origin star from a rival agent? The manager was reported to the player agents’ accreditation body, but it is unlikely they will do anything about it.
PLAYING STOCKS
RISING
Cody Walker
The most-improved player in the NRL. The former Easts Tigers Intrust Super Cup playmaker is on fire at a Rabbitohs side charging towards the premiership and has even been compared to Manly legend Cliff Lyons.
Daly Cherry-Evans
Nailed another extra-time field goal to sink the Sharks last week. Cherry-Evans is fast emerging as the ultimate clutch player who relishes stepping up for the big moments.
Brett Morris
The veteran Bulldogs winger carved the Broncos up last week to prove he has still has some good years left in him.
Cooper Cronk
The Roosters halfback is starting to warm into life at Bondi and could lead Sydney to the grand final a year after leaving Melbourne.
FALLING
Jordan Kahu
Axed by Wayne Bennett from the Broncos’ NRL side. Once viewed as a centre successor to Justin Hodges, Kahu has stagnated and appears to be down on confidence after recently breaking his jaw.
Ryan Hoffman
The Storm forward has been disappointing this season and has played a season too long. Has made some woeful handling errors and is a shadow of the back-rower who played State of Origin.
Nathan Peats
The Titans hooker is pocketing $600,000 this season, but he has been outplayed by bargain buy Mitch Rein off the bench.
Phil Gould
The Penrith boss’ image has copped a hammering over his brutal sacking of coach Anthony Griffin.
Originally published as NRL Blindside: Latest rugby league gossip and inside info