In the aftermath of the wrestling session that led to Jackson Topine eventually ending his time at the Bulldogs, his father, Marcus, sent a text to the club promising the biggest lawsuit the game has seen.
The message was sent to a Bulldogs staffer early on July 19 last year and it set the tone for what we are seeing now. Topine’s lawyer lodged a $4 million claim against the Bulldogs in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday that alleges his client was incapable of playing the sport following the wrestling session on July 18 due to the physical and mental harm it caused.
Topine began legal proceedings against the Bulldogs in relation to an incident last year in which he alleges he was punished by head trainer Travis Touma for reporting late to training and was allegedly told to wrestle 30 to 35 of his teammates.
However, at the training session that followed the wrestling punishment, Topine met Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo and Touma on the field where it was explained why he wasn’t among the 17 players named for the weekend’s clash against the Panthers. They questioned him about what took place in regards to the punishment and how he felt about the session.
He did not complain about the wrestling, but he did question whether he was late for training. He did not understand the reason for the punishment, but did not complain about it. Multiple sources at the Bulldogs, speaking privately and on the condition of anonymity, have confirmed this. This will form part of the Bulldogs’ defence if the case gets to court.
In fairness to Topine, he was always seen as a good trainer; he did not shirk his responsibilities.
The Bulldogs are adamant they take the mental health of their players seriously. The football department questions them about various aspects of their lives regularly. The club has a welfare department, which supplements the work of the football department. The Bulldogs say Topine did not tell anyone at the club he was suffering from mental health issues.
Former Canterbury player Jackson Topine.Credit: NRL Photos
Topine was made 18th man after he had a substandard game against Brisbane in round 20 last year. According to the official NRL statistics, he missed four tackles. It would have hurt that, with many players out due to injury, he still could not make the team.
To his credit, after the wrestling session, he trained with the side and went into camp at Rooty Hill in the lead-up to the Panthers clash the following round, and performed his 18th-man duties.
The following week, on the Monday night, he told the club he needed a week off, and was never seen again. The club paid him for more than three months and tried many times to contact him. He did not respond to texts and phone calls, and the club resorted to sending him registered mail to make sure he was getting their correspondence. He was even invited to come back to see the players in the last week of the season, but did not show up. The Bulldogs kept the NRL informed of the situation, including when they stopped paying him.
The Bulldogs declined to comment, while Topine’s lawyer Abdul Reslan said: “As this matter touches on the Bulldogs’ possible response to my clients’ formal claim, then it is proper that he should deal with the matter of the Bulldogs’ response formally in due course, as may be required.”
Star of the show
Paul “Fatty” Vautin shared a lot of screen time and laughs with Terry Hill on The Footy Show, but says Hill’s ability as a footballer should not be discounted.
Hill, who died on Wednesday aged 52, is being remembered as one of the characters of the game, as he should be. But Vautin, who played with Hill at the Roosters and worked with him during The Footy Show’s heyday in the 1990s, says he was also a brilliant footballer.
Terry Hill playing for Manly in his final NRL season in 2005.Credit: Getty
“I had a lot of people reach out to me when the news came through about Terry, but I needed to let it sink in before I wanted to say anything,” Vautin said. “It’s a sad loss for the game and more so obviously for his family. I remember I played with him for a year at Easts in my final season [1991].
“He was only a young bloke, but you could see he was going to be something special. He had this amazing swerve, an in and away, and not many players I know were better at that than him – and combined with his big frame and speed he was always a handful as a footballer. He was a tremendous player for Manly, NSW and Australia.”
Vautin remembers when Hill’s larger-than-life personality became part of The Footy Show.
“We were doing a skit on the beach and I was dressed as the tennis player Liz Smylie,” Vautin said.
“It was a take-off of the Extra ad, and because Liz spoke a little bit like Terry, that was his first role saying the word ‘extra’ with his lisp. He was an instant hit and people loved how he could take the piss out of himself, and he was also very, very fast and sharp-witted.
