Manly coach Des Hasler asks if Dylan Walker could face Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers have moved on from signing prop Zane Musgrove regardless of the outcome of his impending court case.
It hasn’t taken Des Hasler long to be up to his old tricks again with the Manly coach making a cheeky inquiry about selecting Dylan Walker for the club’s opening clash against the Tigers on Saturday night.
Hasler made the subtle request to the NRL earlier this week in the hope his stood down player could be made available later in the week had Jack de Belin won an interim injunction against the Australian Rugby League Commission.
De Belin’s case was withdrawn — which would not have had any bearing on Walker’s proposition this time around — with Manly now watching closely when de Belin challenges the no-fault policy on April 16.
Walker’s name was not in the eligible players list issued by the NRL. Each Tuesday clubs are required to fill out an online form to pick their side — with only players ruled eligible by the NRL listed.
Walker was not available having been stood-down under the NRL’s new no fault policy but that did not stop Hasler from asking the question.
Obviously the Manly coach was unable to, despite Walker maintaining his innocence following an alleged domestic incident with his partner in December.
Barring a change in the NRL’s policy, Walker will be unable to be picked until at least May 10 when he returns to court.
The Sea Eagles have a long list of unavailable players including fullback Tom Trbojevic. Footage of the star fullback running this week had Manly fans hoping Trbojevic would be ready for their round two clash against the Roosters but that remains unlikely.
“The medical staff haven’t given me any chance,” Trbojevic said. “Everyone got a bit too excited about the footage. Round three is what they are telling me. You can feel good but you don’t know what can happen. I’ve been pushing to get back on the park but they’ve pulled me back.”
RABBITOHS DRESSED FOR SUCCESS
RUGBY league’s off-season from hell has not stopped South Sydney from introducing a range of new major sponsors to the club.
The Rabbitohs sold their major home-and-away sponsorship plus a sternum sponsor on the NRL jersey.
Among the businesses to come on board were Wotif and Aqualand, while Alcatal has increased its commitment to the club.
“We managed to get great brands onto the shirts, which is a great achievement and credit to those companies to invest despite the challenges the sport has had,” Souths CEO Blake Solly said.
“For almost all of them it is their first partnership with rugby league. They are worldwide companies and some which are heavily skewered towards technology. We are as excited about partnering with them as they are about partnering with us.”
Souths return to Redfern Oval on Sunday when their NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg sides play Norths.
IT’S GAME ON AT THE SCG
THE SCG playing surface has been given the all-clear after an pitch inspection on Thursday afternoon.
The NRL’s Graham Annesley and Shaun Wendt were joined by South Sydney football manager Mark Ellison in checking out the ground ahead of tonight’s clash between the Rabbitohs and Roosters.
The SCG surface came under fire after it was torn up during the Waratahs’ Super Rugby match last week but Annesley, the NRL’s head of football, allayed any fears.
“There has been a lot of work done,” he said. “The areas we identified on Sunday have been replaced. It is stable. The Roosters have had a couple of training runs on here, the Rabbitohs have just had a look at it, and both clubs are comfortable. The NRL is comfortable.”
The ground will revert to its old north-south layout for the match after the Tahs shifted the field east-west.
The Roosters had that option, too, but have reverted to the traditional layout.
BREATHING FIRE OVER DE BELIN TREATMENT
ST GEORGE Illawarra are privately indignant about the way Jack de Belin has been stood down.
NRL boss Todd Greenberg explained the de Belin move after sitting down face-to-face with the Dragons lock.
De Belin and Dragons officials were incensed, though, that Greenberg read to de Belin a prepared statement rather than telling him straight up.
The Dragons are now looking forward to getting Greenberg on the stand on April 16, when he will be questioned under oath.
The NRL this week submitted a 50-page affidavit detailing the financial impact de Belin’s criminal charge has had on the game. It is said to be in the millions of dollars.
REHOMED DOGS VERY HAPPY
THE last thing Aaron Woods and David Klemmer would have thought about this time last year was going head to head in respective Cronulla and Newcastle jerseys. After Woods settled in Cronulla midway through last year, Klemmer followed him out of Belmore before linking with the Knights. Woods said the change had been good for his close friend.
“He is happy and pumped up,’’ Woods said. “We both went through similar things. He is loving it. It was really hard on him at the start. He never thought he would be in a different jersey, he loved the Bulldogs. Still does.
“I’m happy, he is happy. He is in a great spot.”
BOBBLEHEADS HAVE STARS SEEING DOUBLE
DANE Gagai had a different look at the SCG surface and surrounds.
