The 7th Tackle - with Josh Massoud and Jim Wilson
7News Sports Presenter Jim Wilson and Chief Rugby League Reporter Josh Massoud run through the seven burning topics from the rugby league world you may not know about.
From new anti-doping measures to a potential NRL exit for Cooper Cronk, this is the latest installment of The 7th Tackle:
Tackle One: SMITH LOSES DRIVERS LICENCE
A rough start to the season for NRL boss Dave Smith has been made worse by the fact he lost his driver's licence recently. Seventh Tackle can reveal Smith has been forced to take lifts to and from League Central after accumulating enough traffic infringements to reduce his points tally to zero. Offenders who lose their licence in NSW must remain off the road for three months. Seventh Tackle first became aware there might have been an issue when it spotted Smith walking through the public car park alongside League Central, both before and after work, on multiple occasions. He is one of handful of NRL executives who have a personal spot beneath the building.
To his credit, Smith confirmed his driver's licence had been revoked. He also revealed he was due to start driving again next week. This development is sure to create intense debate over how far Smith's duties extend as NRL boss. While losing one's licence for multiple infringements is not uncommon on heavily policed roads, there's sure to be arguments that Smith must behave in an exemplary manner because of his position.
Tackle 2: LOZ’S RUGBY RAID
NSW Origin coach Laurie Daley is leading the charge for some of the State’s most prestigious private schools to adopt rugby league. His son started attending Joeys College in Hunter Hill – a famed rugby union institution – this year and has no choice but to play the 15-man code at school. While not wanting to upset ancient sporting traditions, Daley is hoping to meet with the College’s administration to discuss possible ways to offer league.
He has a strong ally in Suzanne Young, the NRL’s new operations boss. Her son is also a Joeys boy, but loves the Sydney Roosters. Behind the scenes, Daley and Young have been working out a blueprint to present to Joeys, which could start with a Nines tournament. “It’s early days,” Daley told us. “The first step is to get a plan together and actually meet with the school, to see if they are interested. We have great respect for its rugby traditions, and will be treading carefully in that regard.”
MORE: Daley names NSW fullback contenders
If successful, the proposal could bring huge benefits to the NRL through the big end of town networks that course through private school systems and, that for so long, have been at the exclusive disposal of rugby union.
Tackle 3: SPLITTING HAIRS ON DRUG TESTS
There's increasing pressure on the NRL to follow the AFL's lead and conduct drug testing from hair strands. It's the most stringent of drug testing methods as substances can be detected for up to four months - much longer than urine and blood, plus there's no way of masking a banned substance. AFL clubs want hair testing to be increased but there's push back from head office at Docklands in Bleak City.
MORE: Should the Sharks have fought ASADA?
The NRL said it continues to monitor different regimes for its in-house testing, but is yet to start collecting hair samples. Both sports only signed onto the new WADA Code in recent weeks, and both ignored ASADA’s recommendation to dispose of the players’ right against self-incrimination during anti-doping interviews. That means players can refuse to answer the most pertinent questions from ASADA, effectively reducing the interviews to a waste of time.
After a horror week in Melbourne, ASADA must wonder whether the two biggest football codes are fair dinkum about tackling the doping problem – or whether they simply want to stonewall potential issues into oblivion. ASADA is waiting on the AFL Tribunal’s findings on sports scientist Stephen Dank, before it makes a decision on whether to appeal the Essendon verdict. With the Bombers players now cleared of using banned peptide Thymosin Beta 4, Dank now faces only a handful of charges in relation to supplying prohibited substances to Essendon coaching staff.
Nevertheless, Manly and Cronulla will be watching closely as Dank worked at both NRL clubs. In the meantime, a memo to Mr Dank - stop hiding behind fluff interviews with soft questions. Answer the hard questions and not manufactured spin. The set-up interviews with your media apologists lack credibility and are disrespectful to sport's biggest stakeholders – the fans and players.
Tackle 4: EELS LOSE LUSSICK JUNIOR
The Roosters continue to fall on their feet in the recruitment stakes, snapping up one of the best young halves in the game from Parramatta – Darcy Lussick’s little brother Joey. An Australian Schoolboys captain, Lussick Jnr was forced out of the Eels last week, after the NRL determined the club had breached its Under 20s salary cap. With his father close to Manly great Bob Fulton, it was thought Lussick would join the Sea Eagles. But there was a delay, leaving the door open for the Roosters to swoop and sign the promising star on a deal for the rest of this year, with an option in the club’s favour for 2016.
His big brother, meanwhile, showed career-best form in last week’s upset win against Souths. A former Sea Eagle, Lussick remains close to Daly Cherry-Evans, who has been trying to get the prop to join him at the Titans in 2016. With that will happen depends on Gold Coast’s ability to lock-up skipper Nate Myles, who has attracted interest from Manly and Souths. However, it would take a lot for Myles to move, given his wife’s well-documented battle with cancer. Her parents are based in Melbourne, but have just purchased a holiday home on the Gold Coast.
MORE: NRL Teams: Round 5
Tackle 5: TOWNSEND SET FOR HOMECOMING
The Sharks have dropped their hunt for Trent Hodkinson and now look set to welcome local junior Chad Townsend back to the Shire. We’ve heard a $350,000-a-season deal has been tabled for Townsend, who has made every post a winner in Auckland since leaving the Sharks in 2013. The Warriors want Townsend to stay, but his wife is keen to return to Sydney for family reasons. The Sharks are also determined to keep current No. 7 Jeff Robson from the Dragons, believing the veteran can share the hooking duties with Mick Ennis next season.
Still on halfbacks, Manly is hotting up its chase for Titans prodigy Kane Elgey. The teenager was booked to visit Sea Eagles HQ last weekend, but had to cancel on account of making his first grade debut. The Eels, meanwhile, have made a two-year offer to Chris Sandow worth around $800,000 – marginally less than what they’re prepared to pay Will Hopoate. We’re expecting both will commit to the blue and gold.
Tackle 6: LE CRONK MONSUEIR
In the spirit of the Autumn racing carnival, we thought a hot tip was in order for this weekend – Cooper Cronk to leave Melbourne at the end of next year and finish his career in French rugby.
Cronk played rugby as junior in Brisbane and has told close friends that it’s always been his desire to play in Europe. Intelligent and wordly, Cronk is also one of the few NRL players without a player agent. He had an option to leave Melbourne at the end of last season, but activated a two-year extension. That takes him to the end of coach Craig Bellamy’s contract.
MORE: Smith says the Storm still up there with the best teams
Tackle 7: LOST IN TRANSLATION
Reni Maitua will farewell Australia tonight, jetting out of Sydney to play for English League One outfit, Featherstone Rovers. But his departure didn’t come without a twist. Travelling on a Samoan passport, the British Government wanted Maitua to prove that he could speak English before granting him a work visa.
The 32-year-old had to suffer the indignity of sitting through a language course in his native tongue before getting the green light. Incredibly, good mate Fuifui Moimoi – who spent his whole NRL career pretending not to be able to speak English to avoid media interviews – was not put through the same linguistic red tape prior to joining Leigh Centurions late last year.