The Brisbane Broncos have become a magnet for gossip and innuendo over the past year or so. The latest whisper doing the rounds was that Brisbane assistant coach John Cartwright and club legend Chris Johns had to be dragged apart late last year during drinks at the Caxton Hotel.
Cartwright and Johns are long-time friends. They toured together with the 1990 Kangaroos and from all reports were inseparable.
The rumour seemed hard to believe so Weekend Read contacted Johns to get the lowdown. Johns confirmed the pair had a disagreement that descended into a wrestle.
It was all over, he said, in the blink of an eye. He also insisted the pair remained the best of mates and had quickly moved on. Nevertheless, it highlights how tensions are running high at the game’s flagship club.
It all began, it seems, when Cartwright started talking about the way they did things at Penrith, the club where he won a premiership in 1991.
Johns responded by pointing out that the Panthers had two premierships in their history. He told Cartwright that he needed to start thinking like a Bronco.
It escalated from there, although reports of what happened next vary. Weekend Read was told they had each other by the throat. Johns insisted it was much ado about nothing.
“It was a bit of a wrestle,” Johns told Weekend Read.
“I said you have to get your mongrel back. I said, ‘at the Panthers you have won one comp, don’t compare the Broncos with the Panthers’. Carty got the shits and said, ‘don’t start bagging my old club’.
“We’re the best of mates. We always have been. It was at the break-up of the coaching staff and they had asked me if I wanted to have a beer.
“If you were watching it you would have said, ‘what are these blokes doing?’”
Johns, who himself had a stint as chief executive at the Melbourne Storm, was one of the most vocal critics of the Broncos under previous coach Anthony Seibold.
Broncos insiders didn’t take the criticism kindly. They were quick to point out that Johns spent a large chunk of his life at the Storm, helping turn the club into a powerhouse.
He was seen as the ringleader of the Broncos’ Old Boys network, who slowly but surely eroded Seibold’s powerbase and left the club with little choice but to make change as results spiralled.
Johns campaigned hard for Kevin Walters to be given a chance and now he has his wish as the Broncos attempt to rebuild from the worst season in their history.
Walters has a mountainous job ahead of him, although Johns insists he is more than capable to leading the recovery for the game’s flagship club.
“I think they have a big job ahead of them,” Johns said. “They have to aim up. I think they are up to it. To be fair it is not their fault with what they have been given but they are heading in the right direction.
“You couldn’t get a better person in charge than Kevvie. In Matto (Terry Matterson and Carty you have the two bets right-hand men. But geez, they have some work ahead of them.”
Locky paid handsomely for leadership training
Speaking of the Broncos, they posted their full financial results for last year recently and there was some interesting details buried in the fine print, including a note about club legend and board member Darren Lockyer.
In a year where the Broncos lost money for the first time in recent memory, Lockyer was among the board members who took a pay cut to help the club through the COVID crisis.
While their pay was reduced, their meetings went through the roof. In all, they met as a board 22 times. They worked overtime, although few worked harder than Lockyer.
The former captain was rewarded as well. He walked away with an extra $33,000 after being hired by Seibold to provide leadership consultancy.
As hard as Lockyer tried, it seems even his influence was unable to breed new leaders with the club, something that was confirmed on Friday when Alex Glenn retained the captaincy.
Lockyer’s stint as leadership consultant is now over.
Could hair testing have helped Burgess?
Six years ago the NRL and the players union had the chance to introduce hair follicle testing for illicit drugs. South Sydney even offered to be part of a pilot program.
You can’t help but wonder how things would have played out for Sam Burgess had the NRL and Rugby League Players Association found a way forward.
Burgess has rarely been far from a headline in recent months. First, The Australian revealed the sordid details of his private life, including allegations of drug-fuelled benders.
Then this week, Burgess was pulled over and failed a roadside drug test. Former South Sydney chief executive John Lee was the man who pushed hard at the time to get hair testing over the line.
It didn’t wash with the NRL or the RLPA. It’s hard not to wonder what-if?
“I think the way the AFL have done it would be a good to look for the NRL,” Lee said.
“I would put a caveat on it that there are many challenges to the community around social drugs and recreational drugs.
