Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Josh Schuster takes indefinite break from rugby league as he battles mental health illness
Josh Schuster is taking an indefinite break from rugby league, Cameron Ciraldo’s $20k deal with Paul Gallen, the Bulldogs offer Toby Sexton to a Sydney rival, and more in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
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South Sydney Rabbitohs star Josh Schuster is taking an indefinite break from rugby league to deal with personal issues.
The 24-year-old has the full support of the Rabbitohs as he battles a mental health illness.
And we need to make something very clear — this isn’t about any substance abuse or misbehaviour.
More a case of a young man struggling and in need of professional help.
“At this point in time, our primary focus is on Josh Schuster’s welfare and mental health,” said his manager Mario Tartak.
“Football is the least of our concerns right now.
“The South Sydney Rabbitohs have shown tremendous support, and both Josh and his family are incredibly grateful for the care and understanding the club has extended.
“We kindly ask that everyone respects Josh’s privacy and gives him the space he needs as he navigates through this period.”
Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly confirmed Schuster had not been at training for over a week.
“Our only priority is Josh’s welfare and mental health,” he said.
“The Rabbitohs will continue to support Josh and his family through this.”
Schuster has not played NRL football since he left Manly and had his $3.2 million contract partially paid out by the club back in 2023.
He joined the Rabbitohs at the beginning of the season on a one-year minimum-wage contract.
Once regarded as the game’s hottest prospect, Schuster has played five NSW Cup games this year. He is now seeking professional help.
Your columnist sat down for a coffee and chat with Schuster last year.
We spoke openly about his mental health and his regular visits to a psychologist
“It’s helping me a lot,” he said. “For the first time I have felt comfortable to open up a little bit and talk to my psychologist about it (his problems).
“It’s stuff I’ve been battling with for a long time that I’ve now been able to get off my chest and I’m feeling heaps better for it.
“It’s very important for my mind and it’s very important to sort out before I play again.”
SAINT
It’s easy to blow up over a lopsided penalty count but you’ve got to admire the good sportsmanship of NSW Blues CEO Dave Trodden after Wednesday night’s loss to the Maroons. Rather than blame Ashley Klein, Trodden distanced himself from the refereeing controversy by simply saying: “We got beaten by a better team on the night.”
And you know what … he’s probably right.
SINNER
Warwick Capper has been banned from attending any AFL match for five years for alleged inappropriate behaviour toward a woman at last year’s grand final. That his manager Tony Marks has tried to play it down is a disgrace.
“He knows he needs to pull his socks up with some of his jokes,” Marks said.
“But five years from every AFL venue, including no cricket, concerts … that stinks.”
SINNER
The NRL playing schedule forced the Penrith to play the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland just three days after Origin II in Perth – 5,342 kilometres away. When the draw was being done, officials knew the NSW side would be full of Penrith players. The biggest losers are the fans because Penrith with Nathan Cleary, Brian To’o, Dylan Edwards, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin against the Warriors would have been one of the games of the year.
SHOOSH
Out-of-favour Bulldogs half Toby Sexton has been offered to the Wests Tigers as a replacement for Lachlan Galvin. We’re hearing the Tigers have other priorities at this stage but it’s one to keep an eye on. Sexton at halfback with Luai at five-eighth could possibly work. We hear the Titans might be interested in Sexton as well.
SHOOSH
More bad news for the Wests Tigers … twice deregistered agent Isaac Moses has picked up another of their players - Adam Doueihi – who previously did his own negotiations. Moses also signed fullback Jahream Bula in January from a rival agent. Moses has taken Mitchell Moses, Lachlan Galvin, Aaron Woods, Luke Brooks and James Tedesco out of the club.
SPOTTED
Talk about State of Origin longevity … the NSW Blues team doctor Nathan Gibbs did his 70th Origin game in Perth on Wednesday night. This guy is an absolute legend. He was first hired by John Quayle way back in 1989 to replace the retiring Dr Bill Monaghan.
SPOTTED
Channel 9 used Wednesday night’s State of Origin telecast to heavily promote ticket sales for next month’s SBW v Paul Gallen fight. Host James Bracey and caller Matt Thompson described it as “the biggest boxing event of the year.” This is an insult to our world class fighters like Jai Opetaia, Tim Tszyu, Sam Goodman and Justis Huni who have fought in far bigger shows.
HOW CIRALDO SAVED GALLEN
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo wants to set the record straight over a claim he still owes Paul Gallen a case of bourbon and coke over a ‘deal’ they had at Cronulla almost 20 years ago.
Gallen often tells the story as a guest speaker of his playing days with Ciraldo at the Sharks back in 2007, when Ciraldo had to play the final match of the season for a 10-game, $20,000 bonus to kick-in.
The Sharks were playing Canberra and Gallen was battling an injury all week, while Ciraldo was on standby to take a spot on the bench.
Gallen says Ciraldo approached him at training and said words to the effect of: “Mate it’s worth $20,000 to me if you don’t play. So don’t try too hard.”
Gallen ended up withdrawing from the side and Ciraldo got a start on the bench — and his cash.
Ciraldo admits: “Parts of the story are true, but Gal’s added a bit of GST. I’m not sure if my bonus was $20,000 or even half of that.
“And I don’t think Gal was ever going to play. But he tried to stitch me up to get a carton of bourbon and coke out of it. That’s how tight he is.”
Ciraldo explains why he never paid up.
“The week before the Raiders game Gal had a function to go to,” Ciraldo said.
“So rather than go out and buy a shirt, he came around to my house to borrow one out of my wardrobe. Well, he stole it and never gave it back.
