Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Brawling NRL agents to cop six-month bans

Two NRL player agents are set to cop six-month bans for brawling, Kevvie’s first big Kangaroos call and more in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.

NRL player agents Chris Orr and Nash Dawson are facing six-month bans over an altercation outside a hotel in Port Macquarie.

The pair will be issued with code of conduct breach notices following revelations in this column last year the two had fought on the pavement outside a pub during a schoolboy carnival.

They had earlier exchanged angry words inside the pub before stepping outside.

My information is the integrity unit studied CCTV footage before deciding to take action against the managers.

The two agents manage some of the biggest names in rugby league.

Dawson has Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, while Orr has Val Holmes, Jahrome Hughes, Dylan Brown and Selwyn Cobbo.

The NRL is to be congratulated on taking against Orr in particular, who was also involved in another incident in Las Vegas last year that was not acted on.

(L-R) Chris Orr and Nash Dawson.

SAINT

Tim Tszyu may have lost his world title fight in Las Vegas last weekend, but he handled it with so much class and dignity. No excuses. No complaints. Beaten fair and square by a better fighter on the occasion. His reaction and great sportsmanship afterwards was a wonderful example to be setting all young Aussie athletes at all levels of sport.

SINNER

Brad Fittler seems to have a problem with Polynesian rugby league players wanting to honour their heritage and play for Samoa or Tonga in representative football. This is actually a great thing for the international game. These guys are entitled to play State of Origin — and for the Pacific nations — as long as they were either born in Australia or played their first junior footy here. That the Kangaroos are now facing a real challenge to remain the number one country, is a good thing.

SHOOSH

Which board member from a Queensland-based NRL club got blind drunk and made a complete goose of himself in front of hundreds of guests at a recent charity function. It didn’t help that he’d been to a long lunch for six hours beforehand.

Val Holmes with his kids Billy and Ardie. Credit: Supplied.

SPOTTED

Maroons and St George Illawarra Dragons star Val Holmes recovering in hospital after season-ending surgery with his kids Billy and Ardie.

SPOTTED

She would have been just another face in the crowd at Shute Shield rugby at North Sydney Oval 10 days ago, but Mark Latham’s former partner Nathalie Matthews was the subject of much attention at Northern Suburbs v Eastwood last weekend.

SPOTTED

He may have bolted in to win the federal election earlier this year, but our prime minister Anthony Albanese is having an absolute shocker in our NRL tipping competition and looking a most likely wooden spooner. In fairness, the PM is a Rabbitohs tragic and has to tip them each week despite their shocking run with injuries.

Dessie Hasler with the Fainu brothers. Credit: Supplied.

SPOTTED

Dessie Hasler maintains a close friendship with the Fainu family from his days at the Manly Sea Eagles, when the boys were emerging in pathways. Dessie caught up with Sione, Samuela and Latu at Leichhardt Oval last week after the Wests Tigers v Titans game.

SPOTTED

Two sporting heavyweights sitting side-by-side on a Brisbane to Sydney flight on Thursday — former Olympic boss John Coates and golf legend Greg Norman.

WOMEN’S GAME NOT SO SUPER

Women’s rugby league is struggling big time in England, nowhere near as strong as our NRLW competition.

You’ll remember the English side was beaten 90-4 by the Jillaroos in Las Vegas in March.

Now the Warrington Wolves have had to forfeit a Super League fixture against St Helens this weekend due to a lack of players.

Daly Cherry-Evans has put his energy into a new Australian drink. Credit: Supplied.

DCE PUTS ENERGY INTO DRINK

Daly Cherry-Evans is already planning for life after the Sydney Roosters.

The Manly Sea Eagles skipper and ex-Wallabies star Quade Cooper have recently invested into a sports energy drink business.

They are on board with one of Australia’s fastest growing companies Hyro; the hydration drink company taking on global heavyweights like Gatorade and Powerade.

The company in Australia is fronted by entrepreneurial couple Steve Chapman and Taylor Bird.

Cherry-Evans and Cooper was seen last week shooting a Hyro commercial in Sydney.

