What’s the Buzz: Clubs circle Valentine Holmes, Roosters want Coen Hess and Todd Carney latest
CLUBS circle unhappy Sharks star Valentine Holmes, the Roosters eye Coen Hess, an NRL star to face court for breaking road rules and the latest on Todd Carney’s return.
NRL
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CLUBS circle unhappy Sharks star Valentine Holmes, the Roosters eye Cohen Hess, an NRL star will face court for breaking road rules and the latest on Todd Carney’s return.
It’s a jam-packed Easter edition of Saint, Sinner and Shoosh.
SAINT
WESTS Tigers tragic Robert O’Dea passed away from a sudden heart attack last month. He was just 39 and left behind a beautiful wife, Lauren, and sons Ethan, 16, Connor, 14, and Danny, 6. In a lovely gesture, the Tigers acknowledged the family’s tragedy on the big screen at the Broncos game. The club also donated a signed jersey to the family in Robert’s memory. Nice work, Wests Tigers.
SINNER
PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian spends $750 million of taxpayers’ money on a new 45,000-seat Allianz Stadium that only one NRL club uses — the Roosters — for an average crowd of 13,000. Meanwhile, the venues the fans love — Brookvale, Leichhardt, Campbelltown, Belmore Sports Ground, Shark Park and Kogarah — are left to rot.
SINNER II
FEMALE participation is the biggest growth area in rugby league yet the NRL slams the door shut on the Rabbitohs and Sharks for the new elite women’s comp. The administration of the game has made a huge mistake with this. No other code in this country treats women’s sport as poorly.
SPOTTED
HUGH Bowman celebrating the super mare Winx’s 24th-straight win with a bowl of fruit salad and ice-cream at Little Jack Horner cafe, Coogee.
SPOTTED II
EX-Aussie middleweight champion Peter Mitrevski jnr sitting in business class on an Etihad flight to England for the Joseph Parker versus Anthony Joshua heavyweight world title fight.
SPOTTED III
FORMER Queensland State of Origin player Dane Nielsen leaving Junee after being sacked as first-grade coach a month before the start of the season after a drunken night out.
SPOTTED IV
SHIRE league identity Pete “The Greek” Leontaris celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary with his beautiful wife, Narelle. The Greek has mentored a number of NRL figures, including Paul Green, Nathan Brown and Ricky Stuart.
SHOOSH
WITH Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin likely to leave the Raiders, coach Ricky Stuart desperately needs a playmaker who can win tight games. Standby for a big signing.
SHOOSH III
WHICH NRL coach is barely on speaking terms with his CEO after a number of heated arguments in recent months?
SHOOSH III
DISGRACED salary cap cheat Gary McIntyre was rejected by Bulldogs members in recent board elections at Canterbury Leagues Club. He is, however, still in the background and putting pressure on Lynne Anderson-aligned directors to make big management changes at the club.
CARNEY COMEBACK ‘ON’
THE NRL is apparently softening its stance on a Todd Carney comeback.
We’re hearing the integrity unit will recommend to CEO Todd Greenberg that Carney should be allowed back but under the strictest conditions imposed on a player.
There is even talk the Cowboys will be asked to pay a bond that would be forfeited if he was to step out of line again.
Greenberg will make the final decision before round six. It will give Carney plenty of time to settle in before Michael Morgan goes on State of Origin duty.
HESS HAS ROOSTERS INTERESTED
SYDNEY Roosters have yet another back-row forward on their wish list to accompany Angus Crichton in 2019.
We’re hearing coach Trent Robinson has earmarked the Cowboys’ Coen Hess, who is off contract and talking to rival clubs.
The Cowboys are desperate to keep the Maroons forward but won’t pay stupid money.
There will be the predictable outcry over the Roosters’ salary cap if Hess finishes up there, even allowing for the fact the club released $2 million worth of players last year and had a $2.3 million rise in the salary cap.
YEAH, BABY
THERE’S more wonderful baby news coming out of Channel Nine’s sports department. Game-day footy host James Bracey and his wife, Margo, are expecting their first child. It will be an anxious build-up to the grand final with the baby expected in the first week of October.
TRADITION VALUED
RUGBY union is struggling big time even though the ARU made a $4 million profit last year.
The best thing it has going for it is the Sydney club competition in which the traditional old clubs still play a beautiful brand of old-school rugby.
Standby for some big news on the broadcasting of Shute Shield, which is now shown on 7TWO free-to-air. We’re hearing that Fox Sports wants to cover the games, too.
HOLMES NOT AT HOME ON WING
CLUBS are lining up to chat to Cronulla Sharks winger Valentine Holmes despite the fact he is under contract for another two seasons on fullback money.
Holmes prefers fullback and is disappointed he was switched back to the wing after the first-round loss to the Cowboys in Townsville. And we’re hearing it is the Cowboys who are most interested in getting him back to North Queensland.
Holmes has had few opportunities to display the spectacular finishing qualities we saw him produce for the Kangaroos in last year’s World Cup. He is on about $700,000 a year at the Sharks which makes him the highest-paid winger in the history of the NRL.
MARTY COURT OUT
ON the field, Manly enforcer Marty Taupau makes big money for stampeding his way through defensive lines. Off the field, the same behaviour has landed him in court.
The Sea Eagles front-rower is listed to appear in Waverley Local Court on April 17 to contest a charge of disobeying a no-entry sign in a motor vehicle.
According to court documents, Taupau allegedly ignored the traffic sign on Bronte Rd, Bondi at 11.51am on December 21.
