Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Promoter’s bid for Will Chambers-Kane Evans boxing bout

Wayne Bennett hasn’t always left his footy clubs in good condition. But the South Sydney Rabbitohs are a completely different story — check out all the latest NRL chatter and more.

Australia’s No.1 fight promoter wants to sort out the ugliest feud in rugby league inside a boxing ring.

No Limit boss Matt Rose will approach New Zealand Warriors forward Kane Evans to fight Cronulla Sharks veteran Will Chambers in November.

The bout would be part of No Limit’s Magic Weekend of boxing that will feature a Tim Tszyu super fight, Paul Gallen and all the biggest names in Australian boxing — live on Fox Sports.

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Rose will contact Evans this week about stepping into the ring against the man who unleashed the most explosive sledging tirade in years in the Sharks versus Warriors game last weekend.

The front-rower reacted by throwing two punches that landed him in the sin bin and cost his team a player at a vital time in the match. He was also suspended.

Chambers stood there and laughed as Evans’ rage boiled over.

“We think it’s a tremendous opportunity for both of the boys,” Rose said. “It’s now up to us to make it happen. Kane’s obviously not happy about what was said and this is something all fans would really love to see.”

The promoter will also approach 33-year-old Chambers, who has been benched for Sunday’s match against the Knights.

His verbal attacks on Warriors players Matt Lodge, Sean O’Sullivan and rookie Viliami Vailea have been described as deeply personal.

Chambers is six years older than Evans and will have to give away 10kg to his opponent if the fight goes ahead.

His contract with the Sharks is up at the end of the season and he is unlikely to be offered a new deal by incoming head coach Craig Fitzgibbon.

Will Chambes is unlikely to be offered a new deal at the Sharks next season. Picture: NRL Images

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

SAINT

The mums who volunteer to run the canteens, wash the jerseys, manage the teams and drop the kids to training have thankfully been around forever. It’s the ever increasing number of young women who are playing the game, the coaches, the referees, the administrators at the NRL and the clubs, plus the women in the media, who make this such a special weekend to acknowledge their contribution to the greatest game of all.

SINNER

It’s hard to be critical of the NRL this year because they have done such a terrific job to keep the comp going with all the Covid dramas. However, the match review committee is a joke. Corey Hawawira-Naera gets three weeks for knocking out Jahrome Hughes in a shocking head-high. He should have got six. Victor Radley gets three weeks for a charge-down. Nathan Cleary gets off for a shoulder charge. It’s a dead-set lottery.

Former Storm halfback Cooper Cronk labelled the shot as “one of the worst”, with Raider Corey Harawira-Naera set to be sidelined for a long time after his ugly high tackle. @FatimaKdouh_https://t.co/N481fKg0sQ

— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) August 13, 2021

SHOOSH

Talk about a potential family drama … Channel 9’s head of football is Simon Fordham. His cousin is Nick Fordham, an agent who looks after Wally Lewis and Nine commentators James Bracey, Alana Ferguson and Sonny Bill Williams. “King Wally” will not have his contract renewed at the end of the season. Peter Sterling has quit. Others are apparently facing the chop. Watch this space.

SHOOSH

A former NRL star walked into a newsagent in the Shire last week without a mask, ignored the QR code sign-in to check a Lotto ticket and then argued with staff. We won’t name him on this occasion because it was out of character but next time he chooses to put the public at risk, we certainly will.

SHOOSH

We’re hearing Sydney Rooster Angus Crichton will reject overtures from rugby union to sign a new contract with the Roosters for a further two years.

SPOTTED

Many NRL stars have taken on domestic duties while based in Queensland. Rabbitoh Cam Murray is one, doing his own washing and surviving without a laundry service.

Cam Murray attends to his domestic duties.

SPOTTED

The Wests Tigers have all chipped in to buy a barbecue to use at their hotel in Brisbane. They say the Lebanese lamb and chicken kebabs Adam Doueihi and Alex Twal cook over hot coals are delicious.

SPOTTED

Tokyo bronze medallist Harry Garside is not just an outstanding boxer. He is also a gentleman. It is a tradition at Qantas for Olympic medallists to fly business class on the way home. But Harry organised to transfer his seat to his coach and moved to the back with the punters.

WHO WILL LEAD PRIDE OF LEAGUE

Wayne Bennett hasn’t always left his footy clubs in good condition.

It took the Newcastle Knights three wooden spoons and years to recover from his stint in the Hunter.

The Broncos have also been a diabolical mess since his departure in 2018.

But the South Sydney Rabbitohs are a completely different story.

The seven-time premier coach will hand over to Jason Demetriou a footy club that is in a position to dominate for years with the most outstanding leadership group.

It’s to such an extent that the departure of club legend Adam Reynolds in eight weeks will create a major dilemma for Demetriou, CEO Blake Solly and the club’s board.

Who should be captain and how do you separate four outstanding contenders — lock Cameron Murray, five-eighth Cody Walker, hooker Damien Cook and fullback Latrell Mitchell.

It’s a “predicament” other clubs would love to be in.

Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker are among the candidates to skipper the Rabbitohs next season. Picture: Brett Costello

All four have emerged under Bennett’s guidance as magnificent leaders.

None more so than Mitchell who has grown remarkably into the leadership group since arriving and overcoming some difficult issues.

The same with Walker, who is the club’s nomination for the prestigious Ken Stephens Medal for his contributions on and off the field in the community over the past year.

At 24, there is no doubt local junior Murray will one day captain the club.

Whether it’s next year remains to be seen.

Cook is the most experienced of the quartet with the most NRL games and most experience in State of Origin and international football with the NSW Blues and the Kangaroos.

Whichever way they go, you know the Rabbitohs will be left in good hands when Reynolds joins the Broncos.

WESTS TIGERS’ BIGGEST WIN

The Wests Tigers have scored by far their most important win of the season, most appropriately in women in league round.

This victory is far more significant than any result on the scoreboard.

Clair Schwencke is the executive assistant to Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe and a much-admired employee who, like a lot of women in the game, works tirelessly behind the scenes.

Last season she was voted club person of the year at the presentation night.

Clair Schwenke was voted club person of the year at the Tigers last season.

At the beginning of this year, on the day before the club’s first trial game, Clair was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.

The prognosis was grim for the mother of two but she worked as many hours as she could while undergoing gruelling treatment.

Clair has fought the disease with incredible courage every day. Not once complaining.

Last Thursday, specialists carried out another round of surgery.

Then came confirmation that the prayers of every footy club employee and every player at the Wests Tigers had been answered.

The cancer has now gone.

It is a beautiful story in what’s been a tough year for the Wests Tigers.

TOM’S SPIRIT TYPICAL

There have been so many stories of courage in the NRL this year.

St George Illawarra skipper Ben Hunt twice played on with a broken leg and a broken arm in two games.

On Friday night, Raiders hooker Tom Starling copped a stray but accidental knee to the face against the Melbourne Storm.

There were 12 minutes left on the clock and the Raiders were still a hope so he stayed on.

After the game Starling was taken to a Gold Coast hospital where X-rays revealed he had a broken jaw.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart spoke of his bravery with enormous pride: “It typifies what our club is all about. Tom’s attitude runs right across the team. It’s been a challenging year but no one gives up. We’ll certainly miss him.”

CELEBRATED DONATION

The NRL’s July try celebrations raised $265,000 for Mose Masoe, the former NRL star who suffered a career ending spinal injury in the UK Super League.

Players were encouraged to go all out after touching down, with Sportsbet donating $5000 per celebration with all proceeds going to Mose.

Mose and his family will return home to Australia in December and settle on the Sunshine Coast, where the money will go towards a specially-designed house.

Mose has in recent times undertaken educational courses in welfare and wellbeing and is looking to find employment in that area when he returns.

Mose Masoe will return to Australia in December. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

REYNOLDS MISSES FOND FAREWELL

Covid has ruined Souths’ chances of hosting a home match-day farewell for skipper Adam Reynolds, who is off to the Broncos next year. However, Souths Juniors are hoping the virus clears to hold a celebration dinner for the club’s highest points scorer in history in November. Reynolds has just put his house on the market and is looking at property in Brisbane.

MADGE’S MADNESS TO ‘CAPTAIN FARAH’

There won’t be as much ranting and raving or F-bombs from Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire in part three of the Fox Sports documentary Wild Wests: Tales from Tiger Town, screening on Monday at 7.30pm on Fox League.

We’re told that this episode features club legend Robbie Farah mic’d up in his role as trainer at the hallowed Leichhardt Oval, revving up the players on game day.

“He’s out there all the time and sounds like a captain,” one observer said.

Watch new FOX SPORTS Original Production ‘Wild Wests: Tales from Tiger Town’ four-part docu-series on Kayo >

CRONK JOINS QRL BOARD

Cooper Cronk’s appointment to the board of Queensland Rugby League to replace Ben Ikin is an interesting one, especially given his relationship with Cameron Smith and talk that his former Melbourne Storm skipper is interested in coaching the Queensland Maroons alongside Billy Slater.

FENECH’S PERFECT MATCH

Jeff Fenech and his lovely wife Suzee celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Tuesday with a quiet family dinner due to the lockdown. The boxing legend splashed out big time on gifts, spending more than $50,000 on a ring and necklace from Cerrone Jewellers, where Suzee’s original wedding ring was made. It’s hard to believe that all those years ago wedding guests ran a sweepstake on how long Suzee could last with the old “Marrickville Mauler”.

Jeff Fenech and his wife Suzee celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last week.

BURTON’S AGENT DEFENDS DEAL

Matt Burton’s manager David Riolo has rejected claims that he undersold the Penrith Panthers star half to Canterbury Bulldogs for $1 million over two years.

According to good league judges, Burton would be worth $700,000 a year or even $1.5m over two seasons if he’d waited till now.

“We’re not bothered by it at all,” Riolo said. “We know what we’re doing. Matty’s a young bloke playing super footy and I don’t want to interrupt anything while he is in a position to possibly win a comp. We’ll have a chat when the season is over.”