Both have invested their own money into the company.

Cherry-Evans, 36, is quitting Manly at the end of the season for a stint at the Roosters... and Friday night’s loss to Melbourne Storm showed why he’s needed.

The Roosters led 30-28 after 66 minutes but couldn’t close down the game.

KEVVIE’S TOUGHEST DECISION

Proud Queenslander Kevvie Walters is facing his first test of state loyalty with the selection of his Australian captain for the Kangaroos tour to England in October.

The leading contenders are NSW Blues skipper Isaah Yeo — the incumbent Australian skipper, and Cameron Munster, who led Queensland so magnificently in this year’s State of Origin series.

Yeo did a great job with the Australian side under Mal Meninga last year; taking over from James Tedesco to lead the Aussies to victory in the Pacific Championships.

Yet he failed to inspire the Blues against the Maroons in Origin this year in his first crack as a NSW captain after replacing Jake Trbojevic.

Not that you can blame the champion NSW lock for the Blues’ series defeat.

On the other hand, Munster did so well as Queensland captain — even dealing with the tragic death of his father in the build-up to the series decider in Sydney.

Incumbent Kangaroos and NSW skipper Isaah Yeo and Queensland counterpart Cameron Munster after State of Origin III. Credit: NRL Images.

Thrown into the job to replace Daly Cherry Evans, Munster — despite not being a club captain — won man-of-the-match in Origin II in Perth.

It turned out a masterstroke by coach Billy Slater to put the Storm five-eighth in as skipper.

There’s also the likes of Harry Grant and Nathan Cleary as possibilities.

So we tracked down Walters on Friday to get his views.

“We’ve got some great options,” Walters said. “And that excites me.

“In most of my time playing for the Kangaroos we had Mal (Meninga).

“Regardless of who’s the captain, we’ll have so many great leaders from the clubs and Origin teams.

“Obviously, it’s not my decision alone and we’ll be consulting the right people. The commission will sign off on it.

“Someone will run out first, but we need all the senior guys to contribute as leaders.”

DRAGONS AND DOGS UNITE

Long time rivals Canterbury and St George Illawarra have joined forces in a unique NRL partnership.

Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton and his Dragons counterpart Tim Watsford have reached a profit-sharing agreement for the Las Vegas season-opener next year and for all future games between the clubs.

“We’re going to work together off the field to strengthen what is one of league’s most formidable rivalries to deliver what two of the NRL’s most passionate supporter bases deserve,” Warburton said.

“We fiercely compete for 80 minutes in two games each season, but we’re partners in growing the game for the other 363 days.

“It’s about giving fans the best possible experience on game day.”

Dragons boss Tim Watsford and Bulldogs counterpart Aaron Warburton have joined forces ahead of their clash in Las Vegas. Credit: Supplied.

Last weekend was a perfect example of the special rivalry that exists between these two clubs.

A thrilling game that went down to the wire with a stack of controversy and blow ups afterwards.

It’s such great theatre.

“The profit share arrangement ensures both clubs are invested in the game’s success from revenue and fan experience perspectives,” Warburton said. “As the game continues to generate momentum, club-to-club collaboration is important.

“We are building for success both on and off the field and rivalries of this nature are paramount to the success of not only the club, but the game more broadly.”

More NRL clubs should be working together in this manner. Imagine the crowds that the Bulldogs and Dragons will attract if Saints can get their act together and both clubs work together on the promotion of the game.

WHEN YOU SWYSH UPON A STAR

He might be nearing the end of his career but Broncos old skipper Adam Reynolds remains one of rugby league’s most loved characters.

The veteran halfback gets more requests than any other NRL player on the popular video messaging platform Swysh.

More than 1500 athletes have signed up with Swysh to record messages for fans on special occasions with ten per cent of the fee going to charity.

Reynolds is soon to release his life story in a book that will be available for Father’s Day.

There will be much revealed in regards to his messy departure from the South Sydney Rabbitohs three years ago.

Adam Reynolds is top of pops for Swysh. Credit: NRL Images.

