Sport Confidential: Manly’s Cooper Johns signing comes with a catch
The Sea Eagles have beefed up their halves depth with the recruitment of Cooper Johns, but there’s a hitch with his contract — read SPORT CONFIDENTIAL for all the latest NRL news.
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Cooper Johns will join Manly – but like Matt Lodge at the Roosters – he will be restricted to a train-and-trial deal until the NRL finalises its salary cap.
Johns will go into the top-30 squad when the salary cap figure is finally resolved but the Sea Eagles are taking a cautious approach until then.
The Roosters have been forced to do something similar with Lodge as clubs juggle the uncertainty around the cap.
Johns met Sea Eagles staff this week in what shapes as a return for the local junior. He played and captained Manly’s SG Ball side before joining the Storm where he featured in 11 games.
Johns will provide cover for Daly Cherry-Evans and push Josh Schuster for a starting spot.
$20K HEIST: NINE JOURNO ROBBED ON WORLD CUP DUTY
A week after Lebanon players performed a citizen’s arrest on a thief at their team hotel, the World Cup has been rocked by another stealing scandal after equipment worth more than $20,000 was taken from the Nine Network.
Nine reporter Emma Lawrence and cameraman Cade Thompson woke on Thursday morning England time to find the window of their car smashed and their reporting gear stolen.
They immediately notified police and the search is underway to recover the equipment. In the meantime, they have had replacement equipment sent from London to ensure they can cover the rest of the tour.
This latest incident happened just weeks after Lebanon were hit by thieves twice in their team room. The first time they stole team gear and laptops but on the second occasion members of the squad chased down the alleged culprit before handing him over to police.
NRL CLUBS LINE UP TO SIGN ENGLISH STAR
Fresh from John Bateman’s impending return to the NRL another Englishman is set to make a comeback to rugby league in Australia.
George Williams is on the radar of a host of clubs who have made it known they want to sign the former Canberra Raider for 2024. Williams, who still has two years left to run on his contract with Warrington, is known to be considering returning to the NRL after an acrimonious split with the Raiders midway through last year.
A number of NRL clubs are already circling after he impressed during his 18-month stint at Canberra. Williams shone for England during the tournament to beat out the likes of Nathan Cleary, Jahrome Hughes and Anthony Milford and claim the halfback spot in the World Cup team of the tournament.
Williams, 28, played just 28 games for the Raiders before his high-profile exit.
Williams told Fox Sports this week that he would “never write off” an NRL return – blaming Covid-19 for part of the reason why he had to return home.
His potential NRL return was all the talk in the English camp in recent weeks.
So too was that of his former Canberra teammate, Bateman, who is expected to join the Tigers’ growing formidable forward pack.
Bateman was telling his English teammates that he had put his house in Wigan on the market and his Australian partner had already returned home in preparation for his switch to the Tigers.
Tigers coach Tim Sheens confirmed talks with Bateman were ongoing.
BULLDOGS SIGN SAMOAN CUP STAR
Samoan international Fa’amanu Brown looks likely to return to the Bulldogs four years after finishing with the club when he thought his NRL career was over.
Brown has agreed to a 12-month contract with Canterbury after this year resurrecting his career with the Tigers, having featured in 13 games.
It will be Brown’s second stint at Canterbury after playing 12 matches in two years. When he left the Bulldogs at the end of 2019 he had a severe foot injury which looked career ending.
Brown preserved and now will be a front runner for the bench utility spot and provide strong back-up to starting rake Reed Mahoney. Concussion has ruled him out of the World Cup final.
PANTHERS’ RE-SIGNING SPREE
Penrith have tied down the reliable Matt Eisenhuth for the next two seasons. Eisenhuth has been unlucky to miss out on Penrith’s past two grand final wins, having played 35 matches in his first two seasons at the club.
The 30-year-old prop was off contract but has agreed to remain at the club on a multi-year deal.
The Panthers also expect utility Jaeman Salmon to remain for at least one more season.
SHARKS LOCK IN ANOTHER HOOKER
Cronulla have locked in another Brailey long-term. And guess what – he is a hooker too.
Taj Brailey – the younger brother of NRL stars Blayke and Jayden — has signed a two-year deal to remain at the Sharks.
Brailey is following in the footsteps of his brothers having been picked in the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) under 18s team.
SU’A’S DRAGONS PLEDGE
St George Illawarra forward Jaydn Su’A says he will be back at the Dragons next season, putting to bed suggestions he wants out of the club.
Su’A, who will be a key performer for Samoa in Sunday morning’s (AEDT) World Cup final against Australia, was linked with a move away from the Dragons towards the end of their faltering season.
“I’ll be there,” Su’A said.
BURGESS BACK IN THE BURROW
These are the first images of Sam Burgess back as a Rabbitoh. Burgess has rejoined the club is part of the coaching staff where he will work with the forwards. coaching staff in a role which is still yet to be clearly defined.
“Sam joins an outstanding NRL coaching team in Jason Demetriou, Ben Hornby and John Morris,” said South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly. “It is great to have him back at the club and join three of the best young coaches in the game.”
