Sport Confidential: How to cement your status as a Sharks fan
Cronulla fans are being given a rare opportunity to secure a piece of history and raise money for a good cause. SPORT CONFIDENTIAL
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How much do Sharks fans cherish the club’s historic 2016 premiership? Enough to buy a brick.
Leading developer Sammut Group are giving Sharks fans a rare opportunity to secure a piece of history and raise money for a good cause, with the popular mural depicting the famous embrace after winning the title between Cronulla Sharks legends Paul Gallen and Andrew Ettingshausen to be sold off brick by brick this Sunday, November 26.
The original photo was taken by NRL photographer Grant Trouville, which won him the Walkley Award for photo of the year.
The hugely popular brick wall art, entitled Up Up Cronulla, has been carefully demolished, ahead of the Sammut Group’s new landmark development, VUE.
More than 200 bricks from the mural have been put aside to be sold for $10 each to raise funds for Sharks Have Heart.
Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta says the funds will allow the club to build on and continue to deliver important community programs and initiatives.
“Sharks Have Heart plays an important role in the community, supporting community causes
and a variety of programs, charities and events,” Mezzatesta said.
“The monies raised from the sale of bricks from what has been a local landmark will help us
to continue the work we do and to further enhance our community engagement.”
Sammut Group have confirmed the famous mural will be recreated once the development is complete.
NRL LOCKS IN STAR-STUDDED VEGAS LAUNCH
The NRL has finally locked in a date for their launch in Las Vegas as they look to use the Raiders home game against the Minnesota Vikings and some A-list celebrities to gatecrash America.
Sport Confidential has seen a document sent to clubs outlining their schedule for their US media launch and PR tour.
Each of the four clubs playing in Vegas – Manly, South Sydney, Brisbane and the Sydney Roosters – have agreed to fly one player over for the week, which begins with an appearance at the Raiders home game against the Vikings at Allegiant Stadium.
It is understood the game is being televised by Fox Sports in America and the NRL hopes to be included in the coverage.
The plan is then to have the official launch on December 12 at Allegiant Stadium with US media in attendance along with celebrity ambassadors and NRL athletes.
Significantly, Queensland State of Origin fan Keith Urban and his wife Nicole Kidman are likely to be in Las Vegas at the time – Urban has a residency at Planet Hollywood.
After launching in Sin City, plans are afoot to hold more media activities in Los Angeles or Utah before flying home.
SEA EAGLES CALL ON SUPER BOWL-WINNING COACH
Manly have enlisted the help of a former Super Bowl-winning NFL coach to help ensure things run smoothly as they prepare to launch next season in Las Vegas.
Tom Cable was part of the coaching staff at the Seattle Seahawks’ when they won the Super Bowl and Manly officials caught up with him on a recent fact-finding mission to America.
Chief executive Tony Mestrov, coach Anthony Seibold and head of football John Bonasera jetted back into Australia on Thursday morning after spending time in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
The trio used the trip to hold talks with majority owner and chair Scott Penn, who is based in New York. They were also sideline at a Brooklyn Nets game, watched LeBron James star as the LA Lakers won a nail-biter over the Houston Rockets, and crucially spent time in Las Vegas, where Cable has been their man on the ground in recent months.
Importantly, Seibold was able to lay his eyes on the grass fields where the Sea Eagles will fine-tune their preparations for their round one game against South Sydney.
“It was awesome,” Mestrov said.
“We spent some time with Scott and that was important ... to talk about where we want to take the club and the philosophy.
“Then we went to Vegas – we are training at USC, our weights sessions, and we got a field. We made some unbelievable connections.”
As for Cable, Mestrov said: “He is our man on the ground in Las Vegas. He knows what is going on and he is invaluable. He is also a coach so he and Seibs were able to have a really good chat about philosophies and so on.”
SPOTTED
Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes are clearly keen to make up for the bitter disappointment of their finals exit last season after returning to Storm headquarters ahead of schedule this week.
Munster and Hughes aren’t due back for several weeks but the pair were spotted training at the club’s training headquarters getting in some fitness work. Melbourne were knocked out of the finals last season in the preliminary final by eventual premiers Penrith.
SPOTTED
Newcastle coaching staff and players at Wednesday night’s blockbuster fight between Nikita Tszyu and Dylan Briggs.
Knights coach Adam O’Brien was joined by Bradman Best, Jackson Hastings and Tyson Frizell.
NRLW’S OFF-SEASON BALI INVASION
Bali has enjoyed a rugby league invasion over the off-season and it isn’t just the men who have found their way to the popular holiday destination.
NRLW stars Emma Tonegato, Keeley Davis and Isabelle Kelly enjoyed some down time this week as they soaked up the rays and sipped on cocktails after a taxing season for club and country.
Tarryn Aiken was also along for the ride.
GOODMAN’S HUGE RISK FOR GLORY
Sam Goodman has plans on closing out a career-best year in style after confirmation of his high-risk date against world number 14 Zhong Liu on December 15 in Sydney.
The classy Goodman, who is already mandated for a world title challenge next year, will risk his place in the lucrative super bantamweight sweepstakes against the more experienced Liu, who is undefeated in 19 fights.
The world class headliner will be supported by a telegenic clash between Australia’s number one super featherweight Liam Wilson and Jackson England.
Wilson will face an Australian opponent for the first time in almost three years, with explosive West Australian England fresh off a marquee win over Nathaniel May on the stacked Tszyu-Mendoza event in October.
TEDDY GIVES BACK FOR GOOD CAUSE
Australian captain James Tedesco is enjoying a well-earned break but he found himself with a footy back in his hands on Thursday.
Fox Sports ambassadors Tedesco and NRLW star Tiana Penitani took part in the annual Oztag tournament involving The Clontarf Foundation, an organisation that helps young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men attend school, finish year 12 and enter employment.
Former NRL stars Reni Maitua and Andrew Ryan were also on hand - Fox Sports has been the official media partner of The Clontarf Foundation since 2017.
ROOSTERS’ SPENDING SPREE NETS ANOTHER STAR
The Sydney Roosters’ spending spree is set to net another star as back rower Sitili Tupouniua prepares to commit his future to the club for at least another three seasons.
Tupouniua was off contract at the end of the 2024 but it is understood that rival clubs circling the international forward have been told that he is close to finalising a new deal at the Roosters that will ensure he remains at the club until the end of the 2027 season.
The Roosters have announced a series of signing coups in recent days. This week alone they have extended the contracts of Sandon Smith, Siua Wong, Billy Smith and utility Connor Watson as they set about shoring up their future.
Joey Manu is the biggest star yet to sign a new deal but he is widely expected to stay at the club for the foreseeable future despite interest from elsewhere, most notably St George Illawarra.
The 26-year-old Tupouniua, meanwhile, is going nowhere. Tupouniua made only eight appearances last season, having missed a chunk of 2022 with a knee injury before suffering a neck injury that brought a premature end to his 2023 campaign.
The Roosters missed him but the good news is that he should be fit to start next season and he will do so with a healthy new contract in his back pocket.
The other player the Roosters are focused on retaining is prop Terrell May, although his retention is becoming increasingly problematic as rival clubs look to strengthen their ranks with a forward who made huge strides this season.
The Bulldogs and Storm are among the clubs weighing up moves for May.
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Originally published as Sport Confidential: How to cement your status as a Sharks fan
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