“So, I thought, bugger him, the shirt can be his payment.
“How many millions has he made out of footy and boxing – and he’s still blowing up about a carton of booze from 20 years ago.”
MARY’S BRAIN CANCER PUSH
Soccer superstar Mary Fowler has thrown her support behind next weekend’s NRL Beanie for Brain Cancer round.
From the north of England where she is recovering from ACL surgery, Fowler donned a beanie and used her 446,000 Instagram followers to promote this great fundraiser.
This is a wonderful charity event that was started by the Mark Hughes Foundation and former Channel 9 rugby league boss Matt Callander, who lost his battle to brain cancer in 2017.
It was Callander, after his diagnosis, who convinced the NRL to make it an annual fundraising round that has since raised more than $30 million for brain cancer research.
The beanies are available for purchase from Woolworths, IGA and Lowes stores and at all NRL venues next weekend.
BENJI SAFE - EVEN IF HE WINS ANOTHER SPOON
Wests Tigers boss Shane Richardson has declared coach Benji Marshall’s job is safe despite five straight losses and the possibility of a fourth straight wooden spoon.
Losses to Storm (64-nil), Rabbitohs (22-12), Cowboys (32-28), Penrith (18-14) and the Canberra Raiders (16-12) at Campbelltown on Friday night have left the club just two points above the bottom three clubs.
But Richardson insists: “I’ve got no issues with Benji - he’ll be our coach through to next year.
“I can guarantee he’ll be here. When you’re building from the bottom up you’ve got to have some stability. My feeling is Benji is the person to lead us to the next level.”
It’s that time of the year in an NRL season where the blowtorch is turned towards the underperforming clubs and their struggling coaches.
Benji is in a group including the Titans’ Des Hasler, Manly Anthony Seibold and Newcastle’s Adam O’Brien who are under the most pressure.
There’s no question the Wests Tigers have improved significantly on previous years.
But there are still nowhere near where they need to be.
“I still think Benji’s the best person for the job,” Richardson said, “I can make a tough decision if one needs to be made but I believe in him.
Richardson is not concerned that boom five-eighth Lachlan Galvin recently walked out on the club to join the Canterbury Bulldogs.
His agent, the twice deregistered Isaac Moses, had fronted the Wests Tigers boss with a seven-point dossier of complaints around Benji’s coaching.
“I’m not worried about that at all,” Richardson said.
“Benji’s got a great work ethos and he’s a really smart guy with great rugby league intelligence.
“I like the style of his coaching and the style of player he wants.
“He’s getting better and better. He listens and wants to learn. I genuinely believe we can build this club around him.”
TRIPLE M’S TRIUMPH
Triple M has won the Sunday NRL radio ratings in the combined Sydney and Brisbane markets.
While 2GB remains a clear winner in Sydney, Triple M has an even bigger audience dominance in Brisbane to win overall in the two dominant rugby league states.
Triple M had a combined 15.8 per cent share to 2GB’s 14.6. Poor old Aunty ABC had a shocker in Sydney with just a 2.7 per cent audience share, although it did finish second in the Brisbane market.
SEN finished well back with a combined Sydney and Brisbane share of just two per cent.
SUNDAY NRL RATINGS
Sydney
Triple M: 5
2GB/4BC: 10
ABC: 2.7
SEN: 1.6
Brisbane
Triple M: 10.8
2GB/4BC: 4.6
ABC: 7.8
SEN: 0.4
Total
Triple M: 15.8
2GB/4BC: 14.6
ABC: 10.5
SEN: 2
THE BETTER HALF - with Alissa Ballin, partner of Matt Ballin
What’s the dynamic like at home with you being a prominent media figure at Channel 7 and Matt an assistant coach at the Broncos and for Queensland?
We both watch every single game of footy across every weekend - it would be strange for anything else to be on our TV at home other than footy. At least there isn’t any fighting over the remote! There’s an unspoken respect between us, where I don’t ask questions about the inner workings of his footy club, and he doesn’t tell. We’re too busy to talk about work and politics.
Have you had to interview Matt?
I recently hosted Queensland’s State of Origin launch where I interviewed Matt on the coaches panel alongside Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston. Matt was also on a panel I interviewed at the Maroons women’s State of Origin launch at Kingaroy. Every now and then he appears in some of the stories I present and report on at work. From time to time, I’ll head to the Broncos HQ to cover training and press conference where he’ll be on the field working. Last season, when it was announced he would succeed Cameron Smith as Maroons assistant coach, I was fortunate enough to present that story on air that night.
You must have a happy husband around the house after the Maroons win.
Origin is a huge time and emotional commitment for coaches and players. During each 10-day camp Matt puts in so much time and effort to help prepare the Qld players to play their best. Game One, he took the loss quite hard as he feels a sense of responsibility to Qld but it’s those losses that drive him. Thursday morning this week, after a tough and gritty Game Two, he was more satisfied because he knows how much it means to all Queenslanders.
So you had a scare while on assignment in the US last year for the Las Vegas season-opener.
Whilst covering the Broncos preparation in Los Angeles I was presenting sport for our Channel 7 news bulletins every night. With the time difference being six hours, I was presenting sport at midnight until 1am. This one night our location was Santa Monica beach. We were ready to cross live; I had my earpiece in and was just moments away from beaming back into viewers’ living rooms. There was a homeless man in the area. With his pet bird sitting on his shoulder, he abruptly approached my cameraman and I with a knife and threatened us and asked us to leave the area. The thought that he pulled a knife so quickly and easily made us wonder what else he was carrying. He eventually calmed down after an extremely tense few minutes which felt like hours of negotiating.
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