Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Christian Volpato could slip through Socceroos fingers and play for Italy
How the Socceroos could do with Christian Volpato at the moment. The 18-year-old ‘freakish talent’ is in danger of slipping through their fingers. It’s Australia’s best sporting gossip column.
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Knights assistant coach Andrew Johns has slammed Wayne Bennett’s move to sign champion fullback Kalyn Ponga over a mid-season lunch.
“I think it’s poor form for Wayne to fly down to talk to a player during the season,” Johns said on Channel 9.
“It’s definitely a distraction.
“In 2000 Justin Hodges signed with the Roosters and Wayne put him on show in front of the team and sacked him.
“He played reserve grade for the rest of the year. It’s different when it goes the other way.”
Johns was supported by Blues coach Brad Fittler who said “It looks awful and it’s the worst look for the game.”
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Ponga met with the Dolphins coach following Friday night’s loss to the Sharks.
In the strongest indication the superstar fullback is seriously considering quitting the Newcastle Knights, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal Ponga had lunch with Bennett at a secret location in Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
Redcliffe CEO Terry Reader and recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan were also at the meeting.
The Knights skipper has become the No.1 target for the Dolphins following the decisions by Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant to remain at Melbourne Storm.
The details of Ponga’s meeting with Bennett are being kept hush-hush.
We were at first met with a terse “no comment” from a Dolphins official when asking for more details of their meeting. Ponga’s father Andre, who acts as his manager, did not return phone calls. Later in the afternoon Reader spoke to The Sunday Telegraph.
“We’re constantly talking to players about building our squad,” he said. “There’s a lot of moving pieces. We’re in negotiations every day with players and agents.
“We just don’t comment on these talks. We want the best players like the other 16 clubs. We’re doing everything we can to assemble the best roster we can.”
Ponga’s situation in Newcastle is getting more difficult each week. He went back to Newcastle on the team bus after the loss to the Sharks then returned to Sydney on Saturday morning.
With the contract speculation obviously a distraction, the Knights skipper had a poor game against the Sharks. In fairness, he is playing with heavy strapping on a knee injury that affects his lateral movement.
The Knights are understood to have offered Ponga more than $1.2 million a year to remain in Newcastle.
KIWIS BACK MAGUIRE
The New Zealand Rugby League has thrown its support behind under siege Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire as the man to take the Kiwis to the World Cup.
Despite sitting at zero from four at the bottom of the NRL table, Maguire will remain in charge of the Kiwis for a mid-year Test against Tonga and at the World Cup at the end of the season.
“Madge has done a wonderful job with the Kiwis,” said NZRL chief executive Greg Peters.
“He’s absolutely locked and loaded with us for the World Cup. I can guarantee it.”
Peters says the Wests Tigers’ form is irrelevant.
“It’s a different proposition coaching 26 weeks of the year in the NRL to a Test campaign,” he said, “The value he brings to New Zealand rugby league is immense. I’m concerned about the pressure he’s under but he can handle it.”
The NZRL and the Warriors are engaged in a turf war for hosting rights of the first game in Auckland for three years in late June.
The Warriors are planning a huge homecoming for round 16 on July 3 against the Wests Tigers at Mount Smart Stadium.
Now the NZRL wants to play a Test match against Tonga a week earlier that would coincide with State of Origin II in Perth on June 26.
* * * * *
SAINT
An epic farewell for Shane Warne at the MCG on Wednesday night. Tributes, tears and emotion in bucketloads in a wonderfully produced memorial service for TV viewers around the world. His children, Summer, Brooke and Jackson, beautifully raised by Simone and Shane, spoke with such love, passion and warmth for a dad they just adored.
SINNER
Channel 9’s decision to choose Wests Tigers v Gold Coast Titans for prime-time TV on a Thursday night – a timeslot normally reserved for teams higher up the ladder. We understand the draw was done months ago but this was never going to be a blockbuster.