Instead of Roosters big men Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Sio Siua Taukeiaho and Boyd Cordner charging at him in front of thousands of people, the Rabbitohs winger was joined by his bobble-head lookalike and friends.
Gagai, Panthers prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Manly’s Tom Trbojevic were matched with their bobble-head doubles at Kayo’s 2019 season launch.
Gagai, who has never played at the SCG, said he had enjoyed being reunited with former Newcastle Knights coach Wayne Bennett.
“When I was going through the stuff at Brisbane (before joining Newcastle) he was one of the coaches I met with,” Gagai said. “From the get-go I knew he was the coach I wanted to play for.
“He wants to develop great footballers but his main priority is developing great men. We’ve been separated for four years but it’s like we haven’t missed a day.”
TIGERS CUT ZANE LOOSE
THE Wests Tigers have moved on from signing prop Zane Musgrove regardless of the outcome of his impending court case.
Musgrove was due to join the Tigers from Souths this year to reunite with former coach Michael Maguire on a three-year deal.
However, he was never allowed to formally join the Tigers when the NRL refused to register the contract with his new club.
Musgrove was charged with indecently assaulting a 22-year-old woman at a Coogee pub in December.
The Tigers had toyed with the prospect of allowing Musgrove to train and be paid by the club pending his court case.
Regardless of the outcome of his court matter, he will not be a Tiger, meaning if he is found not guilty he will need to resurrect his career elsewhere.
Musgrove’s matter was listed for mention in Waverly Local Court on Wednesday.
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CLUBS face fines of up to $50,000 if they fail to adhere to the NRL’s revamped media policy.
The policy change is forcing clubs to provide more open media access than in recent years. But failure to live up to the policy will impact clubs in the hip pocket, big time.
For example, if a coach and one player aren’t made available to the host broadcaster 30 to 60 minutes before kick-off, their club will be slapped with a $10,000 fine for a noncompliance in the first instance.
That jumps to $25,000 if the club fails to comply again and then $50,000 for a third noncompliance.
A coach missing the post-game press conference will draw an instant $25,000 fine.
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RETURNING referee Matt Cecchin will officiate his first match in reserve grade for three years when he takes control of the Warriors and Canterbury clash on Saturday.
Cecchin is making his way back into the NRL via the Canterbury Cup NSW competition having only returned to the referee ranks on Monday.
“I feel invigorated and fresh,” Cecchin said.
“I just want to get out back there. When I blow the whistle for the 80 minutes that’s my time when I feel like I’m in heaven.
“I’ve been somewhat taken aback how supportive the squad and staff have been. This was all very last minute. I was at training on Monday. It would’ve been very unfair for me to come back in and straight into first grade.”
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FORMER NSW player Michael Ennis is continuing his transition into coaching after landing the NSW under-18s role. Ennis will coach the side against Queensland this year. Ennis is juggling his coaching ambitions with his media career. He joined the Raiders coaching staff this season.
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FORMER premiership winning teammates Luke Lewis and Chris Heighington will again join forces after agreeing to be part of ABC Grandstand’s rugby league coverage. The 300-gamers will join the commentary team headlined by Andrew Moore.
HOPING FOR A TINA-LIKE BUMP
CAN history repeat itself in the NRL?
Fox League’s launch on Thursday night and the Super Saturday opener almost mirrors the situation 30 years ago when Tina Turner became the sound of the game.
There is a little known fact behind Turner’s massive impact on rugby league and how she came to be the sound of the game.
The US entertainer toured Australia often during the 1960s and ’70s along with husband, Ike, but their popularity failed to convert into record sales. Part of the record company’s pitch to convince Turner was that an association with rugby league would broaden her market.
Its success was spectacular.
UK rock band Nothing But Thieves are popular throughout Europe but are only just beginning to crack the Australian market, so the head honcho at Sony Music, Denis Handlin, seems to have employed a similar strategy.
Nothing But Thieves launched Fox League’s season and will become the anthem for the channel’s Super Saturday franchise.
The opener features players taking a trip down memory lane to the band’s track.
PONGA TAKES TV GIG IN HIS STRIDE
KALYN Ponga continues to impress. After last week’s NRL launch, Ponga stayed in Sydney overnight to meet up with Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley the next day to discuss his media commitments for the coming season.
As they began to talk through the season, Crawley mentioned Ponga might get nervous at first, at which point the Knights star stopped him.
“I don’t know why, but nothing scares me on TV,” Ponga said. “I feel really comfortable.”
The last time Crawley heard that was when a young Benji Marshall was about to pick up a mike.
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