Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Paul Gallen and Nate Myles cash in on ugly Origin brawl; Shane Flanagan fury
He’s in the midst of a fallout with Phil Gould, now high profile agent Wayne Beavis is dealing with the fury of unemployed coach Shane Flanagan — all the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
Tigers
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tigers. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Paul Gallen and Nate Myles are cashing in on the ugliest rugby league punch-up in recent history.
The two State of Origin warhorses have been signed up by Domino’s Pizza for a television commercial during this year’s series in November.
The two combatants will be paid around the $50,000 mark each to take part in the advertisement.
Shooting began last week but had to be filmed from two locations because Miles is in Queensland.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership. Every game of every round Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
NRL NEWS
Charged! Eels prop Paulo faces ban for controversial tackle
Why things are about to get worse for the Dragons
Career over: Origin forward retires due to concussion
Madge’s huge Tigers shake up as coaching carousel continues
The commercial will go to air before and during the telecasts on Channel Nine in a controversial multimillion-dollar campaign.
The violent exchange in 2013 created outrage and forced then-NRL chief executive Dave Smith to introduce a strict zero tolerance to punching in the toughest crackdown on foul play in the history of the game. As a result, players are now sin-binned for punching.
Replays show Gallen launching a series of thumping blows to Myles at the height of the hatred between the Blues and Maroons.
In his book, Gallen wrote: “Mums began phoning talkback radio shows, declaring that they would never let their son or daughter play rugby league. I was labelled a thug, out of control and reckless.
“In that split second, I wasn’t thinking about mums and dads watching the match at home.”
Gallen and Myles have moved on. They played together for Australia and have filmed an awareness campaign for depression sufferers.
Domino’s says the advertisement is themed around its half ‘n’ half pizza campaign, bringing together people who may have different tastes by sharing a pizza.
Check out all the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
SAINT
Women in rugby league have come such a long way since the late 1970s when your columnist started in this business. I can’t recall one female in the game back then. Today we acknowledge all women volunteers, coaches, administrators, cheer girls, players and media types who are doing such a wonderful job to help make the great game even greater.
SINNER
Outrageous rules in place for junior rugby league grand finals across Sydney next weekend in which teams have been banned by the NSWRL from singing their club songs after the games because of COVID-19, despite zero cases in many of the areas.
SHOOSH
We’re hearing rising superstar Tim Tszyu might be running scared of Daniel Lewis — the only fighter to have beaten him. Tszyu’s promoter Matt Rose has stopped taking calls from Peter Mitrevski jnr, who manages Lewis. It’s no secret Tszyu’s camp regard him as a dangerous proposition and might be looking for an easier bout before having a shot at the world title.
SPOTTED
It can be a tough life for some in the sporting media, especially for the much more glamorous types. Fox Sports star Tara Rushton and Channel Nine’s Erin Molan have ambassador roles with Jaguar and Mercedes Benz. Your poor columnist gets around in an old Toyota Kluger.
SPOTTED II
David Gallop hit his first ever hole-in-one at Randwick Golf Club last week. However it was scored as a par because his first shot went wildly out of bounds into a lake.
SPOTTED III
Broncos boss Karl Morris and ex-coach Anthony Seibold having dinner at the Norman Hotel in Brisbane on Tuesday. Surely Seibs shouted with his $1.5 payout.
SPOTTED IV
Penrith fan Luke Power is so confident the Panthers will win the NRL grand final that he has already purchased this number plate, 20PMRS. That’s his boy, Oliver, showing off the plates. We reckon another good one would be GUS9YPLN.
BEAVIS DEALS WITH FLANAGAN’S FURY
Phil Gould recently said it was unlikely he’d ever speak again to his old mate, veteran player agent Wayne Beavis.
Fortunately, Roosters boss Nick Politis – a mutual friend of both – has sorted it out and the pair are back in communication.
