Rugby league’s most useless bosses, Socceroos’ night of drama, and Bellyache’s act of class

WHAT’S THE BUZZ II: Rugby league’s most useless bosses, Socceroos’ set for a night of drama, and Bellyache’s act of class.

The Socceroos are set for a huge night in Sydney in the second leg against Honduras. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

WHAT’S THE BUZZ II: The England’s rugby league boss on holiday during the World Cup, football ratings down, and Bellyache’s act of class.

SAINT

We could so easily have won, but the Socceroos were still outstanding to finish with an unlucky draw against Honduras. They deserve a full house at the return leg at ANZ Stadium for the World Cup decider on Wednesday night. It’s the biggest football game in this town since the famous do-or-die shootout with Uruguay in 2005, that sent us on our way to Germany 2006.

SINNER

WE are not allowed to use bad language on these pages. It stops me from writing how I really feel about South Australian jockey Dylan Caboche who so sickeningly punched his horse in the girth as it was playing up at the barrier on Melbourne Cup day.

BUZZ: Fatty’s Nine life not over

Jockey Dylan Caboche should have received a harsher punishment.

SINNER II

SOUTH Australia's stewards who handed down a pathetic two-week ban. It should have been passed on to the RSPCA or the police under animal cruelty legislation.

SHOOSH

WHICH female TV presenter behaved like an absolute snob in the Birdcage on Melbourne Cup day, rudely snubbing other guests in the area?

SHOOSH II

WHICH sporting PR man is being blamed for the recent sacking of a very talented television sports presenter?

SPOTTED

Jim Wilson & Shane Warne on Cup day.

CHANNEL 7’s World Cup host Jimmy “Handbag” Wilson in seat 1A on a Virgin flight to Melbourne on Tuesday and later that night having a beer with Shane Warne at Crown Casino.

SPOTTED II

CHANNEL Nine newsreader Peter Overton at Anthony Mundine’s charity fight at the Woolloomooloo PCYC last week. More than $10,000 was raised on the night.

SPOTTED III

FORMER Sharks CEO Lyall Gorman in the Manly Sea Eagles offices. The club still hasn’t announced his signing.

SPOTTED IV

IF Fox Sports presenters Emma Lawrence and Zac Bailey seem all lovey-dovey while co-hosting, there is a reason — they’ve been an item for 18 months.

SPOTTED V

Ricky Ponting leaving Rockpool restaurant at Crown Casino late on Tuesday evening looking tired and emotional after a long day at Flemington.

SPOTTED VI

LOOKING refreshed after an overseas break, Dessie Hasler enjoying a coffee with former Manly teammate Ian Thomson on the northern beaches.

RFL chief executive Nigel Wood is enjoying a break — in the middle of the game’s biggest tournament. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

ARE THESE BLOKES RUNNING THE GAME?

NIGEL Wood is the boss of the English rugby league on a salary of $536,000 a year.

Not a bad earn for running what is a minor sport in the UK and travelling the world in his other job as chairman of the International Rugby League Federation.

Wood has flown to Australia — business class of course — for the World Cup. That’s all fair enough.

However, we were surprised to learn he flew himself to The Philippines last week for a holiday.

One would think he’d be on the ground in Australia doing World Cup business especially considering the shocking performances of Wales and Scotland, the countries he is in charge of in England.

It gets worse.

Wood is about to step down as chairman of the International Rugby League Federation to become chief executive of the same body on a pay packet similar to his UK Super League salary.

This paves the way for our other travel-loving official, Australia’s retiring independent commission boss John Grant, to become the new chairman of the International federation.

It’s a farewell ‘gift’ from the independent commission when Grant steps down in February.

With Grant in charge, rugby league has gone backwards in Australia over the past five years in attendances, TV ratings, participation numbers and all areas of finance.

Crowds and player registrations have gone backwards under Wood’s watch in the UK, too.

The game is going so bad in the UK, there was a vote of no-confidence in Wood on change.com. More than 5000 fans have voted.

Now these two are about to run the international game and carve up a profit of close to $10 million from the World Cup. It’s scary.

■ Wood sent me the following text from The Philippines to explain his absence.

“I have taken a couple of days annual leave to split up what is a near 7-week, 40+ day commitment to the tournament, which I believe is neither unreasonable nor exceptional. I’m already looking forward to the PNG v USA game this weekend followed by what should be compelling quarter-finals, together with the Women’s World Cup.”

