Stone. Cold. Motherless. Nothing.
And least of all not now, with the 2027 home World Cup on the horizon and closing fast. Why wouldn’t a player of Cleary’s calibre want to come over? He can surely accomplish no more in the parish-pump game of league, so why not find out what it would be to unleash some of those precision kicks to outflank the English defence at Twickenham? To deliver an inside flick pass to Haas on the fly, to split the Irish up the middle in Dublin? To lift the William Webb Ellis Trophy in triumph, before doing the victory lap at Stadium Australia in October next year?
Reece Walsh and Nathan Cleary at Wembley Stadium. We would make room for them in the Wallabies.Credit: NRL Photos
Four premierships with Penrith is a big deal, no doubt about it. But now weigh up a fifth premiership, against the value of lifting the World Cup on home soil! Does the former even get close?
Ditto Walsh, who was in the papers on Friday putting in his job application for the union, noting his own sentiments when watching the Wallabies: “Geez, could I give this a crack?”
Yes, Reece, you could give it a crack. Even by Wallabies standards, you are one of the most gifted footballers of any generation, and we of the union like the look of you.
We are expecting your call.
Tom Brady is no Patriot
Say what, Tom Brady?
“I don’t have a dog in the fight in this one,” the NFL GOAT quarterback said on the Let’s Go! podcast this week in the lead-up to Monday’s (AEDT) Super Bowl between his old team, the New England Patriots, and the Seattle Seahawks.
“May the best team win … You root for people and you want them to have great performances. I just want to see good football. I want to see good plays, good throws, good strategy, good decisions, and that’s the joy in the game for me.”
Altogether after me, booooooooo, Tom, booooooooooo!
Tom Brady won six Super Bowls beside coach Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots.Credit: AP
I cannot imagine comments more inimical to the whole ethos of football – which is tribal, or it is nothing – than these. Jesus wept, mate, you’re Tom Brady, who played for the Patriots for two decades; collecting half-a-dozen Super Bowl rings; you have a four-metre tall statue of yourself outside their stadium; they’ve retired your jersey; you’re in the Patriots’ hall of fame … and you “don’t have a dog in this fight”?
Why should anyone? If you don’t care, if your blood doesn’t run navy blue, if your pulse doesn’t quicken at the very sight of your team running out, what does that make the legions of Patriots fans who still revere you, who hang on every pass, on every reception … but a bunch’a’bozos?
It would be the equivalent of Wally Lewis saying he doesn’t particularly care who wins State of Origin; John Eales saying he looks forward to next year’s Rugby World Cup but just wants to see some nice tries and is not fussed whether the Wallabies win or not; Zali Steggall saying she’s looking forward to the Winter Olympics, but couldn’t give a flying puck whether Australia gets a medal or not.
And yes, yes, yes, those defending the comments note Brady now works in the media and is straining for some semblance of neutrality, and that he is a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Imagine Wally Lewis (left) not caring who won Origin?Credit: Craig Golding
Fergeedddaboudit!
Who even wants anodyne analysis, from someone with his background, when they just don’t care about the result? Some of the best football broadcasts I’ve seen were when a Queenslander would break away for the line to steal a State of Origin game at the death and Ray Warren’s call would suddenly be engulfed by Paul “Fatty” Vautin beside him, forgetting himself, to rise to his feet and shout out “Go! Go! Go!” because he’d be so desperate to see his side win.
He had a dog in the fight, and we loved him for it, even when it was the wrong dog.
Rant over, Red Rover.
Get in the bin, Tom Brady.
Fatty in a Queensland state of mind
For fun, I checked the above with Ray Warren and Fatty Vautin.
Ray replied: “Hi Fitz. Happened often. Fatty had unrestrained loyalty and love of his state. And why not. Rabs.”
Few people embraced State of Origin like Paul Vautin (left).Credit: Glenn Shipley
Over to you, Fatty: “Hello Fitz. I played 11 years at Manly and Origin for 7 years. And no prouder player to do so. And every player who joins the media comes from somewhere. It’s not encouraged when you commentate to favour your old team. But I couldn’t help myself. I would cheer on Manly and cheer on Qld in the box with unbridled enthusiasm. And if people didn’t like it I didn’t give a f—. The thousands of people who cheered me on at Brooky and Lang Park as a player deserved it.”
Exactly. Game over.
Reincarnation of Buddha
On Wednesday morning, TFF attended the state funeral of surely the most beloved governor NSW has ever been blessed with, Dame Marie Bashir. It was at St James Church on Philip Street, where nigh on a decade ago we had farewelled her husband, the great Wallaby Sir Nicholas Shehadie.
My favourite yarn from the eulogies concerned the times when Bashir was so often going to Vietnam, in the 1970s on medical education projects, that Shehadie laughingly enquired if she was having an affair over there.
“Why don’t you come with me, then?” she suggested.
