Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Fox Sports analyst Michael Ennis rushed to hospital after Covid vaccination

NRL expert Michael Ennis was a shock no-show for Fox Sport’s finals coverage after being rushed to hospital. Check out all the latest NRL chatter in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.

Adam Eliiott has parted ways with the Bulldogs.

Billionaire publican and club sponsor Arthur Laundy has spoken of his disappointment over the sacking of Adam Elliott from the Canterbury Bulldogs.

“I’ve told the club I’m extremely disappointed,” Laundy said.

“I don’t like kicking a person when they’re down. The guy’s had some problems, all of them alcohol-related, not criminal. It was stupidity more than anything else. He gets a few beers on board and has problems with that.”

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Laundy revealed he contacted Bulldogs chairman John Khoury, general manager Phil Gould and board member Joe Thomas to try to save Elliott.

“I argued my point the best I could,” Laundy said. “Perhaps I’m wrong but I’ve had a lot of experience over 60 years with this sort of thing from being in pubs.

Adam Elliott parted ways with the Bulldogs on Friday.

“I’ve always tried hard to assist people with their problems but they thought he’d had enough chances. I’ve got to accept it’s their decision.”

Laundy said it would not affect his commitment to the club as major sponsor on the front of the Bulldogs jersey. He has mentored Elliott since the beginning of the season and insists they will remain close.

“We’ve talked every Thursday afternoon,” Laundy said. “He was off the grog for over seven months. He’s an intelligent guy. He’s a physiotherapist. He was a school captain. I honestly think he’s a good person.”

Laundy gave The Sunday Telegraph a copy of a text message Elliott had sent him.

“I know I said it earlier mate but I don’t want you to think it’s just words. Can’t say how much I appreciate your mentorship and support. I promise, no matter what, I’ll make you proud from here on end.”

Laundy replied: “You are my buddy and always will be.”

Arthur Laundy was disappointed the Bulldogs axed Adam Elliott. Picture: David Swift.

All the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.

SAINTS

Former Marcellin College Randwick students Sia Soliola, Cameron Murray, Campbell Graham and John Sutton, who all videoed RUOK messages to Year 10 students at their old school last week.

SINNER

Rugby league must be the only sport on the planet where there is no reward for honesty. Paul Green could have lied to the QRL about his desire to coach in the NRL again. Instead he told the truth … and it cost him the Maroons State of Origin job.

SHOOSH

Des Hasler has not only survived a possible sacking after losing the first four games of the season but he’s also picked up a handy pay bonus (believed to be $50,000) for making the top four.

SHOOSH

Manly’s magnificent performances this year have provided a huge boost in sponsorship at corporate dollars. The club has even secured a new major sponsor for the front of their jersey next year. Expect an announcement in the next fortnight.

SHOOSH

Not everyone loved Manly’s spectacular 110-metre try in the last minute against the Cowboys last week. One punter had a multi bet to win $6000 but needed a score line of less than 59 points. The try and conversion, with seconds on the clock, made it 64 points.

SPOTTED

Ticket prices for the NRL grand final at Suncorp Stadium are far more affordable than the AFL’s at Optus Stadium in Perth. Rugby league fans can purchase a ticket for as little as $45. Their most expensive seat is $349. The AFL’s cheapest seat is $185 and their most expensive $450.

SPOTTED

Legendary racing journo Jeff ‘Pidgeon’ Collerson being inducted into the Australian Greyhound Racing Hall of Fame. This is a richly deserved honour for a man who began his career as a scribe way back in 1962 at The Daily Mirror and has devoted his life to the dishlickers, his family and his beloved Manly Sea Eagles.

Former Daily Telegraph journalist Jeff Collerson has been inducted into the Australian Greyhound Racing Hall of Fame.

SPOTTED

Cronulla Sharks and Brisbane Broncos players at Fridays nightclub in Fortitude Valley last Saturday night, all behaving themselves.

SPOTTED

Former butterfly star Geoff Huegill, who won silver and bronze at the Sydney Olympics, taking a dip in Sydney’s beautiful spring weather at Coogee Beach last week.

SPOTTED

Channel 9’s Telstra ‘fan cam’ isn’t quite the ‘live’ experience they make it out to be. After Manly scored on Friday night they flashed to a couple of young kids jumping wildly in their living room but the game on the TV was a month-old clash against the Cronulla Sharks.

ENNIS IN HOSPITAL AFTER JAB

Fox Sports commentator Michael Ennis has been rushed to hospital with what doctors have diagnosed as a bad virus or even a reaction to his Covid vaccination.

Ennis could not work on Friday or Saturday nights in his usual commentary roles after being admitted to the emergency department at Sutherland hospital.

