Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: TV ratings show AFL in Sydney swan dive, Dolphins pay off Wayne Bennett
Wayne Bennett is still getting paid $20,000 a week by the Dolphins, despite starting work at the South Sydney Rabbitohs. PHIL ROTHFIELD reveals that and more in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
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Wayne Bennett is still getting paid $20,000 a week by the Dolphins, despite starting work
at the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The old supercoach is contracted and on the payroll until October 31 with the Dolphins.
It didn’t stop him from spending a day with the Rabbitohs in Sydney, and addressing the players on his expectations for next season.
He also met separately with superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell.
On Thursday we spoke to Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader about the situation.
“C’mon Buzz, he’s not working at Souths,” Reader said.
“He came to our presentation dinner on Thursday, and that’s where the big fella finishes.”
The Dolphins boss has been in denial since Bennett announced in May he was returning to the Rabbitohs.
The team won just four of their last 14 games after Bennett signed and started communicating with Souths staff.
He has been constantly in touch with the Souths players, caretaker coach Ben Hornby, and chief executive Blake Solly since May.
Souths ran a dismal 16th this season with just seven wins from 24 games.
Bennett met with the Souths players 10 days ago to deliver a scathing assessment of their season.
TV RATINGS SHOW AFL IN SYDNEY SWAN DIVE
We keep hearing about the record crowds and membership numbers for the Sydney Swans.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
No one at the AFL wants to talk about their TV ratings in the Harbour City.
Or the crappy crowds and empty seats at GWS Giants games, or that they are getting slaughtered by western Sydney NRL clubs Penrith, Eels and Bulldogs.
Sure, the Swans are in the GF, but the best barometer for the strength of a sport is TV ratings.
AFL has an average TV audience on Channel 7 in Sydney of just 23,853.
Any suggestion that the code will one day take over from rugby league is complete nonsense in a city with nine financially healthy NRL clubs.
No doubt the Swans have a niche market of yuppie Instagram Rose Bay/Paddington/Mosman types who regularly turn up to the SCG.
But TV audience figures show the general punter in this town is not interested. You’d get more eyes watching a re-run of The Brady Bunch.
At the same time, league’s never been in a stronger, more powerful position.
There is no comparison. The NRL owns Sydney.
Record participation growth, record crowds, and record television numbers.
And they are numbers that have surged by 30 per cent on Kayo, while general Fox Sports and Channel 9 figures have increased as well.
SAINTS
Ex-footy players Laurie Daley, John Cartwright, Paul Sironen, Nathan Brown and 1989 grand final try hero Steve Jackson helping to raise money for the surf lifesaving movement at a charity lunch at Kirra Surf Club on the Gold Coast on Friday.
SINNER
A prominent Sydney-based NRL club has black-listed a senior journo/hack for criticism of the head coach and his antics. He has been scrubbed off the club’s email distribution list for media opportunities and announcements.
SHOOSH
Knights general manager of footy Peter Parr has been linked to the vacant CEO role at the St George Illawarra Dragons.
We’re told he can find life difficult under Newcastle supremo Phil Gardner.
SHOOSH
Which Fox Sports personality has been inquiring about penalty rates for working on Saturdays. A hint … he lives in Collaroy and has a more talented brother.
SPOTTED
NBA champion and the global face of New Balance, Jamal Murray, is in Sydney on holidays. This is the guy who earns $75 million a year with Denver Nuggets. Murray was invited to both the Swans v Port Adelaide and Roosters v Manly semi-finals. He knocked back the AFL to head to the rugby league.
SPOTTED
The NRL had to slash ticket prices to get fans to the Sharks v Cowboys game on Friday night at Allianz Stadium. There was one offer of 25 tickets for $250 – five adults and 20 children.
SPOTTED
Broadcaster Ray Hadley and retired player manager Wayne Beavis at lunch on Tedder Avenue on the Gold Coast last week with their wives Sophie and Gail.
SPOTTED
After the toughest season of his career, South Sydney skipper Cameron Murray has escaped to Greece for a well-earned break before the Pacific Championships in October. No doubt his chairman Nick Pappas has tipped him off on the best places to visit.
BIG BREKKY
Catch you at 9.40am on the Weekend Big Sports Breakfast with host Ray Thomas and Dean ‘Bulldog’ Ritchie to discuss all the issues out of the two semi-finals.
BUNNIES APOLOGISE FOR INVITE SNUB
South Sydney boss Blake Solly has accepted the blame for failing to invite Nolene Piggins to the club’s dinner and awards night that honours her husband.
“It was 100 per cent my fault, and I’ve apologised to Nolene,” Solly said in a classy response to the oversight.
“The club wouldn’t be here if not for George’s tenacity, and his family are always welcome at the Rabbitohs.”
The Piggins Medal was presented to player-of-the-year Jack Wighton by Souths head of football Mark Ellison.
Piggins himself has not attended the awards for several years since entering a nursing home.
ROOS DRIVE INTO NEW DEAL
The Kangaroos have picked up a new major sponsor for the upcoming Pacific Championships.
Korean car giant Kia has come on board in a huge vote of confidence for international rugby league.
The Kangaroos might have been flogged 30-nil by the Kiwis in last year’s Pacific Championship final, but there is huge interest around the tournament – and whether Australia can bounce back after such a thrashing.
