Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Anger over hair-pulling Parra stars Mitchell Moses and Maika Sivo

The Sea Eagles are fuming after two Parramatta players – including Mitch Moses – were charged over hair pulling. PLUS see the full SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH.

Lindsay Bowne for Sunday Buzz

Two Parramatta Eels players have been fined $750 each for hair-pulling in Thursday night’s match against the Sea Eagles.

Halfback Mitchell Moses and winger Maika Sivo appeared on the match review charge sheet on Friday for contrary conduct.

It turns out Moses pulled second-rower Kelma Tuilagi’s hair and Sivo grabbed the locks of winger Christian Tuipulotu.

“Good on the match review committee,” said Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov.

“This sort of stuff might have happened 30 years ago but it doesn’t belong anymore.”

Old Balmain Tigers warhorse Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach had a laugh when we spoke to him on Saturday.

Blocker’s front-row partner in the old days was Kerry Hemsley, a bikie lookalike with hair down to his shoulders.

Eels halfback Mitchell Moses pulls the hair of Manly's Kelma Tuilagi at 4 Pines Park

“Kerry was a tough bugger,” Roach said. “No one was game to touch his hair.

“Goodness knows what would have happened if they did.

“Of all the scrums we packed into, no one ever tried.”

It probably doesn’t help that both Manly players have long hair.

“I don’t know how they train and play with all that hair,” Blocker said.

“You get that hot you’d melt.”

Moses and Sivo are hardly the first players to be charged for hair-pulling.

No less than 15 players in the past five years have been charged.

Obviously the $750 fines aren’t much of a deterrent, especially for someone like Moses who is about to sign a $5 million deal for the next four years.

The Eels have had a disastrous start to the season with three straight losses.

It doesn’t get any easier next week against Penrith at Comm Bank Stadium and the Roosters the following week.

It also doesn’t help that three of their first five games are against teams coming off a bye - Manly, Penrith and the Roosters.

30 PANADOL A WEEK — FOOTY PLAYER’S 25-YEAR STRUGGLE

Lindsay Bowne was never a big-name rugby league player.

He had two seasons at the Cronulla Sharks back in the ’90s and played 250-odd games in the bush, a handy fullback, centre or winger.

Lindsay Bowne for Sunday Buzz

Like many old footballers, he’s now struggling. He could have done with the NRL’s new 11-day concussion stand-down rule back in the old days.

The 56-year-old takes up to 30 Panadol some weeks to treat shocking headaches.

“It’s been going on for about 25 years since I stopped playing,” Bowne says.

Some nights the pain is so bad he wakes up and needs an ice pack and cold towels on his head to comfort himself.

“Or I’ll sleep on a towel on the bathroom floor – the cold tiles help,” he says.

“I’ve just got to live with it.”

Bowne started his career at Lakes United in Newcastle and won a premiership in the same side as Paul “The Chief’ Harragon the year before the Knights entered the comp.

He moved to Grafton for a year and was then picked up by Arthur Beetson at the Sharks for two seasons and 26 games.

After that it was back to bush footy.

He’s telling his story today to contribute to the NRL’s important concussion debate.

To encourage critics such as Phil Gould to get on board the NRL’s head-knock stance.

“I didn’t keep count, but I probably got concussed more than a dozen times,” he says.

“I wasn’t a great player, but we played hard and got lots of knocks. The contact was ferocious. You’d get a heavy knock but you’d get back up and go again.”

Life has been a long, tough struggle for two decades. Broken relationships, depression and lots of pain.

“I don’t talk much,” Bowne says. “Even at dinner. My head’s just going bang, bang.

“It probably cost me my last relationship.

“Sometimes I come home from work and just want to lie down in a dark room.

“My previous partner used to say, ‘you don’t talk much, you don’t talk much’.

“I used to have to drive from Tamworth to Quirindi, about 45 minutes, in my job as a racecourse manager.

“Sometimes I’d have to pull over to the side of the road. I was feeling that crook.”

Bowne is not interested in litigation.

“I just want to support the NRL,” he said.

“And let the current players know these new measures are best for their long-term health.

“I’m not saying what I’ve suffered is all from football but ... it started when I finished playing.

“It’s a really important topic and I want to encourage other ex-players to speak up as well.”

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The Penrith squad spent some time with the locals during their mid-season trip to Kiama. Credit: Supplied.

SAINT

The Penrith Panthers stayed in Kiama last week for a team camp, NSW police were staying at the same hotel for a conference. A cop texted me: “They were thorough gentleman and went out of their way to be polite to all guests. They are a credit to the game.”

