NRL clubs paying out for shot clock errors, fears of referee nepotism
THE NRL’s determination to speed up the game this year has been a profitable move, with goalkickers being fined a total of $12,000. Plus, Tim Simona awaits his appeal decision.
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THE NRL’s determination to speed up the game this year has been a profitable move, with goalkickers being fined a total of $12,000. Plus, Tim Simona awaits his appeal decision.
SAINT
THE fantastic video of Cronulla Sharks coach John Morris breaking the news to boom centre Bronson Xerri that he would be making his first-grade debut. It was a beautiful moment to share with all rugby league fans and a lesson to other NRL clubs to open up lines of communication to supporters.
SINNER
THE SCG is a magnificent venue for cricket Test matches and Sydney Swans games, but a shocker for fans of Sydney Roosters who face three years of being too far away from the action and better off watching at home on TV.
SHOOSH
WHICH player has agreed to join a rival NRL club next year but has a clause in his contract that the deal will become null and void if it is leaked to the media. A bit like Wayne Bennett when he reneged on the Sydney Roosters back in 2007 when the story broke that he had agreed to coach the Chooks.
SPOTTED
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and Wests Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell at the premiere of Saturday Night Fever at The Star casino.
SPOTTED II
ANTHONY “Choc” Watmough on the Fast Ferry from Manly to Circular Quay where he runs a restaurant.
SPOTTED III
WE love seeing ex-NRL stars putting back in. Mick Ennis is coaching the De La Salle under-9As and Luke Lewis is assistant to fruit and vegetable tycoon Paul Saad with Gymea Gorillas 16As.
SPOTTED IV
CRICKET hubby and wife Mitchell Starc and Alyssa Healy enjoying a break from match duties to go shopping at Warringah Mall.
SPOTTED V
RACE caller and former Married At First Sight villain Anthony Manton calling the Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick on Sky Racing. We’re told he’s a much better bloke than he appeared to be on the infamous TV show.
SPOTTED VI
SYDNEY Roosters boss Nick Politis, ARL commission chairman Peter Beattie and Racing NSW supremo Peter V’landys having breakfast in Rushcutters Bay on Thursday to discuss pertinent rugby league matters.
CORNERED
CATCH you on Controversy Corner at 9pm Sunday night on Fox Sports 502 with Graeme Hughes, Bill Harrigan and special guest Mark “Spudd” Carroll, who is off the bench for Blocker Roach to dissect the biggest issues out of round four of the NRL.
CLUBS STUNG BY NRL’S SHOT-CLOCK WHIP
THE NRL’s determination to speed up the game this year has been a profitable move.
So far six goalkickers have been fined for taking longer than one minute and 40 seconds to take their shot at goal for a total of $12,000.
Storm’s Cameron Smith, Cronulla’s Shaun Johnson, Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses, the Broncos’ Jamayne Isaako, Canberra’s Jarrod Croker and the Bulldogs’ Rhyse Martin have cost their clubs $2000.
The Penrith Panthers have also been slugged $5000 for having former halfback and trainer Peter Wallace on the field after the fourth tackle.
All teams received warning letters after the opening round of the season about goalkickers wasting time.
Fewer penalties and quicker decisions from the Bunker have already improved the spectacle but head of football Graham Annesley is determined to ensure the kickers fall into line.
NEPOTISM FEARS SURFACE AGAIN
THE NRL is again facing claims of nepotism within its refereeing ranks.
It follows an on-field disagreement between head referee Dave Munro and assistant Chris Sutton in last weekend’s Sea Eagles-Warriors match in New Zealand.
Sutton is the younger brother of refs boss Bernard Sutton.
Sources within the refereeing ranks say Chris Sutton was way out of order in the manner in which he spoke to Munro. To say players were shocked is an understatement.
Yet on Tuesday, his brother Bernard promoted him to a head refereeing role for the Eels-Sharks game at ANZ Stadium.
There was a huge outcry last season over perceived favouritism for Chris Sutton. He was appointed to handle the PM XIII game in Port Moresby over the game’s most promising young referee, Grant Atkins.
Sutton was also appointed standby touch judge for the grand final ahead of officials who had run the line all season. The NRL’s Head of Football is aware of the unrest and is monitoring the situation closely.
WEIGHT OFF DAN’S MIND
TALK about wonder diets … Fox Sports, Sky News and Triple M sports commentator Dan Ginnane has lost 40kg in just 18 months.
Ginnane weighed 116kg when he worked on Channel 7’s rugby league World Cup coverage in 2017 but is now just 76kg — and looks a million dollars. The Ginnane diet is nothing fancy.
“I’ve cut out sugar and bread,” he says. “Plus, I drink black coffee instead of the litre of milk I used to have in my four flat whites every day.”
Ginnane has also been spotted in a gym in the eastern suburbs.
