Sport Confidential: Connection with Benji Marshall could lead Frizell to Tigers
SPORT CONFIDENTIAL: In-demand Knight Tyson Frizell’s close connection with a key figure at a rival club could be the deciding factor as he weighs up his NRL future.
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Matty Johns has declared his brother Andrew “wants to bash him” with no end in sight between the warring brothers.
The pair have fallen out on recent weeks with Andrew boycotting his scheduled radio slot alongside Matty on SEN.
Matty said on The Matty Johns Podcast alongside sons Cooper and Jack that Andrew had made it known he was none too pleased with his sibling.
“I’ve just heard through the grapevine that basically he’s said to people that next time he sees me, he’s going to take my head off,” Matty said.
“Well, I just hope he’s learned to fight as opposed to the last time we had a little going over. No, I haven’t heard from him.”
It is unclear when or if Andrew will return to his radio slot with those plans put off until at least the end of the Origin series.
Matty meanwhile asked his son’s if they had heard from their uncle.
“I talk to him,” Jack said.
“Me and him are quite close.”
Matty replied: “So you’re swapping to the other side, eh Judas?
“Well, why don’t youse all just join in and give me a kicking, like your f***ing uncle, okay?
Do you think if NSW win Origin, Joey will give me a call and bury the hatchet?
“Or do you think, this grudge, he’ll carry it on forever? Because I hope he carries it on forever.”
* The full episode of the Matty Johns Podcast will air on Friday
RIVALS MOVE IN TO POACH BULLDOGS FLYERS
The Dolphins are closing in on the signature of Bulldogs flyer Jake Averillo.
Sport Con understands that Averillo met key Dolphin figures including coach Wayne Bennett last week and the fledgling club has offered the speedster a three-year deal worth in excess of $1.2 million.
Averillo and Bulldogs centre partner Paul Alamoti are both off contract at the end of the season and up for grabs.
Canterbury are fighting hard to keep them both but they appear to be fighting a losing cause where Averillo is concerned while the Bulldogs have signed Bronson Xerri and Stephen Crichton for next season. .
Alamoti also has a decision to make. He has already spoken to North Queensland coach Todd Payten as he weighs up his future at Belmore.
Averillo appears the more likely to depart after talks with the Dolphins. The Dolphins have already signed Brisbane centre Herbie Farnsworth for next season but they badly need more speed in their outside backs and Averillo would give them a strike weapon on the other side of the field.
His departure would no doubt incite a mixed response from Bulldogs fans. Like Alamoti, he is a local junior who played for the Bankstown Sports/Moorebank Rams club.
He has played more than 65 games for the Bulldogs and scored 26 tries. This year, having found a home in the centres, he has crossed for seven tries in 14 appearances in a Bulldogs side that has struggled to cross the stripe.
At 22, he has his best years in front of him. They may be at the Dolphins.
Dolphins veteran centre Brenko Lee has been linked with a Super League move.
FRIZELL’S EMOTIONAL WESTS TIGERS LINK
Newcastle and NSW forward Tyson Frizell has opened up on his relationship with incoming Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall as he weighs up whether to join his good mate at the club next season.
Frizell is off contract at the end of the year and mulling over offers from the Knights, Tigers and Bulldogs, all of whom want him to don their colours in 2024.
The Tigers’ interest has been driven by Marshall, who is set to take the head coaching reins from Tim Sheens at the end of next season, it not earlier.
Marshall and Frizell forged a friendship when they played together at St George Illawarra for three seasons and remained in touch when they went their separate ways.
“I was very good friends with Benji when he first came to the Dragons,” Frizell said.
“I had a close relationship with him while he was there, always kept in touch while we were away. That is how that relationship sort of started.
“I call him a good friend. I don’t know - it is tempting (to work with Marshall) if the opportunity came. The option is potentially there.
“It is something I could potentially look towards in the future. But we’re just friends for now.”
