Sports Confidential: Kikau’s mad dash to brother’s Fiji wedding
Viliame Kikau’s mad fulltime tunnel dash, new leading contender for Blues star James Maloney’s signature, LaMelo Ball goes head-to-head with NRL grand final - it’s all in SPORTS CONFIDENTIAL.
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When Viliame Kikau raced from Panthers Stadium on full-time last week, some teammates thought he was disappearing to vomit.
Again.
But not quite.
Instead, according to our colleague Nick Walshaw, having just helped Penrith spank Gold Coast in Friday Night Football, Kikau was beginning the maddest of dashes home to Fiji so that he could fulfil the role of best man at older brother Jope’s wedding.
Finishing the game around 8pm, the Panthers backrower then raced up the tunnel, changed and jumped straight into a car for a 9pm flight out of Sydney.
Initially, several Panthers thought their teammate, who played the Titans clash so crook, he vomited several times during the game, was simply making a mad dash for the dressingroom toilets.
Instead, he was racing for an international flight.
Already, his ticket had been checked. Bags booked, too.
All part of a 3500km haul that would take him, firstly, to Brisbane, then onto a connecting flight to the islands and a Saturday morning ceremony.
And, of course, somewhere along the way things came unstuck.
But only slightly.
With Kikau missing the actual ceremony, but still making it in time for the all the festivities afterwards.
Better, coach Ivan Cleary gave his edge forward the first few days this week off training, which meant the Panthers No. 11 only arrived back into HQ on Wednesday.
Already, many league fans will be aware of Jope Kikau thanks to the outstanding story put together earlier this year by NRL.com journalist Zac Bailey.
A gifted footballer like his younger brother, Jope left home at 19 to chase his rugby union dream in New Zealand. However in May 2010, he suffered a spinal infection which, overnight, saw him unable to move anything from the neck down.
Despite the setback, Jope has fought hard to get on with life in a wheelchair and, last Saturday, was married in Fiji with little brother — eventually — by his side as best man.
FREDDY’S ORIGIN ROAD TRIP
Brad Fittler is ready to make the Origin shield Australia’s most travelled trophy.
After retaining the interstate gong for a second straight year, Freddy will take it again through those chaotic 4000km comprising his annual Hogs for the Homeless tour.
Certainly the coach knows an Origin victory belongs to more than just the players and Blues brains trust. Which is why on Monday, he was back at the NSW Centre of Excellence to host a special celebratory party for some 50 NSWRL staffers.
BURGESS SET FOR SUPER RETURN
Big George Burgess looks headed home.
Sports Confidential can report that four of Super League’s biggest clubs have shown considerable interest in Burgess, who won’t be re-signed by South Sydney after this season.
The suspended Rabbitoh prop is being targeted by Warrington, Wigan, Hull FC and Leeds.
And the money being discussed is big.
Burgess, found guilty last week of eye gouging, wants to remain in the NRL but, at 27, knows he must grab the cash while he can.
JIMMY WINS IN FRANCE?
There is a new player in the chase for James Maloney.
English giants Leeds have always expressed a strong desire to sign the NSW State of Origin five-eighth.
But it appears Catalan Dragons are now firmly in the frame.
Maloney wants to play in Super League but hasn’t received the right offer just yet.
That may now be arriving from beautiful southern France.
Maloney is keen for he and his wife to take their three children overseas before he retires from football.
PLAYING BALL WITH NRL GRAND FINAL
LaMelo Ball may have 4.7 million Instagram followers and a large portion of the United States interested in his promising basketball career but he’ll have to share his Illawarra Hawks NBL debut with the NRL grand final.
Ball will make his maiden appearance for the Hawks on the same day as rugby league’s biggest day.
SAD PHOTO: Ball family brand on last legs
The American teenage star is locked in to suit up against Brisbane at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre from 3pm, only hours before the NRL grand final kick-off.
The first game between Illawarra and New Zealand featuring Next Stars Ball and RJ Hampton will be at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Thursday October 24.
The Orange-born half has already had stopovers in New Zealand, Sydney and Melbourne in his decade-long career.
MOOY, MISS UNIVERSE & A HEN’S NIGHT
There were suspicions of a PR stunt following the reveal of the shocking new kit of Socceroos star Aaron Mooy’s English club, Huddersfield Town.
Spruiked as a “bold” design, the logo of new sponsor Paddy Power more closely resembles a sash from a Miss World competition or a hen’s night in Kings Cross, as it has been splashed all over the Terriers’ 2019/20 shirt.
It’s been panned as the “worst kit of all time”, but Paddy Power has remained defiant, with a spokesman saying: “As a brand which embraces doing things differently, we didn’t want to get into shirt sponsorship just to do the same as everyone else”.
And they haven’t.
Paddy Power relentlessly trolled Huddersfield on social media last season as they were relegated from the English Premier League, with tweets like “Huddersfield Town have been relegated from the Premier League with six games to go. Worst campaign since Theresa May called a snap election”.
Huddersfield Town have been relegated from the Premier League with six games to go. Worst campaign since Theresa May called a snap election.
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) March 30, 2019
Mooy, who was tipped to leave the Terriers following their relegation, may have added incentive if he doesn’t want to be seen wearing this horrible outfit this season.
The 28-year-old recently put his Melbourne penthouse back on the market, with an asking price of $800,000-$880,000 after paying $914,000 for the three-bedroom pad off-the-plan in 2015.
SCARY STUFF
AFL star Jack Higgins faces an indefinite stint on the sidelines after scans revealed he has bleeding on the brain.
In eerily similar circumstances to North Queensland Cowboy Te Maire Martin, Richmond youngster, just 20, had scans after complaining of headaches following a VFL game last Sunday.
Martin this week revealed his head felt like it was going to explode on a recent flight before his diagnosis.
While the Cowboys are hopeful Martin will play next season, his 2019 campaign is over.
A BUCK FOR PADDO COLTS
The Paddington Colts Junior Rugby League Football Club is celebrating its 70-year anniversary, with a dinner at Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club planned for Saturday, August 3.
Tickets are Limited, so go to paddingtoncolts.com.au/events or email bob.tate@bigpond.com with any inquiries.
Panthers slammed over ‘pathetic’ move
The Penrith Panthers are the all-conquering NRL champions but the club has abandoned their bid to claim the one trophy that’s eluded them.
Panthers celebrations switch from party to formal mode
Penrith Panthers players have ditched their sunglasses and shorts for suits and ties as the premiership party switches to formal mode for their end-of-season presentation night. SEE THE PHOTOS.