The 7th Tackle - with Josh Massoud and Jim Wilson
7News Sports Presenter Jim Wilson and Chief Rugby League Reporter Josh Massoud run through all the burning topics from the rugby league world that you may not know about.
From the latest on the Robbie Farah fiasco to the latest NRL star to be venturing over to the UK Super League, it's all in this week's edition of The 7th Tackle.
Tackle 1 – No Leeds on Farah’s future
Robbie Farah’s fall from grace at Wests Tigers has been on the cards for some time – long enough for UK Super League giants Leeds to make him an offer last month. Aware things weren’t rosy at Concord, the Rhinos told Farah they were willing to make him their first marquee player signing under the competition’s new rules for 2016.
Had the approach been made a year down the track, Farah might have jumped at the chance to play abroad and discover Europe. But he politely declined; the hooker determined to play at least one more Origin series. Farah is also keen to remain in Sydney, where his tight-knit circle of family and friends reside. That’s what makes the Rabbitohs such a desirable place to end his NRL career – even if it’s only a 12-month swansong.
TAYLOR: Farah axed for future success
Farah would join his brother and club physio, Eddie, at Redfern, where there’s a genuine chance of winning a premiership under coach Michael Maguire. After the Tigers told Farah’s agent of their desire to let him go ASAP a month ago, talks have quietly progressed with Maguire. For those aware that Maguire made discreet enquiries about Farah’s availability in 2013, his immediate interest would come as no surprise.
Now the planets are aligning perfectly for the Rabbitohs, who could snare the Blues hooker at minimal cost to their salary cap. That’s because Wests Tigers are fully liable for the $2 million value of the remaining two years on Farah’s current contract. The only stumbling block for Maguire is young rake Cameron McInnes. After releasing Issac Luke to the Warriors, Maguire personally convinced McInnes to backflip on a deal with St George Illawarra. The carrot was a promise that McInnes would the club’s No. 1 hooker from 2016 onwards.
Signing Farah would clearly break that promise and Maguire is understandably nervous about doing so. But with only 18 NRL games to his credit, McInnes could be convinced that a further 12 months’ apprenticeship under one of the game’s best hookers could be more beneficial in the long run.
Souths are now telling reporters they're no longer interested in Farah, but keep watching this space. This much is certain: Farah’s premature exit from the Tigers continues a long – and undistinguished – history of the club showing its most successful sons the door.
Benji Marhsall, Bryce Gibbs, Liam Fulton and Chris Heighington are also members of the 2005 premiership side that failed to play their entire career at Concord. The five players are undoubtedly the most important contributors to the joint venture’s short history.
Another two veterans, Keith Galloway and Chris Lawrence, were also asked to move-on earlier this year. Galloway has since secured a deal at UK Super League club Leeds – the same outfit that was chasing Farah. The Tigers have blamed salary cap restraints for each departure. But the reality is all 16 clubs operate under the same salary cap rules. And no club – not even Parramatta – has rivalled the Tigers for irresponsible spending over such a sustained period.
Wests have regularly paid overs to keep players who should have been moved on earlier, back-ending contracts to postpone the pain. That’s exactly how Farah’s four-year deal was constructed. True to form, they want him gone as the really big bucks start to bite over the next two years. The one survivor through this mess that’s seen two coaches (Tim Sheens and Mick Potter) and three CEOs (Scott Longmuir, Stephen Humphreys, and Grant Mayer) shafted is recruitment man Warren McDonnell. Now we hear McDonald's future is uncertain, and that former Sharks and Dragons assistant coach Joe Grima is set to assume his role.
Tigers general manager Phil Moss did not respond to enquiries about McDonnell yesterday. Already gone from the Tigers is physical performance manager Cory Bocking. He was axed last month, amid grumbling from players over being forced to eat sushi after matches and cabbage pizzas at training.
Tackle 2 - Salford Salvation for Lui
Robert Lui appears likely to continue his career in the UK Super League thanks to his old coach, Tim Sheens. The former Tigers mentor is performing a cameo recruitment role at Salford and wants Lui on deck next season.
We've heard a deal has been struck, with the only stumbling block a British visa. That's proven difficult for Lui to obtain, given his criminal conviction for domestic violence three years.
But the signs are positive the paperwork will be a proved, paving his way out of a dead end at the Cowboys, who have rarely used him at NRL level this season. Even with five eighth Michael Morgan out for a fortnight, Lui has still been stranded in Queensland Cup.
Tackle 3 – Ref gets ultimate revenge
It’s not often a referee gets the last laugh over a player who has crossed the line. But then again, not many referees are members of the thin blue line.
Tim Hannon, the Penrith junior league whistleblower who copped a gobful from the Fifita twins earlier this month, works as a police officer at Blacktown Station in Sydney’s west. Last Thursday he was on duty when officers from the same LC were summoned to attend a domestic violence call.
A remarkable twist of fate brought him face to face with the accused – Tigers prop Matt Lodge. Lodge was there on the day David and Andrew Fifita approached Hannon, and has also been suspended from attending junior league matches for the rest of the season after crossing into a no-go zone as tempers flared.
