Rabbitohs hop to it in effort to retain Chris Sandow Weekend wash-up
Brent Read From: The Australian May 02, 2011
BEN Ross's decision not to exercise an option in his favour has played into South Sydney's hands in its bid to retain Chris Sandow
A THOUGHT OR 10
1. It was bard to tell the bigger star at Homebush on Friday night - Chris Sandow or Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber played at Acer Arena on Friday night and had eggs thrown at him on stage. Sandow played at ANZ Stadium on the same night. The only thing thrown at Sandow was plaudits. The Rabbitohs half has always been a player of immense talent but on this form he is maturing into a halfback who can control and influence the outcome of a game. No wonder Parramatta is trying so hard to steal him away. Sandow is expected to make his decision in the next day or so and both clubs are confident they have their man. On Friday night’s evidence, whoever wins the Sandow lottery has a halfback capable of taking a side to a premiership in years to come.
2. The Sydney Roosters look like bringing their own star back after the bye - and they need him
The Sydney Roosters have reached a critical point in their season and their best player - Todd Carney - is sitting on the sidelines. He won’t be for much longer. The Roosters have the bye this week and the following week they have a game against Cronulla. Expect Carney to be back to play the Sharks. The Roosters have suggested the best thing for Carney could be football. The best thing for the Roosters is to have Carney playing football. All things considered, the best result for everyone would be Carney playing again. Everyone, that is, except the Sharks.
3. Ben Ross is on the market and he only has himself to blame
Here’s what Ben Ross tweeted to the world on Sunday: “Crazy last 5 days. Beat Sharks Fri & being off contract this season just found out I have no future contract with Souths. Hope this changes!” Here’s the point. Ross only has himself to blame. Souths insiders say Ross had an option in his contract in his own favour that expired on Saturday night. He could have taken that up and the Rabbitohs would have honoured the deal. But when Ross failed to exercise his option, holding out for more money, he left the ball in the Rabbitohs court. And they opted to cut Ross loose. No-one could begrudge them that. When Ross was struggling to find a club, his career threatened by a neck injury, Souths came to his rescue. The problem is they now have other issues to address. For starters, the club is struggling to retain Chris Sandow in the face of a massive offer from Parramatta. The money they reserved for Ross can now be used to keep Sandow at Redfern or find a replacement on the open market. Be honest, faced with a choice between Ross and Sandow, which way would you go?
4. Jamie Lyon has handled his representative career poorly again
It’s not that hard if you want to quit representative football. It’s quite simple actually. All you do is send a letter to the Australian Rugby League. Yet this is proving all too difficult for Jamie Lyon. A few years ago he pulled a similar trick. Lyon decided he didn’t want to play rep football, so he simply said don’t pick me. That’s not good enough. He was forced into a back down and claimed he loved every minute of his return to the Country and NSW sides. Lo and behold, Country selectors sit down to pick their side to face City this year and it appears Lyon has quit rep footy again. He didn’t do it through the right channels. He didn’t take the courtesy to write a letter and have it in on time. Some players spend their entire careers chasing a rep jersey. Some do it proud and then walk away in the right manner. Than there’s Lyon. No-one begrudges him not playing. It’s his choice. But at least have the respect to stand down properly.
5. Jharal Yow Yeh is a great story
It’s been told before but it’s worth telling again. Jharal Yow Yeh is the nephew of Kevin Yow Yeh, a player with as much talent as anyone to play the game. He played two seasons with Balmain before his career flamed out, Yow Yeh heading home because he couldn’t adjust to city life and the attitudes of some. He later turned to alcohol and, at the age of 34, passed away while in custody in a Mackay jail. It was said he suffered a heart attack but there were suspicious circumstances into his death. An inquest was held in 1987 as part of a Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths. The findings were outside the time restriction for the commission’s terms of reference. Tragic is an overused word, thrown around like confetti. But Kevin Yow Yeh’s life was a tragedy. Jharal it would seem is every bit as talented as his famous uncle. Now he now has the chance to do something his uncle had the potential to achieve but never managed - represet his country.
