NRL 2022: Kangaroos Rugby League World cup advantage | Saint, Sinner, Shoosh
Australia are already heavy favourites to win the Rugby League World Cup, and they have one big advantage over rival nations. Find out in Australia’s best sports gossip column.
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The Kangaroos have a nice advantage over their rivals for the rugby league World Cup — they are travelling to England in the luxury of business class while all other teams are further back in the plane.
Under the tournament rules, the International Rugby League provides only premium economy seats for each country.
The Australian Rugby League is the only national body with enough funds to bump the players forward into business class for the draining 24-hour flight.
They will hit the ground running while their weary rivals battle jet lag.
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The Kiwis and their big men Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joe Tapine, James Fisher Harris and Nelson Asofa-Solomona will have to squeeze their big frames into the smaller seats.
Meanwhile, the Kangaroos have beds to sleep on, four-course dinner and wine choices.
The Aussies are also well looked after once they arrive in England. Every player gets his own hotel room while those from other countries share twin accommodation.
After Friday night in Melbourne can you imagine JWH and NAS have to share the same room. Good luck with that.
NRL STAR’S WORLD CUP BID REJECTED
Manly utility star Dylan Walker has been banned from representing New Zealand at the rugby league World Cup at the end of the season over qualification rules.
This is despite the fact he has proudly represented the New Zealand Maori All-Stars three times through his family heritage. His dad is a New Zealander.
It’s all because Walker played for Australia eight years ago at the 2014 Four Nations tournament. He was a teenager in those days but now wants to honour his dad’s heritage at the World Cup.
New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Greg Peters plans to appeal the decision.
“We lodged an initial submission for Dylan but they said no,” Peters said. “We were invited to submit further information which we are assembling now.”
The appeal will be based around the vast number of international qualification rule changes made since Walker played for Australia. One rule that’s never changed is players representing Australia, England or New Zealand cannot switch to another Tier 1 nation.
Walker is hoping he can be cleared.
“It’s something I’ve become very passionate about,” he said. “Especially since I started playing for the New Zealand Maori team. It would be an honour to wear the jersey.”
He has previously spoken to News Corp about his Maori heritage.
“Being in the Maori camp I learnt a lot about my culture and there was a lot of self-healing for me,” he said. “I dived deep into myself in just trying to be a better person as a father, partner, teammate, brother, sister, uncle, son.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ: MAL’S BIG TICK FOR BLUES OUTCAST
“I don’t think I have ever felt that sort of pride or passion in a jumper before because that jersey represents me and my people.”
The last player to represent both the Kiwis and Kangaroos was Tonie Carroll. He played five Tests for New Zealand in 2000 and then seven for Australia in 2004/2005.
SAINT
Canterbury Bulldogs had 20 pizzas left over in the dressing room after the game at CommBank Stadium last week. Team manager Freddy Ciraldo put them in the back of his car and delivered them to a church in Parramatta to feed the homeless.
SINNER
The NRL judiciary panel members who downgraded Wests Tigers captain James Tamou’s referee-abuse charge to a pathetic one-week suspension. Sure, it was an out-of-character brain snap, but calling ref Ben Cummins “f---ing incompetent” warrants a much tougher sanction.
SHOOSH
Radio 2GB’s Continuous Call team has had another victory in the latest rugby league ratings. However, there is concern for management in that the final numbers show their once-unassailable lead is under serious threat, especially on Sundays.
SHOOSH
Which NRL club’s general manager of football gave a termination letter to the wrong employee last week. The football department staff member opened the envelope and said: “That’s not me.”
SHOOSH
Which Manly assistant coach is looking for a new job at rival NRL clubs next year, including the Gold Coast Titans, knowing changes are in the pipeline on the northern peninsula.
SPOTTED
The most beautiful and stunning picture of South Sydney star and proud dad Damien Cook with his daughter Willow and newborn son and brother Jagger.
SPOTTED
South Sydney star Cody Walker at the annual Police Legacy fundraiser ball at the International Convention Centre, where he was interviewed by Ben Fordham and spoke impressively.
SPOTTED
Sportsbet odds spruiker and radio broadcaster Joel Caine with veteran jockey Glyn Schofield on a train from the Sutherland to North Sydney.
SPOTTED
Swimming superstar Emma McKeon and partner Cody Simpson shopping at Bondi Junction Westfield on Monday.
WAUGH STILL A WARRIOR
Cricket legend Steve Waugh finished up in hospital last week after a car accident.
The three-vehicle prang became a painful reminder for the former Australia captain and his famous on-field collision with Jason Gillespie in 1999.
The airbag went off in the collision, straight into Waugh’s face.
