What’s the Buzz: Saint, sinner, shoosh

Anthony Mundine is facing a preliminary stoush this week every bit as fascinating as his fight with Jeff Horn in Brisbane on November 30. Plus Dylan Napa, Ricky Stuart and Gallen’s galloper.

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Anthony Mundine is facing a preliminary stoush this week every bit as fascinating as his fight with Jeff Horn in Brisbane on November 30.

On Tuesday, Mundine sits down face to face with my The Daily Telegraph and Fox Sports colleague Paul Kent — who has been his most brutal critic — for a one-hour TV interview to be shown in the build-up to the fight.

You can expect real fireworks.

The pair are two of the most opinionated and polarising figures in their respective areas.

Kent will not hold back on the biggest controversies of Mundine’s career, including his departure from rugby league and his infamous September 11 comments.

We hope Fox Sports has a good referee in the studio, because you can guarantee Mundine will be returning serve.

SAINT

It took new NRL head of football Graham Annesley just a fortnight into his job to break the clique that has been running the refereeing department so abysmally. The sacking of Tony Archer as referees boss is, in my opinion, the Dally M best administration decision of the year.

NRL football operations boss Graham Annesley. Picture: Toby Zerna

Canberra Raiders fullback Jack Wighton. Picture: Kym Smith

SINNER

The video of Jack Wighton on his drunken rampage in the streets of Canberra. This bloke should not drink. A couple of years ago, I took two young fans into the Canberra Raiders dressing room to meet him. He interacted with the kids beautifully.

SHOOSH

Which NRL club CEO is likely to be sacked before Christmas? It’s going to be a huge story when it happens?

SHOOSH II

Which very senior St George Illawarra official has been made redundant as part of a management restructure under the new ownership of WIN Corporation?

SHOOSH III

Which big-name NRL star with a long history of controversy has been strongly advised — for his own wellbeing — against plans to open a tattoo parlour in Sydney’s west in a suburb where some fairly heavy duty characters already run an ink business?

SPOTTED

Former Parramatta Eels star Jarryd Hayne buying a phone at the Apple store in Broadway this week.

SPOTTED II

Manly Sea Eagles legend Geoff Toovey, in an old Newtown Jets jersey, on his push bike in Narrabeen.

Manly legend Geoff Toovey. Picture: Damian Shaw

Noel Cleal is back in ‘training’.

SPOTTED III

The great Noel “Crusher” Cleal catching the train from Wauchope to Central to relink with Des Hasler and start his new job as head of recruitment at the Sea Eagles.

SPOTTED IV

Steve “Beaver” Menzies leaving the Australian Open golf tournament at The Lakes in his Brookvale Mazda-sponsored SUV.

SPOTTED V

Channel 7 sporting guru Jimmy ”Handbags” Wilson at Kawasaki Connection in Cessnock buying a Mule four-wheel drive for his nearby farm.

THANKS BOYS

This is the final What’s The Buzz edition for a couple of great “old” sub-editors who have worked on this column for many years, fixed my spelling mistakes, written the headlines and saved me from the occasional defamation drama. A huge thank you to Peter “Cunners” Cunningham and Dave “Muzz” Murray, who have ensured your old hack’s words appear as reasonably good English each Sunday.

Jeff Horn and Anthony Mundine are looking at a bumper crowd. Picture: Annette Dew

A FIGHT FOR TICKETS

There has been a huge demand for tickets to the Anthony Mundine-Jeff Horn fight in Brisbane.

Promoters have revealed more than 25,000 seats have already been sold for the November 30 stoush. They are on target for a crowd of more than 30,000.

There will be a stack of sporting superstars in the crowd — including the entire Broncos playing squad, the AFL’s Dustin Martin, the Roosters’ Latrell Mitchell and Australian cricketer Chris Lynn.

EXIT PLAN FOR NAPA

The Roosters have quietly told front-rower Dylan Napa he has permission to join Canterbury Bulldogs next season.

His agent, Steve Gillis, is also checking for possible interest at other clubs as well.

Napa is under contract for one more season at the Roosters and loves the place.

He wore his full grand final kit for 48 hours after the premiership victory over the Storm.

At the same time, he knows he can’t waste this opportunity to secure a big-money, long-term deal at Belmore.

Dylan Napa will be leaving his Roosters teammates behind. Picture: Getty Images

WHEELS IN MOTION

The 2018 NRL season is not over, yet. Wheelchair rugby league is holding a festival of football next Sunday as part of celebrations for the International Day of People With Disabilities.

Ambassadors Brett Kimmorley and James Tamou will be at Auburn PCYC for the event.

It is free to attend. Your columnist once did a training session with the wheelchair players and, trust me, it can get physical. Check out: www.nrlwheelchair.com.au for details.

RICKY JUST KEEPS ON GIVING

Most NRL coaches enjoy their weekends during the off-season relaxing with family and friends.

But Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is still out there doing his bit for junior rugby league.

Stuart was in Wagga Wagga yesterday coaching the Riverina junior rep players competing in the Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns cups next year.

Today, he’s in the Monaro coaching another group of youngsters.

It’s a wonderful gesture from a truly passionate rugby league man who keeps on giving back to the game.

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is taking it to the bush.

MISSING CHIEFS

Four of the 16 NRL clubs were not represented at the recent chief executives conference at Moore Park. Manly (Lyall Gorman), Melbourne (Dave Donaghy), Parramatta (Bernie Gurr) and Gold Coast Titans, who don’t have a CEO, weren’t at the meeting to discuss the biggest issues in the game. Under a new rule, conference invitations are no longer transferable to stop absent CEOs from sending any old official.

HOME FOR MUM

The brightest new star in Fox Sports’ cricket coverage, Isa Guha, has left the country to be with her mum, who is unwell, in England. The former England player has been an outstanding contributor inside the Fox Sports commentary box for the ODIs but will miss Australia’s T20 series against India to be with her mum. Isa will be back for the Adelaide Test match starting on December 6.

TWEETY BIRD

Gus Gould sure loves his social media. We counted 39 tweets yesterday morning in which he was interacting with fans on all things rugby league. Some of it was about the punters having a crack at the great man for announcing Trent Merrin was staying at Penrith last week only to release him to Leeds in the UK Super League a few days later.

Paul Gallen with Te Akau Shark.

GAL’S SHARK TO CIRCLE MAJOR RACES

Sharks great Paul Gallen is a part-owner of one of the best horses in Australasia.

Te Akau Shark bolted in to win a Group 2 race in New Zealand last week and has now been set for the Doncaster Mile at Randwick next autumn and the Cox Plate in Melbourne.

Gallen was in Riccarton to watch the horse win untouched by six lengths. The four-year-old gelding has won four of his five starts and $242,000 in prizemoney. It is $15 chance for the Cox Plate.

Australia’s oldest turf critic, Ron Dufficy, said: “I can’t wait to see him in Sydney this autumn.”

CONDOLENCES

Our thoughts are with Macquarie Sports Radio breakfast host Mark Levy and his family over the sudden passing of his dad on Wednesday. It was a particularly sad story as Levy revealed on social media that he and his dad didn’t always get on. “I wish we mended our relationship in the last few years,” Levy wrote. “His last message was about how proud he was of my career in media. Love you, dad. RIP.”

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