Souths coach Anthony Seibold on why he signed Munster for Storm
SOUTHS coach Anthony Seibold is plotting to end the finals dreams of the future star he signed at Melbourne. PLUS, Gal’s crack at Hopoate and Brisbane’s TPJ gamble.
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WHEN Melbourne were looking to sign a young Cameron Munster, it was left to Anthony Seibold to do the deal.
Now Munster is plotting the downfall of the Seibold-coached Souths in Friday night’s big clash between the teams.
Seibold was part of the Storm coaching staff when tasked with a quickfire mission — come back to Melbourne with Munster’s signature. “My brother (Damien) actually coached him,” Seibold said.
“He is pretty close with my brother. Then when we signed him at Melbourne, Bunny (Storm recruitment manager Paul Bunn) flew me up to Rockhampton to take him to the Coffee Club and got him to sign the contract.
“I took the contract up there — it was a bye weekend for the Storm. Bunny said: ‘Go up and see your mum and dad’.
“Dad picked me up from the plane and took me to the Coffee Club.
“Cameron Munster and another young fella, who didn’t’ kick on, met me there. I came home with the contract.
“He is a terrific guy, such a likeable guy and such a good player. We just don’t want him to play well on Friday night.”
Seibold said Munster had emerged as one of the top three players in the NRL competition.
“I was always very confident that he could do anything in the game,” Seibold said. “He is such a talented player.
“He had a couple of rough edges that he had to tidy up but that is like any young bloke. I was always super confident.
“I am sure Bellyache (Craig Bellamy) and Frank (Ponissi) would tell you this, but I was always one of his biggest supporters in trying to push him. I was really confident. They have done a helluva job with him.”
GAL’S CRACK AT HOPPA
CRONULLA Sharks hard man Paul Gallen will fight the player who preceded him as rugby league’s favourite villain — John Hopoate — later this year.
Gallen is concentrating on Cronulla’s NRL finals series campaign but already a date is being sourced for late November or early December for the pair to get in the ring.
For years Gallen has been trying to get All Black Sonny Bill Williams into the ring, and it looked to be a close thing when Gallen put it on Williams during a live Channel 9 cross last month.
“For sure, I respect your game, and if I do get back in the ring I’ll come knocking on your door,” Williams told Gallen. “To be honest, I’m trying to create a bit of space and a bit of time to get this body right so we can jump in the ring and do that dance.”
Williams has since confirmed he is in plans to fight someone else.
So Gallen turned to Hopoate, a former Australian heavyweight champion and one of rugby league’s most suspended players.
Hopoate was recently rubbed out for 10 years after threatening rivals in a Manly A-grade game and claimed he was a victim of racial taunting. His opponents vigorously denied the accusations.
WIDDOP SCOFFS AT HAIR HOODOO TALK
IT has been the most talked about haircut in rugby league since Andrew Johns’ ill-fated orange hair.
But St George Illawarra skipper Gareth Widdop said he had no plans to shelve his peroxide- blond locks.
Widdop rubbished the suggestion that the hair had brought a run of bad luck because St George Illawarra had barely won a game since. He had also injured a shoulder, which threatened his season, since the hair change.
“It’s not going, it’s probably going to come back for everyone telling me it’s been bad luck,” Widdop said. “We’ll see what I come up with next. I’m not sure.
“ Let’s keep everyone guessing.”
LIFEGUARD’S LINE IN THE SAND
Lifeguard Harrison Reid, complete with Roosters jersey, was on hand to keep the Sharks’ mascot and Sutherland Shire lifeguard Jon Lavers in line when they turned up at Bondi Beach ahead of Saturday’s big clash.
BRONCOS’ RISKY PLAY
BRISBANE appear to be playing a dangerous game of patience with off-contract star Tevita Pangai Jnr.
A falling out with his manager is the reason many are offering for why Pangai Jnr is yet to re-sign with Brisbane for next season.
The story has it Pangai Jnr is waiting until his current management deal ends before he signs with the Broncos to prevent his former manager, who is still contracted to represent him, from claiming a commission.
Pangai Jnr has said he would stay loyal to the Broncos, even as reports surfaced that as many as five NRL clubs are keen to sign the powerhouse backrower to multimillion-dollar deals.
Some clubs are said to be prepared to offer him $800,000 a season, confirming he is no basic player.
The Broncos may have to be careful.
Speculation continues that Wayne Bennett will not be at the club beyond next year.
Given Pangai Jnr and Bennett claim Pangai Jnr is playing with the Broncos only because of his desire to play under Bennett, it must be causing serious concerns at “Camp Bronco”.
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NENE Macdonald is all but certain to join the North Queensland Cowboys next season.
Macdonald will join the other new recruit Ben Barba, giving the Cowboys some much-needed speed on the edges in 2019. The Cowboys are still saving space for Val Holmes to join the club the following season.
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PLANS for a round-zero game next year may be dead but that won’t stop clubs further exploring the chances of playing a match in the US in 2020.
South Sydney and Melbourne are keen to investigate if a game in the US could work.
Both clubs are considering sending officials over there to see how and if it could be done.
BROOKS BACKS TEDDY TO FELL WOODS
LUKE Brooks may have had a breakout year of his own, but the Wests Tigers halfback said he would be “envious” when he watches former teammates James Tedesco and Aaron Woods play finals footy in the coming weeks.
Tedesco, like Brooks, has not played a finals match yet. Brooks starred this season in the absence of his club’s high-profile teammates, walking away with the Player of the Year award on Monday night.
Brooks said he would cheer on Tedesco when the Roosters line up against Woods’ Sharks on Saturday night.
“I lived with Teddy so I’m going to have to go for Teddy, but hopefully they play good games,” Brooks said.
“I’m always envious watching other teams play finals. Hopefully we can get there.
“I’m happy to see (Tedesco) playing good footy. Hopefully he wins a premiership. I haven’t seen him for a while so I’ll have to hit him up and catch up with him.”
WALKER’S SON ON BIG STAGE
SOUTH Sydney’s Cody Walker may play a key role in the Rabbitohs’ premiership quest, but the five-eighth was restricted to parent duties on Monday morning. Walker watched on as his son, Kian, joined Rabbitohs skipper Greg Inglis and Storm captain Cameron Smith on stage to help launch the NRL’s finals series. Each skipper was joined by a youngster.
CHASING A BREAK IN INDIA
Although the Gold Coast is renowned for its surf beaches and iconic point breaks, it hasn’t stopped a bunch of Titans players from looking elsewhere as part of their post-season holiday. A group of avid surfers — including Michael Gordon, Anthony Don, Kane Elgey, Mitch Rein and Keegan Hipgrave — are off to Sumatra to rip into a few Indo barrels.
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