.You bet life's good in Manly

Dean Ritchie From: The Daily Telegraph December 15, 2010

BRETT Stewart is back, Steve Matai is ready to come back and the club has a new $1 million sponsor. Life on Sydney's Northern Beaches is looking rosy.

Manly yesterday unveiled their new jumper - through Test centres Matai and Jamie Lyon - with sports betting agency Centrebet emblazoned on the back.

Matai continues to dwell on a seven-match suspension which will not allow him to return until round five next year against Cronulla.

But Matai said his suspension would allow him to be fit and ready to rip in when he returns. But legally, of course.

"It will be definitely be frustrating watching the boys in our first few games," he said.

"We have worked hard in pre-season and can't wait to rip in. Obviously I will be a bit behind [in conditioning], but I just have to make sure I am ready to go when Dessie needs me.

"My rehab is going well and at this stage the shoulder feels good.

"Having the time off could even work in my favour. In previous seasons my shoulder has only been at about 60 per cent, so hopefully I can get it right."

Once back and in-form, Matai expressed a desire to continue his New Zealand Test career.

"After watching the boys in the Four Nations, I am itching to be back in the mix," he said.

"For that to happen I will need to play good footy, week in, week out."


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/you-bet-lifes-good-in-manly/story-e6frexnr-1225971355335

St George Illawarra among teams who will miss out free-to-air TV coverage in first five rounds

Dean Ritchie From: The Daily Telegraph December 17, 2010

ST GEORGE Illawarra have been snubbed by Channel 9, with the premiers forced to wait five weeks until their first free-to-air televised game next season.
The Dragons' return to Nine will coincide with the club's first home game against Canterbury at WIN Jubilee Stadium in round five, while South Sydney have received four free-to-air games in the first five weeks of the season, including their traditional opener against bitter rivals the Sydney Roosters.

Brisbane are the other big free-to-air TV winners, with their first four rounds scheduled for the prime Friday evening timeslot.

Cronulla, Melbourne and the New Zealand Warriors also have not received any free-to-air TV coverage in the opening five rounds of the schedule released by the NRL yesterday.

These days it seems Souths are as much glamour boys as their Eastern Suburbs neighbours the Roosters. Bragging rights between these two famous clubs goes on the line to kick off the 2011 season.


On Friday night, March 11, the Sydney Roosters and Souths will meet yet again at the SFS from 7.30pm.

It will be a proud and traditional way to start another NRL season.

In Brisbane on the same night, the Broncos and Cowboys will play at Suncorp Stadium, the match starting at 8.30pm NSW time.

Enabling fans to book tickets early, the NRL yesterday released its timeslots for the opening five rounds of 2011.

In round one, premiers St George Illawarra will travel to Gold Coast on Saturday night while Canterbury and Wests Tigers will kick off the Monday night season at ANZ Stadium.

Parramatta and Penrith will clash in Friday night football at Parramatta Stadium in round two. Canberra and Brisbane will meet on the same night in Canberra.

The Sunday afternoon game during round two will pit the Roosters and Sea Eagles at the SFS.

A southern Sydney derby between Cronulla and St George Illawarra on Monday will cap off round two.

The highlight of round three will be a Friday night game between Parramatta and South Sydney at Olympic Park, the Eels forfeiting home ground advantage.

Souths play Manly at Bluetongue Stadium, Gos-ford, in a round four Friday night game.

"The release of the first five rounds and venues is a reminder for all fans to start planning for next year," said NRL chief David Gallop.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/st-george-illawarra-among-teams-who-will-miss-out-free-to-air-tv-coverage-in-first-five-rounds/story-e6frexnr-1225972456733

Melbourne Storm is well on the road to recovery, according to boss

Ron Gauci From: AAP December 18, 2010

RUGBY LEAGUE: Melbourne Storm chief Ron Gauci says the NRL club is emerging from its salary cap debacle in better shape than he expected.
Doomsayers predicted the demise of the Storm after it was revealed in April that the club had systematically rorted the salary cap by more than $3 million between 2006 and 2010.

The club was stripped of two premierships, three minor premierships, docked all competition points in 2010, and fined $500,000. Two major sponsors, among others, immediately cut ties.

Several players left the club as it worked to get under the salary cap, although it managed to retain all but one of its "fab four" as Greg Inglis moved on.

However, chief executive Gauci, who took over in July after the sacking of disgraced Matt Hanson, who had already replaced so-called "chief rat" Brian Waldron, says the future looks bright.

"The general perception from the outside was that the club was doomed, the playing roster was going to be decimated and in fact there were those calling for the end of the Melbourne Storm, if not rugby league in Victoria," Gauci said.