6. Coach of the year thus far is an all-Queensland affair - Neil Henry or Anthony Griffin
Neil Henry started the year under immense pressure. Anthony Griffin didn’t even have an NRL job. After eight rounds, these two men are the early front-runners for coach of the year. Henry has led the Cowboys to six wins and a place in the top four. The pressure valve has been released, although Henry is the first to admit his side isn’t out of the wolves just yet. Griffin started the year under little pressure. He was expected to be keeping the seat warm for Wayne Bennett. Fortune favoured him and Griffin has the job for the foreseeable future. He looks the part as well. It’s early days, but coach of the year could be headed north.
7. How long until people start questioning David Furner’s future in Canberra.?
The Raiders were among the pre-season picks to contend for the premiership but their season has been a disaster. Major signing Matt Orford has been a major disappointment. Fullback Josh Dugan has struggled amid claims he has an attitude problem. Furner did a great job last season and was rewarded with a long-term deal. But with Penrith having decided to dump Matthew Elliott at the end of the season, and Henry doing an outstanding job in Townsville, critics will start looking for a new target. That man is likely to be Furner unless things change. Furner will be safe, He’s clearly a good coach and Canberra is a stable club with a history of backing its coaches. That won’t stop the critics sharpening their knives though.
8. Tim Sheens’ decision to stay put was a good result for everyone - except Penrith
The Panthers put a lot of eggs in the Tim Sheens basket but came away empty-handed. The club has said it is no hurry to find a replacement, but don’t expect it to drag on for long. Penrith has options, among them Nathan Brown, Ricky Stuart and Brad Fittler. At some point, all three have been regarded as peas for the post. While Penrith scours the coaching landscape for the man to replace Matthew Elliott, the Tigers have their man for the next three years. It means Sheens will surpass 10 years in charge of the club. He will also go past 700 games as a coach. After several days of brinkmanship, Sheens emerged the big winner. The Tigers only wanted to give him two years. But he squeezed an extra year by using the Panthers as leverage.
9. Jamie Soward was brilliant against Parramatta, but Queensland will be a different story
It appears all Soward has to do is emerge unscathed from the City-Country game and a NSW jersey is his. There’s no doubt Soward was brilliant against Parramatta on Sunday, but that’s a far cry from facing the challenge of Queensland. In club-land, Soward is working behind a dominant forward pack. He is surrounded by game breakers. As coach Wayne Bennett noted, it makes it easier for Soward when opposition are forced to focus so heavily on the players around him. In Origin, that won’t happen. The Maroons have dominated Origin for the past five years. They hold the whip hand. Soward won’t get the same freedom. His team-mates won’t distract the Maroons. Working in his favour is the likely club presence of Beau Scott and Mark Gasnier in the defensive line. Soward’s development has been noted in recent months, but Queensland is about to show everyone just how far he has come. Or how playing with the Dragons has simply hidden his deficiencies.
10. It’s been a quiet year for referees - until now
Bill Harrigan and Stu Raper have done a marvellous job with the referees but is was only a matter of time before they found a slice of controversy. That moment arrived on Saturday night when video referee Paul Simpkins ruled out a Manly try for a knock-on against Jamie Lyon. Replays suggested the ball had gone backwards. In the end, the decision proved decisive as the Sea Eagles lost by two points. Harrigan will make his feelings known today but it seems certain Simpkins will be dropped.
THE GREAT EIGHT
1. Brisbane (7-1)
The Broncos slipped from the top of the NRL ladder but they continue to lead the great eight in the main because of the quality of their victory on Friday night. The Bulldogs are one of the NRL’s best sides but they were no match for the Broncos.
2. St George Illawarra (7-1)
Ruthless was the word Parramatta fullback Luke Burt used. Clinical would have been an apt description as well. This was the Dragons at their best under Bennett. They never gave the Eels a sniff.