Pushed on why he thought Marshall would be a good coach, Frizell replied: “His knowledge of the game and he has been around for a long time - he understands how to get players to play well.
“It is his personality. I guess that is why people saw him becoming an NRL coach.”
Frizell’s immediate priority is to help NSW level the Origin series at Suncorp Stadium next week. He will make a call on his future soon enough but the Blues take precedent at the moment.
“I haven’t made a decision yet,” Frizell said.
“It has sort of all come at one time. It’s been in the background - nothing was really happening at the start of the year - and now it has all come at once.
“It is a bit of a tough period where I am in Origin …. and trying to work with my manager to sort something out. Hopefully I will sort it out soon.”
TSZYU SHUNS MAROONS JERSEY
Tim Tszyu has delivered a knockout blow to the Queensland Maroons on the eve of the second State of Origin game.
Tszyu was approached to link up with the Queensland side to promote the two biggest events taking place in Queensland this week - Origin II and his fight against Mexican challenger Carlos Ocampo.
Tszyu, an avid New South Welshman, gave the approach short shrift, his refusal coming quicker than one of his trademark right uppercuts.
It was the second time this week an attempt was made to entice Tszyu across the Origin divide - NRL immortal and former Queensland coach Mal Meninga attempted to convince Tszyu to wear a Maroons jersey on Fox League at the weekend.
“I was filthy,” Tszyu said.
“I would never be caught dead in a Maroons jersey. Mal’s a legend of the game but he was crossing a line trying to stitch me up on TV ahead of the biggest game of the year.
“In all honesty, the Blues will dominate. My guys Cookie and Cam are back and good to go. Blues will dominate and win 2-1.”
Only a few weeks ago, Tszyu linked up with the Blues for a training session at Coogee Oval. He takes on tough Ocampo on the Gold Coast this Sunday, three days before the Blues battle Billy Slater’s Maroons at Suncorp.
PARR CLEAR AIR ON GUS MEETING
Newcastle head of football Peter Parr has revealed a recent clandestine meeting with Bulldogs head of football Phil Gould was to discuss pathways, not players.
Parr and Gould were spotted in Newcastle at a local coffee shop last week, fuelling suggestions they were discussing the futures of several players.
“First of all, it was a private conversation,” Parr told Sport Con.
“But I will say the majority of the conversation was to do with pathway programs and setting up a club properly underneath.
“He obviously has some fingerprints on what has happened at Penrith. He is trying to establish something similar at Canterbury.
“I have some experience from my time at the Cowboys and we both believe if our clubs are going to get back to where fans want them to be, a lot of it is going to come from underneath the NRL.
“So we discussed things like structure, coaching, those types of things. I thought it was beneficial to both of us, remembering that both clubs played against each other in the Harold Matthews grand final, so both clubs have some talented young players obviously.
“There are some synergies there and we were trying to pick each other’s brain.”
As for scuttlebutt over potential player swaps - the likes of Daniel Saifiti have been linked with the Bulldogs - Parr said: “We didn’t discuss any type of player movement.”
DOLPHINS PUSHING FOR KERR
The Dolphins are pushing to secure St George Illawarra prop Josh Kerr immediately as they try to boost their injured stocks.
Kerr has already agreed to join the Dolphins for 2024 and 2025 but the Queensland-based club wants to fast-track his arrival. The Dragons have indicated they would consider releasing Kerr early but want him to play in their next match against the Warriors before they assess the depth of their squad.
The Dolphins want to secure him in time to play the Eels next week. They have been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks with Jarrod Wallace and Tom Gilbert sidelined.
Both teams have the bye this week. Kerr would complete the Dolphins’ top 30 squad.
Meanwhile, Jack de Belin has re-committed to the Dragons for the next 12 months. De Belin had an option his way for 2023 and has told the Dragons he will take up that deal.
De Belin is expected to return from a severe concussion to play the Warriors. Jack Bird is also expected to be fit after being rested in the past few weeks.
