Robinson told Gould, the Bulldogs general manager, to “stick to his own turf”, before Gould hit back on his Set of Six podcast saying that he “fears no-one”, among other stuff.
The lesson here: never get into a blue with someone who has 34 different media gigs.
We’ll get to the Suaalii gibber shortly, but the fascinating subplot is Gould’s deepening feud with his former club and, especially, chairman Nick Politis.
Gould infuriated the club in September 2021 when he said South Sydney fullback Latrell Mitchell shouldn’t be sanctioned for breaking the face of Roosters centre Joey Manu.
Robinson and Gould had it out over the phone at the time, with Gould later describing it as “emotional”, but it didn’t put the matter to bed.
Indeed, it’s well known around the Roosters that Gould and Politis haven’t spoken in well over a year, despite attempts from a mutual friend to broker peace.
Joseph Suaalii, Trent Robinson and Phil Gould.Credit:Photos: Getty
Gould drifts in and out of relationships all the time. Remember, he fell out with his former manager, Wayne Beavis, over Anthony Griffin in 2020.
But Gould and Politis have a long history, stretching back to the 1990s when Politis lured him from Penrith to become coach. In 2006, Politis asked Gould who should replace Ricky Stuart and Gould said Wayne Bennett. Politis snapped up Bennett, who then reneged.
Many people think Gould has been over the top with some of his opinions of late but, in reality, it’s a return to the good old days when Cyclone Gus would rip and tear in his Sun-Herald column.
If I know the combatants well enough, they’ll be breaking bread at Beppi’s and calling each other “baby” before you know it. Others, though, aren’t so sure.
Gould did not respond to requests to comment.
Suaalii exposes league’s glass jaw
Still on Suaalii, rugby league showed how fragile its jaw can be after he signed with Rugby Australia from 2025 onwards on a deal apparently, maybe, quite possibly, worth $4.5 million over three years.
Rugby league beats its chest whenever it lands a talented young player from the GPS system, but when Suaalii returns to the game he played for the King’s School as a youngster, some consider it an act of Prince Harry-like treachery.
Nobody lost more than the Roosters yet they seem to be the least concerned about it.
Roosters chairman Nick Politis.Credit:Tim Bauer
It gives them certainty around their salary cap because they at least know when he’s going and can plan for it.
At least Suaalii was man enough to be up front with the Roosters about the deal, telling Politis and Robinson he’d signed when his agent, Issac Moses, kept saying no deal been done.
As for rugby, it’s another kill for Hamish McLennan, who thinks more like a newspaper editor than the chairman of a football code.
First, he got Eddie Jones then Suaalii – who, he told the ABC, was “reassuringly expensive”.
The signings are garnering plenty of media interest but, if it all doesn’t work out, I can guarantee who the stories will be about.
SIA’s silence on Bol is deafening
Revelations in the Herald this week that two independent experts have cleared Australian runner Peter Bol of using banned substance EPO should concern every Australian taxpayer because they bring into sharp focus the competency of two federal agencies: Sports Integrity Australia and the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory.
Of course, both agencies repeatedly refused to comment on the matter. So did various federal MPs, including sports minister Anika Wells.
A former Canberra Raiders football manager, SIA chief executive David Sharpe is more than happy to do media interviews spruiking the good work his organisation does in the fight against doping, match-fixing and racism.
But why can’t he or anyone from SIA answer serious questions about the Bol case? Questions like …
Why is the investigation into Bol ongoing? Why did investigators tell Bol they would need to interview him this month — but haven’t? What do they say to claims the SAR-Page method used to determine the use of synthetic EPO is in an athlete’s body is outdated and dangerously subjective?
The only politician who has spoken publicly on the matter is Labor MP Bill Shorten, who runs from time to time with Bol after the pair met at an AFL function years ago.
“I am his friend,” Shorten said on Thursday. “I’ve known him for any number of years. I think he’s a great Australian athlete. I have a very personal reaction that I’m relieved [he] is through what was a very difficult period. I was very supportive him when the first issues arose, and I remained very supportive. I’m pleased for him, his manager, his family and all his supporters.”
But Shorten dodged questions about SIA and the ASDTL.
“In terms of political ramifications, I learned a long time ago in this [place] that the [less] politicians talk about politics and sport, the better for all of us,” he said.
Murdoch drops in on Broncos – but Bennett’s none the wiser
News Corp co-chair Lachlan Murdoch was a notable face in the Broncos dressing-room before and after their dramatic victory against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium last Friday night.
Channel Nine cameras captured Murdoch standing to the side chatting to former captain Gorden Tallis and chief executive Dave Donaghy as the players warmed up. Murdoch then watched the match from his own private box.
Gorden Tallis and Lachlan Murdoch locked in discussion back in 2004.Credit:Getty
His attendance was significant because of who was in the dressing-room on the other side of the tunnel.
Murdoch and Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett were once very close, dating back to the 1990s when young Lachie was dispatched to Brisbane to learn about the newspaper trade.
They were in lockstep during Super League and then, in 2015, when Bennett phoned Murdoch and asked him to come back to the club.
Most notably, though, Murdoch didn’t intervene as Bennett’s relationship with club bosses Paul White and Karl Morris soured, and Bennett was eventually sacked in 2018.
Did the two cross paths on Friday night? They did not. Bennett didn’t even know he was there.
Soward sweetener for Dragons
While debate swirls about the future of Anthony Griffin, there is one coach at the Dragons the club can move on: NRLW mentor Jamie Soward.
The former premiership-winning five-eighth has done great things with the women’s team and, despite being stuffed around by certain player managers in recent times, signed nine players this week — including reigning Dally M Medallist Raecene McGregor.
Soward is off contract at the end of this year, and the club should move quickly to secure him.
THE QUOTE
“South Sydney isn’t a club, mate – it’s a religion.” — Rabbitohs part-owner Mike Cannon-Brookes. Nothing like a tech billionaire explaining the importance of a club that’s been around since 1908 to its working-class fans.
THUMBS UP
Canadian 16-year-old Summer McIntosh set a new world record in the women’s 400-metre freestyle at the Canadian swimming trials earlier this week, breaking the mark of 3 minutes, 56.4 seconds set last year by Australia’s Ariarne Titmus. Her emotional post-race interview was almost as good as the swim. Gauntlet down, Ariarne.
THUMBS DOWN
From July 1, Socceroos goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne won’t be allowed to prance about like the Grey Wiggle he was born to be after football authorities changed the rules around penalty kicks. There hasn’t been a Wiggles scandal like this since the Yellow Wiggle broke up with the Purple Wiggle. Seriously, how much of an advantage do you want to give the penalty taker?
It’s a big weekend for … devotees of thoroughbred racing, with the first day of The Championships held at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Main races include the Doncaster Handicap, TJ Smith Stakes, Australian Derby, and the mad dash to the taxi queue after the last. Might be my only collect of the day.
It’s an even bigger weekend for … Oscar Piastri, who will contest his first Australian F1 Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne. The 21-year-old grew up on the streets of Melbourne and some say he knows every piece of bitumen on which he will be driving his McLaren at rather high speed. I made that last bit up, of course.
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