3. Melbourne (6-2)
The Storm weren’t at their best against Newcastle but they still managed to score 42 points. That’s the sign of a good side. The test will come now that the representative season has arrived. The salary cap scandal eroded the club’s depth.
4. North Queensland (6-2)
The Cowboys continued their fine start to the year with a win over Manly at home. Last year they spent the year entrenched in the bottom two. This year, they find themselves in the top four.
5. Warriors (4-4)
The Warriors had a woeful start to the year but things are starting to click into gear. A win over Penrith moved the club into the top eight for the first time this year. Expect them to keep moving up.
6. Wests Tigers (4-4)
The Tigers kept their coach then dismantled Canberra in the nation’s capital. Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah were outstanding and when the Tigers’ big guns fire, they’re hard to stop.
7. Canterbury (5-3)
The Bulldogs were beaten in Brisbane but they’re still one of the competition heavyweights.
8. Manly (5-3)
Like the Bulldogs, Manly was beaten at the weekend but they showed enough to confirm they will be there when the whips are cracking. But for a controversial refereeing decision, they might have beaten the Cowboys.
POOR FOUR
1. Canberra (1-7)
What’s doing with the Raiders? Among the pre-season tips to be contenders, they have now lost seven straight and appear to be in crisis.
2. Parramatta (3-5)
The amazing thing about Eel's season is they have already won three games. The Eels have few endearing qualities in attack, Jarryd Hayne aside, or defence, Nathan Hindmarsh excluded.
3. Penrith (2-6)
The Panthers’ decision to let coach Matthew Elliott go at the end of the season had little impact on their performance. They simply weren’t good enough to compete beat the Warriors.
4. Cronulla (2-6)
Remember when the Sharks beat St George Illawarra. Suddenly everyone was predicting them as dark horses for the top eight. Not any more. The Sharks are back where most expected them to be - in the lower half of the ladder and struggling to avoid the wooden spoon.
WEEKEND WARRIORS
Jamie Soward (St George Illawarra)
Timing is the mark of a great footballer. Soward showed remarkable timing at the weekend as he produced a stunning performance on the same day the year’s first representative teams were named. His much-maligned running game produced 161 metres, eight tackle busts, three line breaks and three try assists.
Chris Heighington (Wests Tigers)
In a team full of flash and flair, Heighington provides the platform for Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah to cut loose. Against Canberra, he had 15 hit-ups for 133 metres, one try assist, four line breaks, three off-loads and two line breaks. He also made 24 tackles.
Chris Sandow (South Sydney)
Sandow was a hands-down star against Cronulla on Friday night. With the game in the balance, Sandow produced two moments of brilliance which turned the game Souths way. He finished with two tries, two tackle breaks and one line break.
Michael Gordon (Penrith)
In a beaten side, Gordon was unbelievable against the Warriors. No wonder rumours have emerged of the club trying to deal regular fullback Lachlan Coote. Gordon made 25 runs for 233 metres, had try assists, six tackle breaks, four off-loads and one line break.
Ashley Harrison (Gold Coast)
The Gold Coast have been all over the shop this season but one thing hasn’t changed - what they get from Harrison. The Queensland back rower ran 16 times for 122 metres against the Sydney Roosters. He also churned through 45 tackles.
I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE
Benji Marshall and Darren Lockyer go at it again, Skilled Park, Friday night
Lockyer scored a decisive personal victory over Marshall a couple of weeks ago when the Wests Tigers and Brisbane Broncos played at Suncorp Stadium. Now Marshall gets his chance for revenge as he leads New Zealand in Friday night’s Test match against Lockyer’s Kangaroos. It won’t be the only big clash. Both sides are littered with stars. But Marshall and Lockyer will be front and centre, the most important players for their respective sides.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/rabbitohs-hop-to-it-in-effort-to-retain-chris-sandow/story-e6frg7mf-1226048315858