Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: ABC commentary debacle, Benji Marshall’s Wayne Bennett coup

Look who Benji Marshall has the scoop on in his new gig on Fox League! Meanwhile, the NRL is facing a huge ratings clash in R3. It’s Australia’s best sporting gossip page.

Jason Costigan was told he had the job.

It could only happen at the ABC. Aunty’s executive producer of sport Tim Verrall last week offered commentator Jason Costigan the position as NRL caller for Cowboys home games. Costigan accepted and was named on the ABC roster to call the Cowboys v Bulldogs.

They even exchanged this text:

Costigan: “Thanks again for the call this morning. Delighted to join the highly respected Grandstand rugby league team.”

Verrall: “No worries, I’m very excited about the journey ahead. I’ll get some paperwork re pay to you early next week. Do you need a media pass?”

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Jason Costigan was told he had the job.

And then he got sacked … and with no explanation.

Three days after the text message, Verrall sent Costigan an email: “I know this will be a disappointment, the ABC does not require you to call any matches for us.”

Costigan is seeking legal advice.

“I can smell a rat, there’s been some sort of interference behind the scenes,” he said,

“It was all official – I even had a phone call from Andrew Moore welcoming me to the team.”

So we contacted Verrall to ask why Costigan had been punted.

This was his text message reply: “You can’t ‘punt’ someone who is not on your team. We talked to him about calling some matches in Townsville on a casual basis, however our search for a North QLD caller continues. We won’t be making any further comments.”

Costigan is seeking legal advice. Picture: Alix Sweeney

SAINT

A long-overdue overhaul of the NRL judiciary system. More power for Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo to step in if they deem the match review committee has erred in a ruling. There will also be more transparency for fans with chairman Geoff Bellew clearly explaining each verdict after hearings.

SINNER

The pitch for the first cricket Test in Pakistan. Australia is supposed to have the world’s best bowling attack yet managed only 4-728 in what became one of the most boring and uninspiring matches in the history of Test cricket.

SHOOSH

Cameron Munster is not the only big-name player who wants to be managed by NRL 360 host Braith Anasta, who is a registered agent. Another star has approached Anasta about taking over from his manager.

SHOOSH

Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher can be a hard man to contact. He has blocked the phone numbers of several NRL scribes, including yours truly.

Ferrari Spider 8 which Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis drives

SPOTTED

Wests Tigers chairman and principal of Brydons Lawyers Lee Hagipantelis is known for his love of flash cars. He is now driving a brand-new black Ferrari Spider 8, a vehicle with an entry level price of $536,000, according to carsales.com.au.

SPOTTED

Matt Thompson has joined the 2GB Continuous Call team in a move by Nine Entertainment to lift his profile as a rugby league commentator as the network prepares for the inevitable retirement of great Ray “Rabs” Warren.

SPOTTED

With no footy for a few weeks as he continues recovery from shoulder surgery, champion Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary is spending as much time as he can with Prince, his much-loved pet Cavoodle.

Nathan Cleary with his pet cavoodle called Prince

SPOTTED

2GB broadcaster Ben Fordham is showing little respect for Dessie Hasler, his old schoolteacher from Chatswood’s St Pius primary school in the late 80s. Fordham said on his breakfast show last week he would ride a boogie board from Manly to Queenscliff if Hasler’s Sea Eagles win the premiership this year. He was responding to his sports guru James Willis tipping Manly to win the title.

SPOTTED

Roosters assistant Cooper Cronk in Melbourne helping out Nick Meaney at Storm training as he prepared to replace Cameron Munster at five-eighth for the match against the Wests Tigers.

HIGHLY respected Indigenous figure Dean Widders is about to take over as host of NITV’s popular NRL panel show Over the Black Dot on Wednesday nights.

And one of his first aims is to tackle and highlight the issue of the SCG Trust snubbing Aboriginal legend and Immortal Arthur Beetson in the naming of grandstands at the new Sydney Football Stadium.

Instead the Trust’s heritage panel has inexplicably named one of the stands Garrison, after the British Army that took over what was Aboriginal land in the Moore Park area back in the 1850s.

Widders, who takes over from Timana Tahu as host, says it’s a huge issue.

“Arthur was the most iconic Aboriginal sportsman to ever play there,” Widders said.