“He became friendly with the bosses at the time, Gary Burns and Glenn Pallister, and they took a real liking to him, and for a few years there he did a great job on the show; he was fun to be around, great company.
“I haven’t seen him for I reckon 15 years before I heard the news, so it’s quite devastating.”
Quipping boy
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan showed his years of experience with a quip about his old club, Cronulla. Fresh off a hiding at the hands of the Roosters on Anzac Day, he mentioned to reporters that he won a comp at the club he is playing next Sunday, and they have not won one since.
Flanagan came across as arrogant, but it took the attention off the loss, one of the worst in the Dragons’ recent history.
Hush money
It was surprising that Brandon Smith’s decision to exercise his option with the Roosters was met with minimal fanfare. Even more surprising was that his agent simply elected to add the year to his stay at the Roosters without negotiating a further extension. Smith is yet to live up to his star billing at Bondi, but he has shown glimpses of what a great player he is.
Flying J(h)etts
There was an interesting subplot to Nathan Cleary’s Rexona ad shoot during the week. Cleary has been made the face of Rexona in a deal that shows how big his brand is throughout the country.
Jhett Sydir and Jett Cleary.
Also taking part in the shoot was his brother, Jett, who has signed with the Warriors, and another rising Panthers half Jhett Sydir. There are big raps on the 17-year-old.
Jett Cleary and Sydir got to watch a professional up close as Nathan did his thing in front of the cameras. Nathan would have known at the time that his baby brother was heading to the Warriors, but chose to protect him when questioned about his future.
Richo’s role in Rabbitohs’ resurrection
We told you a few weeks ago about a report into South Sydney’s horror 2023 season — when they slumped from leading the competition in May to missing the finals altogether — which no one from the club will talk about or acknowledge.
Well, it turns out it was put together by newly appointed full-time Wests Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson. Richo had no club affiliation at the time and was working for his marketing and digital PR company, Rich Digital.
Shane Richardson at the opening of the Wests Tigers’ Campbelltown office.Credit: Oscar Colman
I have been told by sources with knowledge of the situation, who did not want to speak publicly, that it was delivered to select members of the South Sydney coaching and administration structure. It was definitely seen by head coach Jason Demetriou.
A key recommendation was the appointment of a senior assistant coach to help Demetriou navigate the exits of assistants Sam Burgess and John Morris. The person recommended for that role was David Furner. Four months later, on April 17, Furner was appointed as the defensive coach.
The other significant advice in the report was to take pressure off Latrell Mitchell by reducing his presence in the game. Mitchell has been on a media ban for some weeks, which he imposed on himself, and his social media has really slowed.
Mitchell did break the ban when required to help explain the NRL’s role in assisting troubled youth in Moree. Aside from that, he has been close to invisible online.
Time will Trell
Our item last week about new Blues coach Michael Maguire laying the groundwork for Mitchell to be left out of his team for this year’s series did not meet with any denials. Maguire made it apparent he will be looking for, in his words, “clear-minded” players to represent the state. He made that direct comment when discussing Mitchell.
At his best, or near his peak, Mitchell is an Origin player. Some of his displays for the Blues have been brutal. He has had a big attitude readjustment after a heart-to-heart with South Sydney bosses following his recent suspension.
It will be great to watch the way he approaches his football for the rest of the year.
Hair apparent
A lot was made of Sam Walker’s man of the match display on Anzac Day against the Dragons. Not far behind discussion of his football performance was talk about his new look: the youngster sporting a beard and a new haircut. Turns out he’s now getting styled at a barber shop owned by Angus Crichton. If Walker continues to display that kind of form, he won’t be getting his hair cut anywhere else.
Talking of Anzac Day, there was private acknowledgment from some at the NRL that the AFL’s Anzac eve game has some merit. The NRL Anzac Day spectacular with three games was magnificent, but a game the night before has appeal given the public holiday the next day.
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