Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Storm fan’s disgraceful Mark Hughes Foundation act to Danika Mason | NRL 2022
Channel 9 reporter Danika Mason was subjected to a disgraceful act while working the sidelines for the Storm-Broncos game. Phil Rothfield’s Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
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Phil Rothfield reveals his Saint, Sinner, Shoosh in Australia’s best sporting column.
SAINT
For the size of our population, Australia has always punched above its weight on the international stage against the global giants. The Socceroos’ magnificent victory over Peru to qualify for the World Cup from a gripping penalty shootout and Nature Strip’s win at Ascot, all within 24 hours, was one of our proudest days.
SINNER
The bloke who leaned over the fence at the Storm v Broncos match AAMI Park and stole the Mark Hughes Foundation beanie off Danika Mason’s head and then ran off. Ordinary.
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SHOOSH
The rumour will not go away that boom fullback Reece Walsh is reluctant to see out the remainder of his contract with the New Zealand Warriors. He is under contract until the end of next season but we keep hearing Wayne Bennett and the Dolphins will be his likely destination.
SHOOSH
A feud between fight promoters Dean Lonergan and Matt Rose got even uglier in Brisbane on Wednesday as security initially tried to stop Rose entering the arena.
SHOOSH
Cricket Australia is following the NRL’s lead by slashing digital media costs with their internet site. They’ve given up trying to compete with major media companies and will phase out reporters going on international tours. Cutbacks are planned across the business.
SPOTTED
Sharks great and fishing guru Andrew Ettingshausen in Coffs Harbour, not just for the match against the Gold Coast Titans. ET took a dozen Sharks sponsors deep-sea fishing off Coffs on Saturday morning.
SPOTTED
A Daily Telegraph online poll showed 82 per cent of fans want the state government to invest in a retractable roof to watch Origin, grand finals and major events in comfort at Accor Stadium.
SPOTTED
Roosters and NSW skipper James Tedesco at the Ironwood Coffee cafe in Woolwich with fiancee Maria Glinellis.
SPOTTED
Two changes on the Bulldogs football club board with the departure of directors Jim Koutsouklakis and Adrian Turner, who have stepped down and been replaced by businessman Adam Driussi and Paul Polly. Unlike previous Dogs board movements, there has been no bloodshed. Koutsouklakis remains on the leagues club board.
SPOTTED
Five-time All Australian and Brownlow medallist Dane Swan playing for South West Sydney Blues against Balmain Tigers in second division AFL at Rosedale Oval, Warwick Farm on Saturday. Swan, 38, is now a ‘freelance’ footballer who makes guest appearances at clubs.
MCKINNON FIRES UP OVER ‘SOFT’ NADEN BAN
Alex McKinnon wants the NRL to crack down harder on spear tackles so that no other footballer finishes up like him in a wheelchair.
McKinnon has spoken out in the wake of controversy around a soft four-week ban on Wests Tigers centre Brent Naden for a shocking lifting tackle last weekend.
Miraculously. Manly forward Jake Trbojevic escaped injury but it could have been so much worse.
“When a tackle is made and there is a risk of permanent injury, then the severity of the penalty should reflect on that,” McKinnon said when contacted by The Sunday Telegraph.
“It shouldn’t be a post-evaluation of the injury like saying that he didn’t end up in a wheelchair so we’ll only give him four weeks.
“If the action carries a risk of permanent disability like a lifting tackle does, the penalty should align with that.”
Surely the NRL should be listening to the thoughts of a man whose career was cut short from a catastrophic spinal injury in 2014 from a similar type of tackle.
“I was watching the game and I thought it was really bad,” he said, “It definitely needed to be more than four weeks. Intent or lack of shouldn’t come into it.
“Naden had a head knock a bit earlier. You could see he was still affected by it and not in control of the tackle. It’s not a question of his character. It just happened.”
I suggested to McKinnon a suspension around eight to 10 weeks would have been more appropriate. He agreed.
“I think that’s definitely the right range,” he said, “They have to take into account the potential outcome. They (tackles like this) should be referred to the judiciary. Four weeks, geez. It’s not enough.”
ROOSTER’S FRIENDLY FIRE
It’s not often you’ll see Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis and his head coach Trent Robinson on opposing sides in a rugby league game.
France will play Greece in the first round of the World Cup in England later this year.
Robinson is the coaching director of the French team, while Politis is the major sponsor of the Greeks. He is tipping in up towards $100,000.
The banter has been going on for weeks about the build up to the game in October.
We asked Robinson about the painful prospect of losing to his boss.
“That won’t be happening,” he laughed. “I’m actually looking forward to going against him just once in my life. He’ll probably try to claim Joseph Suaalii has some Greek heritage.
“It’s actually fantastic that he’s involved. These teams need the support and it’s great for international rugby league at a tournament like this.”
RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB
Aussie soccer has had some tough times since the departure of the Lowy family and CEO David Gallop.
Lucky they had the foresight back in 2018 to identify Graham Arnold as the long-term Aussie coach to replace Ange Postecoglou.
They even took Arnie to Russia for the last World Cup to get a feel of the world’s biggest sporting event outside of the Olympics.
Gallop and Arnold have remained firm friends and were speaking regularly in the build-up to the sensational victory over Peru on Tuesday.
MAN IN DEMAND
Benji Marshall has secured the interview everyone has been chasing with his old South Sydney Rabbitohs teammate Latrell Mitchell.
Latrell will appear on Benji’s show on Fox Sports on Monday night after NRL 360.
The Souths superstar will no doubt reveal more details of his recent trip to the United States for specialised treatment on the hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined for 10 weeks.
We’ll also get his thoughts on Souths’ shocking first-half performance against the Dragons on Thursday night and his hopes of playing Origin in the third game of the series at Suncorp
LEAVING NOTHING TO CHANCE
The NRL has gone to great lengths to ensure both NSW and Queensland are not affected by last-minute drama at State of Origin II.
With the game on the other side of the country in Perth next Sunday, the NRL has booked standby flights from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in the event that either team requires a last-minute replacement on the day of the game.
Both teams will have 22 players at their disposal in Perth. The provision for extra players flying over on game day would only be required if either team loses multiple players on the eve of the game.
CLARKE SPEAKS UP
Ex-cricketer Michael Clarke has become a powerful advocate for men’s mental health, having experienced first-hand the devastation of losing friends to suicide.
The Big Sports Breakfast co-host is a Movember ambassador and is determined to use his profile and huge social media reach to help men who are struggling before it’s too late.
In an interview with colleague Ben Horne, Clarke tells why he is so passionate about the cause.
“I’ve had friends that have suffered with mental health and unfortunately some have taken their life so this cause is extremely close to my heart,” he said.
“It’s really sad to think globally, on average, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day.
“I believe, although men in general have come a long way talking about issues and problems, we still have a long way to go. Suicide is largely preventable.”
It is good that Clarke is talking at a time in which he personally has experienced some horrible lows with the deaths of old teammates Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds.
“It’s so important men continue to be more open and talk about things,” he said, “It makes a massive difference just to do that, but for some reason there is still a stigma around it showing weakness.
“I like that Movember focuses on prevention, early intervention and health promotion.”
WORLD CUP WORRIES
Organisers of the rugby league World Cup at the end of the season are struggling to sell the Australian TV rights.
Regular NRL broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel 9 are both baulking at the costs.
It’s hard to justify a multimillion-dollar spend for a tournament in which the majority of games will be played in the early hours of the morning in unfriendly hours for advertisers.
Tournament officials even went to Channel 7 but were quickly turned away by the network’s chief executive James Warburton because of the costs.
IRL chairman Troy Grant has now turned to NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and commission chairman Peter V’landys to try to get a deal done.
ANOTHER TSZYU TURNING HEADS
Nikita Tszyu has already caught the attention of the world’s biggest boxing promoter Eddie Hearn after just two professional fights for two stunning knockout victories.
Hearn has more than 80 of the world’s best fighters in his Matchroom stable, including superstars Anthony Joshua and Canelo Alvarez.
“Tim (Tszyu) has talent, no question, but I think his brother Nikita is equally exciting,” Hearn said.
“Nikita is a real action fighter and he and Tim can take the sport forward in Australia.
“Nikita seems quiet but there is something a bit vicious about him and fans love entertainment. He can deliver that.”
ELIAS KICKING GOALS
Not many footballers have done as well in retirement as Benny Elias.
The former Balmain Tigers, NSW and Australian hooker retired at 29 to start a mobile phone business with Telstra. He finished up with 40 stores.
Elias’ latest business venture with former cricketer and businessman Neil Maxwell is the LED light goalposts that were used in the State of Origin game at Accor Stadium.
The posts are now on their way to Perth for Origin II.
Maxwell is about to leave for Europe and the United States to sell the idea to footy codes including the NFL.
“It’s a wow factor that adds to the experience of going to the footy or watching on TV,” Elais said.
“A bit like the T20 cricket with the flashing stumps and bails.
“We presented the idea to Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo and they are going to use it for Origin and the grand final. Clubs have been reaching out to us as well.”
Elias, who has made millions post football, wants NRL clubs to set-up better opportunities for players at the end of their careers.
“There should be programs at all clubs for life after football,” he said, “Players finish up retiring and they know nothing but rugby league.
“So many great players who are close friends from footy have done it tough.
“Having a footy profile gives you the opportunity to network. You shake hands from people in the pub to prime ministers. Players need to be taught how they can benefit from that.”
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