The Inside Mail: Home of all the hottest NRL news and gossip

MAROONS team bonding, which Cowboys star could be forced out, Sam Thaiday’s revelation and more. Welcome to The Inside Mail, bringing you all the latest NRL news and gossip.

The Courier-Mail’s rugby league team will bring you all the best NRL news and gossip every Friday.

QUEENSLAND’s first Origin legend, Arthur Beetson, was renowned for his love of pies ... and the Maroons’ class of 2016 are upholding Big Artie’s legacy.

After attending a meet-and-greet at state parliament last Wednesday, the entire Queensland squad set out for their Sanctuary Cove camp and made a pit-stop at the famous Yatala Pies store just off the M1.

We can only imagine the look on the faces of Yatala Pies staff when veteran driver Mick Willetts steered the monstrous Queensland bus into the drive-through section with a horde of hungry Maroons stars.

“Lucky Big Mal wasn’t on the bus,” chuckled one Maroon.

Greg Inglis and his Maroons teammates hit the gym in camp yesterday after smashing a few meat pies on the way to the Gold Coast. Picture: Peter Wallis

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

WHICH big-name star can’t cop his Queensland-based NRL coach? The player in question was so disillusioned with relations he threatened to walk out on the club a month ago after a heated row with the coach.

It took some diplomatic smooth-talking from senior club officials to convince the player to honour his contract but make no mistake – from now on, he is playing for his teammates, not the coach.

COWBOYS SET FOR SHOWDOWN

JAMES Tamou’s manager has moved to quash ongoing speculation by revealing the NSW prop will decide his future next week, most likely straight after Origin I at ANZ Stadium.

For the second year in a row, Tamou was set to quit the Cowboys for family reasons a fortnight ago but is struggling to come to terms with the reality of leaving the club he loves.

Penrith have tabled a $3 million deal to Tamou but if the Cowboys bookend chooses to stay loyal, it will signal the end of Ben Hannant’s career in Townsville.

Hannant has given outstanding service to the Cowboys but the premiers simply won’t have the funds to retain the former Maroons prop if Tamou accepts a $2.5m offer.

“What language do I have to speak in?” said Tamou’s manager Sam Ayoub.

“Jimmy has not made a final decision yet, he is torn between the necessities of his family and his love for the Cowboys. I expect his future to be finalised next week.”

Cowboys prop Ben Hannant could be forced to find a new club. Picture: Zak Simmonds

BRONCOS LOCK IN ROOKIE

BRISBANE young gun Jaydn Su’A is set to celebrate his NRL debut tonight with a contract extension.

Su’A is one of the code’s brightest young forwards and his performance for the Junior Kangaroos recently turned plenty of heads.

The Broncos have made moves to ensure Su’A stays at Red Hill and it is expected he will ink a new deal as early as next week.

The Broncos have plenty of talent coming through the ranks, especially in the forwards.

If they can secure Matt Gillett and Corey Parker to new deals the club’s forward stocks look set for the next few years.

THAIDAY PULLS NO PUNCHES

SAM Thaiday has finally opened up about who he punched in the infamous under-18 Origin brawl that got him signed by the Broncos.

In the opening minutes of the 2002 clash against a star-studded Blues team, that had the likes of Sonny Bill Williams playing for them, a brawl erupted.

It turned out that as the brawl went on and Thaiday started landing punches, Wayne Bennett was watching on the sidelines and noted the incident as the trait of a player who stood up for his mates.

Queensland lost the game, but Thaiday made sure Queensland at least won the fight.

“I landed a couple on Tom Learoyd-Lahrs,” Thaiday told The Inside Mail.

“We ended up losing though.

“I only found out later on that was what made Wayne want to sign me.”

Thaiday said he’s glad that punches are no longer allowed in rugby league.

“The game is tough enough without all that.”

Broncos forward Sam Thaiday in his days as a schoolboy star in 2002.

BIG BLOW FOR ARLC

THE ARL Commission is set for a shake-up with the planned resignation of the respected Chris Sarra. The award-winning educationalist was among the first eight commissioners appointed in 2012, when he also made history as the first Indigenous person to be appointed as an ARL commissioner.

The well-spoken Sarra remains part of the ARLC but plans to stand down in the next 12 months. His departure from the ARLC would be a blow given his intellect, popularity and status as the first Aboriginal principal of Cherbourg State School and Queensland’s Australian of the Year in 2010.

Sarra is an inspirational pioneer for his people and one day hopes to see more Indigenous chief executives and administrators serving in the NRL.

Maroons coach Kevin Walters and skipper Cameron Smith spent time with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk earlier this week. Pic Annette Dew

KINGS OF THE NORTH

FORMER NRL commentator and now Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan may no longer be calling big-time rugby league but he still keeps a close connection with the game.

Costigan was one of many MPs, including the Premier, who couldn’t get enough of the Maroons last Wednesday when the team rolled into state parliament for what’s now an annual event hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Rugby League leading into the State of Origin series.

“It’s one of the highlights on the parliamentary calendar,” says Costigan, who every year since being elected in 2012 writes to the Maroons to wish them well on behalf of the people of Mackay and the Whitsundays.

The region has a proud history of churning out Origin players ever since Sarina’s Dale Shearer debuted for Queensland in 1985 in his rookie year with Manly.

Others to follow included Martin Bella, Steve Jackson, Wendell Sailor, Mike McLean, Adrian Brunker, Kevin Campion, Matt Sing, Paul Bowman, Travis Norton, Brett Dallas, Daly Cherry-Evans and Dane Gagai, who debuted last season.

“I actually picked a homegrown Origin side from 1 to 17 a few years ago before going into politics – that’s how many we’ve produced,” said Costigan, who caught up with Maroons ace Johnathan Thurston at the event.

Cowboys player Justin O'Neill and wife Chantelle.

O’NEILL’S KICKING GOALS

IT has been a big week in the O’Neill household. Not only was Cowboys centre JustinO’Neill named to make his Origin debut for Queensland, but his wife Chantelle completed her psychology degree. Those are some pretty major goals out of the way for the young couple.

Originally published as The Inside Mail: Home of all the hottest NRL news and gossip