SINNER

Two politicians going into an election, Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns, who couldn’t give a stuff about rugby league fans having to put up with antiquated suburban venues and shocking facilities at Manly, Leichhardt and Cronulla. Hundreds of thousands of fans use these venues every season. They are community assets that urgently need funding.

SHOOSH

There is a well-known salary cap rorter who throws his cash around at one club to help attract or keep players. This guy contacted me last week with outrageous suggestions of alleged cheating at a rival club. Talk about pot, kettle, black.

Former Kangaroos captain Ron Coote would make an ideal Immortal.

SHOOSH

The push is gaining momentum for the NRL to name legend Ron Coote as an Immortal — and it’s long overdue. Coote won six of the nine grand finals he played in at Souths and the Roosters. He captained Australia. He was the driving force behind the Men of League charity. He should have been given this honour 20 years ago.

SPOTTED

Cricket legend Steve Waugh, league stars Nicho Hynes, Dale Finucane, Cameron Ciraldo, Jason Demetriou, George Burgess and basketball great Shane Heal at the launch of Jason Stevens’ new movie, Finally Me, at Hoyts Cronulla.

SPOTTED

Boxing in this country is now a lucrative business. Trent Rose, younger brother of promoters Matt and George, turned up for the Tim Tszyu fight at Homebush in a blue Lamborghini. And then stepped out of the $450,000 car wearing a Versace jacket.

SPOTTED

Tim Tszyu in first class on his way to Europe for a holiday. He got to see the Real Madrid v Liverpool Champions League game in Spain.

SPOTTED

We thought Wests Tigers’ new $40 million centre of excellence catered for everything. Obviously not. John Bateman has appealed on social media to find a recovery centre. “A place that does massage, infra-red treatments, cupping, sauna recovery around the Sydney city area.”

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POACHING WARS FOR NRL STARS

Poaching wars in rugby league have spilt into the NRLW competition where it is on for young and old.

The Sharks have pinched excitement machine Jada Taylor from the Roosters, the girl who scored the length-of-the-field try of the year last season.

The Parramatta Eels also look like losing Tiana Penitani to Cronulla.

The Roosters have pinched front-rower Millie Boyle from Newcastle.

The Canberra Raiders have snared Simaima Taufa from the Eels.

And the Wests Tigers are desperately chasing Jess Sergis from the Roosters.

Jada Taylor in action for the Indigenous All Stars. Picture: NRL Imagery

AGENT’S FALL OUT WITH SEA EAGLES

Relationships have become strained between top player agent Mario Tartak and Sea Eagles chief executive Tony Mestrov.

Tartak manages Alec Tuitavaki and Villiame Fifita, the highly regarded young Manly forwards who have signed with St George Illawarra.

The Sea Eagles are not happy about it, especially in losing Fifita, who is an outstanding prospect. However they have to stay onside with Tartak.

He also manages three of Manly’s best players – Haumole Olakau’atu, Josh Schuster and Jason Saab.

CLEARY’S SWING COMPARED TO LEGEND

We all know Nathan Cleary is good with his feet.

The Penrith Panthers superstar can kick goals and put up bombs better than most.

It even translates to the golf course.

We sent a picture of Nathan’s backswing from his Instagram account to Gary Barter, the coach of some of Australia’s best players, to get an expert analysis.

He liked it … and even sent back a photo of Jack Nicklaus, comparing Cleary’s feet position to the legendary Golden Bear.

Jack Nicklaus' golf swing. Credit: Supplied.

Nathan Cleary's golf swing. Credit: Supplied.

Cleary is a handy golfer who plays off 12, although during the footy season he only gets to play once a fortnight.

Barter checked out other photos of Cleary’s swing that we sent to him.

“He’s obviously a gifted all-round sportsman,” Barter said. “His transition into the ball is seriously as good as it gets. I’m very impressed.”

Other than Cleary, there are a number of NRL players who have excelled at golf

Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was a New Zealand junior champion. He plays off single figures.

Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga has played off a handicap as low as four. And Luke Keary plays off seven.

R.I.P WALSHY

The media and corporate world are mourning the loss of TV legend and a great mate in Brian Walsh, who passed on Friday.

For all Walshy achieved in television, arguably his greatest success was in rugby league. He was the marketing guru back in the ’70s and ’80s behind the Amco Cup.

Despite doubts that a midweek comp would work, he operated alongside promoter Colin McLennan to ensure it was a success and a must-watch TV competition.

He also managed glamour boy Andrew Ettingshausen for his whole career.

He was a great man and a great operator.