“My one caveat would be it would be terrible if it was a name-and-shame situation. This should be handled very sensitively and professionally by doctors and the players and the players association so we can reduce the incidence of poor drug habits by players within the game.”
There is genuine concern for Burgess, who has been stood down by Souths and Fox League while the NRL and police investigate the allegations that have been made against him.
All is not lost, however. Burgess has friends within the game. He is still a popular figure. There is a way back for Burgess, but if he indeed has a drug problem, he will need to get it under control.
Demetriou helps entice Latrell
Incoming South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou was the unsung hero in the Rabbitohs’ retention of Latrell Mitchell.
Demetriou, who will take over from Wayne Bennett at the end of the season, went out of his way to strengthen his relationship with Mitchell last year when he travelled to Taree to spend time with the Rabbitohs fullback.
Mitchell owns a property in the region and Demetriou was given a personal tour of the area by Mitchell. Make no mistake, Mitchell walked away impressed that the incoming Rabbitohs coach took time out of his week to build the relationship between the pair.
Once again, it demonstrated why Demetriou has the makings of an outstanding NRL coach. He has clearly used his time working with Wayne Bennett to learn from the best.
Few coaches in the game’s history man manage as well as Bennett. Demetriou is on the same path if his work with Mitchell is any indication.
At the same time, he and Bennett face a delicate situation as they handle talks with halfback and captain Adam Reynolds. Reynolds is off contract at the end of the season and the Rabbitohs are reluctant to hand him a long-term deal.
They have been burned by the big-money contracts handed to Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis. They can ill-afford to get it wrong again. It is a calculated gamble. Reynolds has been a tremendous player for Souths but it is hard to imagine him in another jersey.
“No loggerheads, just business,” Reynolds’ long-time manager Steve Gillis said.
“That’s just the way life goes. They obviously run the risk of losing him. He might stay but I can’t imagine he will do a one-year deal. I would be surprised.
“At 30 years of age, it is unusual. It is not as if he is a crock. I am biased but I rate him as good as any halfback in the comp.
“Certainly most normal people would rate him in the top three or four.”
Clubs again calling for Fitzgibbon
Craig Fitzgibbon’s future at the Sydney Roosters is expected to come under the microscope again in coming months after it emerged a club had in recent weeks inquired about his plans for the future.
Fitzgibbon agreed to stay loyal to the Roosters last season when the Warriors made an approach. He is also in the sights of Cronulla as they ponder what to do with their coach, John Morris.
Chances are, Fitzgibbon will have a decision to make soon enough. He has already knocked back the opportunity to be a head coach once. He is unlikely to do it again.
Benji drives Bennett crazy
Benji Marshall says he will be Wayne Bennett’s biggest nightmare in player meetings. He will chip the coach and take the mickey. And he will love it. This, Marshall says, is the biggest misnomer when it comes to Bennett and explains why the pair seem to have such a strong relationship.
“I am not here (at South Sydney) to set standards,” Marshall said. “I am just here because I want to win. Part of my strengths is you have to be able to have expectations of each other and you have to say to each other that is awesome, or that is not good enough.
“He (Bennett) knows what I can bring but he also knows I like having a laugh, a bit of fun and a bit of banter with the boys.
“I will put shit on Wayne and he knows that. I will be his biggest nightmare in meetings. He knows, but he secretly likes it.
“I reckon we are a little bit similar where every thinks we are different to what we are. Everyone thinks he is this grumpy old dude. He isn’t. He is a funny, funny man who really cares about his player. I reckon we have a lot more in common.
“They think I am a cocky little shit who has a lot of ego, just because I used to play like that. Once I cross the line it is different on the field.”
Marshall knows where he stands at Souths. Bennett made it clear form the very first day. He was coming as cover for Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds. If he worked hard and played hard, he could get himself a spot on the interchange bench.
“Wayne made it clear, he told the team, Benji is coming on Friday, he is not starting in the halves but he will be in the 17 somewhere if he is good enough,” Marshall said.
“That was it. They are all good. They (Walker and Reynolds) know. They are going to be starting.”
Marshall turned 36 on Thursday and provided Cameron Smith doesn’t return, he will be the oldest player in the NRL this year.
“I am proud of it,” Marshall said. “It is a number, I don’t give a shit about the number.”
readb@newsltd.com.au
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