Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Bronson Xerri playing footy, Kristie Fulton breaks silence on Manly sacking
The latest victim of Manly’s bloodletting has broken their silence on the saga - with the club’s disastrous ‘pride jersey’ drama believed to be at the heart of the sacking. Full details inside.
Kristie Fulton believes she has become the latest victim of the Manly Sea Eagles pride jersey fiasco – or that it was at least partly to blame for her sacking.
The daughter of rugby league immortal and club legend Bob Fulton was dismissed on Friday, four months after first raising her concerns at an internal meeting.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Fulton warned the club in June – a month before the rainbow jersey was launched – of potential opposition from the players.
A meeting took place on June 29 between representatives from jersey manufacturer Dynasty, Manly’s commercial and marketing staff, acting CEO Gary Wolman and Fulton.
At the meeting Fulton said words to the effect of, “The club needs to be careful about making political and social statements and we should look at this.”
As pathways boss at the Sea Eagles, Fulton had a close relationship with the Polynesian players, many of whom had joined the club under her watch as juniors.
She was aware of their religious beliefs.
When the story broke in late July that seven players were threatening to withdraw from the game against the Sydney Roosters, Fulton again urged the club to change the jersey.
To heat-seal pink over the rainbow colours for Women in League Round.
She said it would send a powerful message … that the club could own its mistake and, in future, work closer with players on future sensitive projects.
Chief executive Tony Mestrov has declined to comment on her departure.
He had not started at the club at the time of the pride jersey meetings.
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Despite serving a four-year doping ban, former NRL star Bronson Xerri is back playing park footy with the blessing of Australian Oztag.
Xerri, who still has a year to run on his suspension, has joined a team in Cronulla Oztag with NRL players Kyle Flanagan and Damien Cook.
The 22-year-old declined to comment when contacted by The Sunday Telegraph.
His friends say that while it is a social competition, Xerri loves being back in a team environment.
It has been a long and lonely few years from when his career was abruptly derailed after a positive test to performance-enhancing substances. Former NRL referee and senior Oztag official Bill Harrigan says there are no rules to prevent Xerri from playing.
“We’re not affiliated with the Australian Sports Commission or the NRL,” Harrigan said.
“We don’t have a drug policy because we’re a recreational sport.
“You’re not getting paid and you’re not chasing gold medals.
“We don’t hold a grudge. I don’t see why we would enforce a suspension from another sport.”
Xerri is looking in great shape as he and his manager Matt Desira start preparing to talk to NRL clubs.
He even posted on social media last week a copy of official ASADA doping paperwork with the comment: “To shut you all up.”
Xerri can sign with an NRL club from November 1 for the 2024 season.
The Bulldogs are rumoured to be the frontrunners.
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SAINT
FANS will always turn up to major sporting events when the tickets are reasonably priced. The Australia v New Zealand T20 World Cup game was a sellout at the SCG on Saturday largely because the ICC had a $5 ticket offer for all children. NRL clubs should take notice.
SINNER
CRICKET Australia’s handling of the Dave Warner captaincy issue. This has dragged on since February when first raised by Australian Cricketers Association boss Todd Greenberg. That they have still not made a decision after eight months shows why their administration is rated so poorly.
SHOOSH
THERE’S talk the South Sydney Rabbitohs might be prepared to give front-rower George Burgess a minimum-wage contract next year after his departure from the Dragons. To avoid any controversy, the Rabbitohs will wait until Burgess faces court in March next year on charges of sexually touching a woman. Burgess denies the allegaiton Nothing will happen until there is a verdict.
SHOOSH
GEORGE Burgess is not the only high-profile forward who wants out from the St George-Illawarra Dragons. Another player is trying to sign with a rival Sydney club and will ask for his release once the new deal is locked in.
SHOOSH
THE future of boxing promoter Dean Lonergan at Fox Sports is looking shaky. Lonergan looks after heavyweight superstar Justis Huni and world champion Jai Opetaia. He has three more fight cards on Fox Sports before the end of the year when his contract is up. There’s mail he’s been in talks with rival TV network, Stan.
SPOTTED
SYDNEY Roosters chairman Nick Politis and coach Trent Robinson were on opposite sides when Greece played France at the rugby league World Cup last week. Politis sponsored the Greeks while Robinson is coaching director for the French team.
SPOTTED
EVEN on holidays with his family, new Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo is an early starter. He was spotted enjoying an early-morning beachfront walk at 5am at Kurrawa on the Gold Coast last week.
