What’s the Buzz: Saint, Sinner, Shoosh
RAIDERS’ meeting with Knights coach, Todd Carney move blocked, Sea Eagles drama — all the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
ALL the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
SAINT
IVAN Cleary knows there’s more to life than rugby league. Like his family. In a heartwarming gesture, the Wests Tigers coach had surgery last week to donate a kidney to his brother, Ash, who has struggled with his health for some time. We wish them both a strong and speedy recovery.
MORE WHAT’S THE BUZZ: Queensland ignite stadium wars with Sydney
SINNER
SURELY Cricket NSW CEO Andrew Jones should have been heavily fined for his criticism of the umpires after the abandoned NSW v Victoria game at North Sydney Oval last week. Using the word “incompetence” and calling for the sacking of umpires is setting a shocking example. Yet he gets a suspended $3000 fine and pays nothing. As Todd Greenberg would say, “grow up”.
SHOOSH
WHICH very high-profile NRL star has been caught cheating and faces a lonely off-season trying to save his marriage?
SHOOSH II
WHICH NRL CEO will announce he is quitting his club by the end of the week?
$HOOSH III
WHICH media executive backed the $101 roughie that won the last race on The Everest day at Randwick by mistake? He was supposed to bet on No. 9 in the last race at Caulfield but incorrectly put his cash on No. 9 in Sydney, Grand Condor … as can happen after a few drinks.
Our mate still wasn’t happy. He put the bet on at the fixed odds of $34 before it blew out to $101.
SHOOSH IV
WHICH well-known rugby league personality badmouthed former NSW Origin coach Laurie Daley to the Gold Coast Titans before they decided on Garth Brennan to replace Neil Henry?
SHOOSH V
WHICH Wallabies star had a huge night out with glamorous types at Ravesi’s in Bondi on the Friday night then backed up the next day for another decent session at Randwick?
SPOTTED
OLYMPIC swimmer James Magnussen enjoying dinner with his girlfriend, Rose McEvoy, at Chargrill Charlie’s Annandale on Sunday night.
SPOTTED II
SHARKS half Chad Townsend chose Darwin for his buck’s party last weekend to get away from the spotlight. You wouldn’t believe the first person he bumped into at the pub … his coach Shane Flanagan who was on a family holiday.
SPOTTED III
BEAU Ryan working out at Fitness First in Cronulla on the day after mass changes to the Footy Show were revealed: “I’m getting my rig ready for summer,” he said.
FATTY’S TRUE CALLING
PAUL Vautin was sacked over the telephone after 23 years as host of The Footy Show.
It’s a shocking way to do business but not how Channel Nine planned to do it. Director of sport Tom Malone had scheduled a meeting with Vautin this week once he returned home from a holiday in the US.
He was beaten to the punch. The show’s executive producer, Glenn Pallister, rang Vautin and told him.
Malone is a huge fan of Vautin’s as a match-day commentator and may even extend his contract.
VICS UP TO CHALLENGE
RUGBY league’s World Club Challenge may not only be saved but could return to Australia in January.
The match looked set to be abandoned because no leading NRL clubs, including premiers Melbourne Storm, were prepared to travel to England to play Super League champions Leeds.
Clubs felt the trip was too onerous on players who will have played and travelled extensively during the World Cup which does not finish until December. But NRL head of strategy Dave Silverton has opened negotiations to bring Leeds to Australia before the start of next season to play at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
If the event were to go ahead, it would attract millions of tourism dollars to Victoria.
It would be a coup for the Victorians who would be able to showcase their champion rugby league team to the rest of the world.
TODD CARNEY MOVE BLOCKED
TODD Carney’s hopes of an NRL comeback next year have again been crushed.
Canberra Raiders’ Ricky Stuart once coached the bad-boy pivot in State of Origin and considered offering him a lifeline at his old club.
It went as far as the Raiders board which quickly rejected the idea.
RUMOURS BREW IN NEWCASTLE
WHY was Canberra Raiders forward Sia Soliola having coffee with Knights coach Nathan Brown last week in Newcastle? It sure got locals talking when the pair were spotted in a cafe.
Brown used to coach Soliola in the UK Super League and turns out it was just a social catch-up.
Soliola was in town to attend the wedding of Frank-Paul Nuuausala in the Hunter Valley on Friday.
BIG MARN A HUGE CHANCE
DON’T be so sure Darryl Brohman won’t be part of a revamped Footy Show. He mightn’t be sitting on the panel but his Small Talk segment has been the most popular part of the show. Nine has just rehired TV sports guru Gary Burns as a consultant and he rates Brohman very highly.
SEA DRAMA
THERE is again plenty of drama happening at the Manly Sea Eagles behind the scenes. One senior employee fancied his chances of being appointed new chief executive before the end of the year. He’s now been told it won’t be happening and has been sulking and carrying on all week.
BIG CUP VALUE
RUGBY League World Cup boss Andrew Hill is doing everything possible to get fans to support the Kangaroos against Lebanon in Sydney and France in Canberra.
A family can attend any match for just $45. Individual kids tickets are $10 with adults $20. It’s outstanding value and a great opportunity for the whole family to attend an international game together.
FIRST CLASS
WHO said the second-tier rugby league nations were roughing it at the World Cup? The French team were spotted at the flash Machiavelli restaurant on Friday. The entire team were there plus their assistant coach, Joey Johns, and colourful old journeyman Johnny Elias.
BUSY BOYS
IT’S going to be a busy summer for Channel 10’s Big Bash commentators Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Fleming. The trio has also signed up to cover the Ashes Tests for BT Sport in the UK. Ponting will be calling the play alongside his old Ashes nemesis Michael Vaughan.
SOCCER SCHOLARS
IMAGINE playing for Australia overseas in a major soccer tournament and doing your HSC at the same time. Remy Siemsen and Princess Ibini-Isei are in the Young Matildas at the under-19 Asia Cup in Nanjing. It’s also a qualifier for the World Cup.
What’s more, they both scored goals against South Korea. Before the team left, FFA staff had talks with the NSW Education Department about their exams.
In between games, they sat for English, PE and modern history under the supervision of team officials.
THROWING TV DOLLARS AT KIDS
THE NRL has already kicked off a recruitment blitz to improve junior participation numbers next year.
Parramatta Eels pivot Mitchell Moses and Sydney Roosters fullback Michael Gordon joined Jillaroos players Isabelle Kelly and Corban McGregor to film a new television advertisement in Sydney’s west last week. The emphasis is on having fun, summed up best by McGregor.
“We’re all kids at heart and junior league is all about playing in a different league, where the focus is on having fun with your friends and not taking things too seriously,” she said.
The campaign will launch next month, well before 2018 registrations open.
The money for the campaign comes from the NRL’s new $2 billion broadcast deal, which started last week.
NO SPITTING IMAGE
THIS columnist rates Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold big time.
But someone needs to speak to him about his revolting habit of spitting.
Twice this year, on Fox Sports TV cameras, we’ve seen him spit on the ground after games.
It’s a terrible look for the club and the game.
Arnold is a genuine chance of replacing Ange Postecoglou as Socceroos coach if we make it to Russia.
But he needs to clean up his act.