What’s the Buzz: Paul Gallen, Sonny Bill Williams fight is ON!
WHAT’S THE BUZZ: After years of false starts, the cross-code boxing superfight Australian fans want see is finally set to become reality. Plus Saint, Sinner, Shoosh!
NRL
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- This is cricket’s most unlucky batsman in 100 years
SAINT
The equal pay deal for Sammy Kerr and the Matildas, Australia’s much loved and admired female soccer team. It is a wonderful legacy for FFA chief executive David Gallop, who is soon to step down.
SINNER
The threat to shut down Dapto Dogs, the iconic south coast greyhound track that is as Australian as Holden cars and meat pies.The people responsible for placing its future at risk after 83 years of hosting the dish lickers need to pulled into line.
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MORE BUZZ! Channel 9 zeroes in on Ray Warren replacement
SHOOSH I
Which rugby league legend almost got cleaned up by a motorbike while riding his pushbike outside the SCG last week? The cult figure was easy to recognise, given that he wasn’t wearing a helmet.
SHOOSH II
Which Manly Sea Eagles star is not happy about the multimillion-dollar package deal for Jake and Tom Trbojevic at Brookvale.The disgruntled player is earning only $350,000 and could get double that at a rival club.
SHOOSH III
Which high profile out of Sydney NRL star is said to be seriously struggling with off field issues and has club officials concerned. And it is NOT Sam Burgess.
SPOTTED I
Manly Sea Eagles coach Dessie Hasler spending an hour at Parklea Prison with his hooker Manase Fainu, who was denied bail for allegedly stabbing another man with a 10-centimetre bladed knife.
SPOTTED II
Banned footy star Ben Barba enjoying a beer at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast last weekend. There is mail an English Super league club is talking to the NRL integrity unit about the possibility of a clearance to play in the UK.
SPOTTED III
It’s wonderful to see Philip Gus Gould using the off-season to help out with household chores. The great man was seen doing laps of Woolworths Caringbah with a shopping list on Wednesday afternoon.
MORE RUGBY LEAGUE NEWS
CHANGE: Stable Eels can ‘look forward to exciting future’
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SPOTTED IV
NRL James Tedesco, Victor Radley, Mitchell Moses and cricket legend Brian Lara in the TAB and Lexus marquees in the birdcageat Flemington on Tuesday.
SPOTTED V
Wade Graham arriving at Ballina airport on Wednesday for a family holiday. Graham’s partner Marianne is pregnant and expecting their second child.
SPOTTED VI
New Zealand Warriors recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan house hunting in Woolooware in the Shire on Saturday morning.
GAL V SBW... IT’S ON!
The Paul Gallen-Sonny Bill Williams super fight is set to become a reality after years of false starts in a $2 million payday for both fighters.
SBW has a clause in his $10 million contract with Toronto Wolfpack that will allow him to fight – most likely in October next year.
After agreeing to fight the Cronulla Sharks legend two years ago, SBW has dodged him ever since.
The big payday is now too good to ignore.
Providing Gallen can beat old AFL hitman Barry Hall in Melbourne on Friday, the fight with SBW will happen.
“I’ve got to deal with Barry Hall first and get him out of the way,” Gallen said.
“It’s been a tough slog – I’ve carried the whole promo. He’s done nothing.
“I’m angry now. I just want to knock him out. We’ll worry about Sonny later.”
Gallen says the fight deal with SBW will be different to last time they agreed.
“It will be a 50/50 split or it won’t be happening,” he said, “Everything was lopsided his way last time. Not anymore. I bring as much to the fight as he does.
“He’ll make his couple of million so there will be no excuses for him to back away again.”
SBW’s agent Khoder Nasser insists his man is the biggest draw card.
“If Gal honestly thinks he’s entitled to a 50/50 cut the poor bugger has had too many head knocks,” Nasser said.
XERRI RIPE FOR THE ROOSTERS
The rumour will not go away that Sydney Roosters are interested in boom Sharks centre Bronson Xerri as a long-term replacement for Latrell Mitchell.
We reported recently that Xerri was a very close friend of new Roosters halfback Kyle Flanagan and was upset when Flanagan left the Sharks for Moore Park.
We also revealed the young centre is not overly impressed that Knights discard Jesse Ramien has been signed on a big-money contract to return to the Shire on a bigger and better deal than his own.
So, watch this space. Xerri is under contract for another two years at Cronulla — but that means nothing. Former Wests Tigers star Ryan Matterson has shown every player in the game how easy it is to break a contract to earn more elsewhere.
HE’S A POPULAR PIGGY
Mark “Piggy” Riddell’s star is rising at 2GB, despite the closure of his breakfast show on Macquarie Sports Radio. The network has signed him to a new three-year contract and he returns to work with the 2GB Continuous Call team for the footy season team in March.
You can expect Piggy to have an increased role on the show. He wouldn’t have been signed for three years just to sit on the sideline at games.
Now that Channel 9 owns the station, new boss Tom Malone will no doubt use talent from the TV network — including Phil Gould, “Freddy” Fittler and others.
Although we can’t imagine Andrew Johns spending an afternoon in the studio with Erin Molan, such is the animosity between the pair, mainly from Joey’s end.
PLAYERS’ PAY DELAYED
Call us cynical but players who competed in the recent World Nines only started to receive their $2000 appearance fees after the Sunday Telegraph started making inquiries with the NRL regarding their payments on Friday.
The players were supposed to be paid within 14 days after the tournament finished on October 20.
The event was a financial disaster for the NRL with low-attendance figures at Bankwest Stadium.
Each player received $2000 plus a split in prizemoney, with the Kangaroos pocketing about $5000 each. An NRL spokesman said: “Every player will be paid. The payments are currently being processed.”
LEGENDS RALLYING FOR FORDO
The Sacred Heart Hospice in Darlinghurst is hosting a who’s who of Australian sporting legends at the bedside of celebrity agent John Fordham over the weekend.
One by one they came … league Immortal “Joey” Johns, Ricky Stuart, former Aussie cricket captains Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor,radio legends Alan Jones and John Laws.
The visits are a mark of respect for the colourful 75-year-old who played such an important role in their careers as a mentor and mate.
“Fordo” is battling throat cancer.
His son, Ben, said: “Dad and Joey have been pissing themselves laughing about all the times Joey was in trouble. Dad maintains Joey is a modern day saint and did nothing wrong.”
Originally published as What’s the Buzz: Paul Gallen, Sonny Bill Williams fight is ON!