Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: MMM and SEN both chasing Bryan Fletcher, Dragons chasing DCE
The two radio stations in a shootout for Bryan Fletcher, a recent NRL coach joins the match review committee and Tommy Talau dishes out on Jess Sergis all that and more in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
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Fox Sports star Bryan Fletcher is at the centre of a big-money tug of war between radio networks Triple M and SEN.
We’re told Fletcher’s offer from the FM network is much bigger than just a rugby league role on the Triple M’s weekend footy coverage.
There’s been talk about even offering him a crack at breakfast radio or as the drive host to replace Marty Sheargold, the man who recently quit over his derogatory remarks towards the Matildas.
Where a breakfast gig would leave current hosts Beau Ryan and Aaron Woods is intriguing.
All three of them have rugby league backgrounds and couldn’t do the show together.
Fletch will normally chat about anything but declined to comment on the rumours.
His media profile and performances are growing all the time, especially after his effort as a stand-in host on the Matty Johns Show on Fox Sports last year during the Paris Olympics.
SEN boss Craig Hutchison will be doing everything to convince Fletch to stay.
His afternoon show with Joel Caine is their highest rating program.
But the former Roosters and Rabbitohs star is renowned for his love of a dollar … so it’s going to be interesting.
“Fletch is part of the family at SEN,” Hutchison said.
“He’s been here since we started in Sydney.
“He’s part of a very successful drive program with Joel and we’re hopeful he’ll stay.”
SAINT
Beau Hewitt was a beautiful young northern beaches boy who loved his Manly Sea Eagles. Since April last year the 12-year-old had been in Randwick Children’s Hospital fighting cancer.
The Trbojevic brothers — Tom, Jake and Ben — have been regular visitors, blown away by Beau’s bravery. They FaceTimed him in hospital from the sheds after the Round 1 win over the Cowboys at Brookvale. The smile on his face that night will live on forever.
SINNER
Your columnist has dealt with some unpleasant types over the decades, including Jim Kambosos, who manages his son, boxer George Kambosos. Last week Jim took to social media to describe one of the nicest sports journos in the business, Brendan Bradford, as a dickhead and f…wit.
Three years ago, Jim also stopped Fox Sports’ voice of boxing, Ben Damon, from getting accreditation to call Kambosos’ super fight against Devin Haney in Melbourne because he didn’t like him.
And then Jim wonders why his team had to give away so many free tickets to George’s fight at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday night to get a half decent crowd. Journos will not promote his events while they are treated so appallingly. And nor should they.
SHOOSH
Olympic boxer Harry Garside is soon to complete the latest episode of Channel 7’s Dancing With The Stars. We’re hearing his next move will be a boxing comeback. Garside has been in talks with Australia’s top promoters, No Limit. The Rose brothers know he has a massive following and will attract viewers and fans outside of rusted on fight enthusiasts.
SHOOSH
You’ve gotta love rugby league and the hostilities that go with it. Just three weeks into a new season and we already have one club official delivering massive sprays to two senior NRL journalists last week.
SHOOSH
Which million-dollar forward (it’s not hard to guess who) is fighting to save his career at an NRL club after a sluggish start to the season? He is free to negotiate with rival clubs from November but will be offered an early release unless his form picks up.
SPOTTED
Super coach Ivan Cleary recovering from last week’s shock loss to the Sydney Roosters with a round of golf at Long Reef on Monday afternoon. It’s the northern beaches course where his talented nephew Lennox plays off single figures.
SPOTTED
If you’re wondering why Kyle Flanagan did a ‘rocking the cradle’ try celebration against the South Sydney Rabbitohs last weekend … his wife Caity is pregnant and expecting their first child.
SPOTTED
Former NRL star Darren Treacy, who played 182 games at the Knights, Dragons and Eels, is now having success as a horse trainer. One of his horses, Phoenix Power, won at Taree last week.
DEMETRIOU IN MATCH REVIEW COMMITTEE SHAKEUP
Former South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has joined the NRL as part of much needed changes to the match-review committee.
Demetriou and Michael Buettner have been added to the panel, replacing Stuart Raper and Anthony Quinn.