In another good sign for the Rabbitohs, Origin players Jai Arrow and Cody Walker have returned to training to take part in some sessions.
The pair weren’t due back until the end of the month.
SMITH TAKES NORWAY DETOUR TO BONDI
Brandon Smith won’t be spending his off-season partying away his World Cup blues. The Sydney Roosters-bound star will instead go hiking in Norway with his partner as he looks to ensure he makes a flying start at his new club next year and sets a good example for his younger brother, Jayden.
“I am staying away from Amsterdam this off season,” Smith told Confidential.
“I am going to Norway and doing some mountain climbing. Hopefully I can get a bit fitter from that.”
Smith is relishing the thought of spending the pre-season preparing himself for a full season at hooker. He is also ready to embrace the role of leader to his younger brother, who joined the Roosters from Queensland.
“I am looking forward to it,” Smith said.
“My little brother has just moved there — he has a contract with the Roosters at the moment. He is still 18, it is a foot in the door.
“I think it will be a real good turning point for me and I am happy to be a role model for him, and show him the way.
“Hopefully he can learn a few things off me. He will be living with me down there so I am looking forward for that and taking on some responsibility for once.
“I am excited for a new scene and I get to play hooker — I get to train at hooker all the pre-season. It is a new chapter in my life.”
FROZEN OUT: TOOVS’ SNUB CONTINUES
Perhaps there does need to be an investigation. Geoff Toovey has knocked on plenty of doors in his attempt to find a way back into the NRL but he has been unable to find any takers.
The best advertisement for his coaching credentials may be Samoa’s performance at the World Cup.
Toovey is part of Matt Parish’s coaching staff, playing a leading role in the nation’s remarkable performance in England.
Keep your eye out and you will see him at Old Trafford, running onto the field and barking instructions as the blue shirt for the underdog Samoans.
Parish and Toovey were on the coaching staff at Manly together some years ago and the pair have been reunited at Samoa, the cinderella story of the World Cup.
Toovey won a World Cup as a player himself so he knows what it takes to hold aloft the trophy on final day.
He also knows what it takes to be an NRL coach and he hasn’t given up hope of getting back there. He remains in the market for a job if one becomes available.
“I tried to get back in but it is a pretty small organisation that gives you those opportunities,” Toovey said.
“Being away for a period now, it can be difficult to get a foot in the door. This would be incredible.
“Again, I am only an assistant coach here. I am supporting those other coaches.”
INDIGENOUS SIDE WOULD DIVIDE, NOT CONQUER
The International Rugby League has moved quickly to tone down suggestions an Australian Indigenous side could play in future World Cups.
The idea was floated by freshly-minted All Stars coach Ron Griffiths, but it would seem impossible under the rules for World Cup qualification, even though IRL boss Troy Grant conceded the precedent had been set when a New Zealand Maoris side played in the 2000 tournament.
“Competitors in the World Cup are member nations who qualify through a qualification process and have to be full or affiliate members which have a matrix to gain that status,” Grant said.
“An Indigenous team is not a member. It is possible as a precedent was set at the RLWC 2000 when NZ Kiwis and a NZ Māori team both competed.
“I’m unaware of the circumstances that allowed that to happen. If an application was received for an Indigenous team to compete it would be considered by the IRL board but could not disadvantage the members who had qualified.”
The biggest hurdle in any Indigenous proposal would be showing how it didn’t disadvantage Australia.
The current Kangaroos squad is loaded with Indigenous players. If they were unavailable, it would significantly weaken the Australian side.
Back rower Angus Crichton — who started up the First People Project, a charity that helps to mentor young Indigenous students through their school life so they navigate the challenges that confront them — was also quick to stress that the Australian side was a force for unity.
Crichton was at pains to tread warily around the issue but he is not a supporter of dividing the playing group.
“The way I see it, Indigenous Australia and white Australia, I don’t think we need to divide it,” Crichton said.
“I want it to be integrated and I want everyone to get on as one. That is part of the stuff I do.
“I love representing Australia with my Indigenous brothers. I feel like that would be a backward step in may opinion, but that is just my opinion.”
ROOS MOVE IN ON MAN UTD SPACE
The Kangaroos’ World Cup semi-final victory over New Zealand didn’t just guarantee them a place in the final, it secured them the home sheds at Old Trafford.
The same shed where the likes Cristiano Ronaldo (for now) and Marcus Rashford use the lockers and showers.
SEIBOLD ANOINTS RUGBY CROSSOVER STAR
Anthony Seibold addressed the media in England this week and nominated Tom Curry as the one player who could switch from rugby union to rugby league and be a star.
The 24-year-old Curry has already played 42 Tests for England, primarily as a flanker. Seibold could see him making his mark in the NRL.
“I’ve always said Tom Curry would be an outstanding rugby league player,” Seibold said.
“He’s one of the world’s best rugby players in either code, full stop. I have great admiration for his toughness, his work ethic, his skill level.”
Stranded Cowboys ask NRL for charter flight to avoid finals farce
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Why Roosters face easy call in the halves
Sandon Smith is the first to admit he didn’t have his best game last week, but his teammates have backed him to respond against Manly.