What’s the Buzz: Why Blues roommates Andrew Fifita and Nathan Peats had to be split up

WHAT’S THE BUZZ: Laurie Daley insists Nathan Peats and Andrew Fifita are great mates but the Blues roommates have one problem, they just can’t live or sleep together.

Andrew Fifita during Blues training. Picture: Brett Costello

NSW Origin enforcer Andrew Fifita is a bad snorer — that’s the real reason he has split from roommate Nathan Peats and been given his own room at The Star casino.

It turns out Fifita’s snoring has been keeping Peats awake.

And Peats’ obsession with cleanliness, tidiness and having a heated airconditioner on 24/7 was driving the champion Cronulla forward mad.

“They’re great mates but they can’t sleep together,” NSW coach Laurie Daley said with a laugh.

Fifita even checked out of camp at the Brisbane Sofitel on the night before his man-of-the-match performance in Origin I to stay with his mate, controversial forward Matthew Lodge.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ II: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh and Spotted

Nathan Peats and Andrew Fifita are no longer roommates.

The pair was put into the same room again when the Blues went into camp last Monday.

The next day, team management stepped in and gave them a room each, a luxury usually only afforded to the captain, in this case Boyd Cordner.

“Seriously, they get on great,” Daley said. “They’ve been mates since playing together in the Indigenous All Stars game. You can see how tight they are on the field. They just can’t live or sleep together.”

The Titans hooker and Sharks enforcer have been copping heaps from their teammates during the camp.

Daley also thinks it’s hilarious but wants to avoid any disruptions while the players are preparing for the game.

“I want all the boys to be in a really good head space as we prepare for the game,” he said. “If that means we’ve got to put them in separate rooms, well, so be it.”

BLUES DON’T GIVE A XXXX ABOUT FOOL’S GOLD

WITH the vast majority of the 80,000 fans at State of Origin II certain to be cheering for NSW on Wednesday night, the catering team at ANZ Stadium is busy changing beer taps to ensure there is ample NSW beer flowing for the pro-Blues crowd.

About 75 per cent of the beer taps at ANZ Stadium’s general admission areas will be the traditional NSW brew Hahn Premium 3.5. Only 25 per cent will be devoted to Queensland’s famous beer, XXXX.

Elis De Souza changes the beer taps at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Julian Keith

This is the complete opposite of the beer tap split that was introduced for the 2015 grand final featuring North Queensland and the Brisbane Broncos.

Andreas Breitfuss, general manager of catering and hospitality at ANZ Stadium, said footy fans would consume more than 800 kegs of beer on the night and that past trends had shown parochial Blues fans heavily prefer traditional NSW beers at Origin games in Sydney.

He said similar adjustments were being made to the beer taps in the members’ and corporate bars at ANZ Stadium, where six beers will be on tap, including NSW favourites Tooheys New and James Squire One Fifty Lashes.

Sadly, your correspondent won’t be enjoying any — I’m on work duty.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ II: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh and Spotted

ROOSTERS’ SECOND THOUGHTS ON BLAKE

THE Roosters remain unsure about re-signing Origin and Kangaroos winger Blake Ferguson.

The problem is Ferguson wants big money but the Roosters are baulking because they now regard him as a specialist winger and not a fullback or centre, where he has been found out in defence.

The Roosters will only offer him a one-year extension deal, even though he’s only 27.

But that’s another story. The club is still not convinced about his off-field demeanour.

There is talk of an incident early this year where he very narrowly avoided trouble.

Ferguson’s agent, Sam Ayoub, is now shopping him around to rival clubs. There has been interest from St George Illawarra and two other clubs.

Blake Ferguson is looking for an upgrade on his current contract. Picture: Gregg Porteous

DALLY MONEY FOR MATT

DESPITE a shocking start to the season, the Blues’ 18th man, Matt Moylan, has been a huge firmer in betting on the Dally M Award.

His price was slashed from $101 to $34 with corporate bookies as a result of his Wally Lewis-like performance for the Panthers against the Raiders last weekend.

Maroons skipper Cameron Smith leads the field by five votes and is $1.80 favourite. Blues halfback Mitchell Pearce is second on the leaderboard, quoted at $11.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ II: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh and Spotted

Matt Moylan has firmed in Dally M betting. pic Mark Evans

POLITIS BACKS SKD

ROOSTERS outcast Shaun Kenny-Dowall can thank his old boss, Nick Politis, for saving his footy career in the NRL. Originally, Newcastle Knights withdrew a four-year contract offer to the former Kiwi Test winger after he was allegedly caught in possession of cocaine. Then there was a backflip.

Politis rang his old mate John Quayle, who is a director at the Knights and part of the club’s recruitment committee. He gave “SKD” a glowing reference, said he was a decent young man who had made a mistake. The Knights took the advice on board and are back in talks with SKD’s agent.