Buzz’s Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Nicho Hynes and Kalyn Ponga are off the market
NRL star Nicho Hynes and Kalyn Ponga have found new flames, Nine playing with fire over Dragons review, Latrell Mitchell’s notable Bunnies no-show and more in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
Two of rugby league’s biggest heart-throbs are officially off the market.
Cronulla Sharks superstar Nicho Hynes and Newcastle Knights captain Kalyn Ponga both have new partners in their lives.
Hynes has been dating advertising specialist Piper Wallis for several months.
And Ponga has been seeing Sydney paramedic, Gaby Dunn.
Notoriously private around his personal life, Hynes has however confirmed he is in a relationship with Wallis, a Shire local.
The pair follow each other on Instagram but have yet to go ‘official’.
Wallis, 23, was spotted at the opening State of Origin game at Accor Stadium in June this year watching the game with Hynes’ mum and cheering for the Blues.
Likewise, social media posts show Dunn attending the second Origin match in June - resplendent, appropriately, in a Queensland scarf to cheer on Ponga.
Hynes’ partner Wallis is currently on holiday in Europe but is normally a regular at Sharks matches.
Hynes declined to comment when we approached him last week.
However those closest to the playmaker say he has never been happier, despite a challenging year.
He was dropped from State of Origin and then fractured his ankle in a training accident in July.
Away from the spotlight and daily grind of footy, Sharks insiders say Wallis has been a tremendous support.
“Nicho is very happy,” says one Sharks insider, “He’s faced some challenges this season but he’s in a really good space on and off the field.”
Meanwhile Ponga, who is in career best form, has also never been happier.
His partner soft launched her relationship with the Knights superstar in an understated post on Instagram late on Friday night, depicting her lounging at a beach with Ponga and another shot with him planting a kiss on her cheek.
The two players are among the NRL’s most marketable players with huge appeal to women and young fans.
NRL marketing research shows they sit alongside Broncos star Reece Walsh, Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen and Penrith champion Nathan Cleary as the most popular fan favourites.
SAINT
Graham McNeice. I have never known a nicer, more genuine person in the sporting media. I first met “Shadow” when he was a taxi driver in the late 70s. He’d drop me home at Coogee via a late-night feed at the old Colonial Diner on Anzac Parade – and often shout if I’d done my money on the punt. RIP Shadow.
SINNER
Terrible performances from our Wallabies in Argentina and Socceroos against Bahrain and Indonesia. These two sports have fallen so far behind rugby league and the AFL in recent times.
SHOOSH I
The RLPA and South Sydney have asked the NRL for a please explain over the “confusing nature” of the Latrell Mitchell disciplinary procedures. This has to be a joke, surely.
SHOOSH II
Which broadcast network is desperately trying to keep the lid on a feud between two high-profile commentators. The grand final and a five-month break from each other can’t come soon enough.
SHOOSH III
Which ex-Penrith Panthers grand final star had far too much to drink on old-boys’ day last weekend and made a complete goose of himself.
SHOOSH IV
No one knows rugby league like Matty Johns and I’m always asking him if he would consider coaching: And his reply: “Thanks buzz, appreciate that mate. I wouldn’t mind getting into coaching, but unfortunately no one can afford me.”
SPOTTED I
Sharks chairman Steve Mace with former politician and Bulldogs major sponsor Craig Laundy dining at 6HEAD restaurant. This is one bill we wouldn’t want to be paying – both love their expensive wines – and plenty of it.
SPOTTED II
New Parramatta coach Jason Ryles and assistant Nathan Brown working on a laptop at Rushi cafe in Cronulla.
SPOTTED III
Wayne Bennett has wasted no time starting at South Sydney. The incoming coach was spotted on a walk along Coogee Beach on Thursday.
BIG BREKKY
Catch you this morning at 9.40 on the Weekend Big Sports Breakfast with hosts Ray Thomas and Dean ‘Bulldog’ Ritchie to discuss all the big stories around the NRL finals.
NINE PLAYING WITH FIRE IN FLANNO BASH
The campaign by Nine Entertainment hatchet men to drive a wedge between St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan and star playmaker Ben Hunt is an interesting one.
Interesting because the highly-regarded Dragons chairman is Andrew Lancaster, a close supporter of Flanagan, but more importantly an influential board member at Channel 9.
Lancaster represents Nine’s largest shareholder Bruce Gordon on the media company’s board.
Now we’ve all heard how Nine and its newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald, is allegedly ‘independent always’ and we’re not suggesting Lancaster would ever try to influence the editorial side of the business.
However, he won’t take kindly to reporting that could be seen as unfair or personal.
Flanagan has been regularly smashed by the chief hatchet man.
This is despite taking the Dragons to a higher position on the ladder than anyone expected at the start of the season when many were tipping them as potential wooden spooners.
BIG MAL’S HUNT DILEMMA
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga is torn between his loyalty to Ben Hunt and the more in-form utility players vying for selection in the Australian team.
“Ben’s a stalwart and has always got the job done,” Meninga said.
However after a disappointing back-end to the season, the likes of Reece Robson and Connor Watson are likely to be ahead of Hunt as back-up hooker to Harry Grant.
SHARKS’ TRACEBOOK TO BERATE TEEN TROLLS
Cronulla Sharks star Ronaldo Mulitalo has found a novel way to deal with young social media trolls – he contacts their parents.
