Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Roosters get it done on the cheap, NRL flags new crackdown
Just when it seemed the NRL had leashed the judiciary comes news of a new enforcement push that could have a big impact in the finals.
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Parramatta Eels captain Clint Gutherson has apologised for his Thursday night brain snap and foul-mouthed abuse of teammate Tom Opacic.
As the Eels were getting belted by the Sydney Roosters, Gutherson screamed at Opacic: “F … me you dumb c …” after the centre had made a mistake.
The comments were picked up clearly on the TV coverage.
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“The comments were in the heat of the moment but I have apologised and also addressed it with the team and Tom,” Gutherson said via a text message to The Sunday Telegraph.
“It was a frustrating moment in the game but we now refocus and that starts with Souths next weekend.”
This isn’t King Gutho’s first on-field blow up this year.
The fullback and Mitchell Moses exchanged words in a heated argument over whether to kick for touch or a penalty goal in the round 14 game against the Wests Tigers.
However club legend Peter Wynn has thrown his support behind the Eels captain.
“I’m not going to criticise him,” Wynn said. “Gutho is so competitive and so passionate. I really admire him and stuff happens in the heat of the moment.
“There’s a little bit of frustration there. He’s just very emotional because he tries to make every play a winner.”
All the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
SAINT
Former Australian golden boy and swimming superstar Ian Thorpe for his superb commentary on Channel 7 at the Olympics. So insightful, so measured and absolutely world class.
SINNER
Some fans are still waiting for refunds from Ticketek for State of Origin seats that were bought months ago for the third game of the series originally set down for Stadium Australia on July 14. We’ve been contacted by one man who is now unemployed thanks to Covid and desperately needs his $800 back. His emails and phone calls to Ticketek have gone unanswered.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH PODCAST
Phil Rothfield, Michael Carayannis and Adam Mobbs hit out at Roger Tuivasa-Sheck for walking out on the Warriors, Buzz reckons Wayne Bennett is the answer to Wests Tigers’ struggles, there are concerns Canterbury are signing too many problem children, while the boys dissect the Roosters’ surprise pursuit of Brandon Smith.
SHOOSH
Which veteran TV host described surfer Sally Fitzgibbons at the Olympics as “the partner of Penrith forward Trent Merrin”. This is slightly incorrect. Merrin has not been at Penrith since 2018. Merrin and Fitzgibbons ended their relationship in 2017. Merrin is now a proud father and engaged to be married to his partner of several years, Jessica Watson.
SHOOSH
Which retired NRL prop is using his social media account to criticise his old coach, obviously still bitter about the circumstances in which he was told to hang up his boots.
SHOOSH
The rumour will not go away that one of the few consistently well-performed players at Wests Tigers wants out to join a rival club after a disagreement with teammates.
SHOOSH
Which two NRL clubs have made discreet inquiries about signing Manly Sea Eagles centre Moses Suli, knowing he is disappointed over his lack of game time?
SPOTTED
Storm superstar Cameron Munster and partner his Bianca McMahon celebrating the news they are to become parents. It is particularly special in the same year Bianca lost her beautiful mum to cancer.
SPOTTED
There is only one NRL boss in a Queensland team bubble – Warriors CEO Cameron George. The rest stayed at home to ensure there were enough players and staff among the 41 allowed for each club. It meant coach Nathan Brown had to take one less player and makes things difficult now Roger Tuivasa-Scheck and prop Leeson Ah Mau have returned home with five rounds still remaining.
SPOTTED
Ex-Canterbury coach Dean Pay is now driving a truck to make a living, no doubt wondering what might have been if he’d had the salary cap space to sign Matt Burton, Tevita Pangai-Junior, Josh Addo-Carr and Paul Vaughan rather than inherit the roster mess from previous management.
ROOSTERS MISSING 62 PER CENT OF SALARY CAP
The Sydney Roosters will play the Penrith Panthers next weekend with only 38 per cent of their salary cap available for selection.
Front-rower Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has been suspended for a week to join Luke Keary, Boyd Cordner, Brett Morris, Lindsay Collins, Jake Friend, Billy Smith, Matt Ikuvalu, Josh Morris and Joseph Suaalii on the sidelines.
Roosters’ chief executive Joe Kelly has revealed the above names take up 62 per cent of the club’s $9.4 million salary cap.
It has left them relying on ‘cheapies’ Adam Keighran, Drew Hutchison and Egan Butcher, a super young player who made six tackle busts in his 25 minutes of game time against the Eels.
That the Roosters could still belt the Parramatta Eels 28-0 on Thursday night to remain a premiership contender is a miracle.
