Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Personal trainer reveals case of mistaken identity on social media
He calls himself the ‘real’ Sam Burgess, and now this personal trainer has lifted the lid on what goes on in his social media DM’s in an ongoing case of mistaken identity. Check out the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
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Cody Walker did not receive a single offer from an NRL rival before signing a new two-year deal with South Sydney.
In a stunning snubbing that helped keep him at the Rabbitohs for a bargain, Walker re-signed with Souths on $650,000 a year deal after rivals baulked at his asking price of $850,000 a year.
While plenty of clubs “showed interest”, Walker did not receive a single concrete offer in a staggering missed opportunity for Rabbitohs’ rivals.
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Those who thought Walker was not worth $850,000 a year have been left red-faced after his run of form that has the Souths No.6 rivalling Luke Keary and Nathan Cleary as the game’s best playmaker.
Walker would now be considered a steal at $850,000 and would be attracting offers of more than $1 million per season if he was on the market.
Those close to Walker put his form down to the NSW Blues hopeful being happy and distraction-free. He is one of many players that have benefited from being in a COVID-enforced bubble.
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LOCKING IN LATRELL ON BUNNY LIST
Latrell Mitchell’s season-ending injury will not affect his worth, with South Sydney out to extend the former Sydney Rooster’s deal at Redfern.
The Rabbitohs have made re-signing Mitchell their No.1 off-season priority, with the club set to open talks with the dual premiership-winning centre before the end of the month.
Signed until the end of next year, the Rabbitohs are hopeful of locking down Mitchell for at least another year before the 2021 season starts.
“We are planning to sit down with Mitchell when the season ends,” Souths CEO Blake Solly said. “We have all off our 30 spots filled for 2021, so we will be looking towards our 2022 squad and Latrell is a priority.”
Having signed Mitchell to a one-year extension after his shock switch from the arch rival Roosters, the Rabbitohs are expected to offer Mitchell a long-term deal.
“We will have to sit Latrell down and see what he is looking for,’’ Solly said. “We haven’t had that discussion yet.’’
The Rabbitohs will also be working hard to stop Jayden Su’A and Junior Tatola from hitting the open market, with the boom forwards’ re-signings a priority.
Check out all the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
SAINT
Ricky Stuart. Written off after Josh Hodgson officially plunged the Canberra Raiders into an injury crisis, Stuart showed an unwavering belief in his players to lead them to within one win of another grand final.
SINNERS
The barking, bickering Canterbury Bulldogs.
The infighting at the club has become just farcical, turning the club upside down. Lynne Anderson was given little chance to succeed, with a rival faction trying to tear her down from day one. Just don’t expect the feuding to stop with a new board.
And to think Trent Barrett quit the Manly Sea Eagles because of club politics ...
SHOOSH
There is drama brewing at an NRL club involving the misconduct of a staffer. Stay tuned …
SHOOSH
Which homesick NRL star has been agitating for a release from his club so he can move closer to family? And it is not Josh Addo-Carr.
SHOOSH
Shane Flanagan opened a can of worms when he posted a picture of the Sharks celebrating their premiership win in 2016 just a day after Cronulla’s season ended in Canberra. While some have suggested he was having a dig at the coaching staff, we are sure he was just reliving what was an “on this day” memory from four years before.
SPOTTED
Paul Gallen being delivered a truckload of ready-to-eat meals. The Sharks legend will be spared from cooking duties, with Eatbcm signing on to feed him. We hope he declared how much he actually eats before signing the new sponsorship deal.
SPOTTED
It was more Sad Monday than Mad Monday when the Sharks gathered for an end-of-season drink last week after their finals exit to the Raiders. The squad met for a sombre team sip at Highfield Caringbah on Monday.
SPOTTED
Former Panther Tim Grant in a hotted-up HSV Commodore ute. Grant has gone into the used car game and is learning the ropes from Shane Brennan — brother of former Titans coach Garth — at Shane’s Newcastle car yard.
MEET THE ‘REAL SAM BURGESS’
Please spare a thought for poor ol’ Sam Burgess.
Not the Clive Churchill-winning, former South Sydney rugby league star Sam Burgess, but Sam Burgess — the humble personal trainer from Gymea.