We've been told Hannon was at the station when Lodge, who has since been charged with six counts of common assault, malicious damage, stalking and intimidation, was placed in the lock-up.
Interestingly, Lodge was close to finalizing a deal with Penrith for 2016 prior to the charges. The Blacktown product was a highly rated junior but defected to Melbourne as a teenager following a relatively minor incident, ironically enough, at a local junior footy match.
In other recruitment news, Melbourne Storm have bolstered their depth up front, signing Raiders lower grade prop Mark Nicholls.
Tackle 4 – Arab giant the dark horse for NRL rights
John Elias as sideline eye? Hazem El Masri providing expert commentary? Josh Massoud hosting Super Saturday? It sounds about as far-fetched as a kebab van that opens before midnight. But with Al Jezeera entering the race to broadcast NRL matches from 2018 onwards, there could be an exotic change of guard on the horizon.
We can reveal the Arabian network is keen to start talks with the NRL about showing the remaining four matches that are still up for grabs as part of the game’s next television deal. Dave Smith needs a further $1 billion to save face after the AFL’s staggering $2.5 billion deal with Seven and Fox Sports.
After shafting Fox during the first round of negotiations, Smith must have been braced for the vicious payback from News Corp publications. He must have also anticipated a refusal from Rupert Murdoch to engage with the NRL while he remains in control. But while Smith might not understand the game of rugby league, he has proven to be a shrewd playmaker at the bargaining table.
It would be folly to assume he doesn’t have a plan B to counter the exit of Fox Sports. Desperate to increase its reach into the Asis-pacific region, Al Jezeera could be the ace in Smith’s pack.
Through its sports channel BeIN, the Qatar-Based broadcaster has already secured the rights to broadcast the world’s biggest football competitions throughout the Middle East and North Africa in recent years.
Tackle 5 – Hayne jerseys on long flight path
If there's one item of merchandise that will make you an overnight millionaire right now it's Jarryd Hayne's 49ers jersey. We got in touch with two of the NFL team's official merchandise stores in San Francisco this week to find out how sales were faring. And it's fair to say they are soaring higher than the Hayne Plane himself.
"We got our first shipment of 20 in last week and they sold out before the Dallas game," reported one sales rep. "And we just got the second batch in this morning. In a few hours we already sold four jerseys - easily more than any other player on the side."
Ex-pat Aussies are accounting for a considerable chunk of the market, but there's also a boom in demand from the fairer sex. "He's very popular with the girls - a lot of females have bought his jersey," the rep continued. "I'm assuming he went pretty well with the ladies Down Under."
Sadly, Hayne's legion of female fans back home will have to wait some time to get their hands on the No. 38 shirt. A Nike representative told us that enquiries had only just begun to have them shipped to Australia, meaning they won't be available for direct sale on our shores for around another month at least.
Tackle 6 – Sharks circle around Robbo
More than 300 people will flood into Sharkies Leagues Club on Sunday for a special gala dinner. As revealed by Seven News earlier this month, Cronulla halfback Jeff Robson has confronted a difficult challenge off-the field, with three-year-old daughter Charlotte diagnosed with Autism in May 2013.
Charlotte’s condition is toward the severe end of the spectrum and she remains unable to communicate verbally. For the past two years, Robson and his wife Gabi have attempted several forms of therapy. Unfortunately, each is extremely expensive and progress has been slow at times.
The couple knows the best chance of improvement is early intervention and have invested in up to 30 hours a week on therapy for Charlotte. Robson is not in the top pay bracket at the club. Earlier in his career, the 32-year-old juggled NRL duties with work as a landscaper to make ends meet. He’s lived on year-to-year deals and despite leading Cronulla to its third finals appearance in four seasons, he’s not even been signed for 2016.
But while it remains to be seen whether the Sharks can keep Robson on their books, the club has done a tremendous job organizing a fund-raising dinner for Charlotte this weekend.
Without any outside promotion, the event is a sell-out with 330 people snapping up tickets at $150 a head. They include influential sponsors as well as players from Robson’s two former clubs, Manly and Parramatta. All proceeds from the evening will be donated direct to the family, top assist with Charlotte’s ongoing therapy.
Tackle 7 – Peter Wynns in the swim
Eels great Peter Wynn is best known nowadays for flogging footy gear at his iconic shop in downtown Parramatta. But Wynn stepped away from the cash register this week, to participate in a very special event overseas.
On Saturday the 57-year-old will take the plunge and swim across the Dardenelles Strait, which separates Europe and Asia. Starting in Turkey the swim is an annual event that has special significance this year – the 100th anniversary of the Anzac landings. Unable to run freely for more than two decades thanks to a pair of shot knees, Wynn turned to open water swimming stay fit.
“I’ve done a lot of events off Sydney and my top distance is around 3km,” he told us. To traverse the world-famous shipping channel, Wynn will have to go much further – it’s 4.5km wide.
“They tell me the water temperature isn’t too bad, which should be a bonus,” he said. “You also get a bit of an adrenaline surge participating in something like this, alongside so many people. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”