So he did.
“And it went very well,” her one-time medical colleague Professor Bruce Robinson told the tightly packed congregation, listening in the dappled light thrown by the stained-glass windows. “The Vietnamese looked at his cauliflower ears and thought he must be a reincarnation of Buddha!”
What they said
Novak Djokovic on the doubters after making the Australian Open final: “I never stopped believing in myself. There’s a lot of people that doubt me. I see there [are] a lot of experts, all of a sudden, that wanted to retire me or have retired me many times the last couple of years. I want to thank them all because they gave me strength.” Shades of Nick Faldo’s famous line, thanking the press “from the heart of my bottom”.
Novak Djokovic’s run to the Australian Open men’s final was remarkable.Credit: Getty Images
Djokovic after the loss in the final to Carlos Alcaraz, with Rafael Nadal watching on: “I also want to speak to the legendary Rafa who is in the stands. Obviously it feels very weird to see you there and not here. I just want to say it has been an honour to share the court with you. To have you here watching this final, first time for me, it is a strange feeling, but thank you for being present. Too many Spanish legends – it felt like I was two against one tonight!”
Elena Rybakina on winning her second tennis major: “It’s amazing to hold this trophy. I knew that today if I get a chance to lead that I will need to try some risky shots and just go for it … not wait for any mistakes or even get to the long rallies.”
NRL star Tino Fa’asuamaleaui: “I want to remain loyal and be part of the team that delivers premiership success to the Gold Coast.” After that, he should try an easier one, like securing peace in the Middle East.
Donald Trump on there being some Indycar race around Washington DC: “It’s going to be so exciting. I love the racing. I don’t have a lot of time to watch it, but I love the racing.” Golf does, after all, eat up the hours.
LeBron James refuses to give in in his battle with Father Time. And if you can still do this, why would you?Credit: AP
LeBron James on taking on Father Time, even as Mother Nature stalks him close: “The question gets asked more and the thought creeps in my mind more at 41 years old of when the end is and where’s the finish line for us to hang this thing up. But the drive on, how much juice I can squeeze out of this orange? I’m in a battle with Father Time, and I’m taking it personal, and I’m gonna see how many more times I could be victorious over him.”
Liberal powerbroker Alex Hawke reaches for a sporting metaphor to sum up the current political debacle: “David Littleproud is on the verge of scoring the biggest own goal in centre-right Australian politics of our entire history if he [permanently splits the Coalition]. We are saying to the Nationals: ‘Don’t score this own goal. You’ve got the ball, you’ve turned around, you’re aiming at the goal, pull away, kick it to the side, get back with us, and let’s not let this happen’.”
Former All Black Brad Thorn, on a potential code swap for Payne Haas: “He’d be a No.8. When I talk about rugby with people, it’s like a decathlon … power scrimmaging, lineouts, rucks, breakdowns, pick and go, mauling, kick-off receipts, there’s a lot to rugby set piece to forward play.” All that, and you finish by getting the high jump.
Narrabri speedster Sid Harvey on making it to the Waratahs at the age of 20: “It was obviously hard. You come to Sydney to play as part of NSW Country or CHS and these boys have been in gyms since they were 14 – they’ve been eating dumbbells. I hadn’t seen a gym until I was about 17.”
Sid Harvey races away from the Reds’ defence to score for the Waratahs in a trial game at Ballymore.Credit: Hugo Carr
Swans director of coaching Simon Goodwin on the Sydney v Melbourne lifestyle rivalry: “I’ve really enjoyed the Sydney way of living – it doesn’t mean that you’re not intense with football when we’re at the club. It’s more the city – when you walk out your door, the incidentals of having a coffee and not having to talk footy is refreshing.”
Team of the week
Indra Brown. A specialist in “halfpipe”, “slopestyle” and “big air”, whatever they are, the 16-year-old Melburnian is the youngest Australian athlete at the Winter Olympics, which started an hour or two ago, if you are reading this over Saturday brekkie.
Cameron Myers. The 19-year-old Australian ran the Wanamaker Mile, whatever that is, in the stunning time of 3 minutes 47.57 seconds, becoming the youngest athlete in history to win it. Lately, Australian athletics seems to be producing a few world-class competitors.
Australia. World T20 campaign gets under way on Wednesday against Ireland. I love Ireland. But, seriously?
Michael Dickson. Good luck to the Sydneysider turned Seattle Seahawks punter in Monday’s (AEDT) Super Bowl.
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Waratahs. Super Rugby season starts on Friday against Queensland.
Caitlin Foord. The Australian striker scored the winning goal for Arsenal in their FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final. Fellow Matildas Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross were also part of the Arsenal team.
Carlos Alcaraz. If he wins the Australian Open next year as well, he will become the youngest male player to complete the double career slam – winning every major twice – at 23. Only four other men have done it: Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
