What’s the Buzz: Saint, sinner, shoosh
WAYNE Bennett-Darius Boyd partnership over, luxury getaway for NRL bosses, who’s in charge at Manly and more — all the latest rugby league chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
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ALL the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
SAINT
SHANE Warne’s call to rush Steve Smith and Dave Warner back into the Australian cricket team. Everyone now agrees the sandpaper bans were over the top compared to previous charges of ball tampering. It’s now ticket-buying customers being punished and robbed of watching the best Australian team over the summer.
SINNERS
THE lack of loyalty in rugby league from head coaches down. Ivan Cleary breaks his Wests Tigers contract because he wants to coach his son, Nathan. Anthony Seibold gets the opportunity of a lifetime to coach South Sydney then checks out after 12 months for a better offer in Brisbane.
SHOOSH
RAY Hadley inspecting an apartment overlooking the golf course at Castle Hill. He may as well move in — he plays there four times a week.
SPOTTED II
FORMER teammates Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce having a “quiet” drink in a Bali bar. Pearce recently split from his partner, Zoe Grant.
SPOTTED III
WESTS Tigers star Josh Reynolds with his old Canterbury teammates at an end-of- season getaway in Bali.
SPOTTED IV
EELS legends Bob O’Reilly, Mick Cronin, Steve Ella, Brett Kenny, Peter Wynn, Eric Grothe, Kevin “Stumpy” Stevens, Neil Hunt, Paul Taylor, Steve Sharp, David Liddiard, Brian Jackson and Terry Leabeater on the Gold Coast, continuing their long tradition of an end-of-season getaway.
SHOOSH
WHICH NRL players from a Sydney-based club behaved worse than the Bulldogs on Mad Monday but then got away with it thanks to a cover-up by the venue management.
SHOOSH II
A “SIGHTING” of former Parramatta winger Semi Radradra in the car park outside the Sydney Roosters’ Moore Park headquarters turned out to be #fakenews. Semi is more than happy in French rugby union where his contract is worth $1.6 million a season, more than double what he could earn in the NRL as a winger.
SHOOSH III
AFTER a two-year investigation, which high-profile NRL player agent is about to lose his accreditation over his dealings with the Parramatta Eels in their old salary cap scandal. Another 10 managers were investigated but will escape with reprimands.
SHOOSH IV
THE voice of boxing, Michael Buffer, has pulled out of the November 30 Jeff Horn versus Anthony Mundine fight in Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium. We’re hearing he’s signed with a new network and couldn’t reach an agreement with Fox Sports.
NRL HQ OFF ON LUXURY GETAWAY
COMMISSION chairman Peter Beattie has defended the NRL’s decision to take 17 executives off to a luxury Blue Mountains resort for a conference this week.
“There won’t be a lot of wining and dining,” Beattie said.
“We’ll be working our butts off.”
Beattie and CEO Todd Greenberg have booked their party of commissioners and NRL executives into the luxury Lilianfels Pool and Spa Resort for two days.
The resort restaurant, Darleys, has a stunning and expensive wine list and a menu to die for. There is even a butler.
Entrees include foie gras mousse, cured venison, kohlrabi, chocolate, elderflower or scallop silk, caviar, chickweed, crouton, XO Sauce.
Or the mains: 16-hour slow cooked wagyu onglet, wasabi, sprouts, cornichons or rabbit roulade, potato tortellini, cauliflower, roselle, braised peanut. Sounds better than a pie or a hot dog at the footy.
But Beattie insisted it was not over the top when we suggested the conference room at Moore Park headquarters would be more appropriate.
“One of the problems in the game is we’ve never planned enough,” he said. “If we just sit around rugby league headquarters people get phone calls and distractions. We’ve tried to keep the costs as modest as possible. The cost for the accommodation and conference facilities over two days is $5300 (not including food and beverages.)
“We’ll all be driving there and paying for our own fuel. This is a small investment to build a long-term strategy. “If we don’t plan for the future, this game is stuffed.”
OUR SINCEREST APOLOGY
ON August 19, we published a story in these pages headlined “Stars mourn loss of their life saver”.
The story was about Jake O’Sullivan, who in 2015 helped save his mates, Dylan Walker and Aaron Gray, after the NRL stars suffered drug overdoses.
The story stated the 23-year-old had himself died of a drug overdose. An autopsy has since found it was a “sudden death which cannot be explained”, and may have been related to a heart condition.
The Sunday Telegraph apologises for the hurt this has caused O’Sullivan’s family and friends.
