What’s the Buzz: Ian Thorpe is trying to get on top of health issues and remains in rehab
FIVE weeks after being admitted to rehab, swimming legend Ian Thorpe is still under specialist treatment as he battles depression.
FIVE weeks after being admitted to rehab, swimming legend Ian Thorpe is still under specialist treatment as he battles depression.
Australia’s greatest Olympian remains in a private Sydney hospital with no indication when he will be allowed out.
Thorpe has also undergone a second shoulder operation in recent weeks after problems
were discovered with the original surgery.
Thorpe’s family, closest friends and his agent James Erskine remain tight-lipped about the swimming legend’s progress.
Erskine visited Thorpe last week and says there are hopeful signs for his recovery.
The most encouraging thing is the fact that Thorpe is still in hospital and committed to the rehab program.
Certainly everyone wishes him well as he fights his demons.
Although Thorpe has media commitments in the UK, doctors and his management team are determined not to rush his therapy.
“Ian’s long-term health is more important than anything else,” said one insider.
Meanwhile, the situation remains the same with our other struggling swimming champion Grant Hackett.
His agent Chris White has confirmed Hackett is still undergoing treatment in the US for his Stilnox addiction.
Hackett has no access to a mobile phone, but he rings his parents once a week on the Gold Coast to keep the family updated.
GUS CHOOSES TAKEAWAY OVER PANTHERS
PENRITH’S general manager Phillip Ronald Gould didn’t get to see the final moments of his team’s dramatic loss to Melbourne Storm last night.
Instead he was out buying fish and chips for dinner.
And how do we know? Because the great man was spotted at Port Hacking Seafood in Caringbah.
As Cooper Cronk landed his two field goals to get Melbourne home 18-17 in a desperate final few minutes, Gus was lining up in a queue waiting to order.
It’s understandable the great man didn’t make the trip to Melbourne because of his busy media schedule.
But surely he should have been at home giving them a cheer from the armchair.
THE GOOD DOCTOR GETS LIFE
The doctor who became the innocent victim of the Cronulla Sharks ASADA scandal is to be awarded life membership of the club this week.
Dr David Givney will be honoured at the Sharks’ annual general meeting on Thursday night.
The highly respected doctor worked on Origin and Kangaroos teams and for two decades with the Sharks.
He was inexplicably sacked by the previous Cronulla board, despite being the one person who raised the alarm about the practices of using peptides back in 2011
FORGET DALLAS, IT’S THE AUSSIE COWGIRLS
THE NRL is now providing two dancers to the world famous Dallas Cowgirls.
Former Melbourne Storm cheerleader Jinelle Davidson (below), 27, has joined the Sea Eagles’ Angela Nicotera (above) at the NFL giants.
SAINT: Good on Matty Johns for taking the NRL’s concussion concerns so seriously.
We all love the physical exchanges in rugby league but it’s about time other high profile former players took a more responsible stand on the issue of potential brain injuries.
SINNER: Sam Burgess is a great player, but we won’t miss his antics when he goes to rugby. His sledging really got under the skin of prop Jason King and all the Manly players on Friday night. This came after a list of unsavoury acts last year. If Sam wants to leave a legacy, he needs to prove how good he is. Not how tough he is.
LORD OF THE RING
Dave Warner remains extremely close to his former coach Micky Arthur.
While in South Africa, the Aussie opener turned to Arthur for his local knowledge in diamonds.
The former Test coach accompanied Warner when he went shopping for an engagement ring for his fiancee Candice Falzon.
SHOOSH I
The Sharks won’t announce it until shortly before kick-off but boom rookie Michael Lichaa will make his NRL first grade debut tomorrow night against the Bulldogs, the club he is supposedly joining next season.
SHOOSH II
Which financial genius is looking after the Bulldogs’ salary cap.
We now here Dessie Hasler is trying to sign exciting Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco for 2015.
FLANNO CODE SWITCH
Shane Flanagan will use his suspension from the Cronulla Sharks as an opportunity to check out facilities and coaching methods at an AFL club ion Melbourne.
APOLOGY...FOR THE RECORD
Is there a nicer man in rugby league than Titans front-rower Luke Douglas?
