What’s the Buzz: Usman Khawaja shines for the Aussies; Mitchell Moses could be a Bulldog in 2018

SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH: Usman Khawaja is this week’s saint, John Grant the sinner and which young Tigers player could be on his way to the Bulldogs?

Mitchell Moses, James Tedesco and Luke Brooks during a Tigers training session. Picture: Jonathan Ng

USMAN Khawaja is this week’s saint, John Grant the sinner and which young Tigers player could be on his way to the Bulldogs?

SAINT

TO carry your bat through a full day of a Test is an achievement, but even more so with Australian cricket in crisis. Usman Khawaja’s mighty knock of 145 in Adelaide was a combination of class and courage against a world-class attack.
Usi, Usi, Usi ... Oi, Oi, Oi!

WHAT’S THE BUZZ I: Fox Sports to pinch Nine star

SINNER

THE biggest mistake independent commission chairman John Grant made was spending a month in England on the Four Nations tour on the back of trips to Samoa and Perth. The fact he disappeared at a crucial stage of funding talks convinced the 16 clubs he had to go.

NINES: Clubs have a million reasons to win

FUNDING WAR: Confusion reigns as Grant fight for survival

SHOOSH

DO not be at all surprised if Wests Tigers’ boom five-eighth Mitchell Moses is wearing a Canterbury Bulldogs jersey from 2018 onwards.

SHOOSH II

WHICH Parramatta Eels player is nicknamed Barry — as in Barry Beath — because he has a shocking set of fangs?

John Grant’s month in England convinced clubs he had to go.

SHOOSH III

WHICH big punter — and it’s not Eddie Hayson — is in dispute with corporate bookie Bet365 over an alleged unpaid $150,000 in winnings on multi bets? The punter’s account has been frozen.

SPOTTED

FORMER NRL boss David Gallop chatting to current boss Todd Greenberg on Friday at a White Ribbon function.

SPOTTED II

A HORSE called New Balls Please in the Melbourne form guide. The five-year-old nag was sired by Wilander, as in tennis great Mats Wilander … and is a gelding.

SPOTTED III

EX-ref Bill Harrigan and Wendell Sailor enjoying lunch with a bunch of unrecognisables at Sealevel restaurant at Cronulla on Friday.

SPOTTED IV

NEW Wests Tiger Jamal Idris at Freshwater beach and later at the Harbord Hilton Hotel.

SPOTTED V

THIS fella in a Sydney Roosters jersey at a club soccer game in Buenos Aires, among a crowd of more than 40,000 dominated by a sea of fanatical River Plate fans.

A Roosters fan at a soccer game in Buenos Aires.

LONG LIVE BIG ARTIE

IT was great to see many Sydney Roosters legends get together on Friday to keep the memory of the great Arthur Beetson alive. Brad Fittler, Terry Murphy, Anthony Minichiello and other former greats met at the Waverley Bowlo to reminisce about big Artie and old times. The club has been holding the function since Beetson’s passing in 2011.

IN GOOD HANDS

PARRAMATTA tough guy Beau Scott has taken a break from training to travel to the US with his family as his son prepares for a major operation. Noah Scott, 3, was born with his right leg shorter than the left and will undergo surgery to lengthen the leg. Scott has been told by the Eels to take as much time off as necessary in order to support his son.

Beau Scott with his son Noah.

GASNIER HONOUR

ANOTHER Gasnier has become a life member of the Dragons. John Gasnier, father of Mark and brother of Immortal Reg, was honoured for his lengthy contribution as a club trainer/medical officer at all levels, especially at junior rep and lower grades. He also recently accompanied a rep team of NSW-based islander league players as trainer-medical officer on a two-Test tour of South Africa.

JUMPING JOEY

THE scrapping of NRL Monday night football has forced league Immortal Andrew Johns to cut back his commentary duties at Triple M. The radio station will now be calling the 6pm Friday night game, which clashes with Joey’s Channel Nine commitments. Peter Sterling, who used to work on Monday nights for Triple M, will now commentate on its Saturday games.

BEAUTIFUL GAME BUT COACHES UGLY

THE shocking behaviour of A-League coaches towards referees is causing serious concern at football headquarters. Just two months into the competition, Perth’s Kenny Lowe and Adelaide’s Guillermo Amor have both been suspended and banned from the sideline.

Kenny Lowe shouts instructions from the sideline.

And the Wanderers’ Tony Popovic was fined $3000. “The competition is very close and the pressure is on coaches but that doesn’t excuse poor behaviour on the sidelines or in post-match comments,” said FFA boss David Gallop. “We have imposed fines and other penalties as a reminder that there are consequences for the wrong behaviour, to send a message that these guys are expected to set an example across the massive grassroots platform of Australian football.”

GILLIS A CARD

IN the NRL administration’s worst week in years, at least veteran player agent Steve Gillis made one senior official laugh. At the height of the drama with the 16 clubs on Wednesday, an early Christmas card arrived in the Moore Park mailbox from Gillis. “Merry Xmas,” he wrote. “Is there any chance of Santa delivering us some news on the salary cap?”