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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.

Tackle One - Tigers look to Ballin

Over the past fortnight, Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor has been telling people he's got a plan to replace unwanted skipper Robbie Farah next year. It's impossible to rely on rookie rake Manaia Cherrington to carry the workload for an entire season - a more seasoned campaigner must be recruited to fill Farah's boots.

Where will Farah wind up in 2016? Image: Getty
Where will Farah wind up in 2016? Image: Getty

Our mail suggests the leading candidate is Manly warhorse Matt Ballin. Ironically, Ballin was also told to look elsewhere by his club - just a few short months after signing a two-year extension. And just like Farah, he's also been warned that an unedifying winter in NSW Cup awaits should he stay put.

We can confirm the Tigers have made attempts to get in touch with Ballin, who is on the comeback trail from a torn ACL. The long recovery means Ballin won't be able to train for much of the summer, and could even miss the start of 2016. But on the plus side there's no fitter player on the Northern Beaches and his no-frills style suits the straight up-and-down structure that Taylor is trying to indoctrinate.

Ballin has been shown the door. Image: Getty
Ballin has been shown the door. Image: Getty

What happens next will depend on Farah's intentions. Farah's camp is still making noises about him refusing to leave, but we still can't see how that's tenable for as long as the board backs the coach. Farah has received plenty of legal advice since being told to take a walk, and it's not in his financial interests to discuss anything else than a solid commitment to the Tigers. Any other course of action could jeopardise a huge $2 million pay-out for the remaining two years of his current deal.

Tackle Two - Gallen stays cool in the tropics

When The Courier Mail branded Paul Gallen a 'Drug Cheat' on its front page prior to Origin III, the Sharks skipper shrugged off the barb as part of an annual pantomime. But he wasn't so understanding when the same insult was hurled his way by a drunken punter on the manic streets of Townsville in the wee hours of last Sunday morning.

Not happy Gal. Image: Getty
Not happy Gal. Image: Getty

Eliminated from the finals via a 39-0 humiliation, the entire Sharks team elected to drown their sorrows in a big way on the city's Flinders St nightclub strip. Club officials were mindful to accompany the players with four security guards, who kept a close watch until festivities wound up shortly before dawn at the Mad Cow.

Gallen was on his way back to the team hotel when trouble reared its ugly head - a group of local men attempting to bait him with a variety of insults. And the one that hit home hardest was 'Drug Cheat' - the inescapable reference to Gallen's ASADA ban 12 months ago. A bouncer on the door of a nearby nightspot said Gallen reacted angrily to the abuse, and needed to be calmed down and helped into a taxi to avoid the situation getting out of control.

Given those events, it's no small wonder the Sharks decided to ban Mad Monday this year - particularly after the topless waitress fiasco that saw Wade Graham and Andrew Fifita fined $10,000 each for abusing a photographer. The players instead enjoyed a quiet barbecue at Sharkies Leagues.



Tackle Three - Union wants Kiwi pair

Konrad Hurrell and Nelson Asofa-Solomona are both on the radar of NZ-based Super Rugby franchises. While Hurrell is much better known to league fans - for a colourful variety of reasons - Solomona would arguably be a much bigger loss for the code. The teenage giant made his debut for the Melbourne Storm this year, going on to play 11 matches and earning a spot on the bench for Saturday night's second grand final qualifier against North Queensland.

In his short NRL career, the 200cm prop has already earned comparisons with a more famous compatriot who switched back to union - Sonny Bill Williams. And like SBW, Solomona flipped between both codes as a schoolboy with Wellington College. He signed with the Storm in late 2013, and friends have told us homesickness has been an issue. The New Zealand Warriors are aware of that - and have been secretly investigating ways of bringing Solomona home a year early.

But we're told rugby is the biggest threat, with Solomona keen to wear an All Blacks jersey at some stage of his career. That honour now appears to be within Hurrell's reach, following an up-and-down few seasons at the Warriors. The Auckland Blues are interested in the nuggety centre, whose fitness is a constant thorn in the side of the Warriors coaching staff.

Is Hurrell rugby bound? Image: Getty
Is Hurrell rugby bound? Image: Getty

Tackle Four - Roosters in a flap over Hastings confession

It was a good thing the Roosters travelled to Brisbane a day early for their preliminary final against the Broncos. The team was listening to a motivational speech over dinner at their hotel, when an interview with club great Kevin Hastings was broadcast on Fox Sports. During the interview, Hastings revealed he'd twice tried to commit suicide in 2004 as he battled post-career depression.

Hastings' son, Jackson, has emerged as a vital member of the Roosters' team and club officials were disturbed by the timing of the revelation - just 48 hours before the biggest game of his life. The coaching staff made special orders for Jackson to avoid watching replays of the interview when he returned to his room. His Wollongong-based mother, Megan Harrod, was shattered by the interview and cancelled plans to travel to Brisbane for the match.

Jackson Hastings in action against the Bulldogs. Image: Getty
Jackson Hastings in action against the Bulldogs. Image: Getty

Tackle Five – Thurston no Dally M certainty

Johnathan Thurston is still no certainty to attend next Monday night’s Dally M ceremony, but his potential no-show has nothing to do with any industrial dispute with the NRL. Should the Cowboys bow out against Melbourne this Saturday, Thurston will most certainly be suited-up at The Star, where he's at prohibitive odds to collect the game's highest individual honour for a record fifth time.



But should North Queensland progress to just their second grand final, it will be a much trickier dilemma. If he were to attend, Thurston would have little choice but to fly direct to Sydney from Melbourne, meaning he would miss the first two days' preparation with his teammates in Townsville. And if he were to return to North Queensland on Tuesday, it would only be for just over a day as both grand final teams are required to be in Sydney on Thursday for a promotion at the newly-launched NRL Nation in Darling Harbour.

While not wanting to get ahead of himself, Thurston has considered the tough travel scenario and is willing to endure it. But his coach Paul Green isn't so sure. Be certain of this much should North Queensland stay alive – if Thurston does front he'll be the only Cowboys player – or coach – at the event.

Tackle Six – Caught Nap-ing

Our best wishes to Stan Napa - the father of Roosters hitman Dylan – who looks set to miss watching his son's biggest game on Friday night. An uncompromising forward in the 1970s and 80s QRL competition, Stan has been stranded in Brisbane Private Hospital all week following knee surgery. We're told it's likely he'll be watching from a TV at the end of his bed.

Tackle Seven – McLean produces a miracle, Koroibete needs one

The untold miracle story in the lead-up to the Storm-Cowboys grand final qualifier is Jordan McLean's miracle recovery from a knee injury. McLean ruptured a medial ligament in his team's upset win over the Roosters two weeks ago, and was expected to miss a month. But we're told physio Tony Ayoub – who is also the healing hands behind Australia's Test team – worked on McLean up to five times a day to have him ready for this weekend.

McLean looks on after injuring his knee. Image: Getty
McLean looks on after injuring his knee. Image: Getty

Sadly, there's been little Ayoub could do to accelerate Marika Koroibete's recovery from a slashed Achille's Tendon. Koroibete could barely run or bear weight earlier this week, and while he's since improved, it looks as though time will run out for the Fijian flyer.