Here at TFF we don’t do much in the line of scoops, but I can exclusively reveal that – get this – Peter V’landys is in line to become chairman of Rugby Australia, replacing Hamish McLennan! It may happen as soon as late June, or early July.
I know, I know, it sounds unbelievable, but the role would go with V’landys’ other positions at the ARL Commission and Racing NSW, which has given him plenty of contacts, many of whom are billionaires with hugely deep pockets. In an age when Rugby Australia is looking for equity partners, V’landys has put together a consortium that could buy a 51 per cent controlling interest in rugby and make him chairman.
The Wallabies and incoming Rugby Australia chairman Peter V’landys.Credit:Katie Geraghty, Getty Images
“It’s perfect,” an insider told me. “He runs everything else, so why not rugby too? And once he controlled rugby, he could be the one who decides who goes where and what happens. Instead of wasting endless energy with the NRL and Australian Rugby fighting, it all could just be put in the hands of Peter V’landys and he can do what he does in league and racing – steer by the star of whatever he thinks is a good idea at the time. It saves so much hassle.”
Fascinating, yes? And it just might work.
If only it wasn’t April 1 . . .
(Got him, yes! MIDDLE STUMP! Cartwheeling over and over into the back fence!)
Privilege to work with ‘Uncle Doug’
Iconic radio host “Uncle Doug” Mulray died on Thursday. I was privileged to work as a co-host with him on a drivetime show on, first, 2SM and then 2WS in the late 1990s. Sport was one of his great passions, starting with the Manly Sea Eagles. All these years on, I can’t remember the specific John Hopoate incident – there were so many – that I riffed on which made Doug threaten to resign, but I remember being shocked by his intensity. Doug was hilarious on most things and irreverent about nearly everything – bar the Sea Eagles. They were not to be mocked!
He also loved the Wallabies. The media relations man for them at the time of their 1991 World Cup win, Greg Campbell, sent me an email after the news broke.
“Fitz, as you know, Doug loved his rugby and came up with the, ‘Whaddya wanna be? A Walla-walla-bee!’ catchcry.”
(I didn’t know that, but it certainly sounds like Doug!)
“I also remember taking the Rugby World Cup to the Triple M studios on the top level of a Bondi Junction tower, when I managed PR for the Wallabies, after the RWC win in 1991. He opened the studio windows and held the cup out the window and asked listeners to honk their horns. Horns started blaring up and down the freeway and I was freaking out that he’d drop the cup, or the lid would slip off and fall to the street below. Great memories. RIP.”
Reader Alan Whiticker recalls that Doug attended the greatest Origin game ever, at the SFS, as 40,000 fans sat in the pouring rain as NSW tried to keep the 1991 series alive in the second game. You know the one: it was when Wally Lewis and Mark Geyer stood toe-to-toe at the half-time melee, before, with minutes to go Michael O’Connor lined up a conversion from the sideline in an attempt to break a 12-12 deadlock.
The crowd holds its breath.
“As the rain continued to fall,” Whiticker recounts, “the door of a corporate box opens at the south-western end of the ground and Doug Mulray, at the height of his fame at Triple M, comes out onto the balcony to get a closer view. At that moment, thousands of footy fans turn as one and started chanting ‘Dougie! Dougie! Dougie!’ and bowed with their arms outstretched. The great man acknowledges the crowd with a wave of his hand and then returns inside. The crowd then went back to the football. Now, that’s star power and shows just how integral Uncle Doug was to the Sydney pop culture.”
O’Connor kicked the goal, NSW won, and Dougie went on to live happily ever after. Even in these last few years of illness, he was happy.
Vale, Doug. As I have written elsewhere in the Herald as an obituary, it was a privilege to work with you and know you. You will be remembered as one of Sydney’s greatest broadcasters and one of our most beloved identities. You broke the mould. You were one of ours, an Australian original.
Own goal by lawmakers
True, I know nothing of the intricacies of soccer. But I fancy I have a fair grasp of the cardinal principles of sport, and I reckon the International Football Association Board, the lawmakers of soccer, just trashed two of them.
See, this week, as noted by Vince Rugari, they announced that from July 1 this year there will be no more jumping around by goalkeepers during the penalty shootout, a la our own “Grey Wiggle”, Andrew Redmayne.
Rugari: “[The] new rules dictate that goalkeepers must stay put on the line, facing forward, and essentially do nothing until it’s time to jump.”
Big mistake. Huge.
No.7 in the Cardinal Rules of Sport has it, and I quoteth me: “Thou shalt never alter rules in a manner that will detract from sporting theatre.”
It is as simple that.
All that carry-on by Redmayne et al, as they try to distract the penalty taker, is part of the theatre, part of the drama, makes us lean forward on our seat. It is entertaining.
Meanwhile . . .
No.9 in the Cardinal Rules of Sport: “Thou shalt always frame the rules so there is an evenness of contest between opponents, bat and ball, attackers and defenders.”
In the goal mouth, the poor goalie has to defend a bit over seven metres of yawning space, against a practiced sharpshooter just 11 metres away, sending the ball at a speed of about 110 km/h his way. And the poor bastard can’t wave his arms and jump about, do squats and carry-on in an attempt to distract you and even up the balance?
It is a mistake. And I want it fixed by Monday. Can you pass it on, please Vince?
NRL grandstanding on stadiums
Amid all the sword-rattling over stadiums this week, TFF took a very interesting call from the mayor of the Inner West Council, Darcy Byrne, regarding the push by Wests Tigers to build a boutique stadium at Leichhardt just as Cronulla and Manly want their own boutique stadiums at Shark Park and Brookvale.
