Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Shane Flanagan return to Sharks rumours
Rumours linking coach Shane Flanagan with a controversial return to Cronulla won’t go away - but here’s why it won’t happen. Check out all the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
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All the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
SAINT
The magnificent leadership of Peter V’landys has been largely responsible for the most remarkable rugby league season we’ve ever experienced. Bold calls on rule changes improved the spectacle and the dismissal of Todd Greenberg gave management the shake-up it needed. The NRL is again the greatest game of all.
SINNER
The rumour that won’t go away about Mitchell Pearce wanting out from the Newcastle Knights because he has been asked to take a pay cut of almost 40 per cent in his next contract. Pearce didn’t have his best season but he is still their only option to captain the team. Big money deals with Kalyn Ponga and Tyson Frizell has created salary cap pressure.
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SHOOSH
Speculation that Shane Flanagan will return to Cronulla when his ban expires in 2022 is wrong. It won’t happen. If John Morris is replaced, it will be someone like Penrith assistant Cameron Ciraldo or even Paul Green.
SHOOSH
Which Melbourne Storm player tried to cash in on the leaked Dally M result on Monday evening by betting teammates that Nathan Cleary wouldn’t win. The players eventually woke up to the ‘scam’ and turned him down.
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SHOOSH
Melbourne Storm will have much extra support in the big game, especially from Wests Tigers fans still dirty on the Panthers’ coach Ivan Cleary. Cleary was the one who hired Josh Reynolds, among other poor signings. Reynolds has earned more than $2 million for 22 games at the Wests Tigers in three years. That’s more than $90,000 per game.
SPOTTED
You mightn’t recognise old 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley when he walks into ANZ Stadium this evening to call his 30th grand final. The great man has shed 14kg after taking on a new diet and exercise program on the advice of his GP. Hadley has also signed up as an ambassador for the adopt-a-greyhound program.
SPOTTED
A dog named Bradman Best — after the Knights centre — won brilliantly on debut at Maitland dishlickers last week despite being last away in a 400m race. He goes round again at Maitland on Monday.
SPOTTED
After working on the Fox Sports studio panel for Penrith’s semis against the Roosters and the Rabbitohs, club legend Greg Alexander has been given the night off to enjoy the grand final.
SPOTTED
To cash in on Penrith making the grand final, ANZ Stadium is selling Panther Burgers (in a black bun) to fans at the game. While the quantity of food and beverages will be well down on previous years due to the capped crowd, fans will still get through 12,500 buckets of chips, 5000 hotdogs, 6000 pies, 3000 sandwiches, while guzzling down 60,000 cups of beer, 3000 glasses of wine and 14,000 bottles of water.
EELS SNARE TV RATINGS TITLE
The Parramatta Eels have won the title as the season’s most watched NRL club on Fox Sports and Kayo.
The Eels had an average audience of 378,000 — more viewers than any of their NRL or AFL rivals thanks to their fanatical blue and gold army in Sydney’s west — up 10 per cent on last year. OzTAM ratings also reveal Parramatta as the most watched football team in any code on pay TV and free-to-air TV.
“Having an average of 378,000 viewers on Fox and Kayo each week is a phenomenal result and a testament to our members and fans who support our club with pride,” Eels chief executive Jim Sarantinos said. “It’s also a terrific outcome for our sponsors. We are by no means done and plan to build in 2021.”
Melbourne Storm came in second on 360,000, with Sunday’s opponents Penrith eighth with 330,000. The Gold Coast Titans and the New Zealand Warriors finished equal-last with an average of 271,000 viewers.
The round-six Roosters v Eels game was the most watched pay TV game, with an average audience of 507,000. The second-highest was Sonny Bill Williams’ comeback for the Roosters against the Raiders on a Saturday night in round 17.
SMITH’S FUTURE AT FOX SPORTS?
Just imagine it … Fox Sports firebrand Paul Kent on the same panel as Cameron Smith on NRL 360 next year.
