Army kept waiting for Guymer
A local army regiment turned up on Friday for a photo shoot with Parramatta Eels ahead of Anzac Round and to celebrate their special jersey. Some of them took a day off work for the shoot and brought along weapons and vehicles.
Eels forward Charlie Guymer with Australian army representatives.
We were told they were kept waiting for more than an hour and that only one Eels player,
Charlie Guymer, turned up. Parramatta say they originally informed the army they would have a player there between 2pm and 4pm. He turned up just after 3pm after the Eels had told the army on the day they would arrive at 3pm.
The army were also given 150 tickets to Parramatta’s clash with the Warriors.
Chooks will never return to the coop
The Roosters have privately given up on bringing back two of the biggest fish that have escaped their usually strong net.
When
Joey Manu and
Joseph Suaalii left the club, there were numerous reports they would one day return. The problem is, the Roosters have been outspent and can’t hope to get close to the riches of rugby.
Suaalii is on $1.6 million a year, and the outside deals he has with high-end brands such as Range Rover and Louis Vuitton leave the kid who grew up in Sydney’s west on easy street in Double Bay.
Rugby Australia is also said to be helping fly Suaalii’s parents to games.
It is an unbeatable deal, and the only thing that league can offer him is a well-paid challenge.
The Roosters have given up hope of luring Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii back to league.AP
The money Manu is making in rugby dwarfs Suaalii’s deal. He is said to be on about €1.3 million ($2.15 million) a season with Racing 92 in France. It is huge money, and it is little wonder the Roosters have moved in a different direction.
Only family would bring Manu back.
Even getting
Mark Nawaqanitawase back to Bondi Junction would be a huge challenge. He leaves at the end of the NRL season to take up a two-year deal worth about $3 million with Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan.
There is also increasing talk that Roosters record breaker
Daniel Tupou has decided to make this his last year in the NRL. The Roosters winger is the club’s top try-scorer with 187 and he can become their most capped player if he stays injury free. Tupou has played 294 games and is fifth on the all-time list for the Roosters, where
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is on top with 310. If Tupou can avoid injury and suspension this season, he’d get there.
Tupou is rumoured to be looking at a season in Japanese rugby.
Dean Young is a long-time St George Illawarra assistant, played more than 200 games for the club and won a premiership there – but he’s unlikely to get the top job.
www.smh.com.au