The NRL has also added former Gold Coast Titans prop Ryan James.
Demetriou is a good pick-up for the NRL given his knowledge.
He’s following a similar path back to coaching as Ivan Cleary, who worked in the NRL football department after being sacked by Phil Gould at the Panthers.
“Anywhere where I can get more experience in the game and look at the game from a different angle is going to be beneficial to me,” Demetriou said.
“It’s really about commonsense and consistency and I think I can bring a bit of technical nous to the group.
“Whether you’re a player, a coach or an administrator, everyone strives for consistency.
“It’s important we set a standard at the start of the year and stick to it.
“Ultimately we’ve got to try to make sure that when a coach sees our decision and a penalty is handed down, the same action will get the same treatment in two weeks’ time.”
There’s been no shortage of work for Demetriou since he lost the Souths job.
He’s now got the NRL job, a gig on Triple M, the PNG Test role and he’s also head coach at Endeavour Sports High School.
NEW FOX SHOW
A new Saturday morning show on SEN is to be broadcast live on Fox League 502.
Journo Andrew Webster and former NRL star Scott Sattler have launched a new show called Saturday League kick-off.
It will be shown on Fox League each Saturday at 10am.
DRAGONS CONSIDER DCE PITCH
Ten years ago coach Shane Flanagan tried to sign Daly Cherry-Evans at the Cronulla Sharks.
I was there in the Cronulla Leagues club carpark with Fox Sports News journo Steve Hart to get the exclusive photos as DCE walked in with his wife Vessa and manager Gavin Orr.
They were there to meet Flanagan and then Sharks chairman, Damien Keogh.
Ten years later and Flanagan is thinking of having another crack – to try to entice DCE to the Dragons.
Cherry-Evans will become the oldest player in NRL history if he extends his career by two seasons.
The Manly superstar is in negotiations with the club for a contract extension but the Sea Eagles are baulking at offering anything more than an extra 12 months on a reduced salary.
Manly’s rivals are prepared to offer two years, given the 36-year-old’s proven durability and current form.
Over his entire career he has missed only 23 games, many of those from being unavailable while in Origin camp for the Queensland.
Old Cronulla Sharks warhorse Paul Gallen is currently the oldest player of the NRL era. He played his last game in a 2019 finals match at 38 years of age.
UMPIRE’S DECISION STANDS
Rugby league referees deserve our respect. We have to protect them from abuse at all times.
However, the case of the ref who claims he was abused by two Roosters officials at the Nine’s tournament in Las Vegas, is a highly unusual case.
From the moment Mitch James lodged a complaint against Nick Politis and Mark Bouris, he has continually leaked private and confidential information via emails to the media.
First his actual letter of complaint to the integrity unit. Then his private response from the NRL’s Head of Football, Graham Annesley.
All this while the inquiry was taking place.
He’s now leaked a third email – a letter to the NRL expressing his dissatisfaction over the result of the investigation. (Politis and Bouris were cautioned.)
Refs should know better than anyone to abide by the umpire’s decision.
BELLAMY’S BUSH FOOTY LINK
Storm coach Craig Bellamy and legendary old footy journo Geoff Prenter have helped save the career of a talented young bush footy player who was on the verge of quitting the game.
Angus Mackay, 17, plays for Highlands Storm in Bowral but has had the most shocking run with injuries.
A ruptured Achilles last year and then a serious knee injury in a pre-season training accident have sidelined him now for two full seasons.
The talented teenager, who won player-of-the-season in 2024, had had enough.
So Prenter decided to ring Bellamy.
“Bellyache had no hesitation in ringing Angus,” Prenter said.
“The kid is a mad Storm fan and was beside himself.
“Their 10 minutes on the phone convinced Angus not to throw in the towel.
“Bellyache has no peer as a coach – and he’s a really decent fella as well.”
WINNER IS SYDNEY
Sydney has retained hosting rights for the NRL grand final for another year, beating off interest from the Queensland and Victorian governments to pinch the game’s showpiece event.
NRL bosses Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo reached a multi-million agreement with the NSW Labor government late on Friday, confirming the decider will remain at Accor Stadium on the October long weekend.