Mr Mayor’s point was very clear, and it boiled down to the fact the Tigers don’t own Leichhardt Oval, the Inner West Council does, and it has NO interest in a boutique stadium going up on its land, thanks.
Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne.Credit:Kate Geraghty
“What we want is for Leichhardt to be refurbished to accommodate all the grassroots sports now using it. Tigers home games are important but we know the future of the ground depends on it being a hub for men’s and women’s grassroots sport, not a single professional football team,” he says.
“It is being used by the community more than ever before – for soccer, union and league – but the ground needs decent amenities including new changing rooms, new toilets and a stand that doesn’t fall down.
“The $300 million – $500 million for a new stadium at Penrith was engineered by Stuart Ayres to save his seat. Now he’s out of the parliament, that should be corrected.
“We don’t need any new funding for new stadiums, just to fairly redistribute the money from Penrith to grassroots facilities like Leichhardt Oval. For a small fraction of that funding we could save Leichhardt Oval instead of having to close it.”
That works for me.
As to the other clubs, Byrne says: “It is worth noting also that Brookvale has already had a new grandstand opened recently and Cronulla flogged off their land to private developers, getting a massive payday. The eighth wonder of the world, Leichhardt, is the only ground that has not received a cent in state government support.”
I suggest this, Premier Chris Minns. Cancel redoing Penrith’s stadium. It was always ridiculous. Put every cent of that money into community sporting facilities like Leichhardt and other centres – particularly regional ones – and we’ll call it all even on the card.
As ever, that will make the NRL clubs squeal. But, as ever, that is just a bonus.
What They Said
Phil Gould being most unpleasant in a Phil Gould kind of way on young Rooster Joseph Suaalii, who has signed a three-year deal worth a reported $1.6 million a season with rugby union starting in early 2025: “Don’t let the door hit you on the arse on the way out. Go. Go now. Gone. He’s made his decision. You sign a contract for rugby 18 months before his league contract ends.”
Gus hunting a Roostallaby.Credit:John Shakespeare
Peter V’landys chimes in: “It’s hard to blame Joseph for going to rugby and considering it as his future when he is going to be paid twice the money for doing half the work.” Not to mention twice the glory and 10 times the exotic travel.
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan on the reaction of NRL figures like Gould: “What a bunch of cry babies. They’ve completely thrown their toys out of the cot. Our elite players will earn more. We are in a different league as we are global with over 800 million people who follow the game and it is played in more than 100 countries. They can say what they want but we won’t be bullied.”
Rooster Brandon Smith proving that history isn’t his strong suit: “I’m waiting for the day that we actually grab one of their guys. Have we ever grabbed one of their guys?” Pull up a chair, Brandon, we need to have a little chat.
Peter Bol.Credit:Scott McNaughton
Australia’s foremost 800m runner, Peter Bol, fighting back against claims he is a drug cheat: “I couldn’t Google to see what I was getting done for. I was worried they were going to see what I was looking up. I went on Netflix and started watching the Lance Armstrong documentary and thought they might notice that. I couldn’t research anything because I felt like I was getting framed.” His treatment has been a disgrace.
Australian goalkeeping coach John Crawley after the IFAB announced it wants to limit what goalkeepers can do in penalty shootouts: “I just think if they take that away from us, we might as well have a penalty and not have a goalkeeper.”
LeBron James after he found a doctor for his feet who told him he doesn’t need surgery: “I went to the ‘LeBron James of feet’ . . . and he told me I shouldn’t [have surgery].” Good thing he didn’t go and see the “Ben Simmons of feet”, as he would have been unavailable.
Peter V’landys, inevitably, on the NRL grand final possibly moving because, after the NSW government put more than $2 billion towards its cause, it declined to give more: “I can confirm the Victorian government and the Queensland government have both reached out. Now that they have reached out, there is the very real possibility of us exploring an NRL Super Bowl-style option for the grand final.” Great. See yers.
Boris Becker.Credit:Getty Images
Boris Becker: “By 17, I won my first million. So money goes out the window, you lose the sense of value. You don’t know that 99 per cent of people don’t ever earn a million pounds. A lot of athletes, we assume the money we earn during our careers will continue to come in afterwards. So we don’t adapt our lifestyles quickly enough. You keep spending money you don’t make any more, you keep spending money that you made before. So, yeah, I’m blaming me.”
Nick Faldo on LIV golfers copping criticism on returning to play at the US Masters: “Hey, if you want to go and do something different, fine. But this [playing in the Masters] is a bit like: you had a job in a store and now you’ve got a new one, then you’re calling the store demanding you get a bonus. I’ve got nothing against these guys, the grass is greener on the other side and all that. But don’t get all uppity if people object when you come back.” Precisely.
Team of the Week
Joseph Suaalii. He has verve in his swerve, Clicquot in his get-go and plays champagne football; he scores tries, brings good publicity and tackles like a demon. Welcome back to the union, young man.
Swans. On top of the AFL ladder after the first two weeks (before Thursday night’s game between Collingwood and Richmond).
Broncos. On top of the ladder after four weeks, and face the winless Wests Tigers on Saturday.
Kazakhstan. Their soccer side came back from 2-0 down to beat Denmark 3-2 in a European Championships qualifier. Very nice!
WA cricket. Nailed a double-triple; that is they won the Shield, one-day and T20 tournaments two years in a row.
Summer McIntosh (fabulous name, by the way). The Canadian swimmer took almost a third of a second off the 400m freestyle world record set by Ariarne Titmus last May.
RIP Manfred Schaefer. 1974 World Cup Socceroo died age 80.
AFL. Just the third time in history that the reigning premiers are 0-2 after two rounds, while last year’s wooden spooners are 2-0.
Twitter: @Peter_Fitz