SPOTTED
NSW Blues coach Freddy Fittler and his chief adviser Greg “Brandy” Alexander at the Bruno Mars concert at Allianz Stadium last weekend. We hope they got home in time to watch Josh Addo-Carr’s slashing performance for the Kangaroos against Fiji.
SPOTTED
SOCCEROOS coach Graham Arnold consoling boxer Brock Jarvis after his shock round one loss in Brisbane last week to unbeaten Queenslander Liam Paro. Jarvis’s trainer Jeff Fenech invited Arnold to speak to the shattered young boxer about the mental challenges of recovering from sporting defeats.
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DAVID Fifita cops a lot of criticism for sometimes being an underperforming million-dollar player. Off the field, however, he’s doing some wonderful stuff at the Rugby League World Cup.
A group of Sutherland junior soccer players are on a tour in the north of England and are staying at the same hotel as the Tongan cup side. Fifita not only did selfies with all the youngsters, but organised a group photo with the entire Tongan squad and the boys.
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PRESSURE is building on Dragons legend Craig Young to stand down from the St George-Illawarra board over his support for disgraced ex-player Brett Finch.
Young used the club’s letterhead in a reference for the former NSW Blues player, who is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to using a sex hotline to share child abuse material.
It has caused a massive backlash from fans, members and sponsors.
Young even wrote “I believe that Brett is a highly decent young man.”
The comment has sickened fans, considering Finch’s abhorrent behaviour.
Young is such an admired figure at the Dragons that club officials and fellow directors are reluctant to ask or force him to step down.
They hope it’s a decision he will make himself once he fully understands the damage it has caused.
He at least apologised on Friday.
“I should not have connected the club to this matter and would like to apologise to members, fans, sponsors and all other stakeholders for any distress caused,” Young said.
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THE drama around the Taylan May suspension will not go away.
Now the Rugby League Players Association has called out the NRL on it.
May had a two-week integrity unit ban for a ‘cowardly assault’ carried over until next season to allow him to play in the finals for the Panthers, creating a huge backlash from fans.
Even RLPA boss Clint Newton has criticised the decision.
“Clearly there were varied views on the outcome of Taylan May’s sanction,” Newton said. “For Taylan and Penrith it was a good result.
“But it does raise the question of how that discretion can be applied consistently to other breaches.
“Can players now nominate the timing of when they serve their suspension?
“If so, that is great, but let’s embed that in the system if that is the case.”
The handling of integrity issues has been part of the RLPA’s recent collective bargaining negotiations with the NRL.
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It’s a positive and says a lot about Anthony Seibold that he wants to hire old premiership-winning coach Shane Flanagan at the Manly Sea Eagles next year.
Flanagan was the first person Seibold rang when he got the job.
A lot of NRL coaches would never employ anyone who was a threat to their job.
They’re too insecure.
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WAYNE Beavis quit as a player agent in 2016 when embroiled in the Parramatta Eels salary cap scandal over secret player payments.
It hasn’t stopped him from managing high-profile coaches, including Shane Flanagan who is in talks now with the Manly Sea Eagles about an assistant role under Anthony Seibold.
Player agent accreditation boss Paul Massey says there is nothing to stop Beavis representing the coaches, just not players.
Back in 2016 investigations and a trail of emails found English forward Lee Mossop, who Beavis managed, was given undisclosed payments into an overseas account in breach of cap rules.
There were also questions around dodgy third-party payments to his superstar client Jarryd Hayne.
Beavis conveniently announced soon after he was “retiring” as a manager which meant he would fall outside the scope of the NRL investigation. Three other managers were banned for six months. Apart from Flanagan, Beavis also looks after Trent Barrett and Anthony Griffin.
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THERE’S one thing you can say about boxer George Kambosos — he’s definitely no quitter. Most would take a holiday and enjoy a multimillion-dollar pay packet after being belted in the manner he lost to Devin Haney last weekend. Four days later Kambosos was back in the gym to work on his fitness. His team will be planning his next fight in the near future.
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FORMER NRL Integrity Unit boss Nick Weeks must love a tough challenge. Fresh from helping Crown Barangaroo get its casino licence, the respected sporting administrator and lawyer has been appointed to run The Star, reeling from a $100m fine for money laundering.
Weeks’ time in rugby league – uncovering salary cap rorts, sex tape scandals and investigating the Stephen Dank peptides affair – is the perfect work experience to keep the troubled casino’s doors open for the NSW independent Casino Commission.
Weeks will work closely with The Star’s new CEO Robbie Cooke and the casino’s media guru, our old mate, Peter Jenkins.
And maybe he can fix the front offices of a few struggling NRL clubs when he’s finished.
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