NRL 2020: Roosters winger Matt Ikuvalu thankful for partner in coronavirus lockdown
If Roosters winger Matt Ikuvalu didn’t know how lucky he was to have selfless partner Alyce Ralph before the NRL lockdown, he does now. PLUS, Ray Price, you bloody champion. IT’S SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH.
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SAINTS
Despite backlash over flu vaccinations, NRL players are making incredible sacrifices in their private lives to help get the competition up and running on Thursday fortnight. Certainly none tougher, or more painful, than not being able to catch up with their mums on Sunday.
SINNER
Stubborn old Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett says he knows Latrell Mitchell will make it as a fullback because he has been coaching rugby league teams for 40 years. Being in the job four decades hardly helped with coaching Great Britain or the Brisbane Broncos, the past two jobs in which was sacked from.
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SHOOSH
WHICH ex-Broncos, Maroons and Kangaroos star has been served legal papers over a failed business venture?
SHOOSH II
Which NRL coach was shocked by the lack of fitness of one of his highest-paid players, who looked like he’d spent a month on junk food, when the team returned to training last week? And, no, it wasn’t Wayne Bennett.
SHOOSH III
The cancellation of the Kangaroos tour at the end of the season is actually good news for the Canterbury Bulldogs. It means English international front-rower Luke Thompson can come to Australia earlier than originally planned and get a full off-season at Belmore. The St Helens prop spoke to Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill during the week about an early arrival once Australia’s borders are opened.
SPOTTED
A punter sent us a photo of referee Ashley Klein at the Auburn branch of Service NSW on Tuesday, renewing his driver’s licence. It was surprising because the refs are under the same COVID-19 restrictions as players, so NRL head of football Graham Annesley started asking some questions.
It turns out Klein could not renew his license online because he drives an Uber in his spare time which required he had to take an eyesight test.
And in news that might shock league fans, he actually passed. Only joking, Ash.
SPOTTED II
Sacked Bulldog Jayden Okunbor training solo at Killara Reserve, his junior ground where he played for Milperra Colts. Okunbor’s appeal against his deregistration from the NRL is soon to be determined. In the meantime, he can’t even play park footy for his old club.
SPOTTED III
Since retiring from 2GB’s Continuous Call team, Ray Hadley is playing a lot more golf and spending more time with fiancee Sophie Baird. Sophie recently took up golf and the pair combined last weekend to win the mixed event at Castle Hill.
And how do we know this … well, Ray being Ray, couldn’t help himself and texted us the results from the sports pages on Monday at 5.30am.
NRL’S WONDER WAG
MEET the most selfless and loving WAG in the NRL.
COVID-19 restrictions almost forced Sydney Roosters winger Matt Ikuvalu to move out of home last week because his partner Alyce Ralph is a healthcare worker in the cancer unit at a Central Coast hospital.
So they couldn’t stay together under biosecurity rules in a difficult time while Matt juggles his university assignments and a return to club training.
Not a problem. Alyce gave up her own job instead, taking leave to help Ikuvalu live his footy dream.
“We found out last Friday that I’d have to move out under the NRL protocols,” Matt said.
“It was really stressful but Alyce decided to take some time off so we could stay together.
“She has always supported my career from Wyong in the lower grades to where I am now. It’s really special and I appreciate it so much.”
The couple move to Sydney next week to settle into a rented apartment. Alyce will then return to the Central Coast to self-isolate for two weeks before she can go back to work.
“I’ll be living in Sydney but it’s a pretty small sacrifice compared to all the Warriors boys having to leave their families indefinitely,” he said.
The 26-year-old winger played in the opening two rounds of the competition and is desperate to hold down a regular starting spot this year.
PERPETUALLY, RAY A ‘BLOODY CHAMPION’
WE have received some lovely feedback on Parramatta Eels warhorse Ray Price since it was revealed last week the legend and his wife Sandy are fighting cancer.
None nicer than this one from Jason Campbell, who lives in country NSW, that best explains why Price is such a fan favourite.
“I was going on holidays to Tweed Heads earlier this year,” Jason explains. “My mate said ‘we’ll have a beer at the club Pricey drinks at’, so I brought an old photo with me I was hoping he’d sign.