Calling himself the “real Sam Burgess” on his social media accounts, Burgess often gets confused for the other Sam Burgess, the Englishman.
“All the time actually,” he said.
“I run a personal training business (Full Motion Fitness Kirrawee) and I have all these blokes wanting to come and train with me because they think I am Sam Burgess the footballer.’’
And it is not just the guys who slide on into his DMs.
“I can understand how easy it would be for him to get in trouble given the random messages I get — and I am obviously not even him,” Burgess said.
But it could be worse.
He could share the same name as the red-headed twin from Harry Potter: James Phelps. Not that I don’t like all the DM’s about Harry and Hogwarts!
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SELF-ISOLATION VACATION
Braden Hamlin-Uele and Shaun Johnson could spend four of their seven-week break in quarantine, with the homesick Kiwis on their way back home.
The Sharks stars will be forced to self-isolate in an Auckland hotel for two weeks before finally being allowed to see their New Zealand-based relatives.
They’re hopeful they will not be forced into quarantine on returning to Australia, but there is no guarantee they will not be isolated a further two weeks.
Meanwhile, Phil Moss joined the Cronulla coaching staff exodus, with the club informing colleagues that he will not be at the Sharks next year.
FEEDING TIME AT TSZYU FOR TIM
Tim Tszyu will get his dream title shot next year after rocketing his way to No.2 in the WBO world rankings.
With an end-of-year fight against Kiwi slugger Bowyn Morgan confirmed, Tszyu is eyeballing becoming a world champion like his dad with his ranking to ensure he gets his shot against WBO junior middleweight champion Patrick Teixeira.
Tszyu also had plans to stage a fight in Russia in a move that would allow him to train with his famous father.
And just like his dad, Tszyu is showing an interest in cars, with the son of a gun getting about town in a classic Corvette. He might have to win a few more big-paying fights until he is rolling around in a Rolls-Royce Ghost like Kostya.
WARNIE’S RUG RECRUITMENT DRIVE
Shane Warne has put Cameron Smith at the top of his NRL hair-hat hit list, with the spin king urging the Melbourne captain to grow some grass on his pitch.
Taking over from Greg Matthews as the leader of the ‘yeah yeah’ club, Warne has issued a personal invite for Smith and some of the NRL’s biggest names to join him as a celebrity hair re-grower at Advanced Hair Studios.
“Oh I’d like to get plenty of the NRL boys in,” Warne said.
“We can sort them out. Let’s get them all in.’’
Part of an Advanced Hair Studios celebrity stable that includes AB de Villiers and Graham Gooch, Warne has declared Blake Ferguson, Matthew Lodge, Josh Reynolds, Nathan Brown, Boyd Cordner and the Morris twins could all be sporting a full head of hair with his help.
“They are no longer wigs and it is not like it was 30 or 40 years ago,” Warne said.
“There are plenty of people walking around that have had procedures and you wouldn’t even know.
“People might joke or laugh about it but it can be a serious issue when it comes to mental health and I would urge anyone that is worried about it to do something.’’
Warne admitted that he underwent a surgical procedure to help save his hair.
“I have been with them for 16 years,” Warne said.
“I regrow my own hair.
“My whole head is my own hair except for my crown. I had hair transplanted into my crown.
“I have a procedure there once every six weeks or so.”
WARNIE’S HAIR-HAT HIT LIST
Cameron Smith: “He might feel young enough to play another 300 games if he joins the AHS family”
Blake Ferguson: “He can be brushing instead of polishing with a bit of help”
Matthew Lodge: “He is only in 20s? Really?”
Josh Reynolds: “He’d be a good one to get in early’’
Nathan Brown: “Coaching must be stressful”
Boyd Cordner: “Hey Boyd, there’s a great AHS studio at Bondi”
Josh and Brett Morris: “They might get a discount for a double deal”
Nathan Lyon: “It’s time to come and join the AHS family my fellow spinner — you could play for another 10 years if you do”
Chris Judd: “Come on Juddy, do Bec and the kids a favour — we will make you look and feel like you can get back out on the park and cause havoc!”
Donald Trump: “You can’t be the President of the United States with a hair cut like he has.”