Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: PM Anthony Albanese’s Souths socks at King Charles coronation
SAINT, SINNER, SHOOSH: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has brought a touch of the NRL to the coronation of King Charles - check out all the hottest NRL news and gossip.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has worn a pair of South Sydney Rabbitohs socks to the coronation of King Charles.
The red and green colours were clearly visible as he joined other political leaders at Westminster Abbey.
The PM had to miss the Rabbitohs’ Magic Round win over Storm on Saturday night to be in London.
South Sydney chief executive spoke of Albo’s pride for the club.
“It’s a sign of Albo’s true passion for our club,” Solly said.
“He is a Rabbitoh to the core. Hopefully our performances make home proud of the club, and wearing those socks on such an important occasion gives us great pride too.”
MANLY HIRE SPUDD TO GET SCHUSTER IN SHAPE
Desperate Manly have hired old rugby league enforcer and fitness guru Mark ‘Spudd’ Carroll to knock five-eighth Josh Schuster into shape and fast track his return.
Carroll has done three sessions with the 22-year-old enigma while his Manly teammates have been on the road for Magic Round in Brisbane.
“I asked Spudd to look after him while we’re away,” said coach Anthony Seibold.
“He’s got a lot of passion for Manly, for Josh and all of our players.
“I’m confident Josh will come out the other side of this. It’s a tricky period but he’ll be okay.”
A rejuvenated Schuster is now critically important following Friday’s terrible effort against the Broncos.
Carroll is also looking after the fitness of highly regarded middle forward Toafofoa Sipley while he serves out a three-week suspension.
The former Manly Sea Eagles warhorse has no doubts Schuster will make it back despite him battling injuries and fitness issues.
“I just told him to start looking after himself better,” Carroll said.
“He’s got to set himself good standards and stick to them. If you train hard, playing is easy.
“We’ve done some pretty brutal sessions and he’s dead set keen as anything.
“I’m 110 per cent sure he’ll make it back.”
Carroll says he has seen many young footballers hit low points over the years.
“It’s just going to take hard work and lots of it but, trust me, he’s up for it,” he said.
Carroll also worked during the off-season with Manly’s forward pack.
“It was old school hard and punishing,” said Jake Trbojevic, one of the game’s toughest and most fearless players.
SAINT
Magic Round. 16 clubs, 544 footballers, more than 130,000 fans, one giant party. No wonder every other state in the country wants a piece of the action.
SINNER
A terrible week for Australian boxing with Olympic medallist Harry Garside and another lesser-known fighter, Adam Abdallah, facing the most hideous charges. Garside is alleged to have elbowed and spat at his former partner, which he has denied. Abdallah is the one who was seen bashing the soccer referee last weekend. If found guilty, there is no way Garside should represent Australia at the Paris Olympics.
SHOOSH
Who was the player manager who met with Wests Tigers’ new recruitment boss Scott Fulton last week in regards to the future of one of the NRL’s most outstanding young players? Stay tuned. It could be the Wests Tigers’ best signing in 10 years.
SHOOSH
We told you six weeks ago that Ben Ikin’s days were numbered at the Broncos. It’s now confirmed. When Ikin quit NRL 360 he was told he’d be general manager of football reporting to chief executive Dave Donaghy. Instead he has been treated like rubbish. He now reports to coach Kevin Walters. He plays no role in recruitment. The sad part for Broncos fans is that Ikin has far more to offer than anyone at the club, including the CEO. Under-utilising his skills is a huge mistake.
SHOOSH
Who was the SEN announcer who won $1700 on the Wests Tigers’ miraculous victory over Penrith in Bathurst last week? He had $200 on at $8.50.
SPOTTED
Knights stars Jackson Hastings, Dominic Young and Lachlan Fitzgibbon recharging their batteries in Fiji. The club has a 16-day gap between games. Rugby league has become such a brutal game both mentally and physically. The players deserve a short break.
DRAGONS ENTER THE TIGERS’ DEN
Stop the presses … three St George-Illawarra Dragons stars have been spotted touring the Wests Tigers’ centre of excellence at Concord on their day off.
We can reveal chief executive Justin Pascoe showed the Dragons stars over the $50m state-of-the-art facility last month.
How did all the journalists miss this one?
Skipper Ben Hunt was there with edge forward Jaydn Su’A and veteran prop Aaron Woods.
But don’t worry Dragons fans … it turns out the trio was in enemy territory to shoot a TV commercial for KFC.
They used the gym to film the advertisement.
As it turns out, the commercial now has to be shot again.
A few days after it was filmed, Woods quit the Dragons to join the Manly Sea Eagles.
Hunt, Su’A and another Dragons player have to do it all again.
BOARD MEMBER QUITS PENRITH
Long-term Penrith Panthers director Ian Hicks has resigned from the board. The replacement will be an independent, and not former chairman Dave O’Neill.
We’re hearing the club has identified a need for a female voice, something the club has never had.
Meanwhile, the Panthers have joined a long list of NRL clubs wanting to play in the proposed Las Vegas double-header in late February next year.
“We’ve made the last three grand finals and won the last two comps,” Penrith CEO Brian Fletcher said. “Surely they’ll want to show America our strongest teams.”
KNIGHTS WARHORSE TAKES A TUMBLE
It took a lot to hurt old Newcastle Knights warhorse Mark Sargent in his playing days.
But the 58-year-old former front-row enforcer finished up in Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital last week after a fall from a ladder.
The ex-Knights and Bulldogs prop suffered broken ribs and chipped vertebrae.
“Sarge” suffered many painful injuries in his 10 years on the field, but nothing like this. “It could have been much worse,” he says.
“I was just doing some household maintenance and I’ve fallen from a few metres and landed on concrete.
“The doctors said the outcome could have been enormously worse. I’m lucky.”
Sargent lives in the Newcastle suburb of Dudley, and one of his neighbours is a doctor, who treated him until an ambulance arrived.
He is at home recovering – and vowing to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding next weekend.
BUSY OWEN MISSES THE MAGIC
Old Manly Sea Eagles legend Owen Cunningham isn’t attending Magic Round this year.
But he says it has nothing to do with the fan violence he was caught up in last year when his son was coward-punched in an ugly brawl.
“It was just one of those things,” he said. “There’s always a dickhead around; fortunately they’re a minority.
“I still love rugby league and the game was very good to me.
“This year I’ve just got stuff on. I went and watched Manly’s captains’ run on Thursday and it was good to catch up and chat to the boys.”
CHANCE TO SEE PANTHERS GREATS
Penrith will hold a 20-year reunion for its 2003 premiership-winning side on Friday before the Panthers v Roosters blockbuster.
The function is at the Drink West Brewery and Brisket Boys in Penrith. It starts at 3pm and is open to all fans.
All the stars will be there, including Craig Gower, Preston Campbell, Ryan Girdler, Luke Lewis and Scott Sattler.
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