“We turn up a couple of times at the club but he wasn’t there. We didn’t know he had cancer. So I left the photo with my mate, hoping he might bump into Ray down the track.
“Anyway, I’m at the local shopping centre about to head home and you wouldn’t believe it … there’s Pricey at the newsagent.
“So I introduce myself and tell him I was up from the bush. I mentioned the photo and told him my mate had it.
“You know what he did … he said get in his car and we drove 10 minutes to my mate’s place and he signed it.
“How nice is that. He’s a bloody champion.”
LISTEN! Cooper is back at training so it’s Matty Trish and Jack with the latest on life inside the Johns household, the best John Singleton stories and where they’d go in a time machine.
SEVEN’S CHASING OF STAR RILES RABBITOHS
SOUTH Sydney have lodged an official complaint against Channel 7 over coverage of Latrell Mitchell’s return from isolation to training.
Seven sent reporter Peter Fegan and a cameraman to Latrell’s home to get footage from the street and to ask questions about his testing for coronavirus.
A furious Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly fired off a complaint the next day.
“We allowed the broadcasters here on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” he said.
“There was no need for them to be there. He’s got two daughters under three and he shouldn’t have a TV camera outside his house.
“We spoke to Channel 7 and Jim Wilson was apologetic. It was unnecessary.”
Seven news director Jason Morrison issued a statement on Saturday night.
“This is the first I’ve heard of any official complaint. There’s been no contact from any South Sydney representative to myself.
“I stand by the reporter and cameraman’s actions. At no stage did they go anywhere near any children at the address and the address was not shown.”
THE OTHER HALF – ALIRA HOSKIN & REAGAN CAMPBELL-GILLARD
What’s it like having Reagan around the house all day?
I honestly worry what mess he’s made during the day. What surprise I’d come home to after work.
What extra chores is he doing?
Reagan’s been cooking some nights and then cleaning up after! It’s been a nice change, though there’s lots of complaints coming from the kitchen … not knowing where to find things.
Can he cook … what’s his best recipe?
Reagan can cook, sometimes he even surprises me. We won’t talk about his charcoaled green veggies, though.
A stir-fry is his specialty, but he made chilli garlic prawns the other night and they were outstanding to say the least. I’ll most certainly be ordering those from him again.
How does he kill time?
Reagan’s been killing time training, redoing the lawns and even taking up carpentry. We started a 1000-piece puzzle and ended up packing it away.
What’s he like at Scrabble/Monopoly?
We’re both so competitive we’ve decided to pack the games away. Reagan likes to make his own rules.
What music is he playing?
His one playlist consists of just about every genre of music — one moment you could be listening to Johnny Cash, next Post Malone …
Is he tidy?
Most certainly is not tidy. At all.
What’s his worst habit?
Getting undressed around the house and leaving his clothes everywhere, along with the water bottles he drinks throughout the day.
How are you guys managing with the financial strain?
We’re doing OK financially.
NO SPIN, WARNE-AND-ALL
FOX Sports’ “A Week With Warnie” launches on Monday night — a six-part series on his most colourful and controversial moments.
Everything is covered — from the 2003 drug ban from his mum’s weight-loss pills to the messy split with supermodel Liz Hurley.
“It became an absolute circus but I still care about her dearly because she’s a wonderful person,” Warne tells interviewer Mark Howard.
There’s also an emotional flashback to his last Test match at the SCG in 2007 in which he credits his great mate Glenn McGrath for much of his own success as a spin bowler.
Raiders, Panthers and Eels were my top 3 before the season started. I see no reason to change https://t.co/Z0itAStFbd
— PhilGould15 (@PhilGould15) May 4, 2020
GUS A HARD MAN TO PREDICT
GUS Gould appears to be suffering from memory fade.
In February, the great man jumped onto social media and declared the Roosters and Raiders as the quinella in his top eight and predicted they would play in the grand final for a second year running.
Then last week he was asked again on Twitter for his predictions — and we got a completely different story.
Not this year. No Cronk, Mitchell, Tetevano. Be a mighty effort if they do https://t.co/5UWdScW5nj
— PhilGould15 (@PhilGould15) May 4, 2020