Well, it’s not totally out of the question.
Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley admits the network will have talks with the Melbourne Storm superstar after the grand final.
“Cameron Smith is the most natural television talent of the current crop and arguably the best for some time,” Crawley said.
“He’s got a natural laugh, he lights up and when he’s in a good mood, it comes through.
“Cameron’s been with us for a number of years. We’ll talk to him for sure, depending on what he does because he still hasn’t said he’s retiring.
“He and Matty Johns have got a great relationship. That’s not necessarily the case with everyone at our place, but that’s OK. We don’t have to go to each other’s place for dinner.”
NRL’s FORGOTTEN MAN SKIPS GF
For the first time since the year 2000, Todd Greenberg won’t be at ANZ Stadium for the decider.
He was working in commercial at ANZ Stadium that year before heading to the Bulldogs and then the NRL as head of football before taking over as chief executive.
He’ll be watching the Panthers versus Storm with his family from home in Blakehurst.
“I’ve got my mum, my dad and all my brothers all coming over,” Greenberg said. “We’ll have a barbie and a beer and I can’t wait for it.
“It will be a nice change not having to work.
“It should be a cracking game between two sides that both deserve to be there.”
Greenberg is still undecided about his next career move.
COACHING CALLS FOR COMMENTATOR
There’s talk that Sunday night’s game might be the last for a prominent Channel 9 commentator, who is telling colleagues he is bored with television and wants to find a coaching gig. This is potentially a huge story if he finishes up at the club he wants to join.
NRL DRAWS UP 2021 SCHEDULE
Work on the 2021 NRL draw is well advanced.
Fox Sports and Channel 9 have chosen their preferred games and clubs have submitted their specific requests.
Venue availability has been factored in and all that is left now is for the NRL computer program to start crunching the data and spit out draft draws until the optimum outcome is achieved. All going well, the draw could be out by the end of November.
You can expect the season will open with the Roosters v Rabbitohs, which will be even spicier considering Nick Politis looks like pinching teenage sensation Joseph Suaalii from Redfern.
SLEEP TO BEAT ORIGIN FATIGUE
After the toughest of NRL seasons, Blues coach Freddy Fittler will be ramming home the importance of sleep to his players during the Origin series.
“I find the players have more clarity, more focus, their reaction times are better and they make better decisions on the field if they are well rested,” he said.
“It’s important players get as much sleep as possible.”
Fittler has taken professional advice from the medical experts at ResMed and is now an ambassador for the company.
BELLYACHE’S GRAND FINAL HISTORY
Craig Bellamy knows all about the pressure from grand final day.
This is from the Big League program way back in 1990 when, as a halfback, Bellyache skippered the Canberra Raiders in the reserve-grade grand final against a Broncos team that included the great centre Steve “Pearl” Renouf.
NRL MASK MERCHANDISE MADNESS
Club-branded face masks have been the hottest merchandise item of the NRL finals and there will be scores of Panthers and Storm masks in the crowd on Sunday night.
Our great mate, league legend Peter Wynn, said his sports store had sold face masks “in their thousands” during the finals, with massive demand for all Panthers merchandise.
“Penrith jerseys, grand final T-shirts, caps and scarfs have all been flying out the door but the demand for masks has been something else because it’s part of the look this year,” Wynn said. “It’s all about showing your teams colours while staying COVID-safe.”
Fans are being strongly encouraged to take a mask to the grand final and wear it getting to and from the stadium, and when moving around inside the venue.
MATCH OFFICIALS STAYING ISOLATED
NRL referees are the forgotten victims of the COVID-19 restrictions in place for most of the season. Just like the players, the refs have had to comply with strict protocols limiting their contact with the outside world since the competition resumed in May. A small group will continue to be segregated after the grand final in preparation for the Origin series before getting only a short break then starting all over again in preparation for the 2021 season.