If Freddy wants me for Origin, I’ll be there: Gould

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The godfather of NSW State of Origin Phil Gould is ready to make a shock return to the interstate arena as an advisor to Blues coach Brad Fittler.

Another former Blues mentor, Laurie Daley, is also being considered for a role as NSW look to come back from two straight series losses to Queensland.

Gould is the most successful coach in Blues history – winning six and drawing one of eight series – and has long resisted the idea of returning to the interstate arena. But there will be plenty of reasons to return this time, including a financial carrot supplied by the Laundy family, which owns a $1 billion pub empire.

Gould has a long history with Fittler at state and club level, and as fellow commentators at Channel Nine. He will make a comeback if Fittler wants him.

“When it comes to Brad Fittler, he has never asked me for much … anything I’ve ever asked him to do, he has always said yes,” Gould said. “And the same applies to me – anything he asks, I always say yes. We will worry about Origin if he asks.”

No one knows Origin football better than Gould, and the Laundy family’s desire to sponsor Fittler’s Blues coaching outfit in next year’s Origin series has gone up a notch.

Phil Gould and Brad Fittler during NSW’s Origin series victory in 2004.Credit: NRL Photos

We recently revealed the Laundys’ desire to financially back Fittler, but now the full extent of the plan can be revealed. Stu Laundy wants Andrew Johns to increase his role with NSW and he knows Gould gets Origin like no one else in this state. Gould is also very close to Fittler, who pitched his case to retain his job to the NSW Rugby League on Friday.

Gould would consider being involved only if Fittler wanted him. He would not want a role unless Fittler was up for the extra scrutiny his involvement would bring.

Fittler has already shown he is prepared to call on outside help when he invited Panthers coach Ivan Cleary to assist him during Origin III this season.

“The combination of Freddy, our second most capped coach, and Gus [Gould], our statistically most successful, is simply the most potent stewardship our state could possibly conjure up,” Laundy said.

Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans lifts the Origin shield for Queensland in July.Credit: Getty

“My friend Laurie Daley, an Immortal in waiting, was cut too soon and our long-term momentum lost as a result. I’m so passionate about returning order to the Origin arena, and Freddy, Gus and Joey [Johns] are the holy trinity we require to do so and enjoy my firm and total backing in this regard. Whatever it takes, I’m in. I want to help the Blues team.

“My family’s involvement has been bagged by some hack whose name escapes me. It was said we should focus on bush footy … we’ll do that, too; as without the health of our grassroots being front of mind, we won’t have a game in 25 years. So whilst I appreciate sage advice from some media people, I’m coming back from where you are headed.”

Peter Parr and Mary

While on Origin, the Blues will be poorer for the exits of Greg Alexander and Paul “Mary” McGregor on Friday, but one person keen to return to the Blues set-up is Newcastle director of football Peter Parr.

He took this year off as NSW manager to establish himself at the Knights. He has been a smash hit after just one year in the job. He is a leader and an excellent team manager, so Parr’s return to the Blues would be a bonus if coach Fittler wants him back.

Parr is passionate about NSW and he’s the kind of person the Blues need to rebound after consecutive series losses.

Xerri flavour

Bronson Xerri’s four-year suspension for using banned substances ends on Sunday. The former Sharks star, 23, has signed with the Bulldogs for next year, and has documented some of his journey back to the game with videographer Dylan Allen.

Bronson Xerri in 2019.Credit: NRL Photos

They will drop some footage on Xerri’s Instagram page as early as Sunday.

“It’s been a long and testing four years, but I’ve learnt my lessons and a lot about life,” Xerri said. “I can’t wait to get to the Bulldogs and give my all to the club.”

Art of Wah

Warriors owner Mark Robinson says he will sit down with coach Andrew Webster after the dust has settled on the season to extend his deal with the club.

“What he has done with the team is something that deserves reward,” Robinson said. “He is very different to a lot of people … I’ve never heard him say a negative thing about anyone.

“We’ve had some discussions already, but we said we will talk about his future after the season. It will be him and me sitting down – he doesn’t have a manager, and I like to talk like that.

“We will sort something out that sees him here for the long term. He’s here ’til 2025 and we can extend that out.”

