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From the Beetoota Advocate.
As a spectacular season of NRL and NRLW football concludes, Australian footy fans now await a November State Of Origin series to wrap up a year of rugby league football that many had written off in March.
Journalists, players, trainers, family, board members, and ground staff have all chipped in to give the fans something that distracts them from the grim realities of a global pandemic. And all deserve praise.
However, there are a few names that stand out from the rest within the rugby league community.
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy continues as one of the most winningest coaches in the modern game, alongside hooker Cameron Smith who has captained the side from 2008 right up to last night’s 26-22 Grand Final win over Penrith.
The father-son pairing of Ivan and Nathan Cleary also deserve praise for the Panther’s 17 game streak that took them straight to a knife’s edge decider.
ARL Commissioner Peter V’Landys will also be remembered as the hero of the 2020 Season, as he worked tirelessly alongside CEO Andrew Abdo and Junior Pearce to save the game from a lockdown.
However, there is one mainstay of the rugby league arena that no one can really remember.
The bald bloke from Fox Sports that isn’t Sterlo or Gordie. He’s known as James Hooper.
Even the players struggle to remember his name, unless they have been directly targeted in his tabloid rugby league blogging – like John Bateman and the younger Melbourne Storm players were throughout the season.
This lack of recognition in the game comes as a body blow to Hooper, as he works tirelessly to become the new Buzz Rothfield.
However, it seems the most crushing ‘Good to see ya mate’ seems to be ones that come from his idol and Fox Sports colleague Mal Meninga, who has today had to refrain from asking Hooper what his name is, for the 14th time this year.
The former Canberra Raiders legend and the super-coach behind the Queensland Maroons decade of dominance has today been left stumped after once again forgetting the name of a bloke he feels like he’s met before.
“f**k” Mal whispers to himself, as Hooper arrives in the lobby to appear on some panel show to talk shit about the Storm players who sent him a barrage of abusive text messages in the early hours of the morning.
“Think Mal, think”
“What’s this bald bloke’s name?
“Iss it Herbert? Hipwell?”
Hooper is gaining on him, and they’ve caught eyes. Mal begins to panic, and starts planning a getaway, before he is saved by the grace of God and a name comes into his head.
“Aha there is he is!” roars Mal, as Hooper approaches, with his hand outstretched for a big non-COVID-friendly handshake .
“Peter FitzSimons!!! How the f**k are ya!”
