What’s The Buzz: Paul Gallen demoted in farewell fight, the rat in NRL club ranks
One NRL CEO is going to be very unpopular at the next CEO’s conference after being accused of sharing sensitive information to HQ.
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NRL clubs are almost back to being normal.
The feeling of solidarity in the funding dispute with the NRL is fast disappearing.
Half the clubs now want to accept the NRL’s latest offer, the other half don’t.
It’s getting nasty behind the scenes.
One CEO, who shall remain nameless, has been accused of sharing sensitive information from chief executive phone hook-ups straight to NRL headquarters.
This guy won’t have too many mates at the next CEO’s conference. That can be assured.
If it’s true it’s a low act and even Super League-esque.
The split in the ranks is just what the NRL wanted.
The solid clubs want to look after their major asset — the players — and hold off on agreement until the RLPA deal for player wages is finalised.
At least we know it’s back to business as usual. That the unity could never last.
Not in rugby league. It’s the game that lives off bitter rivalries and hostilities.
SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH: LOW BLOW FOR GALLEN
In a major snub, old warhorse Paul Gallen has been relegated from main event status for his farewell fight against Justin Hodges on Wednesday night.
It is a huge shock and could be considered disrespectful to the 41-year-old sporting warrior who has regularly dragged in big pay-per-view audiences for promoters No Limit and Foxtel’s Main Event.
In fairness Gallen’s form has been on the decline for two years and the fight with Hodges, whom he fought not so long ago, lacks the appeal of some of his bigger shows.
Age has finally caught up with one of Australia’s toughest ever sports stars.
Instead the highly regarded world middleweight contender Michael Zerafa has been given the main billing on Wednesday night at Darling Harbour’s International convention centre.
It marks an incredible turnaround for Zerafa, who infamously pulled out of his much-hyped grudge match against Tim Tszyu in July last year.
So low were the Melburnians’ stocks at the time, there was even talk he would never fight on television in Australia again.
But with a new team and talk of a potential world title shot against Gennady Golovkin on the horizon, Zerafa risks it all against Sydney-based Italian Danilo Creati.
It will be a huge night of boxing with another rugby league star on debut as Gallen calls it a day.
As first reported by this column, France bound ex-Rooster Siua Sio Taukehio has been confirmed to make his boxing debut against former South Sydney, Cowboys and Storm enforcer Jaiman Lowe.
Securing the Tongan international a fight had been a challenge for promoters due the timing around the rugby league world Cup.
South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Daniel Suluka-Fifita will also make his professional boxing debut on the card. Suluka-Fifita has been training under the watchful eye legendary trainer of Johnny Lewis for the past eight weeks having started boxing training at Redfern PCYC as a 13 year-old.
* * * * *
SAINT
Footy legend Ian Walsh came from the tiny country town of Eugowra that has been wiped out in the floods. Walsh’s daughter Donna still lives in the area. Donna is assisting in the huge recovery operation and has appealed to NRL clubs to help out. Not with money but with manpower. “Eugowra put dad on the map as a rugby league player,” Donna said, “I know he’d want me to be reaching out to the game when the town is suffering like it is.” Donna has even organised for Dominos to supply free pizzas for the clean-up operation. All she needs now is some players. Donna can be contacted on 0409 743 682 if you’d like to help out.
SINNER
We all love Victor Radley, even those who dislike the Roosters. He’s a great character and a tough old-school footy player. However there comes a time when we all need to grow up and walk away from a looming incident and/or violence, even when provoked. It’s time for him to start behaving like a professional athlete.
SHOOSH
Which big-name NRL star is talking to a rival Sydney club about the possibility of him quitting his team for an immediate switch. It is potentially a monster story.
SPOTTED
Commission chairman Peter V’landys and NRL boss Andrew Abdo entering the North Sydney headquarters of the independent always – or at least sometimes – Nine Entertainment, presumably for a meeting with CEO Mike Sneesby and senior SMH editorial executives last week.
SPOTTED
It can be tough work for a boxer preparing to fight for a world title. Tim Tszyu has moved his training camp to Thailand ahead of the January super fight against Jermell Charlo. He takes a break every now and then to go jetskiing.
SPOTTED
The great Ken Arthurson has understandably been struggling since the recent passing of his lovely wife, Barbara. It helps that there are good people like Tom Trbojevic around. Turbo picked up the phone last week to ring and check in on the legendary old Manly supremo. Their chat has given Arko an enormous lift.
SPOTTED
Allianz Stadium maintenance staff replacing 30 seats that were stomped on and smashed by fans at the Sydney FC v Wanderers derby last weekend. Sydney FC will be getting the repair bill in the mail next week.
SPOTTED
It doesn’t always pay to have India or Pakistan in big cricket finals in Australia. This is an empty bar at the MCG last Sunday night in the 14th over of the game. Their fans rarely drink at the cricket. It costs the caterers big time. If the Aussies were playing, they’d be lining up six-deep.
THE POLITICIAN, HONEY KING PRAWNS AND NOT-SO-SECRET MEETING
No other NRL club can leak sensitive information like the Canterbury Bulldogs.
You’ll remember last November Eels hooker Reed Mahoney was having a private dinner in the club’s Chinese restaurant with Gus Gould and Trent Barrett. Contract talks over honey king prawns and Mongolian lamb. A picture was sent straight to The Daily Telegraph.
You’ve got to wonder why they met in such a public space.
