Sterling's Sandow call on the money
12/4/2012 7:32 PM
Adam Lucius
Sportal
There are plenty of people in rugby league who make a living as dial-a-quote go-to men, willing to hock their integrity for some air time.
Peter Sterling is not one of them.
Rightly regarded as one of the best players of any era, Sterlo made a seamless transition from the paddock to the small screen thanks to his ability to read a game, break it down and expertly translate it for his audience.
Outlandish comments or shooting from the lip is not his go.
He rarely criticises players and has regularly resisted the opportunity to sink the boot into the Eels, no matter how much ammunition they have provided him over the years.
So when Sterling, unprompted, launched into new Parramatta halfback Chris Sandow this week, it made for fascinating listening.
Not only for what was said but for who was saying it.
For those who missed it, here it is again:
"I think Chris Sandow is overweight," Sterling said.
"I think he's playing four or five kilos above what he should be paying. And it affects your sharpness."
"There's no way you can carry weight in this game ... or very few players can."
"Looking at him, I don't think he's fit. If he did (lose four or five kilograms), he'd be sharper than he is."
As soon as the words left his mouth you knew it was going to create a storm.
Here was Parramatta's greatest player bagging the player brought to the club as the next Sterling (yes, that tag has been used before) at a cost of $550,000 a year.
No one has forced Sandow onto the scales but you can rest assured Sterling's assessment is close to the mark.
Coach Stephen Kearney conceded as much in the way he avoided giving direct answers to direct questions on the subject.
Asked if Sandow was overweight, Kearney replied: "We don't have an issue with that."
Neither denial nor confirmation.
So is Sandow overweight?
This writer's experience in assessing matters of flab is confined to half an episode of Excessive Baggage.
But I checked Sandow's weight as listed in the official NRL media guide (80kg) and then ran the eye over him at training on Thursday.
Sandow is short and stocky so won't easily hide any extra pud.
He looks heavier than 80kgs but I'd be more worried about what is going on between his ears.
At South Sydney, Sandow was hard to handle at times.
Late last year he went missing for a few days before a game, lost in a world of his own.
A confidence player, the Rabbitohs were constantly pumping Sandow's tyres up to ensure his mind stayed positive and on the job.
Thanks to Sterling, Kearney might need to start pumping furiously.