He became ill three days after his second Pfizer injection and was kept in hospital on a drip for 24 hours to rehydrate.

The opening night of the finals was a huge ratings result for Fox Sports with the Melbourne-Manly game up 18 per cent on the corresponding match last year.

Fox League analyst Michael Ennis spent the weekend in hospital.

DUGAN SET TO DODGE FINE

The NRL is not expecting axed Cronulla star Josh Dugan to cough up the $50,000 fine from his two Covid-19 breaches.

They have no authority to enforce the payment now he’s an unregistered ‘former’ player.

It could only become an issue if Dugan has second thoughts about retirement and manages to find another NRL club for next year, which is highly unlikely.

It’s a shame he is leaving the game with his image yet again trashed from a blatant disregard for the state’s Covid laws.

On his day Dugan was a seriously great rugby league player.

TARIQ’S PAY PURSUIT PROBLEM

Most veteran forwards in the NRL should expect to play on reduced contracts.

In his final few years at Cronulla, Paul Gallen was on less than $350,000-a-season and did 12-month contracts.

This is where Tariq Sims has problems at St George Illawarra.

He is now on just under $700,000 for next year, a great salary for a 31-year-old. He will be 33 by the time the 2023 season starts and wants an extension. To expect anywhere near the money he is on right now is ludicrous.

He is a good clubman but the club is not prepared to pay stupid money – and rightly so.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH NRL PODCAST

Phil Rothfield, Michael Carayannis and Adam Mobbs deliver their verdicts on week one of the NRL finals. Plus, they tear apart the failures from this season, which teams are in for an even worse 2022 and what we’re going to do without Thursday night footy.

UK CLUBS CHASE BULLDOG LEWIS

A number of Super League clubs have expressed an interest in Lachlan Lewis, the halfback who has finished up at the Bulldogs. Lewis has however indicated he would prefer to find another club in the NRL. He needs to clear up some off-field issues that led to a recent $10,000 fine from the NRL before that will happen.

HAYNE’S MEDALS ... FOR NOW

The NRL and Parramatta Eels have still done nothing to wipe convicted rapist Jarryd Hayne from the rugby league ­history books.

Hayne — who was found guilty in March — is appealing the sexual assault conviction and the case is heading to court in November.

Meanwhile, he keeps his two Dally M medals and the two Ken Thornett medals from the Parramatta Eels. There’s also the three Brad Fittler medals for NSW’s State of Origin player of the series.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said the call on Hayne would be made after the appeal hearing.

“It’s a really important issue that we need to deal with and it will be one that the (ARL) Commission considers carefully once the legal process has come to its ­conclusion,” he said.

TOM’S TABLE TENNIS TITLE

Tom ‘Turbo’ Trbojevic is not just the best footy player at the Manly Sea Eagles. He is also a table tennis genius and has won every tournament while the players have been together on the Sunshine Coast for the last eight weeks.

PRESSURE ON BROWN AT WOEFUL WARRIORS

It’s interesting that New Zealand Warriors coach Nathan Brown has escaped much scrutiny after another poor season.

Brown has run 16th, 16th, 11th, 11th and 12th in his last five years of NRL coaching. Yet he appears to be a protected media favourite, unlike Michael Maguire at the Tigers or Canterbury’s Trent Barrett.

A shocking 44-0 loss to the Gold Coast Titans in the last round should surely have set the alarm bells off with senior management at the club. You can’t keep ignoring consistent failure.

FRIGHTENING FOR THE FEARLESS

Martin Lang ran the football as hard and fearlessly as any rugby league forward I’ve ever seen. Yet the big fella has revealed a terrifying fear for rodents.

The former Queensland Maroons front-rower took to social media last week to explain how his 70-year-old father, premiership-winning coach Johnny Lang, had to come to his rescue to deal with a dead rat.

“I’ve never met anyone like my dad,” he said. “He is completely selfless.

“It would seem there is a dead rodent in my roof. I am rodent phobic, absolutely terrified.

“At the age of 70, dad has just offered to climb into the roof space and dispose of it for me.

He’s one in a million.”

Former coach John Lang came to the aid of his son, former Panther Martin Lang, to get rid of a rodent in his roof.

SUPERCOACH ARNIE

No Tim Cahill, No Mile Jedinak, No Mark Milligan, No worries.

And no wonder the sporting world is talking up coach Graham Arnold and his feats with the Socceroos.

The usual suspects were critical of the fact we only got one goal against Vietnam last week. Still it’s 10 wins in a row and a magnificent achievement for Arnie and his new look squad given the Covid problems they have had to endure.