NSW coach Craig Bellamy has met former Blues mentor Phil Gould to ask for advice for this year's State of Origin series. The pair were seen sharing a quiet sherbet at the bar of the Hilton in Melbourne on Friday night after the Storm's victory over Manly, along with Gould's Channel Nine comrades Matt Johns and Ray Warren. According to Gould, Bellamy is ready to turnaround the fortunes of the Blues, who have lost the past two series to Queensland. "Craig is a very genuine and sincere young man as well as being a great coach," he said. "He doesn't need any advice from me but it was very nice of him to ask a few questions. He sounds like he's ready to me. NSW is in very good hands." Earlier, Bellamy was locked in deep discussion with his Blues assistant, Andrew Johns, outside the Storm's rooms at Olympic Park. Bellamy's predecessor, Graham Murray, was widely criticised for failing to seek the sage advice of those who had done it all before.
That's not very Maitua
WHEN Reni Maitua meets the Bulldogs today to clarify his future at the club, it wouldn't surprise if chief executive Todd Greenberg queried him about this posting on the MySpace page of former teammate Jamahl Lolesi, who plays for Huddersfield in the UK Super League. A message at 9.41pm on Wednesday reads: "haha same old shit! in trouble again, spotted at t2, dropped to reggies broke my ribs, u know how we do lol. Get me out of sydney! any room at ur club?" Maitua's management told us that their client described the posting as a "gee-up".
Bazza's Magic warm-up
SWANS superstar Michael O'Loughlin knows precisely how the West Coast Eagles' Brent Staker feels after incurring the wrath of Barry Hall on Saturday night. In a recent edition of Zoo Weekly - which the Herald sports department reads strictly for the articles - O'Loughlin was asked which teammate he would least like to fight. "That's the easiest question you've asked me: Barry Hall," he said. "We actually had a sparring session the other day - he gave me concussion."
Rabbitohs in headlights
FORGET about the winless start on the field for a minute - morale among the admin staff at South Sydney has hit rock-bottom. After riding into the troubled foundation club on a white horse and promising to turn frowns upside down, millionaire co-owner Peter Holmes a Court's decision to slash the budget has many worried. "People are walking around with a look of fear and suspicion in their eyes," an insider assured us. "It's like a cancer." Staff are dismayed at the recent resignation of Simon Dirs, who headed Souths Cares but left because he felt the club's charity arm was becoming simply a public relations exercise. There's also bewilderment about the treatment of long-time employee Brandon Punter, whose position as chief operating officer was gradually phased out so he could take a new position with Holmes a Court's sports management company, the Passionate Group. On his last day, Punter was informed via email that the offer had been withdrawn. "There is a financial reality the club [which recorded a $4 million loss last year] had to address," Punter told us. "The day of reckoning was always going to arrive." Holmes a Court denied morale was poor. As for Punter's departure, he said: "Sometimes in a new structure, good people don't fit. He didn't quite fit."
Maiden name sticks
LIBBY TRICKETT has been so busy ensuring everyone calls her by her married name, she's forgotten to change the voicemail on her phone. "Hi, you've reached Libby Lenton …"
All black not blue
SONNY BILL WILLIAMS'S uncles have questioned his loyalty to New Zealand because of his remarks about wanting to play State of Origin. "A lot of people have taken what I said the wrong way. I've heard people saying I'm not a true Kiwi because of what I said," Williams told Fairfax's Sunday News in an exclusive interview. "What I said was that I have always wanted to play State of Origin but if it came down to it, I would always pick New Zealand and the black jersey without a shadow of a doubt … I'm very proud of where I'm from, and anyone who says otherwise really offends me."
Caught out at slip
The Big Wrap made its first Big Mistake last week when it said Damien Fleming and Mark Waugh would front Channel Ten's coverage of the Indian Premier League. They won't have anything to do with it, but Test players Brad Haddin and Stuart Clark will - which is interesting because Haddin was one of the few who knocked back an IPL contract. They will be part of a rotating panel of experts that includes former state cricketers Ryan Campbell and Gavin Robertson.
Hail the King Browns
IMAGINE a rugby sevens team with the speed to burn of Nathan Blacklock, Andrew Walker and Darren Albert. It's about to become a reality with the ominously named Country King Browns set to play in tournaments in Asia later this year. The side has been created to give footy players in the bush an opportunity to play at international level. Walker, who recently played for Australia in the Hong Kong sevens, has confirmed he will play, and Albert has expressed an interest. The team, which hopes to land a sponsor in the next fortnight, will play in the Bangkok Sevens and Borneo Tens.
Say what?
"Boom, boom, boom." - Said one of Fox Sports sound man while checking a microphone before the Roosters press conference on Saturday night. To which coach Brad Fittler replied: "Let's go back to my room." We're informed the guy with the mic declined.
THE WEEKEND WARRIOR: Lachie Turner
His freakish try with eight minutes to go, when a grubber from Lote Tuqiri bounced off Force fullback Cameron Shepherd's boot into his hands, gave the Waratahs a miracle in the west.
You should have punted McKenzie earlier - that's two from two.[Laughs] We should just get a new one every week - and then sack him. It's disappointing that Link's going because in the last two matches we've shown the type of footy we can play under him.
John Mitchell called your try the "jammiest" he'd ever seen.I don't really know what that word means but he's probably right. It was a fluke - although I wouldn't call the win a fluke.
Did Cameron Shepherd sledge you about it?No, but Drew Mitchell was like a little chihuahua the way he was yapping all game.
What was he gibbering about?He was into [rookie centre] Rob Horne, saying stuff like: "You might be a schoolboy hero, but this isn't school here."
With hair like his, Drew Mitchell shouldn't be sledging anyone.Exactly.