MANLY AT EASE WITH FLANAGAN
Manly believe it would be naïve to think that Shane Flanagan won’t be working on his future role at the Dragons but the Sea Eagles have no hesitation in keeping Flanagan on board for the rest of the season.
Flanagan has given his commitment to remain at Manly as an assistant coach to Anthony Seibold for the rest of the season.
“He is 100 per cent focused for the rest of the year with the club,” Manly boss Tony Mestrov said. “I have spoken to Seibs (Seibold) and he has spoken with Shane. We want him here.”
Flanagan arrived at Manly with the guarantee that regardless of any head coaching opportunities he would remain at the club for 12 months at a minimum. It is expected Flanagan will scale back some of his media commitments to help balance his increased role at the Dragons.
Flanagan has already started meeting key Dragons officials this week after formally being appointed coach on Wednesday night.
“We understand that he is going to be partially working with the Dragons for the rest of the year,” Mestrov said. “We would be naïve to not think that.”
FITTLER ALWAYS A FAN OF UTOIKAMANU
NSW coach Brad Fittler has long been a fan of Blues debutant Stefano Utoikamanu earmarking him as a potential Blues player long before he was picked in the Origin arena.
Fittler identified Utoikamanu as a long-term Blue three years prior to drafting him into the top 17.
“There’s a lot of talk about young Stefano Utoikamanu,’’ Fittler said in 2020.
“I’ve been a part of all the [NSW] pathways and watched Stefano come through, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how he evolves. He had a couple of bad injuries.
“He’s like a (David) Klemmer, Payne (Haas), maybe not as mobile as Payne, but he’s a good player. He was the best player as they were coming through.’’
One player who has watched Utoikamanu closely is former Parramatta teammate Junior Paulo. Paulo played alongside Utoikamanu when he made his debut for the Eels in 2020.
“He was only 17 the first time I met him and he was the same size,” Paulo said. “He is a big boy with a big frame. This year he has taken his game to another level and become a real leader at the Tigers.
“He is going to take the occasion head on. He has been in the NSW system for a few years now.”
Paulo recalled an early wrestling session with the then teen at Parramatta.
“He was very strong,” Paulo said. “Whenever we were in the wrestling room it was hard to put him on his back.
“I wrestled him last time we were in camp and I think he beat me.”
LUKE LOCKED AND LOADED
Penrith have re-signed back-up hooker Soni Luke on a two-year deal.
“I’m stoked to be staying at the Panthers for another two seasons,” Luke said.
“My family and I love it here so I’m glad to have it all sorted.”
The 27-year-old made his first grade debut against the Raiders last year and has played 15 matches.
OPETAIA TAKES AIM AT POLE
Australia’s unbeaten cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia has eviscerated Mateusz Masternak after his Polish opponent sensationally withdrew from their planned fight later this year.
The pair were scheduled to meet and purse bids were ordered by the IBF only for the Masternak’s team to withdraw from negotiations.
“What a waste of time,” a frustrated Opetaia said.
“He (Masternak) used to be a good fighter, now he’s a has-been. I would’ve retired him. If you don’t want the smoke, why waste the last few months talking shit?”
Opetaia’s manager Michael Francis was equally scathing.
“They’ve really done nothing but stall, duck and dive,” Francis said.
“They should be embarrassed. If they didn’t want to face Jai they could’ve told us months ago.”
Opetaia will now focus on bringing England’s Richard Riakporhe to Australia.
“That’s our intention and having an Aussie smash a Pom always goes down well here,” Francis said.
“Richard probably thinks all his Christmases have come at once by being given a world title shot but he’s about to find out that Jai Opetaia is a different animal”.
FLASHBACK
Rugby league was front page news on this day 10 years ago. Phil “Buzz” Rothfield broke the story of the NRL officially banning the punch following the State of Origin fight between Nate Myles and Paul Gallen. Buzz reported that any punches would result in an instant sin-binning which changed the fabric of the game.
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