Tonie Carroll and Neville Costigan in red and white?
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By
Steve Ricketts
August 14, 2008 12:00am
THE sight of Tonie Carroll in a New Zealand jersey playing against Australia in the 2000 World Cup was one thing.
But the Broncos faithful might find it even harder to accept Carroll wearing the red and white of St George Illawarra against Brisbane next year.
Speculation is rife that Carroll will follow Broncos coach Wayne Bennett to the Dragons, with Bennett already on the verge of snaring ex-Broncos bad boy Neville Costigan from Canberra.
Carroll could not be contacted yesterday but his manager Darryl Mather said it would not surprise him.
"Wayne and TC have a special relationship and maybe they've spoken on the side," Mather said. "Tonie hasn't raised it with me but it's not inconceivable.
"At the same time I can't imagine Tonie playing against the Broncos. It's the only club he has known except for two years in England with Leeds."
Carroll has set his sights on a career in real estate and has been doing the appropriate courses.
But you're a long time retired and Carroll has played 17 games this year scoring three tries and producing some of his best club displays after electing to step down from representative football.
The 32-year-old played 18 matches for Queensland and seven Tests for Australia. He was given dispensation to play for New Zealand, the country of his birth, after he failed to make the Australian team for the 2000 World Cup.
Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen said he had "heard a whisper" Carroll could go to the Dragons.
"But then again we've also heard whispers about (centre) Darius Boyd going to the Dragons or Canterbury and nothing has happened there," Cullen said.
Carroll (hamstring) will miss tomorrow night's match against the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium but hopes to be back for tomorrow week's derby clash with Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp.
Brisbane plays the Bulldogs away the following weekend and then in the final round host Newcastle at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, September 5.
The Broncos have asked the NRL for a Sunday afternoon, September 7 timeslot as part of a gala farewell for Bennett and Carroll which also will include a send-off to Knights skipper Danny Buderus.
"We envisaged a real family day with it being Father's Day," Cullen said.
"Friday night is a different demographic. It's less a family night and more a city workers' night out.
"I feared we would miss out on Sunday because Channel 9 always wants a Queensland presence on Friday night and with the Titans and Cowboys going ordinary they weren't going to pick them."
The Roosters-Dragons match is the other Friday night, September 5 clash with the Cowboys playing the Sharks away on Saturday and the Titans hosting the Tigers on the Sunday.
Brisbane is still in line for a home final on the weekend of September 12 to 14.
