Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Nathan Hindmarsh replaces Ryan Girdler on Triple M radio show
Triple M have found a surprise replacement after ex-NRL star Ryan Girdler quit has role, while the reason why Francis Molo wants to quit the Dragons can be revealed. That and more in Saint, Sinner, Shoosh.
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One of the NRL’s most respected commentators has quit his role at Triple M.
Fan favourite Ryan Girdler, the former Kangaroo, Origin and premiership-winning centre, has stepped down from the network’s Saturday Scrum show and also his duties as a match commentator.
The station has secured Fox Sports star and Parramatta legend Nathan Hindmarsh as his replacement to work alongside Tony Squires and Wade Graham.
Girdler is walking away for personal reasons.
His father-in-law, who lives in Europe, is battling health issues and he wants to support his wife and travel overseas.
He has been at Triple M since the network started calling rugby league in 2012, respected for his measured opinions on the big footy issues and as a commentator never afraid to express his views, even on the touchiest subjects.
“It’s been an amazing journey at Triple M working alongside some great and very talented people,” Girdler said.
“I’ll miss it but at the moment I have other things to do and I could be away for an extended period.”
Hindmarsh is a nice pick-up for the station. He is a hugely popular figure in the game with a great sense of humour and a laid-back, almost goofy style.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Hindmarsh said.
“It’ll be fun in what’s going to be a great season.
“I’m a bit nervous but it’s probably a little more relaxed than TV without the camera in your face. Hopefully not too relaxed in case I say something I probably shouldn’t say.”
Triple M’s head of sport Ewan Giles backed Girdler’s decision.
“We fully support Girds and his decision to put his family first in 2025,” Giles said.
“I want to thank him for everything he has done for Triple M NRL and we wish him well for the next stage of his life. He is and will always be a member of the Triple M NRL team.”
And on Hindmarsh: “I can’t wait to hear what Hindy will bring to Triple M NRL this season. Not only a great player, but an even greater character.”
Triple M will launch the season with its full commentary team travelling to Las Vegas for the blockbuster season openers.
SAINT
The summer of cricket, victories over India in the men’s, smashing the Poms in the women’s series, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Sam Konstas, Ash Gardner … and Mitch Owen, who saved the best for last with the greatest Big Bash innings we’ve ever seen.
SINNER
The Australian selectors who sacked Sam Konstas from the Test side in Sri Lanka – a terrible, shortsighted decision that will potentially damage the confidence of the most exhilarating young player we have seen in years. A youngster thrown into the deep end against the world’s best fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah on Boxing Day yet robbed of the opportunity against a pop-gun Sri Lankan attack.
SHOOSH
It’s not just the footy players trying to get into shape for the NRL kick-off. One long lunch-loving club chairman returned to work last week on a strict Man Shake diet after stacking on the kilos over the festive season.
SHOOSH II
Which high-profile boxer has become a shocking keyboard coward, forever bagging other Aussie fighters from his social media burner account?
SPOTTED
There was talk around the Broncos last year of a split in the playing ranks when Billy Walters quit his role on Triple M in Brisbane over criticism of his father. Skipper Adam Reynolds surprisingly jumped straight in and took his slot on the breakfast show. Over the summer, we witnessed the pair together at a Brisbane Heat BBL game at the Gabba – and they looked as happy as ever.
SPOTTED II
Despite all the hype around record crowds in Melbourne at the Australian Open tennis, Channel 9’s TV ratings for both the men’s and women’s finals last weekend were substantially down on last year. The men’s national audience fell from 4.76 million to 4.16 million – down 12 per cent. The women were down from 3.26 million to 3.04 million – a 6 per cent decrease.
SPOTTED III
Your columnist bumped into a fired-up Parramatta fan at a Darling Harbour restaurant last week. “Can you get the club to release Dylan Brown straight away,” he said, “Any player shopping himself around to rival clubs on the eve of the season is not committed and should not be wearing our jersey.”
SPOTTED IV
Good luck trying to buy a Super Bowl ticket with the price of the Aussie dollar. The cheapest seats are selling for about $10,000.
SPOTTED V
It was an expensive summer for cricket manufacturer Kookaburra. Australia’s two Test debutants – Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney – both had $50,000 Test bonuses in their contracts in their bat endorsement contracts with the company.
