NRL stars out for former Kangaroo Jason Stevens’ new movie and Peter Beattie shows his sense of humour
THE great and good of the NRL came out for retired Kangaroos prop Jason Stevens’ first movie on Thursday night. PLUS, Peter Beattie cops it sweet and the Roosters sign the game’s hottest property.
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A HOST of stars walked the red carpet to support retired Kangaroos prop Jason Stevens’ first foray into the movie industry.
Stevens’ film Chasing Comets premiered at Hoyts Broadway on Thursday night with the likes of Todd Greenberg, Ricky Leutele, Brett Kimmorley, Tim Mannah, Curtis Rona, Ben Hunt and Wendell Sailor among the sport stars on hand.
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“People ask me is it harder to play 80 minutes or to do a film,” Stevens asked. “The answer is I never played 80 minutes.
“This has great excitement. With footy there were huge nerves but I feel a lot more peaceful. Both are very challenging industries.”
The rugby league community got behind Stevens with the rugby league-themed movie shooting plenty of scenes at the famed Henson Park.
Beau Ryan has a leading role while former league stars including Darryl Brohman, Dene Halatau and South Sydney head of football Shane Richardson all play a part.
The movie is based on Stevens’ rise from a ratbag teen to fulfilling his footballing dreams.
Stevens said the discipline of watching himself over tape during his rugby league career had helped with the editing process.
“It’s a great analogy,” Stevens said. “You’d look over a game for a couple of hours with your coach but this one we looked over the film and editing went for 14 months.
“It was the same thing as playing. Looking it over and trying to improve.
“The discipline of being able to scrutinise yourself did translate.”
BEATTIE COPS IT SWEET
PETER Beattie had the chance to meet, err, himself on Monday night. The ARLC boss showed he has a sense of humour when part of the audience for Rugby League the Musical.
“Beattie doesn’t sing about himself, although he talks about himself a great deal,” said Denis Carnahan, the man behind the show.
“He sings songs about the dastardly and villainous back room conspiracies that drive rugby league and drive rugby league fans mad, including why he wouldn’t say the name of the team from Cronulla when asked by Phil Gould, a new feature of rugby league he’s adapted from his time at the Commonwealth Games in diving and how the NRL shows their favouritism for the Broncos, by putting them on Channel 9 for more than half the Friday nights in the season.
“It was great fun. The ARLC’s Peter Beattie was effusive afterwards.”
The ‘real’ Beattie said he took great delight in the parody of himself.
“I’d actually recommend Rugby League the Musical to anyone — not just NRL fans,” Beattie said. “The show reminds us all not to take it all so seriously and that there is a funny side to the game.
“One of the downsides of being chairman is that I have to be neutral, so I wasn’t allowed to wear a jersey like everyone else.
“But if you are going to the show make sure you wear your club colours.”
“MAD” DOGS LET JT OFF THE LEASH
IT will be a bittersweet day for ex-Federal Sport, Recreation and Tourism Minister and former Canterbury board member John Brown when Johnathan Thurston retires from the NRL next week.
Brown was on the Canterbury board in 2004 when the Bulldogs were negotiating to keep halfback Brent Sherwin, an extension he protested against.
The club’s Plan B was to retain a young kid from Queensland’s north named Thurston.
“They gave him a five-year contract,” Brown said of Sherwin.
Brown can’t recall exactly what Thurston was seeking to stay, but noted Sherwin didn’t see out the five-year deal.
“He (Thurston) wanted $130,000, maybe $140,000 or $150,000, somewhere in that order, and they didn’t give it to him,” he said.
“I said, ‘You’re mad, this kid is going to North Queensland and he’ll make the Queensland team next year’. Well, he did better than that, he won the Dally M.
“So I said if you’re silly enough not to give him a contract then you’re too silly for me and I left.”
Brown said in all his 86 years, Thurston was the best he had seen.
IVAN’S “BRUTAL” TRUTH
A SLIVER of light was shone on the no-love-lost relationship between Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary and outgoing Manly Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett on Wednesday.
The pair worked together at Penrith. Cleary was head coach and Barrett his assistant when Barrett left to take the job at Manly after a fallout described as “ugly”.
Barrett was a favourite of Penrith general manager of football Phil Gould, who later sacked Cleary at the end of the season, saying he was “tired”.
Cleary was asked about this week’s drama at Manly and whether he felt for Barrett and, in his usual understated way, managed to say nothing and say everything.
“I don’t really know what’s going on and personally I’m no friend of Trent,” Cleary said.
“It’s the coaching gig and pretty brutal. We all know what we put our hands up for so I’m sure he’ll work his way through whatever it is.”
THE NRL could shake up its salary cap system following a meeting of recruitment managers on Wednesday.
Rules introduced this year meant that teams had to name a top 30 and then select three to six development players, who could only play first grade in extreme circumstances and only after getting a clearance from the NRL.
Recruitment managers have called for those rules to be loosened to allow those players to be eligible for the NRL.
FIGHT FANS HEAD TO VEGAS
THREE NRL stars at three different clubs have organised their end-of-season trip away.
Luke Lewis (Cronulla), Josh Reynolds (Wests Tigers) and Trent Hodkinson (Manly) fly to Las Vegas the week after the grand final to watch UFC wild man Conor McGregor take on Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Lewis and Hodkinson both live in Cronulla. Their friendship began with a nod of acknowledgment, which grew into a g’day and now sits at where they often watch the big UFC pay-per-views together.
Their wives, Sonia and Chantelle, have also become solid friends.
With McGregor threatening to quit if he loses to the undefeated Nurmagomedov, the trio decided it’s now or never to see the Irishman. “Ever since Conor came on the scene, he has just been one of those blokes you say you have to see before he doesn’t do it anymore,” Lewis said.
CHOOK SNAFFLE
THE Sydney Roosters have won the race for one of the most talented junior players going around.
New Zealand schoolboy Christian Tuipulotu is the hottest young property in football after he was headhunted by a host of NRL and Super Rugby teams.
The centre/winger was part of the Warriors’ system, having captained the New Zealand under-16s last season.
● ● ●
WHICH club has banished one of its young stars after the player signed with a rival club
for next season?
PENN DRAWS A LINE THROUGH MANLY SALE
MANLY boss Scott Penn is discouraging the growing speculation that the Sea Eagles are being quietly shopped around.
Any sale would raise the possibility of the Sea Eagles being relocated to an expansion area, which would cause plenty of hand-wringing on the Insular Peninsular.
There is no suggestion Penn wants to sell the club or has encouraged interest. It is just as likely that prospective owners see Manly as the most likely privately-owned club to direct their initial interests.
It’s believed the prospective buyers don’t believe the Penn’s valuation of the Sea Eagles at upwards of $20 million is realistic.
A former NSW Premier has been linked as an adviser to one interested consortium.
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