Roosters target Tevita Pangai Jnr, Allan Border on sandpaper-gate
They probably won’t admit it but the Sydney Roosters are said to be lining up a bid for one of Brisbane’s hottest prospects. PLUS, the secret salary cap cash deal and two punters’ savvy Winx tribute.
They probably won’t admit it but the Sydney Roosters are said to lining up a bid for one of Brisbane’s hottest prospects. PLUS, the secret salary cap cash deal and two punters’ savvy Winx tribute.
SAINT
THE extraordinary story of Rabbitohs centre Braidon Burns and how he overcame the most heartbreaking family circumstances to stay focused on his dream to play NRL. This 22-year-old is an absolute inspiration to all young footy players.
SINNER
SOUTHS boss Shane Richardson whingeing about the costs of entering a team in the NRLW is a shocking slap in the face for women’s sport. And this is the same club that complained about being excluded from the comp last year.
SHOOSH
WHICH NRL coach is offering one of his star forwards to rival clubs in a really awkward situation because he and the player are managed by the same agent who doesn’t know anything about it.
SHOOSH II
WHICH out-of-work coach was making discreet inquiries with Bulldogs powerbrokers about Dean Pay’s future, before he was re-signed.
SPOTTED
TEVITA Pangai Jr on his mobile phone in the Broncos dressing sheds on Channel 9’s pre-game coverage of Thursday night football just 25 minutes before kick-off. Players are banned from having their phones an hour before the kick-off for integrity reasons. Turns out he was filmed 40 minutes earlier and it was shown on delay.
SPOTTED II
WARRIORS recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan in Fiji checking out several outstanding prospects. The Warriors are still $750,000 under their salary cap this year following Shaun Johnson’s move to the Sharks.
SPOTTED III
VETERAN player agent Steve Gillis with fallen footy star Jarrod Mullen in the eastern suburbs on Thursday.
SPOTTED IV
NEWCASTLE Knights doing a tour of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on the day before their match with Canberra Raiders in the national capital.
SPOTTED V
MARK ‘Piggy’ Riddell re-enacting his 2002 try celebration at WIN Stadium in Wollongong on Tuesday afternoon in which he jumped the fence to applaud himself. It’s part of a video for Macquarie Sports Radio’s Year of the Pig luncheon on April 11 at PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub at Fox Studios.
PUNTERS SERVE UP WINX TRIBUTE ON A PLATE
TWO punters have found an innovative way to cash in on the incredible popularity of super mare Winx without having to bet on her.
Glen Bowditch and his mate Jacob Byrne are part-time punters who purchased the number plates WINX 32 and WINX 33 six months ago to sell once the champion retired.
They are stored at Service NSW offices in Miranda and Wynyard.
“We crunched a few numbers and worked out she’d finish with 32 or 33 wins,” Bowditch said.
“It was a bit of a punt but we got it right. We’ll see if anyone out there wants to own a bit of history from the best horse we’ve ever seen.”
The pair will donate part of their profits to the National Jockeys Trust that cares for injured hoops.
Winx will be retired after the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 13. Ironically, if the mare wins her 33rd race in succession, she will retire on the same number of wins (37) as the legendary Phar Lap.
● Anyone interested in buying the plates can email the boys at: gdb9_79@hotmail.com
CHOOKS MAKING PLAY FOR PANGAI
THE mail is getting stronger that Broncos forward Tevita Pangai Jr is close to signing a deal at Sydney Roosters from 2020.
The Roosters will no doubt deny the story but we’re hearing the young enforcer could become one of the highest paid forwards in the game behind only Sam Burgess at Souths and Jason Taumalolo at the Cowboys.
The Roosters have the funds available from the retirement of champion halfback Cooper Cronk at the end of the season which will shut down the usual suggestions of creative
accountancy with their salary cap.
There is no longer the need to chase a big-name playmaker because Luke Keary has proven he is a more than capable long-term replacement for Cronk. The Broncos want an answer from Pangai and his manager before May.
SECRET $100,000 CASH
ONE of the player managers embroiled in the Cronull a Sharks salary cap scandal negotiated a deal to get $100,000 cash for his player.
