Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Cameron Ciraldo future, Adam Elliott and Michael Lichaa end ugly feud
The coaching future of the NRL’s hottest coaching property is about to become a huge talking point, with Cameron Ciraldo in the sights of a new rival.
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The rumour will not go away that the Dolphins and Wayne Bennett have earmarked the highly regarded Cameron Ciraldo as assistant coach for the NRL’s 17th team.
It is perfect timing for the 37-year-old, who comes off contract at the Panthers at the end of next season.
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NRL’S LOVE TRIANGLE STARS REPAIR FRIENDSHIP
NRL players Adam Elliott and Michael Lichaa have patched up their broken relationship to end the ugliest feud in rugby league.
The pair fell out in February over a shocking incident when Elliott was caught in an ‘intimate act’ with Lichaa’s partner Kara Childerhouse at their home in Connells Point in Sydney’s south. Incredibly, all is forgiven.
On the night, Lichaa went to bed but woke at 4.30am to find Elliott and his partner ‘making out’. He then allegedly flew into a rage, was accused of assaulting his partner and smashing four windows that caused deep lacerations to his forearm that required surgery.
Lawyers for Lichaa told Sutherland Local Court he would plead guilty to a charge of destroying or damaging property but will fight two other charges, including common assault.
Elliott has spoken for the first time about his relationship with Lichaa.
It was when the ex-Bulldogs and now Canberra forward found trouble again in September in a Gold Coast restaurant that Lichaa contacted him.
Elliott and female footy player Millie Boyle had been removed from the restaurant by security.
“When I got into trouble, he was one of the first to reach out to me,” Elliott said.
“I really appreciated it at a time when everyone else was sticking the boot in.
“What happened, happened. It’s water under the bridge now and we’ve both moved on.
“When it happened, Michael needed some breathing space but I eventually contacted him.
“We’ve got a lot of mutual friends. The important thing is we’re both now living our lives the way we want to be. We’ll always be mates.”
Elliott was sacked by the Bulldogs over the incident on the Gold Coast before being thrown a lifeline by Ricky Stuart at the Raiders.
He has offered to help out Lichaa in court.
“I’ve told Michael’s solicitor I’ll be there if needed to tell the truth,” Elliott said.
We recently revealed in this column that Elliott was in a relationship with Boyle.
“I know I’m ready now to be a good partner to Millie,” he said, “She is the most beautiful person and I consider myself very lucky.”
All the latest NRL chatter and more in Australia’s hottest sport gossip column.
SAINT
World Cup hero Dave Warner is having the last laugh on his IPL coaches Tom Moody and Trevor Bayliss, who sacked him as captain and dropped him from the Sunrisers Hyderabad team in the last series.
SINNER
A sad day for 2GB when the host of their Wide World of Sports show slams the decision by the QRL to offer a better pay deal for female footy players to take time off work to train and travel for Origin. This guy has no idea of the sacrifices these women make to be part of a series growing fast in popularity. No wonder his show rates the lowest of all 2GB weekday programs.
SHOOSH
Which NRL club chief executive has been sent into Covid isolation after a close contact tested positive?
SHOOSH
Which male Australian sporting captain has undergone Botox treatment to look better and younger at his press conferences?
SPOTTED
The Poms sure love their fish and chips … NRL stars Luke Thompson and Oliver Gildart getting a takeaway feast from Notaras Fish Markets in Cronulla on Tuesday after a fitness session. The good news for Bulldogs fans is that Thompson is now vaccinated.
SPOTTED
Josh Addo-Carr is already setting a great example and sharing Melbourne Storm’s work ethic and culture at the Canterbury Bulldogs. The champion winger was spotted with halfback Kyle Flanagan working out under world champion boxing trainer Graham Shaw at Paul Gallen’s gym in Cronulla.
SPOTTED
Old soccer bosses Ben Buckley and David Gallop at CommBank Stadium on Thursday night as guests of FFA for the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia.
SPOTTED
AFL and GWS Giants great Stevie Johnson with his daughter Annie in the kids’ pool at Ashfield Aquatic Centre.
SPOTTED
Manly Sea Eagles golden oldies having some down time in the bush — head coach Des Hasler and recruitment manager Noel Cleal at Crusher’s farm in Wauchope.
PEARCE TO GET LEAVE PASS
The Newcastle Knights are 48 hours away from releasing veteran halfback Mitchell Pearce from the final year of his contract.
Pearce will be given the green light to join Catalans in the UK Super League, despite the fact the Knights are yet to find a replacement halfback.
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien and chief executive Phil Gardner have decided there is no point in trying to keep a senior player who is not fully committed to the cause.
They are expected to sign Pearce’s release papers on Monday.
Pearce will join the French club with his former Sydney Roosters teammate Dylan Napa under their old Roosters assistant coach Steve McNamara.