"If you look at the position we're in today, that's a far cry from where people thought or maybe even hoped we'd be.

"It's fair to say that while we took a bit of a knock in April, the reality is that the way the players have performed since, and the way the club has responded, if anything, has earned a great deal of respect.

"I think the response has been better than I anticipated."

Despite its forced wooden spoon status, the Storm finished the season with a 14-10 win-loss record, which was level with the fifth-placed Warriors.

"They came out and put their bodies on the line, and I think the fact they won as many games this year as they did last year is a real credit to the players, the coach and the football operations department," Gauci said.

"It was very, very impressive."

Membership and crowds this year actually topped the previous season, he said, and he expected a further rise next year. The club is holding discussions with a number of sponsors.

The NRL is still to finalise its report on the investigation into the Melbourne cheating, but no further action is pending against the club.

An investigation by the Victoria Police Fraud Squad is said to be "ongoing".

Gauci feels the Storm has already moved on.

"The feeling is really quite positive. We've injected some new players and new coaches, and the dynamics have been really quite positive.

"I've been encouraged by the mood in the place," he said.

"Most people have commented there's that extra skip in everyone's step."

AAP

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/melbourne-storm-is-well-on-the-road-to-recovery-according-to-boss-ron-gauci/story-e6frg7mf-1225972963072

How about this for a team?

1. Josh Dugan
2. Blake Ferguson
3. Jarrod Croker
4. Joel Thompson
5. Daniel Vidot
6. Terry Campese
7. Matt Orford
8. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs
9. Glen Buttriss
10. David Shillington
11. Joe Picker
12. Bronson Harrison
13. Shaun Fensom

14. Alan Tongue
15. Trevor Thurling
16. Dane Tilse
17. Brett White

Canberra Raiders :cool:

Yeah lets not show the most popular nsw team for the first g rounds, great choice,](*,)

St George at the best team in the comp. They should be on FTA every week over those first 5 rounds :S

I'd be up for it, as long as theres interest.

Yeah lets not show the most popular nsw team for the first g rounds, great choice,](*,)

What was the score? 36-12 or something like that?:-"

Depends which Riddel you get, the dragons version or the shit parra one,

Or the shit Parra, but 3 years older version.

Hes never been a fit player, as a saints fan it was always a shame he couldnt last 80 mins cause he was a decent player plus he was the kicker so half the time our kicker wasnt on the field, going on history he will come back bigger then when he went to uk,once again though its roosters just buyinf players for the sake of it, there is nothing wrong with jake friend, hes a decent player,

Former rugby league player John Hopoate on bashing charge

Gemma Jones From: The Daily Telegraph December 19, 2010

FORMER rugby league player John Hopoate has been charged with assaulting a Kings Cross nightclub patron in Sydney.

The 36-year-old was working as a bouncer at the Trademark Hotel on Bayswater Rd club when a fight broke out at 11pm last night.

Three men were refused entry by security and police said one allegedly threatened bouncers before they gave chase and a fight broke out.

Police allege Hopoate assaulted a 27-year-old man, the Daily Telegraph reports.

A second man injured in the melee was rushed to St Vincents Hospital with severe head injuries.

The 33-year-old had surgery this morning and is still in a serious condition.

Hopoate was arrested just after 3am today and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.

It was not known if his alleged victim was injured.

He was granted conditional bail to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on January 11.

Police said other nightclub staff were assisting with inquiries and further charges were expected to be laid.

Hopoate took up boxing following his NRL career which was overshadowed by claims he had inappropriately touched other players by poking his finger at their bottoms.


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/former-rugby-league-player-john-hopoate-on-bashing-charge/story-e6frf7l6-1225973424572

Probably buying him in case they have to sack Jake Friend.

Free-to-air footy victory

From: The Daily Telegraph December 23, 2010 8:07AM

THE two best games of every NRL round will remain on free-to-air TV under a deal to be struck by the Gillard Government and league's newly formed independent commission.

The Government confirmed yesterday it would delist games that are currently not shown on free-to-air TV, but only when there was a mechanism in place to protect the quality of games on free-to-air.

Under the Government's new rules for sports broadcasting, more detail of which were released yesterday, the two best AFL games every week will be guaranteed to free-to-air TV.

"This mechanism will ensure, as is the case now, that Friday and Saturday night games are able to be purchased by free-to-air and that these feature the two best games of each round, as selected by the AFL," Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said.

"The Government expects to negotiate a similar quality assurance mechanism for weekly NRL games with Australian Rugby League's newly formed independent commission.

