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Peter V’Landys accuses NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet of reneging on handshake deal

A frustrated Peter V’landys has accused NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet of breaking promises, as the stoush over renovations to several stadiums in Sydney continues.

A deal was put in place earlier this year to keep the NRL grand final in Sydney for another 20 years, and V’landys said he was told by the premier that planned upgrades for Shark Park, Leichhardt Oval, and Brookvale Oval would go ahead.

A handshake deal took place inside Perrottet’s office in April, according to the NRL powerbroker.

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“We looked the premier in the eye, we shook his hand, we did a deal and he’s just blatantly reneged,” V’landys told 2GB this morning.

“That’s the summary. When you do a deal and you shake someone’s hand you honor that agreement.”

But the premier fired back a couple of hours later, saying the ARLC boss was not the person he answered to.

“When circumstances change, priorities change – and ultimately, I’m not accountable to Peter V’landys. I’m accountable to the people of NSW, they are my priority, and I will always act in the interests of the people of our state.”

Perrottet defended allegations of pork barreling in regards to Penrith receiving funding for a new stadium, while others may be set to go without.

Perrottet said it had always been his view that the ‘three great cities’ in Sydney would each have a world class stadium in the new SFS, the new Parramatta Stadium and the soon to be new Penrith Stadium.

“We have been committed to a suburban stadium policy, and I’ve made that very clear. We’ve made decisions along the way; whether it’s a suburban stadium in Penrith, or whether it’s the centers of excellence that were funded in this year’s budget.”

V’landys yesterday accused the state government of using the recent floods as a political tool to renege on the deal, despite multiple conversations to the contrary this year.

“This is about the fourth or fifth excuse that’s been given to us,” he said.

Both the Sea Eagles’ and Sharks’ stadiums were earmarked for $100m in funding, with another $50m for Leichhardt Oval.

“We won’t give up, we’re the custodians of the game and we’re going to make sure that the fans do get the facilities,” V’Landys said.

He also said that the $800m upgrades for Stadium Australia at Homebush were a ‘white elephant’ and instead suggested that the money be used to give suburban grounds a facelift.

Now, he said, trust could potentially be gone forever.

“They’ve just blatantly reneged – and it’s very disappointing. How is any organization or business going to make an agreement with the NSW government when it’s got a precedent of reneging?”

The premier defended his stance, refusing to buckle to pressure from the sport, even if it meant losing the NRL grand finale.

“That would be incredibly disappointing if we lost the grand finale,” he told reporters.

“But the reality is I have to make decisions in the best interests of the people of New South Wales, and we have gone through a very difficult time as a state, I have over 1000 people without a home, based on the flooding that we have been seen across New South Wales.

“The cost to the taxpayers, in respect of that event is going to be significant, and my job as premier, when circumstances change, priorities change as well.”

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Commonwealth Games in pictures: English swim star Adam Peaty apologises for ‘arrogant’ interview

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Cody Simpson’s mum Angie weighs in on her son’s ‘love triangle’ with Emma McKeon and swimmer Kyle Chalmers

Cody Simpson's mum Angie weighs in on her son's 'love triangle' with Emma McKeon and swimmer Kyle Chalmers

Cody Simpson’s mum Angie and sister Alli have weighed in on the singer-turned-swimmer’s love triangle with Emma McKeon and Kyle Chalmers.

Appearing on Sunrise live from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Angie and Allie told hosts David Koch and Nat Barr that the former singer’s background in the spotlight — particularly his relationship with Miley Cryus — made him uniquely qualified to handle his private life making global headlines.

Cody Simpson and Emma McKeon went Insta official in July.
Camera IconCody Simpson and Emma McKeon went Insta official in July. Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“I think he has been lucky because he has had so much history with press and media before, performing on stage for thousands of people,” Angie said.

“So I think the pressures of what he has dealt with in camp and at the Commonwealth Games has been pretty easy for him.

“It has given him an advantage to deal with a lot of those stresses and not let that stuff bother him.”

Alli added: “I think he’s used to it, growing up from a very young age in the entertainment world a lot of this stuff is what comes with it, the public eye and the public world.”

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Josh Papalii commits to Samoa for Rugby League World Cup, Kangaroos, Australia, Brian To’o, news, updates

Josh Papalii commits to Samoa for Rugby League World Cup, Kangaroos, Australia, Brian To'o, news, updates

Canberra Raiders prop Josh Papalii has reportedly pledged his allegiance to Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup held in England later this year.

