Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Wests Tigers legend Robbie Farah banned from working with bookie
SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH: The NRL integrity unit steps in to shut down bookmaker relationship — check out all the latest rugby league and sport chatter.
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The NRL integrity unit has shut down a relationship between Wests Tigers legend Robbie Farah and a bookmaker.
Farah was a paid ambassador providing racing tips for a new betting agency called Dabble.
The former Wests Tigers hooker announced on his Twitter account at the beginning of March that he had signed a new deal to promote the betting firm, paid around $3000 a month.
Farah is an assistant coach at the Tigers — a position which prohibits him from working for gambling firms.
The rule was applied to Laurie Daley earlier this year. He was knocked back from getting a job at Manly because he works on the Big Sports Breakfast, owned by the TAB.
SAINT
Former Knights and Origin star Kurt Gidley has led a group of old teammates and local businessmen on a 300km bike ride from Newcastle to Mudgee to raise funds for the Mark Hughes Foundation. They rode 100km each day and arrived in Mudgee for the Knights’ match against Manly. Hughes says he feels so proud: “A big part of the foundation is mates helping mates and this ride is yet another great example of mateship and the support I have had since my brain cancer diagnosis 10 years ago.”
SINNER
The NRL has introduced an outrageously stupid rotation system to rest the game’s leading referees. The competition is only a month old yet the two best whistleblowers in the comp – Grant Atkins and Ash Klein – have been stood down. It became a complete farce last week with the shocking forward pass blunder in the Manly-Souths game. Surely the best refs should be doing the best games and don’t need a weekend off just four weeks into a new season.
SHOOSH
Which senior English rugby league official has questioned the appointment of Tim Sheens, 72, as Wests Tigers coach. “I’m not sure what due diligence was exercised. It was a complete shock to most over here considering Tim was sacked at Hull Kingston Rovers as the club faced relegation in 2019. He didn’t last long in his next job at Widnes either. It’s been a long time since he experienced any success.”
SHOOSH
Veteran player manager Wayne Beavis is in a difficult position as he juggles responsibility for two senior coaches. Beavis manages Anthony Griffin, who is under the pump at St George Illawarra. He also manages 2016 premiership-winning coach Shane Flanagan, who he can’t promote for the job because he wants Griffin to survive.
SPOTTED
Player manager Steve Gillis in deep conversation with star client Max Jorgensen at Meeks Cafe in Kingsford on Friday, no doubt chatting about his future with the rah-rahs in light of Joseph Suaalii’s $5m contract with Rugby Australia. Jorgensen, 18, is rated by good judges as a better player than Suaalii yet is earning only a quarter of his money. Jorgensen is a fullback at the Waratahs and is off contract at the same time Suaalii finishes at the Roosters. We understand Roosters boss Nick Politis has already contacted Gillis in regards to Jorgensen. The veteran agent declined to comment when we approached him on Friday afternoon.
SPOTTED
Jason Campese, son of Wallabies legend David, is a handy cricketer and rugby union player. On the Gold Coast last weekend he whacked a six off the last ball — from a reverse sweep — off a fast bowler. Good judges are suggesting Jason has the ability to play either sport at an international level. He is qualified to play for South Africa (via his mum), Italy (via his dad) or Australia.
GAL V SBW IN NINE COMMENTARY CLASH
Channel 9 might need extra security in the commentary box for the Bulldogs-Rabbitohs game on Good Friday.
It will be the first time that Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen have been rostered on together this season as tensions build around their proposed mid-year heavyweight fight.
The animosity is growing with speculation around the bout.
Gallen could have fought SBW last year when his former advisor Peter Mitrevski Jnr reached an agreement with Khoder Nasser but the old Sharks enforcer wouldn’t do it.
Sonny Bill had another crack on social media last week when he posted to Gallen: “Don’t be scared man.”
PARRAMATTA PLAYERS SNUB THEIR FANS
Rugby league fans are the lifeblood of the game.
We don’t have 17 clubs and an NRL competition without them.
This is why the Parramatta Eels have been forced to address players over their lack of fan engagement after recent matches.
Members of a Parramatta Facebook supporters club have slammed Eels stars for leaving the field with little or no interaction with supporters, displaying an attitude bordering on arrogance.
Disgruntled fans claim they have emailed complaints to the club but have been ignored.
Parramatta Eels chief executive Jim Sarantinos has at least conceded it was a poor look.
“It’s pretty simple,” Sarantinos said.
“We need to do better and it’s something we have spoken about.
“Our fans and our members are the lifeblood of our footy club. It’s important that we make them feel valued.”
Long-time Parramatta fan Tyron McFarlane took his eight-year-old son Nate, who was suffering from a broken arm, to the recent Penrith game hoping he could get a photo with his heroes.
Instead it was left to opposition skipper Nathan Cleary to stop, chat and take a photo with the youngster.
And Cleary’s team had just been beaten.
Another supporter said he drove for seven hours — to and from the game — and lined up at the fence of CommBank stadium to try and get a selfie.
No player came anywhere near him.
It was much the same story after Thursday night’s loss to the Sydney Roosters when only five players — Clint Gutherson, Ryan Matterson, J’maine Hopgood, Brendan Hands and Jack Murchie — acknowledged supporters in the Parramatta Eels spectator bay at Allianz Stadium.
The Eels are just one win from five games and desperately need every bit of support they can get in coming weeks.
This attitude and the rush to get to the dressing rooms has been raised at Parramatta previously.
Players at other clubs are far more generous and often stay on the field for 20 minutes to do photos and autographs.
RUGBY PLANS NEW BLOCKBUSTER GAME
Rugby union is planning a new major event concept dubbed ‘State of the Union’ to coincide with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s arrival in 2025.
The best 30 rugby union players in the country will compete for Wallabies jerseys on the eve of the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia.
Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan is in talks with Nine Entertainment to make the game an annual free-to-air television event around the same time as rugby league’s showpiece State of Origin.
It would become a regular mid-year showdown, with Test jerseys up for grabs between Possibles and Probables from the Waratahs, Brumbies, Reds, Force and Rebels players.
“It will showcase the best 30 players in our game,” McLennan said.
“We’ve spoken about it internally and taken it to Channel 9. They like it.
“Over time it would grow and I’d hope to sell out Allianz Stadium or Suncorp in Brisbane.”
McLennan even refused to rule out rugby union picking up the State of Origin concept in future years.
“Rugby league has done a brilliant job in creating State of Origin,” he said.
“Union has played interstate games since 1882 but wasn’t smart enough to realise what a huge asset it could be.
“It’s something we certainly haven’t ruled out.”
ANOTHER SUAALII COMING THROUGH
Rugby league may have lost Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to the rah rahs but there is another one on the way.
Suaalii’s younger brother Chris has impressed talent scouts from both the NRL and rugby union.
He is only 14 and is a stockier version of rugby’s $5 million man. At this stage, the little brother is probably destined to be a middle forward. He is now playing junior rugby league.
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