“I feel so much better,” he says. “I could hardly breathe properly or sleep at night when I was overweight.”
A SPAR WITH THE STAR
DANIEL Lewis is regarded as one of our most promising young fighters alongside Brock Jarvis and Tim Tszyu. And he’s only had one fight as a pro.
When agent Peter Mitrevski Jr sent Danny Jacobs a video of his recent debut win in Melbourne, Jacobs invited the young fighter, who grew up in Sydney’s west, to New York.
He’s now sparring with the American super-middleweight and, by all reports, holding his own.
Jacobs will fight the great Canelo Alvarez on May 4 for the middleweight world title unification.
LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE
AS those in the media and racing industry would know, colleague Ray Thomas is an absolute workaholic.
However, the Telegraph turf editor missed the Doncaster-Derby at Royal Randwick on Saturday for the first time in almost 30 years for a very good reason — to walk his daughter down the aisle.
Rebecca Thomas married Brendon Keat, a former Panthers lower grader, at the Botanic Gardens. We’re tipping Ray would have had a sneak peek at the Mile on his mobile phone.
SIMONA’S PLEA
THE NRL integrity unit is soon to hand down its decision on the future of banned footballer Tim Simona. The former Wests Tigers centre has served two years for betting on matches after being deregistered indefinitely.
Simona, 27, and his manager Sam Ayoub recently put their case to the integrity unit for a return to the game. It was an impressive presentation with backing of the RLPA.
GIRLS ARE GAME FOR IT
RUGBY league junior registrations in Sydney are up by three per cent on the same time last year, driven by a solid increase in female participation.
The competition, however, has never been tougher. More kids are playing winter sport because AFL numbers are also up in traditional league areas.
Sydney Swans superstar Buddy Franklin was spotted in Taren Point recently handing out AFL jerseys to an under-10s team in an area where rugby league has always dominated.
MAROONS OFF TO THE MASTERS
GOLF fanatic Ben Ikin is off to the US Masters with two Queensland jerseys in his luggage he hopes to give to Jason Day and Tiger Woods.
Ikin will be at Augusta for Fox Sports from Thursday. Yvonne Sampson steps into the NRL 360 hosting role for two weeks alongside Paul Kent.
FLANAGAN SETS SALES
SUSPENDED coach Shane Flanagan is back in the workforce. A plumber by trade, Flanno is working for Anytime Services who specialise in electrical and plumbing maintenance and repairs. His new role is in sales.
GIVE US A WINX
WATCHING Winx’s farewell on Saturday? The Sunday Telegraph is celebrating the wonder mare’s career with a special wrap of the paper and we want your help. Send us pictures from where you’re watching the race on Saturday for publication the next day to photo@sundaytelegraph.com.au. Include the time, names and location of where your picture was taken.
THE BIG O’S 15 TO 1
The greatest English players in Australia since 1970
15. GARRY SCHOFIELD: It was no coincidence that Balmain made the top five each year he played for them during the mid-1980s.
14. STEVE NORTON: During the ‘70s, Manly had a mortgage on skilful Pommy forwards. This class act was no different.
13. JOHN GRAY: An outstanding around-the-corner goal kicker and ball-winning hooker for the Eagles and Bears from 1975 to 1983.
12. KEVIN WARD: Only had a brief stay at Manly but his impact was paramount in 1987, culminating in another premiership.
11. PHIL LOWE: A barnstorming wide-running second-row forward who scored Manly’s only try in the 1976 grand final.
10. JOSH HODGSON: Has there been a more influential English player in the NRL? Without him last year, the Raiders were rudderless.
9. GARETH ELLIS: The last time West Tigers played finals football, their forward leader was this Englishman.
8. GARETH WIDDOP: A premiership winner at Storm and since 2014 has been the Dragons’ most important player.
7. CLIFF WATSON: For Cronulla during the early 1970s, he was the intimidating front-rower who drove them towards the 1973 decider.
6. JAMES GRAHAM: In his early years at the Bulldogs, he was arguably the NRL’s No.1 prop with the skills of a No.7.
5. ELLERY HANLEY: When he arrived at Balmain in 1988, he was the world’s best player. His performances during the finals that year was as dominant as I’ve seen.
4. ADRIAN MORLEY: Throughout his six years at the Roosters, he was the most terrorising forward in the game. A key member of their 2002 premiership side.
3. TOMMY BISHOP: He was the reason the Sharks went from also-rans to contenders. The English halfback was Cronulla’s captain-coach when they were grand finalists in 1973.
2. SAM BURGESS: No other Englishman has scored as many tries (57) in Australia. A Clive Churchill medallist and the backbone of Souths’ resurgence this decade.
1. MAL REILLY: Tough, intimidating and ingenious are words best used to describe this outstanding back-rower. Won two titles in 72-73 and is still the best I’ve seen.
Originally published as NRL clubs paying out for shot clock errors, fears of referee nepotism
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