Then there was the photo of Billy Kikau in a Bulldogs shirt at Belmore with Gus and Baz being leaked last year while he was still at the Penrith Panthers. Highly embarrassing for Kikau, who copped a hard time from his fans.
An employee, who took a frame from security CCTV and circulated it on social media, was sacked.
Then July this year. Cameron Ciraldo and his manager George Mimis had a secret lunch with Bulldogs sponsor Craig Laundy to discuss the coaching job. Footage was leaked straight to Channel 9.
This week, same again. Hotel billionaire Arthur Laundy signed up for a new five-year sponsorship deal to match the length of Ciraldo’s coaching contract.
It’s worth $1 million a year or $1.2 million if they make the finals.
A good positive story about a rock-solid businessman who signed up when the club was at its lowest but is now committing long term.
The plan was to make a major announcement this week to ensure Laundy got maximum exposure.
Turns out Craig Laundy had photos taken on his phone at the official signing. He shared them with Gould, Ciraldo and other mates on Wednesday night. His pictures then hit social media.
To be fully transparent, your columnist is writing this with a certain amount of disappointment.
We were going to reveal the $5 million sponsorship deal two weeks ago. Chairman John Khoury and CEO Aaron Warburton asked us to hold off. We made an agreement. We would break the story this week before their official announcement.
Craig Laundy, a former Liberal federal minister, is like all politicians. They leak like a sieve.
BOO & BALI A TRIBUTE TO FIFITA
Recently retired Sharks big man Andrew Fifita has found himself in a little bit of froth and bubble while holidaying in Bali.
But before you jump to conclusions, the froth and bubble was courtesy of a barista who amazed the 2016 premiership hero, garnishing his brew with a recent tribute cartoon, done by Telegraph sports sketcher Boo Bailey.
The copying process is a specialty of the house at Coffee Cartel and had a surprised Fifita joking: “I got squeezed out of the Sharks cap, but made it into this one.”
SYDNEY FC SIGN UP 11-YEAR-OLD TWINS
Sydney FC have signed their youngest ever players – 11-year-old identical twin brothers.
Jacob and Benjamin Zaidel have joined the club’s junior academy alongside some of the country’s most outstanding soccer prospects.
It is an exciting story on the eve of the World Cup that local clubs are now following the lead of global giants in Europe and South America by recognising kids at such a young age.
“They live and breathe the game,” says their dad Dani.
“Who knows what the future holds – as long as they keep enjoying it.”
Interestingly there are rules in the NRL that prevent clubs from signing players before they turn 15.
The boys have been identified by Kelly Cross, Sydney FC’s youth technical director, who has a long and proud history of nurturing the best talent in Australian soccer.
Kelly is a former head of football at Westfield Sports High who coached current Socceroos Aaron Mooy and Andrew Redmayne, as well as Harry Kewell, Alex Brosque and Jason Culina.
“We’ve been monitoring Ben and Jacob for a period of time and it became clear that they were both equally talented,” Cross said.
“You couldn’t tell them apart in terms of ability so it helped that they were wearing different coloured and numbered bibs so there were no problems identifying them.
“They are only 11-years old but they are promising young players showing creative potential and it’s great to bring them into our environment.
“They are great kids, bubbly and enthusiastic with a good attitude. They get on well with each other and their peers.”
The boys’ dad Dani could not be prouder.
“Sydney FC start with Under 13’s at their academy,” he said, “The boys are going in a year early. “It’s a year by year agreement that the parents sign.
“They’ve had a big advantage as twins kicking a football around the backyard from when they were tiny. They just love the game and are really excited about it.”
‘ROCKY’ A GREAT MAN AND INNOVATOR
Journalism lost an all-time legend with the passing of Roy “Rocky” Miller, a former editor of this newspaper and the most tragic St George Illawarra Dragons fan.
The great man was 77.
I learnt more from Rocky’s weekly Sunday Telegraph editorial meetings than I have from anyone in 46 years. He was a fanatical news chaser and innovator.
Back in the 1980s, before anyone kept or thought of rugby league statistics, he sent copy boys to every game to do tackle counts. They became hugely popular in Monday’s papers.
Our staff would all cheer for the Dragons each weekend knowing a victory would mean he’d be in a good mood for Tuesday morning conference. It could be miserable otherwise.
As an editor, he was one of the great mentors. He gave me my start as a sports editor.
I remember him playing an instrumental role in broadcaster Ray Hadley’s career in his early days. Hadley had just started the Continuous Call team on 2UE. He was up against the high-profile Hollywood and Zorba, a duo that won every footy ratings survey.
Zorba used to joke: “Ray could rob a bank without a balaclava and get away with it because no one knows who he is.”
Hadley then made an appointment to meet Rocky. He needed to lift his profile and asked Miller if he could write a weekly column in The Sunday Telegraph sports section – Hadley’s Hard Hits. He did it for free.
He would soon become one of the major voices in league and regularly win the ratings.
What I admired most was Rocky’s loyalty. He’d stick solid no matter what. Three weeks before his death he sent me a text about Dragons legend Craig Young, one of his all-time favourite players who was under siege as chairman for his controversial support of Brett Finch in a court reference.
“Look after him,” Rocky wrote. “He made a mistake trying to help a mate (Finch’s father). Does not deserve to be crucified.”
Typical Rocky. Always looking after his beloved club … and his mates right to the end.
* Rocky’s funeral is on Tuesday at 11am at St Aloysius church in Cronulla.
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