NRL’s foul fines make a financial windfall for player welfare, the Sharks’ ploy to keep Holmes, and Maloney may not last at Penrith
THE drama never ends at Penrith. Having dispatched former coach Anthony Griffin, there is speculation that Nathan Cleary could be working with a new halves partner next season.
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THE NRL’s decision to fine players for minor foul plays has meant a financial windfall for player welfare, Sharks’ ploy to keep Holmes and is Maloney’s time as a Panther running out? It’s all in What’s the Buzz.
SAINT
The NSWRL judiciary panel that kicked serial madman John Hopoate out of rugby league for 10 years, when he went up on three contrary conduct charges on Wednesday night. He’s lucky he didn’t get a life ban.
SINNER
The Gladstone strip club affair. The Jackson Hastings debacle. The salary cap scandal. Coach Trent Barrett wanting out. Three crowds this year of 7000 and under at Brookie. Club boss Lyall Gorman overseas for two weeks. Owner Scott Penn overseas. What is going on with the Manly Sea Eagles? Bring back Arko!
SAD STORY: Walker and Gray mourn lifesaver mate
SLUMP GROWS: Penrith downed by Knights
SO LONG LEGEND: Hear Johnathan Thurston’s untold stories
SHOOSH
Which NRL club has lost its major corporate partner for 2019 and is desperately seeking a new front-of-jersey sponsor for the third time in four years?
SHOOSH II
Which chairperson from an NRL club was recently dumped from the board of a major national company for lack of performance?
SHOOSH III
Which former South Sydney Rabbitohs star is denying he recently won $35 million in Oz Lotto, a rumour that emerged in his home town of Lithgow?
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SPOTTED
Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Mike Hussey and Ellyse Perry shooting what looked like a Fox Sports promotional advertisement at Clontarf Beach on Sydney Harbour.
SPOTTED II
Rabbitohs and Blues hooker Damien Cook in the directors room at Royal Randwick on Saturday. His partner is Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys personal assistant.
SPOTTED III
Foxtel boss Patrick Delany with sporting chiefs Todd Greenberg, James Sutherland, David Gallop and Gill McLachlan at the launch of Foxtel’s new 4K technology. ARU boss Raelene Castle didn’t stick around for the photo.
SPOTTED IV
John Singleton, ex-Channel 7 boss David Leckie and Matty Johns at China Doll. It’s an annual lunch where Singo shouts to thank Leckie for giving Johns his first start as a footy host.
SPOTTED V
Veteran player agent Wayne Beavis and 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley having dinner and a glass of wine at Main Beach on the Gold Coast on Friday evening.
SPOTTED VI
A Finch and a Parrot: Alan Jones asking footy larrikin Brett Finch for a selfie at Fox Sports last Sunday before going on the Matty Johns show.
BIFFO BONUS MAKES WELFARE JACKPOT
THE NRL’s decision to fine players for minor foul play breaches instead of suspending them is turning into a financial bonanza for a great cause.
So far this year, 29 players have been fined a total of $36,100 with the money going towards player welfare.
Most players are fined $1500 but can have it reduced by 25 per cent if they take an early guilty plea. Sixteen players have been fined for careless high tackles, six for contrary conduct (such as hair pulling) and seven for tripping.
All money raised from the fines is invested into player wellbeing and education-related initiatives.
Even the players believe the NRL’s match review committee has got most charges right this year, with 90 per cent taking the early guilty plea.
Of those who have taken their cases to the judiciary, only 47 per cent have succeeded in having their charge downgraded or thrown out.
The RLPA initiative to put the money towards player welfare rather than into NRL coffers has been widely applauded across the game. There is however a push for the match review committee to come down harder on the low act
of hair-pulling which Broncos stars Anthony Milford and Josh McGuire have been guilty of this year.
A one-week suspension is considered a more appropriate penalty, especially for someone like Milford who is on $1 million a season.
JOBS FOR THE GIRLS
CRONULLA are denying their move to employ Val Holmes’ girlfriend as a marketing assistant is a sneaky tactic to keep the fullback in the Shire.
Natalia O’Toole started part-time work at the club last week while she is doing a marketing degree. It’s no secret Holmes’ long-time girlfriend is keen to return to Townsville, a situation the Cowboys are monitoring very closely. Sharks chief executive Barry Russell denies it was a move to keep the couple happy in the Shire.
“That’s an insult to Natalia,” Russell said. “She’s doing a marketing degree and it’s a bona fide job.
“We needed extra staff and help coming up to the finals. She’s smart and she fits in really well. She’s on the award wage like everyone else. It’s part-time work for a couple of days a week.”
O’Toole’s sister, Brianna, is married to Cowboys superstar Michael Morgan. Holmes is under contract until the end of next season but has been offered a four-year extension by coach Shane Flanagan.
CAP RELIEF FOR THE EAGLES
FINALLY some good news out of Manly. We’re getting mail from NRL headquarters that the club’s salary cap appeal is going well.
Don’t be surprised if the appeal verdict finds the NRL’s case was not as complete and comprehensive as originally indicated.
Expect Manly’s fine of $750,000 to be significantly reduced. There is also a suggestion league Immortal Bob Fulton will be exonerated. The integrity unit claimed he had not made himself available to investigators.
JACK WANTS BACK IN
JACK Bird wants to return home to Cronulla after a disappointing and injury-riddled season with Brisbane.
The trouble is, the Sharks can’t afford him unless the Broncos contribute heavily towards his contract.
The departures of Jesse Ramien and Ricky Leutele, plus the long-term doubts over Val Holmes, leave Cronulla short in the “back five” where Bird would obviously be a huge bonus. The trouble is Josh Dugan got the big money Bird was on. Maybe the Sharks will try to offload him.
MALONEY ON SHAKY GROUND AT PENRITH
THE Panthers will deny it but we’re hearing five-eighth James Maloney is no certainty to see out his three-year contract at the Panthers. Of all the players at Penrith, the Blues’ pivot was closest to sacked coach Anthony Griffin.
In fact, Griffin told me that Maloney is “as brainy as Darren Lockyer” when I interviewed him last week. The Panthers need cash to be in a position to offer halfback Nathan Cleary the big bucks it will require to keep him long term.
There’s been talk for several weeks that Cleary’s relationship with Maloney is not as tight as other halves combinations in the NRL, and that Gus Gould is aware of it and is monitoring the situation.
HUSSEY’S MASTER STROKE
SOMETIMES sports stars can put too much pressure on themselves.
Mr Cricket Mike Hussey was once guilty of that. Interviewed last week by Fox Sports, Hussey was asked about never giving up in sport.
“That’s the thing … I did give up,” he said. “At 29 I stopped dreaming about playing for Australia.
“I just decided I was going to go out, have some fun and play with my mates. Then it just happened for me.”
Later that year Hussey played one-day cricket for Australia. The following summer he made his Test debut. And the rest is history.
LATE KICK OFF
THE NRL competition will kick off a week later than normal next year — on Thursday night, March 14. The previous weekend is being kept free for a round zero match out of the US on a Saturday afternoon, beamed live into Australia the next afternoon. The South Sydney Rabbitohs play in the opening game but an opponent is yet to be determined.