It wasn’t serious but required medical attention due to the long-lasting effects of the sickening clash with Gillespie all those years ago.
Despite a brief hospital visit, Waugh was back working a day later proving, just like in his playing days, he’s as tough as they come.
HOT PROPERTY TO ISAAC
Player agent Isaac Moses has returned from his suspension to secure the hottest player in rugby league into his stable.
Moses has picked up Sydney Roosters’ teenage sensation Joseph Suaalii, who is expected to be the centre of a tug of war between the club’s billionaire boss Nick Politis and Rugby Australia.
Moses has previously looked after some of the biggest names in Australian sport including champion hooker Cameron Smith and Israel Folau.
DISCONTENT BURNS AT DRAGONS
The rumours will not go away about player unrest at struggling St George Illawarra Dragons after another disappointing season.
Last week we were told key Dragons forwards Jaydn Su’a and Blake Lawrie headed a list of disgruntled players at the club.
We were even told Su’a had gone as far as asking for a release with two years remaining on his contract.
St George Illawarra general manager of football Ben Haran denies this although he admits it’s not the first time it’s been mentioned.
“We’ve heard a murmur about it but nothing formal has come to us,” Haran said. “Jaydn certainly hasn’t asked for a release. Not at this stage anyway.
“We’re all a bit frustrated about the way we’ve gone this year but Jaydn is a big part of our future.”
The former Broncos and Souths forwards plays his 100th NRL game against the Wests Tigers on Sunday.
SERIOUS BOUT OF INTEREST IN GAL CHALLENGE
Boxing promotor George Rose has hit back at critics of Paul Gallen’s double-header bout against retired old footy players Justin Hodges and Ben Hannant.
Australia’s most experienced boxing referee and judge Charlie Lucas called for the fight to be stopped in this column last weekend while others have labelled it a circus.
Rose insists the September 15 fight in Brisbane has created huge interest with ringside seating selling out in only 72 hours. He has had to reconfigure the floor space to allow more people ringside.
“It’s pretty crazy concept but we are here to entertain,” Rose said, “Love him or hate him, Gal’s still without question one of the toughest and biggest drawcards in Aussie sport.
“People just love seeing him throwing them in big time events, and there’s no better way to do that than seeing him punch on with two Queensland legends in their own backyard.”
GALLOP TO CONDUCT NETBALL REVIEW
Former NRL and Australian soccer boss David Gallop knows more about the challenges facing professional sport in this country than most.
This is why the management consultancy firm that he chairs has been chosen to head up Netball Australia’s State of the Game review amid a crisis in the sport.
The review comes at a time when Netball Australia has reported multimillion-dollar losses and a private equity offer for Suncorp Super Netball had been tabled, then subsequently withdrawn.
Gallop and fellow alacria director, Luke Bould, have both experienced the highs and lows of private ownership in Australia sport in the NRL and at Football Australia.
In soccer, the privately and mostly foreign owned A-League clubs fought Gallop and the Lowy family at every turn and managed to set A League back years — from which it has not recovered.
Alacria’s netball review will look at all ways to grow the league and attract new commercial investment, something Gallop and Bould achieved at record levels in soccer. Netball should be in a much better position once the review is completed at the end of September.
FAREWELL TO A GOOD GUY
Rugby league has lost another good guy with the passing of Tony Townsend, a former St George Dragons and then foundation Newcastle Knights player. Tony, who was 61, also had a great career in the police force, rising to the rank of Hunter District Chief Inspector. He had been fighting leukaemia for almost a decade.
Tony was also still involved on the Newcastle Knights’ old boy’s committee.
A GREAT SHIFT, BOB
One of the NRL’s most valuable and experienced employees will retire after next weekend’s final round. Bob Lanigan, a sharp-shooting goalkicker for Newtown in the 1960s, has been in charge of more than 650 games as a ground manager over 23 seasons, including grand finals, Origins and Tests. The NRL will give Bob the honour of ringing the two-minute bell at the new Allianz Stadium next weekend before the Roosters v Rabbitohs blockbuster.
THE GOOD GUY TALAKAI
You’ve got to love the culture of community at the Cronulla Sharks. Check out this recent post on Facebook:
“My tyre just blew up on a busy road. A million cars drove by while I was changing the tyre. One car stopped and offered to lend a hand. None other than Siosifa Talakai.
“We have the GREATEST team of absolute top shelf humans.”
FITTLER MEDAL NO SHOW
The prestigious Brad Fittler Medal night is to honour the NSW Blues best player, most likely James Tedesco this year. Sadly it will be a bit of an anticlimax because it clashes with the Penrith Panthers’ presentation night on September 12. More than half of the Blues side will be missing.
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