The grand final has been played outside of Sydney only once — in 2021 during the Covid lockdown — when it was moved to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Major event teams in Melbourne and Brisbane have annually pitched to pinch the event and big tourism dollars that go with it.
The NRL has always been mindful of commercialising the grand final by listening to other offers — especially while the state government continues to baulk at spending money on suburban grounds and major stadium upgrades.
There has been speculation for several years around the construction of a roof over Accor Stadium and a cash injection to improve facilities for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury Bulldogs.
But nothing ever happens.
Premier Chris Minns spoke of the importance of keeping the game in the harbour city.
“NSW is the home of rugby league and Sydney is unquestionably the greatest rugby league city in the world,” he said.
“So there really is no better place to be hosting the NRL’s showpiece event.
“The NRL grand final is one of our nation’s greatest annual sporting events and with NSW representing more than half of the clubs across both the NRL and NRLW competitions, this is great news for the thousands of fans who’ll come together to celebrate in our city.”
FIRST $2M STAR?
The Newcastle Knights are preparing to open talks with their superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga for what could be the richest player deal in rugby league history.
The back end of the contract would potentially be worth $2 million a season to Ponga — depending on the next NRL’s next TV broadcast deal and the effect it will have on Newcastle’s salary cap.
The 26-year-old is under contract until the end of 2027 but the club wants to add at least another three years to that agreement to fend off interest from big spending rivals.
It would put an end to the constant speculation that billionaire Sydney Roosters boss Nick Politis has his chequebook poised to make a big play for the Knights’ No.1.
Knights recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan is not concerned about reports of interest from the Roosters to make him a long-term replacement for James Tedesco.
“It doesn’t worry me one iota,” O’Sullivan said.
“I know how much he loves Newcastle.
“I know he’s happy and playing the best footy of his career.”
The Knights have now locked down key players Dylan Brown, Fletcher Sharpe and Phoenix Crossland on long term agreements.
“I’ll go to Kalyn and his dad at some stage — probably in the next couple of weeks — and see if they want to sit down,” O’Sullivan said.
“They understandably wanted to see how we are tracking before committing.”
BETTER HALF
NRL star Tommy Talau, partner of NRLW star Jess Sergis.
How do you feel watching Jess play for the Roosters NRLW team, the Blues and the Jillaroos?
I get more nervous watching Jess than I do for my own games. The contact in their game is so hard. Jess goes fast and is aggressive. She runs straight at opposition forwards. I’m always holding my breath. But it’s a great game, NRLW. It’s growing all the time. The skill levels are fantastic. I’m very proud of Jess. I wish I could have gone to Las Vegas to watch the Jillaroos but I had my own work to do at Manly.
I reckon having two athletes living under the same roof would mean the meals are healthy?
We do eat well and share the cooking. I can do fish and steak ok but Jess is brilliant.
She can cook anything. A healthy stir fry, a curry, anything.
What about takeaway/fast food. Surely, you’ll indulge in KFC occasionally?
Not really. I’ll sometimes get Maccas after a game but I haven’t been playing lately.
We’ve got a really good dumpling place in Coogee and go there a bit. That’s about it for takeaway.
What’s the highlight of living with Jess?
I love the person that she is. She compliments me. She’s truly a beautiful soul. She loves her family. Beautiful, kind and giving. Exactly the sort of person I want in my life.
There are a lot of highs and lows in footy?
Yes, there are. That’s where it’s nice to be with another athlete. We can encourage each other and support each other in the tougher moments. It’s really important that we are always there for each other.
Now you recently bought an apartment together in Maroubra?
It’s a big step but Jess is someone I want to take the extra steps with. We’re really excited about the future.
Life at home and away from the spotlight: What’s it like?
Obviously we’re both very active and swim at the beach and go for walks. To chill out we love watching MAFS. We’re actually hooked on it. Sadly it’s getting towards the end. We’ll then have to wait for The Block to start.
BIG BREKKY
Catch you on Sunday morning on the Weekend Big Sports Breakfast with hosts Ray Thomas and Dean ‘Bulldog’ Ritchie to discuss all the biggest issues in rugby league.
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