However, the nastiness doesn’t stop there for Beavis. The agent manages both Anthony Griffin – over whom he fell out with Gould – and former Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan.
The moment Griffin got the job at St George-Illawarra, Flanagan got punted as the Dragons’ assistant coach.
He is not happy about it.
The Sharks’ 2016 premier coach is now out of work for next season, although we’re hearing he could join Craig Bellamy at Melbourne Storm in a coaching consultancy role.
Flanagan’s suspension as a head coach finishes this time next year and he hopes to be back in 2022 in charge of an NRL squad.
That won’t necessarily be at the Cronulla Sharks because John Morris is doing such an excellent job.
NRL TOUCH JUDGE TAKES STRESS LEAVE
We’ve been telling you for several weeks about the turmoil in the refereeing ranks.
One highly regarded touch judge has fallen out with referees boss Bernard Sutton and is on stress leave.
We’re now hearing there is a push from the referees for Jared ‘Horse’ Maxwell to take over from Sutton as their boss next year.
It will be an interesting one because Maxwell is in Sutton’s bad books, not that he will have any say in the appointment.
‘Horse’ has been given only one game in the bunker this weekend because he inexplicably disallowed the Lindsay Collins try for the Roosters against the Knights last week.
Whatever happens, head of football Graham Annesley will need to fix the issues during the off-season.
The try awarded to Souths winger Jaxson Paulo with his foot clearly over the touchline on Thursday night was surely the last straw.
SETTLE DOWN TIGER
There’s one particular footballer at a Sydney-based NRL club with a volatile reputation who needs to pull his head in. A respected journalist was visiting the club’s headquarters last week and parked his car exactly where the chief executive told him to.
Turns out it was blocking the player’s car. The tirade that followed was a disgrace and an embarrassment to the club. This player has a long history of being a ratbag both on and off the field.
AFL JOB SECURITY BEATS NRL
Wouldn’t NRL coaches love the security of carrying a clipboard in the AFL competition.
This season we’ve had Stephen Kearney, Paul Green, Paul McGregor, Dean Pay and Anthony Seibold all punted.
Then you check out the AFL. At the Swans coach John Longmire got a three-year extension last year on big money, despite Sydney finishing 15th.
The team is in exactly the same position on the ladder this season yet there’s no talk of sacking him.
There is a similar story at the GWS Giants with Leon Cameron.
Cameron was recently given a two-year contract extension despite the Giants running 10th on the table. At least he made the grand final last year.
Imagine an AFL coach getting axed while running fourth like Anthony Griffin in 2018.
MAROON DOUBTS FOR BENNETT
Not everyone at the Queensland Rugby League agrees with chairman Bruce Hatcher and his plan to bring back Wayne Bennett to coach the Maroons in State of Origin if Kevin Walters get the coaching job at the Brisbane Broncos.
Bennett was sacked from his last representative football coaching job with the English Rugby League after losing four straight Test matches last year — the last one to Papua New Guinea.
DEEP CUTS STILL TO COME
NRL staff will learn the extent of the job losses as part of the cost-cutting restructure next week.
CEO Andrew Abdo will address all staff at 10am on Monday. It’s expected about $50m will be cut from the business’ operating costs.
Already several senior executives have been made redundant including chief operating officer Nick Weeks and communication boss Liz Deegan.
$100K PAY DAY FOR NOTHING
Anthony Mundine could be about to pocket the easiest $100,000 of his career.
The former boxing world champion has signed to fight big-punching Michael Zerafa in Bendigo in November.
However, Matt Rose — promoter of rising superstar Tim Tszyu — wants Zerafa to fight his man at Bankwest Stadium in December.
He would have to pay Mundine compensation if he agrees to it.
MAKING HAY
Nick Kyrgios has signed up with one of Australia’s most respected sports management and marketing gurus.
The tennis star has engaged Tristan Hay, who has worked closely with Sonny Bill Williams, the late Kobe Bryant and Anthony Mundine over the past decade during their ups and downs.