What’s the Buzz: Greg Norman snubs Ray Price, Knights want Sorensen from Penrith
Greg Norman won’t take league legend’s call, the ex-Roosters doing his bit for Pride and the Panthers that’s in the Knights’ sights - all in Australia’s best sporting gossip column.
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Old Parramatta Eels legend Ray Price has been chasing golf superstar Greg Norman for months.
Price is hosting a charity golf day to raise money for melanoma research at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast on March 6.
He has met Norman on several occasions during his playing days and when they were both inducted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame in 1992.
Price wanted Norman to help him promote the event.
He has tried his phone number and email. There’s been no reply.
“I know he’s been busy,” Price said, “I understand that, but it’s a bit disappointing.”
Price, who is soon to turn 70, has battled melanoma cancer on and off for nearly a decade.
It turns out the former Eels, Origin and Kangaroos didn’t need the Shark’s help.
The tournament is sold out with 130 starters. So far he has raised $18,000 before raffles and auctions on the day.
Former teammates David Liddiard, Paul Taylor, Peter Sterling and John Muggleton are among the starters.
You can make a donation on the Melanoma Institute Australia website HERE.
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SAINT
Former Roosters star Jake Friend is now running a successful business Friendly Plumbing. He and his business partner have 10 trucks on the road, two of which are sprayed in rainbow colours. “We both have mates who are gay, and we just want to show our support,” Friend said. It coincides with Sydney’s WorldPride festival and is a lovely touch after what happened at Manly last year with the Josh Aloiai-led boycott of a game in which seven players refused to wear the pride jersey.
SAINT II
Manly stars have shaved their heads to raise funds for Bear Cottage, a children’s hospice in their area. They also donated $10,000 from their NRL Pre-Season Challenge prizemoney. The Penn family has generously matched what the players have raised, taking the club’s contribution to $77,214.
SINNERS
St George Illawarra has massive issues with ill-discipline going back to the Covid barbecue fiasco in 2021. This year we’ve had Junior Amone on a string of charges – reckless grievous bodily harm in company, destroy or damage property and stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm. Then the 6am fight between Mikaele Ravalawa and Zane Musgrove at the team hotel in Mudgee after a night on the booze. And prop Francis Molo fronting court charged with stalking/intimidating a woman. The club is a disgrace.
SHOOSH
Which recently retired NRL star priced himself out of a job on a TV network via his manager, who’s asking for too much coin in a tough climate where all media organisations have had to reduce spending. The days of ex-footballers getting huge TV deals are over, although we wouldn’t mind half of Matty Johns’ salary.
SPOTTED
Knights stars Adam Clune and Jackson Hastings with Caitlin Foord after the Matildas’ win in Newcastle.
SPOTTED
Canterbury boss Phil Gould in a Newcastle cafe last week discreetly chatting to one of the Knights’ best rookies after a junior rep game.
SPOTTED
Harry Garside getting knocked out in the first round of an amateur boxing tournament in Bulgaria, obviously missing having legendary trainer Johnny Lewis in his corner. It was his second loss in a row.
SPOTTED
Sea Eagles godfather Ken Arthurson on the Manly ferry to Circular Quay. At 93 he’s still looking great. He also attended the club’s season launch.
SPOTTED
Dr Charlie Teo, Luke Lewis and his wife Sonia, plus Southern Highlands hotel tycoon Marty Downs at the Oaks Hotel in Double Bay on Tuesday night.
KNIGHTS IN BID TO SIGN SORENSEN
Newcastle Knights have a huge opinion of Penrith Panthers forward Scott Sorensen.
They’d actually love to have him on their roster this year.
During the week the Knights chatted to the Panthers about making it happen.
Their plan was to offer winger Dominic Young as a replacement for injured Taylan May, who is out for the season. In return, they wanted Sorensen.
At the end of the day, it fell through.
The Knights are still keen to offload the English winger following his decision to join the Roosters on a four-year contract. If he goes anywhere, it will be the Roosters.
SHARKS’ LEADERSHIP LOCKED IN
Cronulla has appointed Dale Finucane and Wade Graham as co-captains.
And the man steering the team around the park, Dally M champion Nicho Hynes, has been named as the vice-captain.
Finucane will lead the team on to the field each week because Graham is in his final season and is expected to come off the bench most weeks.
Graham, 32, will either break or get close to the 300-game mark this year. He needs to play another 23 games to get there in what would be a wonderful achievement before retirement.
The Sharks have built a fantastic team culture under coach Craig Fitzgibbon, Hynes, Finucane and Graham.
FLETCH MAY SPARK BETTING SCANDAL
Fox Sports star Bryan Fletcher has tried to back St George Illawarra to win the wooden spoon.
At a recent film shoot for the Matty Johns show, Fletch interviewed Dragons stars Zac Lomax and Blake Lawrie and told them he was expecting them to run last.
Typical Fletch being Fletch. Lawrie and Lomax offered him odds of 100/1.
“I’ve put $100 on with both of them,” Fletch said. “So if they run last they’ll owe me $10,000 each.”
What Fletch didn’t realise is that NRL players can’t bet on footy under the terms of their contracts.
The last thing the Dragons need is for the integrity unit to be investigating more drama at the club.
DOLPHINS DIVE ON FREE TO AIR
Channel 9 is obviously worried about the depth of Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins squad and their ability to compete against the stronger teams in the second half of the NRL season. The Dolphins have been given 12 free-to-air games in their debut season – and Channel 9 has scheduled nine of them in the first 14 rounds of the competition.
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The North Queensland Cowboys risk missing Friday night’s final against the Sharks after the club failed to secure seats on one of the two direct flights to Sydney.
Why Roosters face easy call in the halves
Sandon Smith is the first to admit he didn’t have his best game last week, but his teammates have backed him to respond against Manly.