NRL punters hot for the Dragons, Proctor’s squirrel grip just between friends, and Cleary Snr and Jnr set to get grilled
NRL punters are hot for the Dragons’ premiership chances, Proctor’s squirrel grip just between friends, Cleary Snr and Jnr set to get grilled and the Roosters find a new home.
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NRL punters are hot for the Dragons’ premiership chances, Proctor’s squirrel grip just between friends, Cleary Snr and Jnr set to get grilled and the Roosters find a new home. It’s all in What’s the Buzz.
SAINT
THE extraordinary growth of girls’ rugby league in the Penrith Panthers juniors where there are 68 teams and more than 900 players in female competitions from under-6s to open age. It is the fastest- growing sport in western Sydney.
SINNER
LYNNE Anderson told us she would put respect and family values back into the Canterbury Bulldogs. Yeah, right. Her treatment and lack of respect for premiership-winning skippers Steve Mortimer and George Peponis has been absolutely appalling.
SPOTTED
CANTERBURY Bulldogs great Steve “Turvey” Mortimer and his wife, Karen, having coffee with Sound of Music legend Julie Andrews in New York last week. They met years ago at the Sydney Opera House.
SPOTTED II
PROUD 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley with his first grandchild — this beautiful little girl — Ava Marie. Mum Laura and father Brad are over the moon.
SPOTTED III
AN NRL star on Channel Nine’s AFL Footy Show. Unbelievable. Billy Slater got a start on Thursday night with Sam Newman and Eddie McGuire to recognise his 300th game for Melbourne Storm.
SPOTTED IV
WALLABIES and Waratahs superstar Israel Folau picking up Italian takeaway from Site Pizza at Little Bay on Thursday evening.
SHOOSH
EVEN before government approval to build a new stadium at Moore Park, the Sydney Roosters and Sydney FC have found new homes for 2019 and beyond while the “death trap” at Allianz Stadium is being demolished and rebuilt. The Roosters will play next door at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney FC will use Leichhardt Oval.
SHOOSH II
WE keep hearing Bulldogs prop Aiden Tolman will soon be at the Sharks. The 29-year-old already lives in the Shire and would be a handy acquisition to a pack that is struggling.
SHOOSH III
WHICH former Cronulla Sharks star is still whingeing about being left out of Cronulla’s 50-year anniversary team that was chosen 12 months ago? And he’s a centre who missed out behind absolute champions Steve Rogers and Andrew Ettingshausen.
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE ...
THIS incident sent the NRL match review committee “nuts”.
Gold Coast Titans forward Kevin Proctor was pinged for a “squirrel grip” tackle on Raiders winger Jordan Rapana last Sunday. He got a concerning-act warning letter the next day. So we checked it out and found the pair are actually great mates.
“I’ve known Jordan since I was a young kid,” Proctor said. “ We went to school together, played all our junior footy together, we’ve been on tour together, we’ve done it all.
“We play on opposite sides of the field and said if we got to each other to watch out. I suppose I just got him first. There was no malice in it ...”
Gee, you’d hate to be an enemy.
GRANT PAYS HIS WAY
JUST when we thought former independent commission boss John Grant had drifted into retirement, the great man bobs up again in the Melbourne Storm directors’ suite on Saturday night to watch Billy Slater’s 300th game at AAMI Park.
Knowing Grant’s history of spending a few bob at the game’s expense on business class airfares and accommodation, we checked to determine if the International Rugby League Federation was paying for his weekend away with wife, Helen, in his new role as chairman.
The good news is: No. Here is our text message exchange:
Buzz: “It’s Phil Rothfield, John. Just checking if you are paying for your own airfares and accommodation for Billy’s 300th or if you are travelling as the head of the international federation.”
Grant: “It’s a private trip and we’re paying all our own costs, Phil. Helen says ‘hello’.”
CLEARY PACKAGE DEAL
WESTS Tigers coach Ivan Cleary and his son, boom Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary, are both off contract at the end of next season.
They will appear together live on Sunday night’s Matty Johns show on Fox Sports after the Raiders-Knights game.
No doubt Matty will be grilling them on rumours they will become a father-son package deal and finish up at the same club.
The Panthers are not putting pressure on the young halfback and have told him to concentrate on football and talk dollars at the end of the season.
QUIET WORD TO COOPER
THERE were few better halfbacks in his day than South Sydney playmaker Craig “Tugger” Coleman. The old Rabbitohs No. 7 and former first-grade coach was spotted at Clovelly Beach on Saturday in deep conversation with Cooper Cronk at the Roosters’ recovery session.
EELS TO SALUTE BRAVE GABRIELLA
THE Eels will wear black armbands in Sunday’s match against Manly as a tribute to Parramatta’s Young Australian of the Year Gabriella Wehbe, who recently passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Gabriella was an inspirational young women who helped raise over $400,000 for cancer research while juggling treatment, studying for her HSC, being assistant head girl at OLMC Parramatta and getting her driver’s licence.
She passed away last week after having courageously fought against a rare form of cancer. Having been inspired by her story and the fact that she was the current Young Australian of the Year for Parramatta, the Eels asked her school and family if they could honour her life in Sunday’s match.
THE PLANE TOOTH OF IT!
SOUTH Sydney’s big Burgess brothers just love a good feed. On the Rabbitohs’ flight home from Perth after last weekend’s round-one game against the NZ Warriors, George pulled a swiftie and “upgraded” himself to the back of the plane during the flight to get a second hot meal.
PUNTERS HOT FOR THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON
TAB punters are backing the St George Illawarra Dragons like it is 2010.
Such is their start to the season they have firmed from $17 to $10 to win their first premiership in eight years.
Not only have they been the biggest firmers in betting, but they have also been the best backed since the season kicked off.
Gareth Widdop is $23 in to $11 third favourite to win the Dally M. Some optimistic punters are taking $201 about them not losing a regular season game.
MUSTANG BOYS RIDE AGAIN
THERE is a new league team in South Sydney juniors this season honouring an old mate and raising awareness and money for mental health.
Matthew Farbman took his own life last year after battling depression for two years. At the funeral his mates decided to start a team from those who played with Matthew when they were 13-year-olds.
And so a South Sydney Mustangs A-Grade Reserves team was formed in his honour and Matthew’s photo will be on the front of their jerseys.
If anyone would like to sponsor the team or help with fundraising please email tonype@iprimus.com.au.