Robinson has watched with interest talk of a second NRL team in New Zealand.

“I’d say good luck!” he said. “It’s a tough road. This club was turned into a bottom feeder by other people before I got involved and it’s taken time with a great administrator in [chief executive] Cameron George to turn it all around.

“We’ve got our teams from first grade down and a women’s team on the way … we aren’t getting government help for centres of excellence. If anyone thinks there is money in this they have rocks in their head.”

Deal cut by half

St George Illawarra are upset by a whispering campaign about halves Ben Hunt and Kyle Flanagan. After we broke the story in June that Hunt wanted an immediate release from his deal at the Dragons, the story caught fire and has yet to be fully doused.

Hunt is prepared to stick it out. He’s not happy but knows incoming coach Shane Flanagan won’t budge on a release for his biggest playing asset, whose contract runs until the end of the 2025 season.

Hunt’s management has not asked for a meeting with the club in weeks. And it says it won’t. The Dragons accept Hunt’s reluctance, but not the speculation.

A disappointed Ben Hunt looks to the heavens after Sean Russell’s try for Parramatta last month.Credit: Getty

One senior Dragon told me: “If [it’s] a hostage situation, as some want to say, I’d like to be a hostage getting his income.”

On the other hand, Kyle Flanagan is delighted to have found a home playing for his dad. There have been rumours Flanagan jnr will be well remunerated by the Dragons. He was on $600,000 at the Bulldogs, but we have been assured that he is on less than half that wage with the Dragons.

NRL’s Vegas adventure hits a wall for viewers

The NRL’s Las Vegas adventure is shaping as a great spectacle, but what happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas unless you are willing to stump up for pay TV.

The NRL is in discussions about airing its season-opening game behind a paywall, with game two on free-to-air TV on Channel Nine. Nine Entertainment Co owns Channel Nine and this masthead. It would be an extraordinary move by the NRL. It is hard to recall a season opener exclusively on pay TV.

High-level talks continue between Nine Entertainment and the NRL to resolve the issue so the widest possible audience gets to see the ground-breaking clash – but that can be hard to achieve with multiple stakeholders. It would be a significant precedent in sport to have a major football code launch its season away from free-to-air TV.

Nothing is set in stone, but the games in Las Vegas are Broncos v Roosters and Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs. Those matches have plenty of appeal for various reasons.

Admittedly, the opening game of the season is in a bit of a viewing dead zone, early Sunday afternoon. It’s not a blockbuster time, but there will be huge interest in those clashes because they are part of the push for the growth in the US – and the gambling dollar. But that’s another story.

The issue with giving up the season opener to pay TV may be the prestige related to the game and the fact it can provide a flow-on audience into the second match.

It is also a five-year plan to play season openers in Las Vegas.

Tigers sniff around

We broke the story last week about Wests Tigers’ interest in Michael Cheika.

There is no question Cheika has been approached by the Tigers, via club great Robbie Farah. Farah deserves praise for showing leadership at a club that often struggles in that area.

Argentina coach Michael Cheika shakes hands with Wallabies coach Eddie Jones.Credit: Getty

Cheika has long had an interest in being involved in rugby league on a full-time basis and he’s done a considerable apprenticeship under Trent Robinson at the Roosters and with the Lebanese rugby league team.

In the background is Cheika’s desire to spend more time at home in Sydney, which he hasn’t done a lot of in recent years. He is also vastly experienced in big-time sport.

John Morris is an important addition to the coaching line-up.

Benji Marshall had a decorated playing career, but he’s facing arguably the toughest job in the NRL next year. If he can somehow galvanise the group, it will be one of the biggest achievements of his already impressive career.

Knight in sights

Expect Daniel Saifiti’s contract to become a topic of discussion in the coming days. There are very few quality props on the market and several clubs are watching to see what Newcastle do with Saifiti.

The Knights contemplated moving him on earlier this year as they were looking to restructure their roster as part of a salary cap restructure. Next season he is on about $880,000 and while no team will pick up the entire amount, he may be moved on with another team picking up some of the tab.

The other issue for the Knights is retaining his brother, Jacob, who becomes a free agent on November 1.

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