RABBITOHS CASHING IN
Despite the departures of coach Wayne Bennett and captain Adam Reynolds, the corporate world is getting right behind the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Over the next few weeks chief executive Blake Solly will reveal three new sponsors, one of them a major, to join the likes of Aqualand, Menulog, Crown and Wotif as corporate supporters.
The new agreements will ensure Souths will be up there with the Broncos and Roosters as the highest sponsored clubs in the competition.
Having glamour players of the calibre of Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Cameron Murray and Damien Cook is obviously helpful in attracting the more lucrative sponsorship deals.
DOLPHINS EYEING YOUNG DRAGON
The NRL’s 17th team the Dolphins have earmarked one of St George-Illawarra’s most outstanding young players to join the new franchise.
Dolphins recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan has contacted player agent Mario Tartak, who looks after 19-year-old halfback or five-eighth Junior Amone. The youngster comes off contract at the end of 2023.
KAMIKAZE FIGHTER
Bookmakers rate Aussie hero Tim Tszyu at a ridiculously short price of $1.08 against Japanese punching machine Takeshi Inoue on Wednesday night.
The best judges in Australian boxing, including Main Event expert and former IBF world champion Barry Michael, insist this is by far Tszyu’s toughest assignment in his 20 bouts.
“It’s Tim’s toughest fight by a long shot,” Michael said, “Full credit to him for taking it, not many would given how dangerous Inoue is. He is unorthodox, hard to hit and has a very dangerous right hand.”
You can tell by the incredible physique of the Japanese world ranked fighter that he will hit way harder than any of Tszyu’s previous opponents.
“He is a Japanese kamikaze fighter who will test Tim like he has never been tested before,” Michael said. “This is going to be a war.
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“Inoue’s only loss was against Mexican Jaime Munguia, who is an out and out superstar. Munguia is a big man but Inoue hurt him badly a few times. What’s more, Munguia hit Inoue with everything bar the kitchen sink and he took it. He is supremely fit and has got everything to gain.”
Australia’s greatest fighter, Jeff Fenech, agrees.
“This guy is going to give Tim the toughest three or four rounds of his life,” he said. “They are both excellent fighters and in boxing anyone can win.
“If Tim makes a mistake, look out, but he’s improving all the time and getting bigger and stronger. In the ring he analyses each situation so well. He’s got a great eye.
“I think he’ll win but it will be a great fight.”
SIX-AGAIN TWEAK
As if there haven’t been enough rugby league rule changes … now the NRL wants to tamper with the controversial six-again law next season.
Under the new plan, teams will get a penalty inside their own 20-metre zone instead of six-again for when the opposition is offside or caught interfering and slowing down the play-the-ball. This often happens early in the tackle count when teams deliberately give away a six-agains to keep opponents pinned on their own line.
FREDDY’S SON SHOWS PROMISE
The Sydney Roosters have already earmarked the son of Roosters legend Brad Fittler as a future NRL player. The 15-year-old Zach Fittler is on a scholarship with the club.
He plays rugby union at a private school but is trialling for a position with the Roosters’ Harold Matthews squad. Zach apparently has a sidestep like his old man but is bigger and plays as either an edge forward or in the centres. He stands 186 cm (6ft 1in) tall.
Zach represented NSW in the Australian Schoolboy titles as a 14-year-old.
TESTING TIMES FOR ARNIE
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has surely had more Covid tests than anyone else in Australian sport. He has been on the road with the Socceroos since May in biosecurity bubbles in some countries that require daily tests. “I’ve definitely had more than 100 tests,” he said.
MUNDINE’S A-GRADE PLAN
Anthony Mundine is planning another rugby league comeback.
He’s training so hard and doing so much running that he pulled a calf muscle last week.
Choc’s aim is to have a season playing A Grade in South Sydney juniors. He is now 46.
“There are players a lot older still running around in the bush,” Mundine said. “When you stop and retire from professional sport, you can get bad habits and lazy.
“You’ve got to be active and get amongst it. I’m really looking forward to it.”
EELS SET RECORD PACE
Despite their struggles to retain star players Clint Gutherson, Junior Paulo and Reed Mahoney, the Parramatta Eels are setting membership records for next season.
An incredible 99 per cent of their fully-ticketed members have already renewed for 2022 – four months before the start of the season.
The club has also signed up more than 25,000 members, the highest for this time of the year. The club had 32,376 members last year – the highest in the NRL.
SAD LOSS
Three weeks after the death of St George Dragons legend and rugby league immortal Norm Provan, his wife Lynne has died after a short illness. She was 80. Lynne’s funeral was held on Sunshine Coast on Thursday. Our thoughts are with the Provan family and Lynne’s many friends.
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