When Jason Taylor turned up to present the game ball to Douglas for breaking his record of 195 straight NRL games, the Titans prop apologised for doing so.
WELL PLAYED, SIR
This has got to be Australia’s oldest rugby player.
At 80 years of age, Bob Bell, of Leonay, will turn out for the Penrith Emus rugby team.
Bob played rugby league until he was 50 before switching codes.
RUGBY WANTS INGLIS, JENNINGS
SO much for Australian Rugby Union being flat broke.
We’re hearing CEO Bill Pulver and his recruitment team have identified two NRL superstars as possible converts.
South Sydney’s champion fullback Greg Inglis and Roosters centre Michael Jennings are apparently both in rugby’s sights.
The fact they are under contract to their NRL clubs means nothing as shown recently by the Sam Burgess switch.
The chance to play at the World Cup and the Rio Olympics are the tempting incentives being offered.
The good news for rugby league fans is that Inglis is a billion-to-one chance of quitting the NRL.
He has never been happier at Souths, his wife is expecting his first child, he is renovating his eastern suburbs home and has never been more settled.
DYLAN MAKES THE BIG SWITCH
BOOM Rabbitohs five-eighth Dylan Walker finally has a manager.
His last contract was done by his mum, who works at the taxation department.
The 19-year-old is now under the care of Greg Inglis’ agent, the highly rated Allan Gainey.
FIFITA’S PRICE TAG IS WAY TOO HIGH
THE Cronulla Sharks did the right thing by refusing to match Canterbury’s $850,000-a-year offer for front-rower Andrew Fifita.
It is ridiculous money that’s normally reserved for champion playmakers.
Plus, the big-money signings don’t always work out. Think Adam Blair. Think Chris Sandow. Think Tony T Rex Williams.
ROCKET’S OFFER TO FERGUSON
RUGBY league legend Rod ‘Rocket’ Reddy has offered to step in to help save the career of Blake Ferguson.
Reddy has offered the troubled Origin star a start in Nyngan, where he is coaching in Group 11.
It would be a similar arrangement to when Todd Carney spent a year out of the game in Atherton in North Queensland.
“I can pay him $100 a win and get him a job,” Reddy said.
“I’ve been there, done that, and I know Blake needs to be back in a footy environment.
“If he wants a job I can get him a start at one of our local business’, Glen Neill Earthmoving.
“He’d train twice a week and play on the weekends. It’s a great town where the people are really friendly and hospitable.”
BRONCS CHEERS
NO wonder the Broncos are making so much money as a giant one-team, one-town club. On Friday night they even refused to accept the official NRL player agent passes at the turnstiles.
Managers had to fork out $41 — the cheapest adult ticket price — to get into the ground to watch the Broncos and Cowboys.
THAT’S A SPRAY
2GB broadcaster Alan Jones has no time for Australian cricket’s controversial high performance boss Pat Howard.
“The only person who doesn’t hate Pat Howard is someone who hasn’t met him,” Jones said as guest speaker at the Parramatta rugby union season launch on Friday.
FANS TUNING OUT OF 2UE
RADIO 2UE’s Sports Today show is struggling big time with John Gibbs and Greg Alexander rating a disastrous 2.6 in the first survey for 2014.
The figures were released during the week, revealing their audience is not even a third of 2GB, who run a finance program at the same time.
It’s a real shame because back in the halcyon days, host Peter Bosley, used to regularly rate among the highest on the dial.
To make matters worse for Gibbs, his weekend show with Fatty Vautin has been dumped.
Instead, 2UE’s sister station in Brisbane, 4BC, is taking Ray Hadley’s Continuous Call coverage.
Fans rate Andy as mighty handy
FOOTBALLERS handle pressure in different ways. Some succumb and others, such as Bronco Andrew McCullough, run with it.
Concussion rules could hurt clubs
THE NRL’s new concussion laws were brought in to protect players but the NRL now needs to make sure clubs aren’t being disadvantaged.
Hinds: Smith must build a legacy
THE sight of decks of empty seats every time a bomb went up was an immediate reminder the NRL’s biggest challenge lies ahead, writes Richard Hinds.