Not that the injuries are just a recent problem.
NRL physio Brien Seeney has revealed the Roosters have suffered 15 major injuries (five weeks or longer) this season.
Yet we keep talking about the problems at the Penrith Panthers where Ivan Cleary has lost only four players for five weeks or longer.
The injury analysis at the 16 clubs also shows lowly placed clubs like the Gold Coast Titans and the Wests Tigers can’t use injuries as an excuse for their poor seasons.
JONES BITES THE DECISIVE HAND
Alan Jones’ position on the Venues NSW board has become the subject of much speculation in sporting and government circles.
The veteran broadcaster has absolutely smashed Premier Gladys Berejiklian, senior ministers and NSW Health boss Kerry Chant in recent weeks about their handling of Sydney’s Covid crisis.
Jones is a government appointee on the venues board under chairman Tony Shepherd and alongside many of the biggest hitters from the corporate and sporting worlds.
He was previously a Sydney Cricket Ground trustee for more than 25 years.
The problem is Jones has extreme views and doesn’t regard Covid as a serious threat to the community.
He has continually slammed the government’s handling of the lockdown and described Chant as “dumb and out of touch”.
The Venues NSW board has huge responsibilities around an eventual return for spectators at Stadium Australia in Homebush, Bankwest in Parramatta and the SCG in Moore Park.
Debate over the gradual lifting of restrictions for fans to attend events will no doubt put Jones at odds with fellow directors and government officials.
NEW FREE-TO-AIR DEAL BECKONS
Covid will not stop the NRL from doing a new free-to-air television deal this year.
We can reveal independent commission chairman Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo have a meeting scheduled with Channel 9 boss Mike Sneesby this week via zoom.
Even if no decision is made on expansion and a 17th team out of Brisbane, the NRL is keen to secure a five-year agreement. They are also in talks with Channels 10 and 7.
Seven has shown via its multichannel Olympics coverage out of Tokyo their capabilities to cover both the AFL and NRL seasons.
Ten has secured the rights to cover Australian soccer in a $200 million five-year deal to broadcast one A-League game each week on free to air and the rest on their streaming service Paramount+.
They are still keen to broadcast NRL on Thursday and Friday nights and Sunday afternoons.
KICKER CRACKDOWN
Here we go again … another NRL crackdown!!!
In the lead-up to the finals the NRL has put clubs and players on notice about unnecessary dangerous contact with kickers in general play.
Although not a new rule, the NRL this week notified clubs that the judiciary chairman has issued updated directions clarifying that defenders have a responsibility to avoid contact with kickers that carries any unacceptable risk of injury.
This particularly applies when kickers are off balance or have one or both feet off the ground.
The contact does not need to be high. Any contact after the ball has been kicked can be considered dangerous. In fairness the NRL can’t afford to have key playmakers knocked out of the game.
NICK’S GIFT TO WAGS
Not all WAGS are doing it as tough as others while in quarantine in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.
In a lovely touch, Roosters chairman Nick Politis has sent the wives and partners food hampers with fruit, vegetables, cheese, wine and snacks for the kids with a message of thanks.
Politis even checked with the NRL beforehand to ensure it was okay with the salary cap.
NO SBW IN GAL FIGHT PLAN
Paul Gallen is soon to make a major announcement on his boxing future that may involve another three fights in the next 12 months, depending on the Covid situation.
Sadly though, it is unlikely a much-anticipated bout against Sonny Bill Williams will be part of his plans.
There is talk of Gallen taking on a front-row forward from a Sydney-based NRL club who can apparently fight like a thrashing machine, and was once a handy junior boxer.
PLANE TRUTH
It cost the NRL an extra $40,000 to take the Roosters v Eels game to Mackay on Thursday night. Both sides were originally booked to share the same charter jet from Brisbane to Mackay for the hour-long flight on game day.
That was until the Roosters complained and asked to have their own plane so the two teams wouldn’t be seated alongside each other before the big game.
DAVIS’ BIG CHARITY PUSH
He might be 66, but AFL legend Craig Davis is undertaking the most gruelling physical challenge to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Tasmania.
Davis will push little legend Lucas Peters, an AFL fanatic who suffers from the disease — from Wrest Point Casino in Hobart to Mount Wellington in a wheelchair in a half marathon, aiming to raise $50,000.
Davis played for Carlton, North Melbourne, Collingwood and the Sydney Swans.
“Lucas stole my heart when we met a number of years ago,” Davis said. “They say it’s the hardest half marathon course in the world but it’s worth it, even if my doctor thinks I’m an idiot.”
For details on donating to this great cause contact Craig at c.davis@arc.unsw.edu.au
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