BRONCOS’ BEER BOYS
We’re not sure if this is a good look or not – a Tik Tok video of Broncos stars Patrick Carrigan and Ben Hunt doing shoeys at the Luke Combs concert in Brisbane last week. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it. It’s a long season and footy players are entitled to enjoy their down time. Some, however, might view it differently so close to the footy season kick-off at a club that had culture issues last year. Latrell Mitchell certainly caused a stink when he shotgunned a beer on stage at a Combs concert in August 2023.
MOLO’S ANGER AT BOOZE JIBE
The reason why prop Francis Molo wants to quit St George Illawarra can be revealed.
He got upset over what was supposed to be a lighthearted comment relating to alcohol made by a member of Shane Flanagan’s coaching staff. Molo took it to heart because he hasn’t touched a drink for almost two years after being found guilty of a domestic violence offence.
In 2023, he pleaded guilty in Port Kembla Local Court to one charge of stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm.
He avoided a conviction and was sentenced to a conditional release order for 18 months. He has been off alcohol ever since.
Molo fronted the Dragons board with manager Wade Rushton last week to fight a breach notice for not attending training. He is expected to return to training on Monday but is standing firm and it’s now almost certain he has played his final game for the Red V.
WHY NO ONE STOOD IN PUP’S WAY
No one at Sky Sports Radio tried to talk Michael Clarke out of quitting the Big Sports Breakfast last week. And the reason why … his big-money salary.
It’s no secret that Tabcorp, under new chief executive Gil McLachlan, is slashing costs. The company has cut more than 200 jobs since October.
Clarke was on the big bucks and his contract was up.
At this stage the BSB will run with two on the panel – Laurie Daley and Gerard Middleton.
Middleton will need a new sidekick mid-year when Daley takes an eight-week break from radio to run the NSW Blues State of Origin campaign.
Breakfast sports radio is now competitive with the BSB in a tight ratings battle with Andrew Voss and Greg Alexander on SEN.
RIPPING REYNO TALE
Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds has spent the off-season working on a book in a strong indication he will soon announce his retirement.
His ghost writer, senior NRL journalist Christian Nicolussi, has kept the final chapter open in case there is an announcement prior to a planned Father’s Day release in September.
It is potentially a blockbuster life story if the veteran halfback is prepared to tell the full story of his messy departure from South Sydney in 2021 which broke his heart. There was a lot happening in Reynolds’ life away from footy around the time of him leaving Souths.
New Broncos coach Michael Maguire has backed Reynolds to remain as club captain.
NO ROOM FOR VEGAS STINKS
The NRL has acted to ensure there is no repeat of the fiery confrontation between Broncos and Roosters players at Resorts World in Las Vegas last year.
Several players almost came to blows after a late-night verbal exchange at the team hotel over the Ezra Mam-Spencer Leniu racial abuse incident.
Leniu was confronted by Patrick Carrigan and Kotoni Staggs in the corridors of the hotel.
The Broncos and Roosters were not only staying at the same hotel, but on the same floor. It could have gotten so ugly.
This year the opposing teams will be kept well apart.
The ‘home’ clubs Penrith, Canberra and Wigan will be staying at the Conrad Hotel while their opponents — the Sharks, Warriors and Warrington — will be next door at the Hilton.
The women’s teams have been trusted to get on ahead of their Test, with both staying at the Park MGM.
Keeping the men apart is a wise move — not that Panthers boss Brian Fletcher is concerned.
“We always said the NRL would learn from the first Las Vegas experience last year,” Fletcher said. “And they have in regards to the accommodation.
“It’s a good idea to keep the teams apart, but our players are focused to just get over there and win. We don’t care where we stay. We’re always aware of our responsibilities while we’re away. We’ve got great leaders who are terrific role models.”
EVERY US STATE WANTS PIECE OF NRL
The NRL has experienced a surge in ticket sales in the US for the Las Vegas season-opener in a sign that rugby league is slowly but surely getting traction in the world’s biggest sporting market.
More than 25 per cent of the 35,000 tickets sold have been bought by US-based fans. Tickets have been sold in all 50 US states.