Coach Mal Meninga spoke of the pride and tradition of the green and gold jersey.
“The Kangaroos jersey is an iconic symbol of Australia,” he said.
“When you receive the green and gold chevrons, you’re not only representing your country and your culture, but you carry the weight of 116 years of sporting excellence.
“I’m thrilled to share the prestige of the Kangaroos with a globally recognised brand like Kia.”
HAME ALL HEART
St George Illawarra is overdue for a good news story after its premiership capitulation, and a week in which chief executive Ryan Webb was sacked and Ben Hunt’s future remained in doubt.
And here it is.
Six weeks ago Sele was rushed to St George Private Hospital by ambulance with what was later diagnosed as viral pericarditis – a potentially fatal illness.
He had complained of a shortness of breath and had an irregular heartbeat during the game against the Canterbury Bulldogs at Kogarah Oval in early August.
Dragons medico Dr Tom Carrigan, has now cleared his return to light workouts.
“Hame has been symptom-free for three weeks,” the doctor said.
“He will now be placed on a gradual return to a training program over the next month or so.
On Thursday morning Sele did a workout at a local gym with coach Shane Flanagan.
“It was so good to see because we were all very concerned for him,” Flanagan said.
“I was at the hospital when the specialist came in to see him.
“He was adamant we need to see how this goes. That it was serious.
“When he first got out of hospital, he was flat out even walking across the road.”
Before the heart scare, Sele had flu-like symptoms and was placed on antiviral drugs.
“He seemed to be getting better, but his symptoms worsened during the Canterbury game,” Dr Carrigan said.
“He had an ECG and blood tests and was treated for viral pericarditis over a four-day stay in hospital.
“Over the next month he had ongoing pain and was put on a three-month course of anti-inflammatories, and he’s now a lot better.”
AVA THE APPLE OF RAY’S EYE
2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley has his 70th birthday next Friday – and he’s taking a rare morning off work.
Not to celebrate but for something, he says, even more special.
“Ava, my oldest grandchild, is having her first grandparents’ day,” Hadley said.
“I’m heading up to Lake Macquarie to her school for a concert and to spend an hour
in her classroom.
“I’m telling you – grandkids are the best.”
He’ll return on Friday afternoon to call the NRL semi that night.
In two weeks Hadley will call his 35th grand final, having surpassed the great Frank Hyde’s record of 33 in 2022.
JWH AMONG NZ GREATS
Roosters warhorse Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will leave the NRL on the all-time top-10 list of New Zealand rugby league champions.
Your columnist has gone back over five decades to name the 10 best Kiwis, with JWH at No.5 on the back of three premierships and 316 NRL games. It’s an extraordinary number for a middle-field enforcer.
“His longevity is the big thing,” says champion 1980s prop Steve Roach.
“He’s aimed up every game, every week. I’ve loved watching him play.”
North Sydney Bears forward and NRL Hall-of-Famer Mark Graham, a freakish athlete and barnstorming forward, finished at No.1.
Wests Tigers superstar Benji Marshall is at No.2, ahead of Sonny Bill Williams.
The hardest part about naming a top 10 is the outstanding players who miss out – men such as Stephen Kearney, Gary Freeman and the late, great Olsen Filipaina.
BUZZ’S TOP 10 KIWI PLAYERS
1. Mark Graham
2. Benji Marshall
3. Sonny Bill Williams
4. Stacey Jones
5. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
6. Shaun Johnson
7. James Fisher-Harris
8. Kieran Foran
9. Kurt Sorensen
10. Ruben Wiki
Next best
Stephen Kearney, Gary Freeman, Hugh McGahan, Dane Sorensen, Olsen Filipaina, Roger Tuivasa- Sheck, Jesse Bromwich, Joey Manu
CLEARY’S WORDS HOLD WEIGHT
There’s no questioning Ivan Cleary’s position as an NRL supercoach.
He could, however, choose his words better at press conferences to not offend his players.
Earlier this year Cleary suggested it may be a risk for a rival to sign his five-eighth Jarome Luai as a playmaker.
Last weekend he tagged Roosters forward Angus Crichton as the NRL’s best edge forward – and Liam Martin could rightly take offence.
TRUE SHOTS FROM BRANDY
Too many ex-players in the media are too afraid to upset anyone, and constantly sit on the fence rather than speak openly on the burning issues.
Old Panthers champion Greg Alexander is not one of them.
The Fox Sports and SEN radio commentator made headlines this week on the back page of The Tele over his suggestion the Cronulla Sharks should drop their $1 million man Nicho Hynes. And ‘Brandy’ admits it was a tough call to make.
“I don’t take any joy out of saying things like that,” he told me.
“But in my job you’ve got to say what you think.
“This isn’t about Nicho and me. I know Nicho, and he’s a good young man. It was just my thoughts on what might work for the Sharks against the Cowboys.”
Alexander is widely regarded in rugby league circles as one of the best and fairest in the business.
“I guess part of you has to be sensitive as well,” he said.
“You’ve got to think of people before you make certain comments.
“I know myself from times when I was questioned in the media as a player and when I was helping out with the NSW Origin team. You just get on with it.”
Alexander has been a Penrith director for 20 years, and often found himself in a difficult position in the years they were struggling.
“It hasn’t always been smooth sailing,” Alexander said.
“They’ve had dramas and issues I couldn’t avoid.”
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