Casual A-League fans have been lured away by the World Cup. (Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

WORLD CUP SNARES FOOTBALL FANS

A-LEAGUE ratings on Fox Sports are way down on last season’s coverage. We’re told audiences have fallen 19 per cent due to the fact rugby league’s World Cup coverage on Channel 7 has taken viewers that would normally watch the soccer at this time of the year.

Last year’s strong figures coincided with Timmy Cahill’s spectacular return to the local game. That excitement and star-factor boost is no longer there.

Channel Ten’s ratings are also down on the numbers SBS attracted last season.

This is another reason why the Socceroos making it to Russia is so important.

A World Cup appearance not only boosts junior participation numbers but increases interest at all levels of the round-ball game. Plus FFA gets $15 million just for turning up to Russia.

NO FINE MESS FOR THE NRL

NRL players are penalising themselves by behaving too well on the football field.

Last year, the NRL budgeted to make $75,000 from judiciary fines — money that goes straight to the players’ union, the RLPA — for its education fund.

The $75,000 figure was based on judiciary records from 2016.

When all fines were tallied after the grand final last month, NRL head of football Brian Canavan had a cheque for only $40,000 to send to the RLPA.

Wests Tigers boss Ivan Cleary will represent NRL coaches. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

COACHES ON ROTATION

ROOSTERS coach Trent Robinson and former South Sydney rival Michael Maguire have been removed from the NRL’s competition committee.

The Cowboys’ Paul Green and Wests Tigers’ Ivan Cleary will now represent the 16 coaches. Wisely, the NRL wants to keep rotating the spots every two years.

The committee will meet this month to discuss possible rule changes for 2018 including using the sin bin for foul play. There will also be official confirmation around the same time that Tony Archer will no longer be in charge of the day-to-day running of the refereeing department. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is long overdue.

STEP RIGHT UP

WE keep hearing there are other strong candidates outside of former Broncos chairman Dennis Watt and Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys for two vacancies on rugby league’s independent commission. Former News Corp CEO and chairman John Hartigan and Harvey Norman boss Katie Page have support from key figures in the game.

A CUP FULL OF GOODWILL

TWO years ago, under the headline “The face that stops elation”, we revealed how ex-NRL chief operating officer Suzanne Young caused an outcry by making staff take holiday leave for spending Melbourne Cup afternoon away from the office.

Things have changed for the better at the NRL.

It didn’t matter that workers had given up weekends all season to ensure the comp’s success. Office morale sank to an all-time low and Young left soon after.

It was a different story on Tuesday when CEO Todd Greenberg told his team to drop tools at 2pm to watch the Cup and not come back — reward for working without a break since February’s Auckland Nines.

BELLY THE AMBASSADOR

HE might be on holidays but Melbourne Storm super coach Craig Bellamy is still spreading a positive message for league.

Check out this email from Port Macquarie reader Bob Cunningham who was on holiday in Hawaii recently and bumped into the premiership-winning coach.

Bob wrote: “My wife and I recently holidayed in Waikiki and stayed in the same hotel as Craig Bellamy.

“Craig walked past us in the Beach Bar and I casually remarked, ‘Hi Craig, enjoying a bit of R&R after a busy season?’

“I was expecting a brief hello or similar, but was presently surprised when he came over to our table for a 15-minute chat.

“I must say how approachable he was and an absolute gentleman to give up his time so willingly. The small gestures by someone of Craig’s status that go unnoticed should be acknowledged.”

Thorpey will join other NSW swimming legends.

LAUDING A NSW LEGEND

WE already knew Ian Thorpe was a swimming legend but his status will be officially confirmed within weeks when he becomes the fifth swimmer named as a NSW Hall of Champions Legend alongside Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose, Mike Wenden and Shane Gould.

Thorpe will join the likes of Donald Bradman, Jack Brabham, Betty Cuthbert, Marjorie Jackson, Margaret Court, Reg Gasnier and Johnny Raper as Legends.

Tickets to the November 27 dinner are available at: www.sportnsw.com.au.

WORLD WINNER

THE Rugby League World Cup is on target to break all TV ratings and financial records.

Despite sluggish ticket sales at a few of the venues and some lopsided scorelines, organisers are hoping to make a profit of close to $10 million by the end of the tournament.

Channel 7’s figures are way beyond estimates and will be even higher at the business end of the tournament in the finals.

GURU’S 50TH

CHANNEL Nine’s Today Show sports guru Timmy Gilbert celebrated his 50th birthday last week at the flash Italian restaurant Verde. His brother, Sky News chief federal political reporter Kieran Gilbert, was there along with Nine’s Peter Stefanovic, Laurie Daley, my old mate Peter Doust and agent-to-the-stars, Steve ‘Chimes’ Gillis.