“The interest in the US has increased significantly, which is all part of our long-term strategy,” said NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo.
“It’s very encouraging. We already have more US-based fans coming to Allegiant Stadium than last year, and we’re expecting many more in the final few weeks leading up to the event.”
The NRL hopes to attract 50,000 fans to the event.
ABDO WENT TOO LIGHTLY ON MAM
We have the greatest respect for NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo as a sporting administrator.
However, the one story that really infuriated your columnist over the summer was the soft nine-game ban on Broncos star Ezra Mam.
Here’s a guy driving with drugs in his system, without a licence, who veered to the wrong side of the road, hit a car and hospitalised a four-year-old girl. It was later revealed Mam had four previous driving offences since 2021.
Abdo should have deregistered him for 12 months. Just because the Queensland justice system is soft didn’t mean the NRL had to be, too.
I’m convinced had it been an average footballer and not a superstar, the Broncos would have sacked the player.
NO FAT CHANCE
Channel 9 won’t be replacing Paul “Fatty” Vautin, who announced his retirement from TV late last year. The network already has more than enough Queenslanders on staff – Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater. Sam Thaiday is also on Nine’s books.
GREENBERG’S FIRST TEST
Incoming Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg wants to fix the playing schedule to ensure Test stars are available each summer for the Big Bash League finals.
Fans felt ripped off this year when the likes of Sam Konstas, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Sean Abbott, Scott Boland and Alex Carey had to pull out of the series for a training camp in Dubai before the Tests in Sri Lanka at the business end of the BBL tournament.
TV broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel 7 expect more for their investment although they did get their money’s worth from the Border-Gavaskar Test series.
“You always want the big players playing in the big games,” Greenberg said.
“Cricket’s complex with all the different tours and schedules. It’s high on my agenda and one of the first conversations I’ll be having.”
THE BETTER HALF – WITH KAYLA FENECH AND BRADMAN BEST
Where did the two of you meet?
We actually met on social media. He reached out on Instagram and I didn’t reply for a few weeks because I didn’t know who he was to be honest.
First date?
We decided because we lived so far away, me being in Sydney and him in Newcastle, we needed to meet up, so we went and spent a weekend in the Hunter Valley. Spent one night, went to a fancy restaurant for lunch and spent the next morning going on a nice walk and getting to know each other, we just clicked.
What would Bradman be suited to if he wasn’t in the NRL?
He would be a boxer. He loves boxing.
What chores does he do around the house?
To be honest, Bradman always tries to help. I don’t let him. I learnt from my mum (Jeff Fenech’s wife Suzee) that it’s kind of a woman’s job to keep the house intact. But he always tries to help me do the dishes but I don’t really let him lift a finger in the house because I don’t feel like it’s his job to do that. He is always so busy with footy and when he gets home, he is tired so I would never expect him to do anything.
Favourite meal you cook for him?
He loves everything. He eats anything. I would say out of anything he seems to favour a lamb roast. We are very healthy so we are always trying to eat clean.
Favourite meal he cooks for you?
Bradman makes a really good salmon. He is actually a really good cook.
Does he bring his intensity home?
Only if he has a bad game or has been injured. You can definitely tell. He is a lot quieter and you can see it in him and feel the presence.
Footballers are so competitive. Does he let you win board games?
Let me tell you about Bradman, he is the most competitive person I have ever met. We will play card games almost every night at home and, if he loses, he is like the biggest sook I have ever met. He will act like he doesn’t care but he has this sour look on his face like he is so angry.
What present did you buy for his last birthday?
A pair of Dior sneakers.
What present did he buy you?
Gucci sneakers. We love our shoes.
What’s his mood like after a loss?
If he loses a game, it’s very hard to be around him. He is usually very upset. But you just need to be there for him because it has a very big effect on his life away from the game. It’s shit to be around when he is suffering like that.
Favourite part of watching his games?
At the end of every game, he comes in and gives me a kiss. Just seeing him do his thing, it’s pretty amazing to see what he does out there. I have never been into footy, but now, obviously being with him, I go to all the games, and love every minute of it.
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Originally published as Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Nathan Hindmarsh replaces Ryan Girdler on Triple M radio show
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