THE SWYSH TOP TEN

1. Adam Reynolds

2. Brian To’o

3. Stephen Crichton

4. James Tedesco

5. Jordan Riki

6. Ryan Papenhuyzen

7. Matt Burton

8. Tom Trbojevic

9. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow

10. Hudson Young

SEN’S RATINGS STRUGGLE

Sports network SEN has had a disastrous result in Sydney’s latest radio ratings.

All shifts from Andrew Voss and Greg Alexander (1.2%) at breakfast through to Joel Caine and Bryan Fletcher (1.2%) on drive fell substantially.

The Big Sports Breakfast on Sky Sports Radio also suffered a ratings fall that could be put down to the absence of Laurie Daley, who was off air while coaching the Blues State of Origin team.

SEN also performed poorly on weekends, dropping to just 0.3 for Sunday NRL.

In Sunday league ratings, the 2GB Continuous Call team fell from 9.9% to 7.5%.

The big improver was Triple M which jumped from 5% to 6.2%, more than double the audience of the ABC.

Sunday NRL Sydney

2GB 7.5% down from 9.9%

Triple M 6.2% up from 5%

ABC 3% up from 2.7%

SEN 0.3% down from 1.5%

Brisbane NRL Sunday

Triple M 12.1% up from 11%

4BC 4.2% down from 4.6%

ABC 3.4% down from 7.8%

SEN 0.6% up from 0.4%

THE BETTER HALF with Kristi Wilkinson - partner of Tom Trbojevic

Kristi Wilkinson, partner of Tom Trbojevic

Okay we did Jurbo a couple of weeks ago, now Turbo. What’s he really like away from the footy spotlight?

If you know Tom, you know he does not enjoy the spotlight! Tom is a very down to earth, family-oriented man, some may say shy at first, but once he brings out his sarcasm, you know he feels comfortable. Away from footy, Tom enjoys cooking, golf, walking our dog CJ and travel.

Where did you two meet? Did you know he was a famous footy player?

We met was at Macquarie Uni back in 2020, where we both studied business degrees. He needed me to help him pass his final exam and in exchange he took me for a drink.

Now you guys are getting married in December, how did he propose?

Tom had just finished playing for Australia back in November last year, and we had planned a trip to Europe. Before heading overseas, we started our time off down in Bowral at Osborn House. Unbeknown to me, Tom had planned for the hotel staff to set up our room with rose petals, champagne and candles while we were at dinner on the first night. When I got back, I got the shock of my life. I loved how much of a surprise it was, it was really special.

How is he around the house with chores, cooking, stacking the dishwasher, cleaning, gardening, feeding the dog etc?

Tom is extremely helpful around the house, I will give him that! When it comes to the outdoors … not so much. Tom despises gardening and mowing the lawn, the only outdoor job he enjoys is cooking a steak on the barbeque!

I guess all footy professionals are healthy eaters but surely he breaks out every now and then with some fast food?

Our house is full of healthy food so the majority of the time, we eat a very clean diet. The day after a game though … I could find Tom anywhere from the local KFC, to getting a Maccas McFlurry, to enjoying enough pizza to feed a family!

Tell us about his relationship with Jake, Ben and Luke? How tight are they?

Well they spend most days at training together and then choose to spend their days off together, so they’re pretty tight! They have a group chat with the four of them and their mum, Mel, called ‘My Boys’ and it’s constantly going off.

I asked this same question to Alix: The NRL is a roller coaster of highs and lows. Tom’s had some tough times with injuries. How do you cope when he’s having a rough trot?

It is definitely a roller coaster! Tom cares so much about his teammates and ensuring he is doing his job for Manly that when uncontrollable situations occur, it can be really challenging. We definitely lean on each other during the more difficult times to try and lift the mood, stay positive and move forward.

He’s had some great moments; won a Dally M; played for NSW and Australia. I bet you’re proud.

Tom has achieved an inspiring amount playing football, but nothing comes close to his achievement of dating me! (haha). In all seriousness, what makes me most proud is how he shows up every day ... as a person and a partner.