What’s the Buzz: How rugby league let down its young female players, Loz loyal to his Blues halves and expect more Tigers turmoil

WHAT’S THE BUZZ: A shocking example of how appallingly rugby league can treat its female participants, Loz loyal to his Blues halves and expect more Tigers turmoil.

Touch Girls League players Keely Latta, 10, Taya Seldon, 9, Kalani Anderson, 7, Chloe Shephard, 9, Micah Stenning, 9, and Summer Anderson, 9. Picture: Jonathan Ng

ALL the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.

SAINT

JUST two sleeps until the Anzac Day Roosters-Dragons blockbuster, your columnist’s favourite NRL event every footy season. The Last Post, the silence, the pride and the goosebumps.

SAINT II

THE NRL has found its best young referee since Billy Harrigan. Grant Atkins has been doing an outstanding job in high-pressure games this season. And, unlike other refs, this guy has the courage to blow penalties in golden-point extra time when necessary, like he did three times in Canberra on Friday night.

MORE WHAT’S THE BUZZ: Perth plan to intercept Nines

Referee Grant Atkins awards a penalty in extra time against the Raiders. (Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

SINNER

THE NRL’s blatant attempt to “rob” players and the 16 clubs in the salary cap fiasco. The TV broadcast deal revenue went up 80 per cent (from $1 billion to $1.8) yet the salary cap and player payments only rise 15 per cent. It’s a rip-off.

SHOOSH

WHICH former Kangaroos star is about to be appointed the new coach of St Helens in the English Super League?

SHOOSH II

WHICH chairperson at a struggling NRL club sent an abusive text message last week to the father of a star player who was about to sign with a rival club?

SHOOSH III

WHICH NRL club CEO has been kept in the dark over player negotiations and is not even aware the coach and chairman have signed a big-name player for 2018?

SPOTTED

PENRITH Panthers supremo Phil Gould and Fox Sports head of television Steve Crawleyenjoying the hospitality of Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys at the All Aged Stakes meeting at Royal Randwick. No, Crawley is not trying to coax the great man across to Fox Sports. They were great mates in their days together at Channel Nine and it was simply a social catch-up at the races.

SPOTTED II

ST HELENS boss Mike Rush at dinner with the “Mayor of Gunnamatta” Marty Downs at the Hyatt Regency on Tuesday night.

SPOTTED III

JAMAL Idrishaving coffee at Redfern, a good drop kick away from Rabbitohs headquarters.

SPOTTED IV

DUMPED Knights half Trent Hodkinson enjoying lunch on the Woolloomooloo wharf on Easter Monday with family and friends.

Courtney Conlogue surfing with Simona de Silvestro at Phillip Island.

SPOTTED V

BELLS Rip Curl Pro winner Courtney Conlogue with Supercar driver Simona de Silvestrosurfing at Phillip Island on Thursday.

SPOTTED VI

2GB broadcasterRay Hadley having dinner at Mano’s restaurant in Main Beach on the Gold Coast.

SPOTTED VII

NRL referee Gerard Sutton taking in the Spirit of Anzac Exhibition at Darling Harbour.

Touch Girls League players Keely Latta, 10, Taya Seldon, 9, Kalani Anderson, 7, Chloe Shephard, 9, Micah Stenning, 9, and Summer Anderson, 9. Picture: Jonathan Ng

OUT OF TOUCH

THIS is a shocking example of how appallingly rugby league can treat its female participants.

The Cronulla junior rugby league is supposed to be running a women’s touch football competition this season involving the local footy clubs in Shire.

Their season was to start on Sunday. After a massive push to get girls involved in rugby league like soccer, AFL and cricket, the treatment of these girls has been a disgrace.

In its inaugural year last season, NSW Touch, which is owned by the NRL, ran the competition on Sunday mornings. NRL CEO Todd Greenberg even attended some games.

The girls loved running out in their junior club’s jerseys and feeling a part of the ‘rugby league family’.

This year however the popular competition was handed over to the Cronulla Junior League and the girls comp was linked with the boys’ junior competition.

After paying $190 registration, the girls are yet to be even given their playing gear. Not even a firm starting date.

Yet the boys have all played in trial games, been given their gear and designated fields for training.

The girls were initially told this weekend was to be their opening round, the same as the boys. Then this outrageous email arrived on Thursday from the junior league.

“Hi all, sorry for the late notice but we will be postponing the start of the Girls League touch for 2 weeks, due to the shortage of referees.”

That’s right … there were plenty of refs for boys games but not for the girls. Understandably parents are really fed up and the girls are fast becoming disinterested. And who could blame them.

LOZ STAYS LOYAL

WE can reveal the NSW Blues halves combination for the opening State of Origin game against the Maroons. Barring injuries, it will be Cronulla Sharks star James Maloney at halfback with Penrith skipper Matt Moylan at five-eighth. This was the same combination coach Laurie Daley used last season to win the final game of the series. Daley is not concerned about Moylan’s recent off-field problems at the Panthers.

MORE TIGERS TUMOIL

THE player exodus at Wests Tigers is not over just yet. We’re now hearing centre Kevin Naiqama and front-rower Tim Grant are looking for opportunities elsewhere. The same with Aaron Woods’ front-row partner Ava Seumanufagai.

This is a club in absolute crisis. It had been hoped new coach Ivan Cleary would stem the flow of big-name players wanting to get out. Not so. The players are more concerned about the management of the club than the coach.

ROOSTER BOOSTERS

MY colleague Dean “Bulldog” Ritchiepoked fun at the Chooks faithful last week, pointing out how they’re likely to be outnumbered by Dragons fans at Allianz Stadium on Anzac Day.

Well, the Roosters fans have come out in numbers this week, levelling up the ticket sale race at 50-50. Tuesday’s match looks likely to crack the 40,000 mark, making it one of the biggest Anzac Day crowds on record.

Hannah Hollis will get her shot at presenting the NRL this Sunday. Picture: Tim Hunter.

HOSTING GIG REWARD FOR HOLLIS

HANNAH Hollis will step into the hosting chair for the first time on Fox Sports on Sunday afternoon for the Bulldogs versus Wests Tigers match.

Hannah replaces regular host Jess Yates, who will be at Phillip Island hosting the Supercars Championship, and will be joined by Braith Anasta, Mark Gasnier and Justin Hodges.

She has had a terrific start to the year after joining the Fox League team at the beginning of the season as a sideline commentator; a panellist on the all-female NRL show League Life; and a regular on The Late Show with Matty Johns.

Head of television Steve Crawleysaid: “Hannah is a rising star. She loves her footy and knows what she’s talking about. She has worked hard and she’ll do a great job filling in for Jess.”

BOYD’S PAY VOID

DARIUS Boyd’s loyalty toWayne Bennettwill cost him $200,000 a season for the rest of his career. He could earn $1 million-a-year if he tested the open market and moved back to Sydney but the Broncos know they can pay “unders” because he has followed Bennett throughout his career and will never leave him. The Broncos will get away with paying him about $800,000 in his new deal that is currently being negotiated.

BROWN HOBBLED

ONE of the biggest problems for the Newcastle Knights’ recruitment drive is that coachNathan Brownneeds to get financial approval from the NRL for major signings.

We all know getting a decision out of Moore Park headquarters is notoriously slow. Ask the clubs who have had to wait 18 months since the $1.8 billion TV deal was finalised just to get a salary cap figure for 2018.