BOYD WON’T FOLLOW BENNETT
FOR the first time in his career of 13 NRL seasons, Broncos fullback Darius Boyd will not be playing under Wayne Bennett when his coach and mentor moves to the Rabbitohs.
“There’s a zero per cent chance of that happening,” said Boyd’s agent, George Mimis. “He’s completely committed to the Broncos.’’
Boyd has followed Bennett from Brisbane to St George Illawarra, to Newcastle and back to Brisbane since he started out in 2006. The 31-year-old is still contracted to the Broncos for another three years.
“He doesn’t even have a Wayne Bennett clause in his contract anymore,” Mimis said.
“He’s very happy and content in Brisbane and won’t be going anywhere unless Anthony Seibold has other plans we haven’t been told about.”
FURNER A BUNNY IN COACH CAPERS
YOU’VE got to feel sorry for Leeds-bound coach Dave Furner, who was used as a “decoy” to cover-up the Rabbitohs’ secret talks with Wayne Bennett last week.
We received a text message last weekend from a source with close links to the Rabbitohs indicating Furner would be coaching the team next year. Turned out it was a “smother” to take journalists off the trail of Bennett. The rumour was started by a very senior Rabbitohs official.
SEVEN’S CRICKET TV BLACKOUT
CHANNEL 7 has given broadcast rivals Foxtel a massive free-kick to establish its credentials as the TV home of Australian cricket in all forms.
When the season officially starts with three one-day internationals against South Africa in Perth next Sunday, Adelaide (November 9) and Hobart (November 11), Seven won’t be there.
Not a camera and not a commentator.
Cricket fans across the country are facing a free-to-air blackout for all limited-over internationals against South Africa and then India.
India arrive after the Proteas series for three T20 internationals in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Say what you want about Channel 9’s old coverage but at least the network covered every game from the first ball of the season to the last.
Under anti-siphoning laws, Channel 7 has the right to broadcast the one-dayers but declined.
Cricket lovers will at least have Foxtel, which will roll out the biggest names in cricket — Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh — for the opening game against South Africa.
RABBITOHS LEGENDS BACK SATTS
SOUTH Sydney Juniors is staging an appreciation dinner for legendary front-rower Johnny Sattler, who is slowly recovering from a stroke.
Sattler played 195 games for the Rabbitohs and captained them to four premierships.
Sattler’s son, Scott, said the tough old warhorse was out of hospital and “going OK’’.
All the old Souths legends will be there, including George Piggins and Bobby McCarthy.
The dinner is on February 9 at South Sydney Juniors. For bookings contact South Sydney Juniors at: thejuniors.com.au or call 9349 7555.
SIA’S LOCKS OFF FOR KULTURE
HERE’S a good yarn that again highlights many of the good things rugby league players do for others.
Canberra journeyman Sia Soliola hasn’t had a haircut for three years but has agreed to shave his locks for Kulture Break, a local charity which transforms the lives of kids and youth through inclusion and wellbeing. And it seems Soliola’s children can’t wait to check out his new look, with Alesana (left) and Israel ready to start clipping. The big cut will take place at 4pm on November 22 at the Harvey Norman Commercial Showroom in Canberra. Donations can be made by visiting: admin@kulturebreak.com
BENJI’S BACK AT FOX SPORTS
WESTS Tigers legend Benji Marshall is returning to Fox Sports next year after a stint at Channel 9.
Marshall will be back on NRL 360, where he used to appear alongside Mick Ennis, Ben Ikin and Paul Kent on the players’ night. Depending on his Wests Tigers commitments, he could also be used in match-day commentary roles during the season.
TITANS ON ‘TOP’ IN SPOON BETTING
POOR old Gold Coast Titans have been installed as next year’s wooden spoon favourites.
The TAB opened the most-losses market after the NRL draw was released on Thursday. The Titans are $4 favourites. There is not a lot of confidence around Des Hasler’s return to Manly, with the Sea Eagles at $5 to win the spoon.
WHO’S THE BOSS AT SEA EAGLES?
WE’RE still trying to work out who is in charge at Manly — Trent Barrett or Des Hasler? Your columnist last week bumped into player agent Mario Tartak, who looks after Sea Eagles centre Moses Suli. Tartak revealed Suli signed a new two-year contract with Manly three weeks ago — and it was Barrett who signed off on the deal.
Every ODI and T20I ad-break free during play exclusively in 4K on Foxtel this November. Get Foxtel Sport. T&C’s Apply.