Mulitalo said he cops abuse by young punters betting on games.
“You get 16-year-olds saying ‘you’ve stuffed my Sportsbet up’,” he revealed in the latest episode of the Marlee and Me podcast.
“I’m like ‘shut up you idiot’. What’s a 16-year-old doing betting?
“You’re doing something illegal.”
The Sharks winger then tries to track down their parents.
“I’ll go and search their names on Facebook,” he said.
“Then I’ll message their parents and send all the messages I’ve received, ‘effing this, effing that’ and I say ‘you’ve raised a great son’.
“They come back and say: ‘I’m so sorry, I’ll sort them out’.”
LATRELL’S NOTABLE NO-SHOW
Superstar Latrell Mitchell was a noticeable absentee from South Sydney’s George Piggins Medal gala dinner on Friday night.
Jack Wighton was named best and fairest player of the year but his close mate couldn’t turn up to the presentation at The Star casino.
Latrell was dealing with a personal family matter.
Knowing what the issue is, which the club has asked to keep private, his absence was totally understandable.
It was disappointing for Latrell because it was also the farewell dinner for Rabbitohs favourites, hooker Damien Cook and front-rower Tom Burgess.
Latrell last week caught up for a meeting with new coach Wayne Bennett, who is already in Sydney to begin work at the Rabbitohs.
He played only 11 games this year but is determined to reinvent himself under the old super coach next year.
EX-BUNNY’S TELL-ALL
Luke Keary has opened up on his messy departure from the South Sydney in 2016 in an interview on Fox Sports’ Face to Face on Monday night.
“Footy is such an emotional game,” he tells reporter Jake Duke.
“I feel like we built that success (2014 premiership) on stuff that wasn’t sustainable.
“Footy is up and down. It’s a violent ride.”
On the incident with Russell Crowe at his Nana Glen property, Keary says: “I’ve been in three grand finals but that’s all people still keep asking me about.”
TEARS, NO BEERS
These are the three cases of beer that the GWS Giants ordered from SCG caterers last weekend when they led the Sydney Swans by 28 points in their AFL semi-final.
They are still sitting outside the cellar doors at the famous old ground.
The order was cancelled when the boys in black and orange were run down by the Swans in the final quarter of a thriller.
GEE, THAT’S A REFFING DISGRACE
Referee Adam Gee’s sacking from the NRL finals is a disgrace.
His outstanding performance in last year’s grand final – in which he let the game flow beautifully – should have guaranteed him a start.
It was the best performance I’ve ever seen in a decider.
However, we can reveal Gee was not sacked for being too soft on penalties and six-agains. In fact, he blew more penalties (12 per game) this year than any other referee in the game.
Of the four finals referees, Ashley Klein let the games flow more than anyone. He averaged 10.3 penalties per game.
FOOL’S GOLD FIFITA
There is mail coming out of the Gold Coast Titans that big-money forward David Fifita is on the nose big-time.
He’s had surgery on an ankle injury he carried in the back end of this season but is expected back for pre-season.
If they had their time over again, club powerbrokers would have offloaded him to the Roosters. They now regret talking Fifita into staying until the end of 2026.
Coach Des Hasler will sit down with the ex-Maroons forward in the off-season and demand he lifts his game.
THE WOODIES HOOK GRIFFIN
Former Broncos, Panthers and Dragons coach Anthony Griffin is making a comeback as the director of rugby at Eastwood in the Shute Shield.
Obviously the money is nothing like a head coaching role in the NRL but he has close ties to the club via his son Cooper, who is an emerging player.
LEWIS AN AGENT OF POSITIVE CHANGE
Former premiership-winning forward and Clive Churchill medallist Luke Lewis is the latest ex-player to become an accredited NRL agent.
The ex-Panthers and Sharks star joins the likes of David Riolo, Braith Anasta, Tyrone Smith, Mat Rogers, Scott Sattler, Clinton Schifcofske and David Shillington looking after the next generation of footy stars.
Lewis has signed Cronulla forward Toby Rudolf, who was previously managed by Wests Tigers boss Shane Richardson, and a number of other young players.
He already runs a business called Unite that specialises in financial planning, brand building, investments and content creation.
“I’ve decided to get my accreditation so we can become a one-stop shop for the players,” Lewis said. “We can focus on helping them outside of their footy contracts.
“All they’ll have to worry about is being the best version of themselves on the field.”
The pitch on his website says: “We equip athletically-minded people with the right tools to leverage their natural potential into life changing success.”
Lewis has experienced all the highs and lows of rugby league and is well equipped to be guiding young football players.
He’s certainly a better option than a number of the dodgy managers I have previously written about – those who take their 6 per cent from contracts but offer nothing towards the off-field development of players.
More Coverage
Kiwi revenge mission: Kangaroos out to restore pride in jersey
The Kangaroos were embarrassed by New Zealand in the Pacific Championships final last year. Star prop Lindsay Collins has vowed to restore pride in green and gold jumper this time round.
‘It’s our turn’: SJ’s warning ahead of Kangaroos grudge match
New Zealand has just had one of its best ever sporting weekends, prompting Kiwis veteran Shaun Johnson to issue a warning to the Kangaroos ahead of their first meeting since last year’s grand final thrashing.