SHOOSH
Roosters coach Trent Robinson might think twice about attending another Sonny Bill Williams fight at an enclosed venue any time soon. He thinks it’s where he contracted Covid, which has forced the three-time premier coach to watch the match against the Cowboys in Townsville from home in isolation.
SHOOSH
We revealed last Sunday that Tyran Smith had taken over the management of Broncos star Payne Haas from Chris and Gavin Orr. We’ve since been informed Sonny Bill Williams’s agent Khoder Nasser is actually the front-rower’s chief adviser. Khoder is acting behind the scenes because he is not an accredited player manager, which prevents him from registering contracts with the NRL. That will be Tyran Smith’s job.
SPOTTED
Canterbury Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett in the Manly Sea Eagles sheds after Sunday’s game at Brookie enjoying a beer with his old players.
SPOTTED
Cronulla Sharks enforcer Toby Rudolf having a beer on his day off at the Duke of Gloucester in Randwick on Wednesday.
SPOTTED
A new band, True Sports, featuring Mark “Spudd” Carroll (guitar) Eric Grothe Snr (guitar) Gavin Robertson (drums), Richard Chee Kee (singer), Mike Whitney (singer), along with long-time musicians Steve Balbi (bass guitar) and Andrew Dawson (keyboards) “It’s the best adrenaline I’ve had since playing rugby league,” Spudd said.
SPOTTED
Cricket legend Geoff “Henry” Lawson enjoying a chicken schnitzel at the Regent Hotel in Kingsford last weekend.
SPOTTED
Former Sydney Roosters glamour boy Russell Fairfax celebrated his 70th birthday on Wednesday night with a quiet family dinner at Little Bay.
* * * * *
The boys from the Northern Rivers Titans have barely had a training session in the past month.
Grounds have been waterlogged and their families and friends have been too busy trying to save homes and businesses in the flood-stricken area that has twice been devastated by the relentless downpours.
Their two sets of footy jerseys were lost in the floods.
Somehow the boys have still managed to make it to today’s final of the Andrew Johns Cup.
Today they will be playing for their devastated home towns against the Wests Tigers at St Marys. This is a statewide competition for one of rugby league’s most prestigious trophies for Under 16’s players.
The boys are pumped up like never before.
Last week they upset the Illawarra South Coast Dragons to make it to the final.
“We’re used to dealing with adversity from Covid for a couple of years and now the floods,” says the Titans’ operations manager Tony Maluta.
“You just try to get on with it. They want to do it for themselves and for their region.
“They want to give their hometowns something special.”
Training over the last month has been almost impossible because of waterlogged grounds.
Ballina airport has been closed so the team flew to Sydney from the Gold Coast on Saturday to have their one and only training session before the decider.
They had to borrow jerseys, shorts, socks and strapping to continue playing.
It’s why the final is more than just another footy game.
It’s about a group of proud teenagers lifting the spirits in their ravaged regions.
* * * * *
This is a remarkable story that helps explain why Australian soccer is on its knees.
Cristian Volpato, 18, was rejected from the junior academies of A-League clubs Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers.
He was picked up as a reject by Australasian soccer academy coach Tony Basha at Parramatta.
“(Sydney FC and WSW) both deemed him not good enough at Under 16s,” Basha said.
“He came to one of our training sessions and it was so obvious he was a freakish talent. A phenomenal young player.
“He didn’t miss a session and he was so committed.”
Basha got on to his contacts in Europe.
“I called my friend at AS Roma,” he said, “We got him a trial for two weeks.
“Then he got a game, came off the bench and scored three goals.
“At first they signed him on an amateur contract and now he’s got a three-year deal.
“It’s a tremendous reward for a kid who wouldn’t give up.”
The teenager made his debut eight weeks ago at AS Roma in the Serie A against Inter Milan.
Last week he scored his first goal against Hellas Verona.
Volpato is now managed by Italian legend Francesco Totti.
Last week the Sydney youngster was picked for the Italian Under 20s side.
This remarkable story says a lot about the state of Australian soccer and our struggle to make the World Cup.