"Until these guarantees are agreed, all games of AFL and NRL will remain listed events, preventing their acquisition by a pay-TV licence holder."

The arrangements require three NRL matches be shown on free-to-air TV each week, while the remaining five will be on the open market.

It is likely that the first, second and fifth-best matches of each round will be shown on free-to-air channels.

The existing anti-siphoning list was due to expire on December 31 this year.

"Without a new list there would be no ongoing protection of sport on free-to-air television," Senator Conroy said.

The Melbourne Cup, the Bathurst 1000, Twenty20 cricket matches and the FIFA World Cup soccer qualifiers will be added to a list of events offered to the major networks.

Under a "use it or lose it" clause, the free-to-air channels will be forced to show all events that they bid for.s, or lose them to pay-TV.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/free-to-air-footy-victory/story-e6frexni-1225975301123

Greg Inglis signed to South Sydney Rabbitohs

Ben Horne and Wayne Heming From: AAP December 24, 2010

THE South Sydney Rabbitohs have received the perfect Christmas present, with the NRL confirming they will register Greg Inglis's three-year contract.
The announcement brings an end to the messy saga which has played out since Inglis exited Melbourne Storm, turned down a deal with Brisbane at the last minute, and had his original Souths contract rejected within the space of a few months.

The deal also brings an end to speculation that the Queensland and Australian Test star was considering a move to AFL club Essendon.

Rabbitohs centre Beau Champion, a cousin of Inglis, has agreed to a more lucrative deal with the Storm, meaning Souths now have enough room under their cap to accommodate Inglis.

NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert rejected Inglis's original arrangement with Souths because of the way third-party payments were presented.
It became clear that to complete perhaps the biggest signing in Rabbitohs' history, they would have to shed at least one player.

After more than five hours of negotiating today, Champion agreed to a one-year deal in Melbourne, with an additional two-year option in his favour.

The NRL confirmed they were happy with the manoeuvreing and approved what eventually became a convoluted player swap between Melbourne and Souths.

Rabbitohs Chairman Nick Pappas was relieved at the breakthrough after weeks of frustration.

"It's a really happy occasion, it's a triumphant moment for the club. We're delighted to be bringing arguably the best player in the game to the greatest club," Mr Pappas said.

"We were always confident that he'd be playing for the Rabbitohs. We've said that from the outset.

"We've kept our dignity in the press, we haven't waged this through the press. We've just worked very hard to make
sure Greg becomes a Rabbitoh."

Storm CEO Ron Gauci said he was delighted Inglis had been able to move on.

“We are pleased Greg has been able to find his way to the club of his choice and can now concentrate on his football and everyone at Storm wishes him the best for the future,” Gauci said.

“We believe Champion is an exceptional talent with a bright future as a possible State of Origin player."

Leaving the club where he debuted in 2005 was a bitter-sweet decision for Champion, who just completed a personal-best season.

But the chance to work with super coach Craig Bellamy at the Storm, alongside the likes of Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith, can only enhance his future representative chances.

"If it wasn't the club we're talking about and the coach we're talking about, it would have been much easier for him to say, no, he didn't want to leave Sydney," Champion's manager Sam Ayoub said.

"It's been an uneasy week for him but he understands it's business.

"Although it's a three-year deal, he can move on after one. He did that more so for the fact that if he decided he wanted to come back to Sydney for family reasons, he could."

Souths also paid tribute to Champion for his services.

NRL boss David Gallop remained disappointed with Souths' original lodging.

"We have always been happy for Greg to be at Souths or at any club that he chooses," said the chief executive.

"Had Souths addressed the real issues in this from the outset then both Greg and the game could have been saved a considerable amount of time."

But the announcement came on the same day respected sports' performance expert Dean Benton declared Inglis was so out of shape and patched up, that he'd be a "bad buy" for any club.

A fitness consultant for the Queensland Reds and AFL's Adelaide Crows, Benton said Inglis's ballooning weight - reportedly up around 120kg heading into Christmas following recent shoulder and hip operations - could seriously impact on his form in 2011.

"Whoever takes him will not get anything out of him in 2011," said Benton, recruited specifically by then coach
Wayne Bennett when the Brisbane won their sixth and most recent NRL premiership in 2006.

Storm CEO Ron Gauci said he was delighted Inglis had been able to move on.

“We are pleased Greg has been able to find his way to the club of his choice and can now concentrate on his football and everyone at Storm wishes him the best for the future,” Gauci said.

“We believe Champion is an exceptional talent with a bright future as a possible State of Origin player."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/greg-inglis-no-longer-homeless/story-e6frf9if-1225975977998

Good that its sorted