A data base of secret third-party agreements, obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, reveals the player was guaranteed $25,000 a season over four years in a “brown paper bag” arrangement.
The document was hidden by Sharks executives and board members on private email accounts.
Interestingly, the manager works in a company that has been involved in previous cap scandals at Parramatta Eels and Manly Sea Eagles yet the NRL has done nothing about it.
In 2015, the NRL vowed to ban cheating agents from the Parramatta case. Not one manager has lost his accreditation.
ROBINSON GETS LIFE
AFTER seven seasons and two premierships, Sydney Roosters have honoured coach Trent Robinson with life membership of the club.
Robinson was almost reduced to tears during the week when long-time chairman Nick Politis presented him with the award. Politis even likens Robinson to legendary super coach Jack Gibson.
“The way he’s going, he might even improve on Jack’s record,” Politis said. “Robbo will have 10 years up once he completes his current contract.
“I’ll be gone before he goes. He’s an outstanding, hardworking and honest human being who has done a remarkable job for our club.”
BORDER OPENS UP
SKY News will broadcast a special on the South African ball-tampering scandal at 6.30 Sunday night to mark the return of Steve Smith and Dave Warner from their 12-month bans. Cricket legend Allan Border is one of many former players interviewed by Tim Sheridan. Border says it’s unfair Warner copped much of the blame.
“I just don’t think that he’s done it all on his lonesome,” he said. “I just can’t see in a dressing room like the Australian cricket team — there’s people all over the place — how you as an individual just make this decision on his own that I’m going to be doing this to a cricket ball. I just don’t accept that.”
RUSSELL LEGACY HAS JUNIORS FIGHTING FIT
CRONULLA CEO Barry Russell finishes up at the Sharks on Monday, leaving behind a wonderful legacy for junior rugby league. In an initiative approved by the board last week, the club will donate $1 from every casual ticket sold at home games this season to junior clubs in the Shire.
Instead of handing over cash, junior officials can purchase training equipment from Hart Sport from the funding which is expected to be as much as $60,000 over the season.
Chad Townsend (Yarrawarrah Tigers), Scott Sorensen (Cronulla Caringbah) and Jayden Brailey (Aquinas Colts) donned their old junior jerseys for the announcement. Russell, a former Rothmans Medal winner, played at Cronulla Caringbah and has always been passionate about junior pathways.
LOSS OF A FINE MAN
COUNTRY rugby league is mourning the tragic loss of an Armidale Rams player who died after suffering a heart attack in the dressing room after a trial game. Leroy Davis, who was 33, has left behind a partner and four children under the age of 10.
Davis played for the Rams, Inverell Hawks, Narwan Eels and Tingha Tigers during his career in Group 19. A touch football carnival and fundraiser was held in Inverell yesterday to help out the family. All proceeds from raffles and food sales will go to the Davis family.
A LEGEND ON THE HILL
YOU’VE got to love the wonderful tradition and history of club rugby union. Easts Rugby is honouring one of its finest with the unveiling of the Murray Tate Hill at its refurbished home ground, Woollahra Oval. Tate played for the Wallabies, NSW and Easts and coached first grade. His five sons all played first grade. Wife Margaret was there on Friday to cut the ribbon with more than 40 family members.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
STEVE Smith and Dave Warner had a surprising but nice shock with banners and billboards on the streets of India welcoming them back to cricket.
The advertising campaign for Cadbury says “goodness deserves a second chance”. Those close to the cricketers say they were overwhelmed by the gesture when they first saw it as they arrived in town to play in the IPL.
NRL Market Watch: Titans boot former Bronco to Super League
Brisbane grand final forward Keenan Palasia has been shown the door at the Gold Coast Titans as Des Hasler cleans out his squad and rebuilds for 2025.
Cleary’s cheeky jab at Eels greats as fans flock to cheer Panthers
A huge crowd of Penrith fans have flocked to Panthers HQ to celebrate their team’s historic fourth straight premiership as Nathan Cleary responds to claims that his side could not match it with the Eels outfit of the 1980s.