That two big A League clubs in Sydney could not recognise his talent makes you wonder how many others are turned away at a young age.
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has contacted the young midfielder about playing for Australia.
At this stage AS Roma officials want him to concentrate on Serie A. It will then be a decision between Italy and Australia.
He has enormous respect for Arnold but you could not blame him for turning his back on the country that refused him an opportunity.
* * * * *
Boxer Harry Garside fights on Fox Sports on Wednesday night against a dangerous opponent, Manuer Matet, at the Hordern Pavilion.
It didn’t stop the Olympic bronze medallist from attending a Men of League fundraiser at Souths juniors on Friday as a guest speaker and donating 50 tickets to be auctioned off at the function.
Garside left as soon as lunch was being served. He needs to make weight on Tuesday and didn’t want to be tempted while guests settled in for a three-course meal.
* * * * *
The Cronulla Sharks have hosted an NRL game and A-League match within the space of 24 hours.
Ground staff swapped the rugby league posts for soccer goals not long after the Sharks beat the Newcastle Knights on Friday night.
The A-League used the venue for Wellington v Melbourne City on Saturday afternoon.
Sharks boss Dino Mezzatesta was keen to show political heavyweights that the venue can become a multipurpose facility as the government prepares to hand out suburban ground funding.
* * * * *
Don’t be surprised if Brandon Smith gets heavily sledged by the Canterbury Bulldogs forwards in Melbourne on Sunday afternoon. It will be all about his eye lashes.
Cooper Johns’ partner Kenna is a trainee beautician and needed a model last week for an assignment.
Cooper revealed last week on The Matty Johns podcast how he talked one of the toughest forwards in the NRL into having a facial, which included all the eye treatments.
* * * * *
Fox Sports is on board with boxing superstar George Kambosos for his world title defence in Melbourne on June 5. Eddie McGuire, who did a superb job at the Shane Warne memorial, will host.
Fox will also have Jeff Fenech, Barry Michael, Paul Kent and Ben Damon for what will be one of our biggest fights in boxing history.
It is a huge coup for Fox Sports on the back of Tim Tszyu’s fight in Minneapolis, which doubled the pay-per-view numbers of Sonny Bill Williams versus Barry Hall. Stan has been left with 40-year-old footballers while Fox Sports do the world champions.
* * * * *
Spare a thought for NRL referee Chris Butler, who has been waiting since the end of last season to referee his 100th game.
Butler was supposed to handle the Bulldogs v Cowboys for his milestone game in round one but became a Covid contact and was ruled out for two weeks.
Last week Butler made a comeback to regain match fitness in NSW Cup and was appointed to handle the Eels v the Dragons NRL match on Sunday.
On Wednesday, he tested positive to Covid and is out of action for another two weeks.
* * * * *
The NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley has reacted to our item from last week on James Roberts using his mobile phone in the Wests Tigers dressing room by reminding clubs of the integrity unit rules in an email to the 16 clubs which has been obtained by The Sunday Telegraph.
It reads: “Dear CEOs & Football GMs, As we move into Round 4, we ask that you please refresh your personnel and players on the requirements around the use of mobile phones in the Restricted Zone.
The details can be found at page 71-72 of the Operations Manual (Rule 12.3) attached, but in short;
From 60 minutes prior to kick-off, the use of mobile phones in the Restricted Area is only permitted by authorised persons
Authorised persons are: NRL Authorised Personnel, Club GM Football, Club Medical Officers, Orange Shirt Trainer, Club Event Manager, Club Social Media Manager and any other official approved via application to the Integrity Unit
Players included in the Final Team List may continue to use mobile phones for playing music until 30 minutes prior to kick-off, after which phones must be placed in bags and not taken out until full-time
If a Player needs to make a phone call during a match (e.g. if injured) they must do so through an Authorised Person or, in an emergency, on their own phone. Phones are not to be used for internet, social media, music or social calls during match-time.
Please speak to a compliance officer at the match or the Integrity Unit if you have any inquiries.
Kind regards, Graham.”
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