Titans backflip on Max King Storm move, Lebanon players in the dark

Gold Coast forward Max King was already driving to Melbourne to take up his switch to the Storm when the Titans panicked. PLUS, the Cedars consider their next move.

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The injury that ruled Jai Arrow out of Queensland’s State of Origin team was a major roadblock for his Gold Coast teammate Max King after the Titans cancelled his move to the Storm — while he was driving to Melbourne.

In extraordinary scenes, King had said his farewells to his Titans teammates and even passed a medical to join the Storm before the June 30 trade deadline.

You have to feel for Max King. Image: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

It is understood his car was packed and he had started the 18-hour drive south to Melbourne when he got the call to make a U-turn after the Titans did a backflip on their ­decision.

After initially agreeing to let him go, the ­Titans told King he wouldn’t be granted a release and would need to stay as cover for Arrow, whose ankle injury could sideline him for six weeks. The Titans are also without Ryan James for the rest of the season, while Kevin Proctor is out for about two weeks with an eye socket injury.

The Lebanese team is in turmoil. Image: Phil Hillyard

WHAT NOW FOR CEDARS?

Lebanon players were deciding exactly what action they should take to continue their public stance against the ­incumbent Lebanese Rugby League Federation board.

Players confirmed they would not cover over the logo but are still keen to stage some sort of protest.

They could either write “boycott” on their sleeves or something similar underneath the federation logo when they take the field against Fiji on Saturday night.

While the players seemingly backed down from their defiant stance of earlier in the week, it has brought about what they wanted — an investigation into the board in Lebanon, which the Rugby League International Federation has promised.

Their anger stems from a failure to capitalise on the success of the 2017 World Cup and recent board elections.

There have been claims a “ghost” club was set up to help dictate the vote. From the outside looking in, there is no doubt unrest at some level in Lebanon.

Local team Lycans travelled to Turkey to play a match where they covered up the Lebanese Rugby League Federation logo.

LISTEN! The crew try to get their heads around the Blues selection policy for Origin II and ask if it’s a version of The Simpsons’ “Homermobile”, plus Latrell Mitchell’s future and Matty goes to the movies.

BACK FOR BUNNIES

ADAM Reynolds is hopeful of playing against Wests Tigers on Thursday night after returning to training following a back fracture.

The Rabbitohs are also confident Braidon Burns will make his long-awaited return from a hamstring injury, while boom youngster Dylan Brown is every chance to play for Parramatta against Canberra next Saturday.

Cronulla prop Aaron Woods is also an outside chance to make his comeback next week.

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CANTERBURY Bulldogs forward Raymond Faitala-Mariner has rejected an approach from St George Illawarra to make an immediate switch as cover for banned Dragon Jack de Belin.

The Bulldogs are interested in bringing Newcastle’s Herman Ese’Ese to the club. He played a top-grade game for them in 2015.

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SOME of the most influential women in Australia are expected at North Sydney Oval on Friday night for the women’s State of Origin clash. Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page will be there, so too the state’s respective premiers in Gladys ­Berejiklian and Annastacia ­Palaszczuk.

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NOW Samoa have Marty Taupau as their first big scalp, they are turning their attention to another Kiwi, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Samoa are pushing to lure the Kiwi to switch allegiances next year. Tuivasa-Sheck was born in Samoa but has gone on to become one of the best players in the competition.

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THE drafting of Mark Gasnier into the Blues camp created some hysteria and panic.

People forget Gasnier filled a similar role last year when he mentored rookies Latrell Mitchell and James Roberts.

Former Western Reds coach Peter Mulholland is battling hard.

MULHOLLAND BACK ON DECK FOR REDS REUNION

WESTERN Reds will take advantage of Sunday’s Origin match in Perth to hold their 25-year reunion with the big news being the Reds’ inaugural coach, Peter Mulholland, is a late inclusion.

Mulholland, who is doing an outstanding job as recruitment boss at the Raiders, is in a ding-dong battle with a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and a return stint to hospital last week looked like it might cause him to miss the reunion. Since battling his cancer, Mulholland’s good mate, former Canterbury recruitment boss Warren McDonnell, has been busy organising Mulholland’s wake and his coffin, among other things, which might or might not have something to do with McDonnell eyeing his job.

While in hospital last week, Mulholland was visited by a priest who he discovered came from Fairfield Patrician Brothers, McDonnell’s old school.

Mulholland called McDonnell: “Of all the low blows, you’ve brought a bloke in to give me the Last Rites …” he laughed.

Now out of hospital, Mulholland, who clearly has kept his humour, is looking forward to Sunday’s reunion. “If I come back alive, it will be great and if I come back dead it will still be great,” he said.

Steven Gamu, 18, with father, Will, who play for Penshurst RSL. Image: Justin Lloyd.

FROM BLOOD LINE TO TRY LINE

DESPITE a 21-year age gap, outside backs William and Stevie Gamu are forming
a father-son combination playing for Penshurst RSL’s A-Grade team in Sydney’s south.

“We’ve only played two games together so far but it’s special and I feel that Steve is always near me and am sure he does, too,” father William said.

“As a dad and I suppose as a son, some of the stuff is instinctive and cannot be coached into how a dad and son ought to play. Neither of us is the boss because we are there as teammates first and foremost on the field until we get off the field when I put my ‘dad’ hat back on.

“Every dad would be so protective and
I know he feels the same for me. He is a big kid now and understands the challenges that come with playing with full-grown adults and getting bashed or sledged.”

Stevie only recently turned 18 and represented the Roosters at Harold Matthews level. He turned his hand to American football as a running back.

“It’s the gridiron off-season,” William said. “To keep fit and active, I threw up
the challenge to Steve to have a crack at playing footy for Penshurst RSL under-18s. I told him that I was intending to make a return to playing A-Grade again after taking a year off. Steve thought about it and eventually decided he would play league but he asked if he could play in A-Grade with me.”

South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett at the airport.

BENNY JETS OUT

SOUTH SYDNEY coach Wayne Bennett was spotted this week at Kingsford Smith checking into business class on Etihad Airlines before he slipped out of Australia.

In a slice of bitter irony, Bennett, who is England’s national coach, has taken advantage of the NRL’s weekend off for Rep Round to fly to the Old Dart to sign up outstanding St Helens prop Luke Thompson for the Rabbitohs.

Bennett’s secret mission has infuriated St Helens boss Eamonn McManus, who took aim at Bennett using his influence as England coach to sign players to his NRL club.

“You’re letting the fox into the chicken coop,” McManus told London’s Daily Mirror.

“This is a coach at an NRL club, not just an Australian who is coaching England as his full-time job.

“The RFL is paying him handsomely to coach our players, not poach our players.”

SHOOSH: Which representative back has been ringing rival clubs to offer his services for next year?

SHOOSH II: Which player has fallen foul of his representative teammates after pulling out of this week’s games because he needed to refresh? The player has dodged his teammates’ calls, which has gone down like a lead balloon.

SPOTTED: Phil Gould and Shane Flanagan having lunch at Somersault restaurant in Cronulla on Wednesday.

Is there anyone Jimmy doesn’t know? Image: Brett Costello

JIMMY’S BLUES CLIQUE

JAMES Maloney didn’t have much catching up to do when he joined the NSW camp this week.

The Penrith five-eighth has played with 14 of the other 16 Blues, ­either at club level, playing for Country v City, Origin or with the Kangaroos.

The only two players not to get the Maloney experience before this week? Newcastle prop Daniel Saifiti and Souths lock Cameron Murray.