EVER since Sonny Bill Williams walked out on the Bulldogs, a lot of people have been trying to rewrite history - but none more than St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus. Despite threatening legal action three years ago over the leaking of his $900,000-per-season contract offer to Williams, which was published in the Herald (see right), McManus this week denied the deal had ever been tabled in an article refuting the 23-year-old's claims that he had previously shown loyalty to the Bulldogs by rejecting the approach. Among those stunned by McManus's comments were North Queensland coach Ian Millward, who was in the midst of his successful six-year tenure at St Helens - during which the club won two Challenge Cups and two Super League titles - when the lucrative three-year offer was made to Williams. "It definitely happened. I know 100 per cent that it was true because the chairman said to me, 'Do you think we will get him?'," Millward told Sin Bin. "I told him I didn't know, but I said that even if we didn't, it would be a good way to flush out other NRL players and at least let them know the sort of money we could offer. I was able to get Jamie Lyon over there when everyone was saying there was no way he would go. But the Sonny Bill thing hit a bit of a hurdle when the contract offer got leaked - not by the club or myself - because there were a couple of things in there that you weren't supposed to do under the salary cap."
Covell to join French exodus
Another day, another NRL player headed for French rah-rah, with the game's leading pointscorer likely to be chewing down on a baguette before you know it. A Paris-based player agent has sounded out Sharks winger Luke Covell about joining a French rugby side, with Cronulla struggling to find money under the salary cap to keep him. Expect the NRL to downplay the significance of the move if it does happen, but even its spin doctors could not deny it is another black eye in the wake of Williams and fellow internationals Mark Gasnier, Luke Rooney, Craig Gower and Nigel Vagana leaving for greener pastures.
Contracting memory loss
Williams's departure has shown how fresh the wounds from the Super League war still are, with many people questioning how the likes of Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley, Gorden Tallis and Anthony Mundine can comment on the rights or wrongs of players breaking contracts given they all abandoned the ARL to join the rebel competition on far more lucrative deals. Those who were involved also wonder how News Ltd can preach about loyalty or the sanctity of contracts after arguing in court that players should be freed from their ARL deals to play Super League because it was a different competition.
Dogs on the double
There were similar claims of double standards last week after news that the Bulldogs were eyeing off a possible move to Gosford - and the $11 million relocation grant that comes with it - because they were unhappy with some of the terms and conditions of their 15-year deal with the Sydney Olympic Park Authority that started this season. Sound familiar?
Characters sell Cartoon
Former Knights comrades Andrew Johns, Danny Buderus and Clint Newton are selling their share in successful racehorse Cartoon Character. Newton, who has been in Australia for the past month as he recovers from an injury suffered while playing for Hull KR in England, told Sin Bin that syndicate boss Eddie Hayson was "winding down" his interest in thoroughbreds. The mare has won her last two starts, including a commanding win at Canterbury just days before the third State of Origin match. Alas, assistant coach Johns and Blues skipper Buderus were too busy preparing for the match to get on.
Elliott needs finals berth
Shutting the door on rumours they will go after sacked Canberra halfback Todd Carney is the Penrith management's way of saying the club has much more important things to worry about - like the team's form after last weekend's 62-point loss to the Raiders in the national capital. If coach Matthew Elliott doesn't get the team to the finals, it will considerably harm his chances of getting an extension to his current contract, which runs out at the end of next season. The club's head honchos will have already started thinking about what they are going to do for 2010 before next season begins, meaning that if the Panthers miss the finals, the team would have to begin next season with a string of wins to give Elliott any chance of staying on at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
Olympic leaguie excused
Lebanon second-rower Rudy Hachache has one of the best excuses ever for missing a training camp - he is in Beijing competing at the Olympic Games. Hachache, who is the record pointscorer (454) and tryscorer (111) in the domestic Lebanese competition, is representing his country in the heavyweight judo category. When the 28-year-old returns, he will join the Lebanon league team, which may be bolstered by a number of Australians, to prepare for the upcoming Euro-Med Challenge tournament against Russia and Serbia.
Brad Walter, Andrew Webster and Greg Prichard
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