Sport Confidential: Braith Anasta’s Aus Open cameo, NRL knocks back Curtis Scott contract bid
Braith Anasta is having to watch his words in an Australian Open cameo, while Curtis Scott’s hopes of an NRL lifeline appear dashed - all in SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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NRL360 host Braith Anasta took a break from rugby league on Thursday to carry the bag of Anthony Quayle at the Australian Open. Did a reasonable job as well if Quayle’s score is any indication.
Quayle wasn’t planning to play the Open - he had a tournament in Japan - but had a last-minute change of heart and was suddenly looking for someone to carry his clubs.
Enter Anasta, a handy golfer himself who also happens to manage Quayle among his stable of sporting stars. The duo managed to emerge from round one with a one par over par 73, good enough to keep them in contention for a spot over the weekend.
“Anthony plays on the Japan Tour where he was on the top 30 on the Order of Merit,” Anasta told Sport Confidential.
“He was going to head back for a tournament but then he stayed here instead. We were having dinner the other night and he asked me if I would caddie for him.
“I was like of course. I have never caddied in an Australian Open so it was awesome. It was probably the one place I could help him out - I have played The Lakes and The Australian thousands of times.”
Anasta followed some pretty simple rules through the opening round.
“I don’t speak unless he speaks to me,” he said.
NRL REJECTION LEAVES SCOTT IN LIMBO
Curtis Scott will be forced to switch codes or chase a career overseas after the NRL indicated they would not consider a contract for him in 2024.
The exiled former centre had been in discussions with at least two clubs about resurrecting his career having met with the NRL in recent months.
Talks with one club had been progressed with the potential for a top-30 deal but nothing was ever formalised.
With no club willing to put forward an official deal, the NRL have since told Scott this week that there are no plans to allow him to return to the game next year.
Scott has also held discussions with Super League clubs while there is an option about switching codes and giving rugby a go.
Scott had told the NRL he has transformed his life off the field over the past two years and would stipulate in his contract that he would be banned from drinking any alcohol.
Scott, 26, won a premiership with Melbourne Storm in 2017 and was regarded as a future NSW State of Origin representative but his career has been plagued by a string of off-field incidents.
He was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order in 2022 after being found guilty of three charges – assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and stalk or intimidate with the intention of causing fear or physical harm – against his ex-partner.
Scott had been sacked by the Canberra Raiders in 2021 for a separate offence. He has since been playing park football with the hope of returning to the NRL.
“I am sorry,” Scott told this masthead in October.
“I regret all the incidents heavily. They play on my mind daily. I’m extremely sorry I’ve brought the game into disrepute.”
Scott could look to push his claims for an NRL return via reserve grade.
FORMER TIGER REIGNITES NRL CAREER
Former Wests Tigers and Gold Coast forward Thomas Mikaele is ready to kickstart his NRL career in North Queensland.
Mikaele played 67 games in the NRL for the Tigers and Titans but finished last season at Warrington, where he played 25 games over two seasons in the English Super League.
However, he was granted a release to return home on compassionate grounds and has landed at the Cowboys after attracting interest from a number of NRL clubs.
Sport Confidential understands that he agreed terms with the Cowboys last week and will join the club for the upcoming season.
Mikaele’s signing adds depth to a forward pack that already boosts some of the game’s existing stars in Jason Taumalolo, Reece Robson, Reuben Cotter and Jeremiah Nanai.
The Cowboys also have some of the game’s emerging talents in their pack led Griffin Neame and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
BULLDOGS BOARD’S MASSIVE WIN
Canterbury chair John Khoury and head of football Phil Gould have been given a resounding vote of confidence. Sport Confidential understands that the Bulldogs board will be returned unopposed at elections early next year, meaning they will be given at least another 12 months to preside over the rebuild of the club.
Sources close to the club insist support for the pair has been strengthened in recent months amid criticism over poor results on the field and drama surrounding former club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner.
Nominations for February elections closed on Thursday and it is believed there were no realistic threats to Khoury’s stranglehold on the club.
Khoury was the man who pushed for Gould to join the Bulldogs as head of football, effectively handing the keys to Canterbury to the premiership-winning coach turned media commentator.
Through Gould, the Bulldogs have been one of the most active clubs in recent months, signing the likes of Connor Tracey, Drew Hutchison and Blake Taaffe. They also remain in the market for talent - Gould has met Penrith five-eighth Jarome Luai and photographed holding talks with Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake and his representatives.
The clock is ticking.
CANTERBURY ALLIANCE
Canterbury have forged an alliance with their namesakes across the Tasman as they look to accelerate their rebuild by tapping into the New Zealand market.
The Bulldogs’ alliance with Canterbury Rugby League - confirmed earlier this week - will involve a series of camps on the south island of New Zealand aimed at unearthing future stars who slip through the Warriors guard.
The Bulldogs have a rich history in New Zealand - Sonny Bill Williams, Nigel Vagana, Darryl Halligan and Jarrod McCracken.
EX-RAIDER JOINS RLPA
Former Canberra forward Sia Soliola has left his role at the Raiders to join the players union. Soliola, one of the most respected figures in the game during his playing career, will work alongside Tinirau Arona in player operations with a charter to help relationships with Pacifika players across the game.
“As I got a bit older and more established as a player, I started to understand how important it was for players to have a voice and proper representation that can articulate that in a respectful way within our game,” Soliola said.
“The RLPA has done that for many years now. When I first became a RLPA board director in 2019, I was nervous but that went away quickly because the rest of the board members were fantastic to work with and learn from.
“I really came to enjoy that role on the board and am expecting the same in my new role in the team. Like working at the Raiders, it’s the people who drew me to wanting to work at the RLPA.
“I have so much respect for the staff here at the RLPA which is a big reason why I wanted to join. I feel connected and aligned with their values, plus I believe this role and workplace will allow me to grow and develop different skills in areas I want to improve.
“I’m looking forward to getting a clearer understanding of how the game works and operates, so I can equip myself with the right tools to be able to assist the players with the level of care that they are entitled to.”
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