http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23818850-23214,00.html
Can this kid save Souths?
By Nick Walshaw
June 06, 2008
THEY'VE dubbed him the Aboriginal Alfie - a roguish Queensland mission boy now charged with saving Souths.
Boom Rabbitoh Chris Sandow will give desperate fans a snapshot of the future when he finally debuts against the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium.
Labelled a better Australian Schoolboy prospect than even Mitchell Pearce and Israel Folau, he now has the chance to prove it in the Bunnies' plagued No.7 jersey.
"I have no doubt Chris can lift Souths out of the doldrums," Fox Sports commentator Scott Sattler said.
"He was Queensland's No.1 half-back in his teens and a kid you just knew was going to make it to the top.
"This time next year ... I think everyone will be talking about Chris Sandow."
North of the border it seems everyone already has a story about this Murri from Cherbourg, the same mission town that produced Australia centre Willie Tonga.
Like how Sandow and Folau played with Centenary in the Brisbane competition, winning a junior final with 11 players and a female coach.
"He's definitely got that Alfie Langer about him," Australia Schoolboys coach Brendan Barlow said.
"A lot of people doubted Chris because he is so small.
"But you only need see his competitiveness and skill. His short kicking game is definitely his biggest asset ... he knows how to get that ball back."
Still only 19, there has already been plenty of drama too.
Brisbane, for example, said the 173cm Sandow was too small. Ditto North Queensland. And the Gold Coast signed him to a lucrative contract ... only to tear it up again before the deal was up.
"Chris had a few problems off the field," said Sattler, who was Titans football manager in their inaugural season.
"He was going home a fair bit, no one could find him and we had to terminate his contract because we couldn't afford to bend the rules.
"But he was too good a player to throw on the scrapheap and thankfully South Sydney picked him up.
"Getting away from Queensland was the best thing for him.
"I have no doubt letting him go will come back to hurt the club, but sometimes you have to do these things."
Climbing on to a plane for Auckland, Souths Toyota Cup coach Alan Wilson described Sandow as "a clever little half-back with great awareness".
Wilson said the No.7 also had a goalkicking success rate of 84 per cent this year - "and four of his misses have hit the uprights".
Meanwhile, Souths have found a $250,000 sponsor, retrenched four employees and are prepared to drop another star player in another topsy-turvy week.
The Rabbitohs were boosted when coffee machine maker DeLonghi signed on as away jersey sponsor for the rest of the season.
The Italian-based multi-national has an option for another two years on the front of Souths' jerseys in away games.
However, there is more drama at Souths.
After New Zealand veteran Nigel Vagana was dropped on Tuesday, it's understood Tongan star Manase Manuokafoa is likely to be the man omitted from coach Jason Taylor's bench for Friday night's clash with the Warriors.
Chief executive Shane Richardson refused to confirm or deny that four people at the club had been made redundant this week.
But Richardson did say: "We have made some changes, some people have been re-assigned and have departed. Our staffing levels are now more in line with successful Sydney clubs."
It's understood that from a peak of around 32 employees, Souths now have 21. The belt-tightening follows owner Peter Holmes a Court stepping down as executive chairman.
The last halfback to be labelled the next Alfie was Sam obst. Oh what a mighty player he was for the Roosters.:sarcasm: And then there was Brett Sheehan. And i thought Eddie paea was Souths saviour? Oh well, i hope this kid can actually live up to a portion of the hype.