“You think of any indigenous footballer who has played on that sacred ground that deserves recognition and there’s only one – he’s a Roosters legend, Kangaroos legend and NSW hero.”

Roosters, NSW and Kangaroos great Arthur Beetson deserves recognition.

Widders says it was Beetson who paved the way for all indigenous players in rugby league.

“We have an influx of indigenous players in the NRL and Arthur was the pioneer for the likes of Greg Inglis, Johnathan Thurston, Justin Hodges and co. It all comes off the back of Arthur.

“That’s why our game is loved and has been embraced by indigenous communities.

“We have to celebrate the legendary status this man had in the game.”

The trust is coming under enormous pressure from government powerbrokers over the issue.

That the Victorian government stepped in so quickly last weekend to honour Shane Warne with a stand Victoria shows the MCG Trust is far more switched on than ours.

Apart from Beetson, Widders says he has been given a huge opportunity to showcase indigenous and pacific island players on his show.

“It’s a way to promote some of the rugby league stories that you don’t get to see in the mainstream media,” Widders said.

“I love all the stories about players and their backgrounds and what they are so passionate about. “Their connections to their homes. Their motivation and their families.”

* * * * *

EVERY rugby league rookie dreams of playing in front of packed stadiums with screaming fans.

Former Wests Tigers and Parramatta Eels junior representative star Robbie Mortimer is on the verge of doing just that — except he has traded his footy boots for a guitar and microphone.

Hailing from the famous Mortimer bloodlines, Robbie is the son of Canterbury legend Peter and younger brother of Daniel, who played 128 NRL games.

As a youngster Robbie was highly rated at the Tigers and Eels before heading to Queensland where he had a successful stint with Redcliffe.

Fast forward and Mortimer is now preparing to travel to Nashville next month where he will link with some of the world’s best writers and producers to further his music career.

Robbie Mortimer performing at a recent concert. Picture: Elise Cook

He is already rated one of Australia’s brightest stars, with his recent album 200 Years Too Late charting top 10 on the Australian music pop charts.

And he’s already supported household acts like The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Eskimo Joe, Thirsty Merc and INXS/Noiseworks.

“Music is my passion and while I would love to have cracked the NRL, I think I’ve made the right career choice,” Mortimer, 28, said.

“I still follow the game passionately and I’m still a crazy Bulldogs fan.

“Who knows, one day I may get to play at an NRL grand final - but up on a stage instead of out on the paddock.”

* * * * *

BENJI Marshall has scored the most sought-after TV interview in the game for his new show on Fox Sports on Monday night – old super coach Wayne Bennett.

Benji and his old South Sydney Rabbitohs teammate Damien Cook will cross live to Bennett for his first major interview since the grand final loss to the Panthers and him signing with the Dolphins.

Bennett has rarely done live TV outside of his locked-in commitments in the NRL as a head coach. This is a great indication of the respect the Dolphins coach holds for the retired 37-year-old who had stints under Bennett at the Broncos and the Rabbitohs over 19 years and 346 games of NRL.

It is also seen as a favour by Bennett to help Benji get off to a strong start in the Monday night ratings each week after NRL 360.

Benji’s show each week will look back over the weekend of football and feature the hard-to-get interviews that only he can score through his relationships with players across the game.

His first show is at 7.30pm on Fox League on Monday night.

* * * * *

THE NRL is facing a huge TV ratings clash with the Socceroos on Thursday night in Round 3 on March 24.

The Socceroos have their hopes of direct entry into the World Cup on the line against Japan at Stadium Australia at exactly the same time the St George-Illawarra Dragons and the Cronulla Sharks are locked into a local derby in Wollongong.

Soccer’s A-League may be experiencing its most dismal season on record but this is a monster game for round-ball enthusiasts and Aussie sporting fans.

A crowd of around 50,000 is expected at the game.

The international reach is enormous with 69 accredited media types from Japan alone - 34 journalists, 25 photographers and 10 representatives from three different TV networks.

Football Australia have also received 83 applications from Australian media.

The match will be shown live on Channel 10 against the NRL on Fox Sports and Channel 9.

To qualify directly for Qatar, the Socceroos will need to defeat Japan in Sydney and win again against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah four days later, otherwise they go into the playoffs.