Papalii has dabbled in the Samoan and Kangaroos camps in the past with four games with Samoa and 11 with the Kangaroos.

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The Maroons veteran is the latest Australian eligible player to commit to a Pacific Island nation, joining Panthers duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o.

“As an older player, I feel like it’s a movement I just don’t want to be missing out on,” Papalii said.

“Just seeing the likes of a few of the Penrith boys coming out and I’ve had few text messages from other players who haven’t come out yet saying they’ve put their hand up for Samoa.

“I have put my hand up to play for Samoa. Mal Meninga knows that and I’ve had a coffee with Mal as well to speak about what I’m planning to do… but that’s a long way from here, anything can happen in the next hopefully eight weeks.”

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This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be Papalii’s second for Samoa. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Papalii represented Samoa at the 2017 World Cup but has since pulled on the green and gold of Australia.

“I guess probably my last World Cup wasn’t the best, I sort of treated it as a little vacation and probably drank a bit too often, ate more than I should have,” he admitted.

“I’m looking to just play a bit of World Cup for the Motherland and represent my wife and my kids and especially my parents as well and just make Samoa proud.”

This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be hosted in the United Kingdom, making it Papalii’s third appearance in the major tournament, being his second with his native country of Samoa.

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Rangers’ Champions League progress at risk after Union St-Gilloise defeat | Champions League

Rangers’ first step towards the Champions League ended in some despair with a 2-0 defeat by Union St-Gilloise in the first leg of their third qualifying round in Belgium.

The Ibrox side’s exciting journey to the Europa League final last season whetted the appetite for European football’s elite club competition. However, amid a passive first-half performance by the Light Blues, the home side took the lead in the 27th minute when Captain Teddy Teuma opened the scoring with a shot which asked questions of Jon McLaughlin’s attempt to save.

A labored display from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side continued after the break and a Dante Vanzeir penalty in the 76th minute doubled the Belgian side’s lead.

The return game is at Ibrox next Tuesday and Rangers will have to come up with something really special if they are to face either Monaco or PSV Eindhoven in the playoff.

The Scottish Cup winners traveled in good spirits to Belgium despite missing injured winger Ryan Kent and defender John Souttar, with the latter replaced by James Sands. Wales international Rabbi Matondo made his competitive debut and fellow new signing Malik Tillman was in from the start.

McLaughlin kept his place in goal over last season’s No 1, Allan McGregor, for a match played 30 miles outside of Brussels at Den Dreef Stadium in Leuven as USG’s ground was not up to scratch for a European tie.

It was a mainly controlled opening to the game by Rangers. In the seventh minute a left-footed free-kick from the edge of the box by Borna Barisic drew a fine save at his near post by Anthony Moris, who then saved long-distance drives from Sands and Tillman.

However, clear-cut chances remained elusive and when USG – who are owned by the Brighton owner Tony Bloom – eventually came alive they were soon rewarded. In the 25th minute Vanzeir slid a cross from Simon Adingra, on loan from Brighton, just past the near post.

James Tavernier (left) up against Loïc Lapoussin in Belgium
James Tavernier (left) up against Loïc Lapoussin in Belgium Photograph: Laurie Dieffembacq/Belga/AFP/Getty Images

But two minutes later, after Rangers failed to mop up danger inside their box, the ball fell to Teuma and he fired the ball through the hands of McLaughlin, changing the mood of the game.

Rangers were no more cohesive at the start of the second half.

Just before the hour mark wing-back Bart Nieuwkoop drove inches wide of McLaughlin’s left-hand post from the edge of the box. Van Bronckhorst acted in the 67th minute with defenders Ridvan Yilmaz and Ben Davies coming on to make their debuts, with Barisic and Ryan Jack making way.

But it soon got worse for the visitors. In the 71st minute McLaughlin made saves from Adinga and then Vanzeir but as a VAR check stopped play, referee Irfan Peljto decided Teuma’s drive, which hit the arm of defender Connor Goldson, was deserving of a penalty. Vanzeir sent McLaughlin the wrong way.

McLaughlin then denied Vanzeir to prevent it becoming 3-0 with James Tavernier clearing off the line in added time. Rangers have the chance to recover the tie next week but a vast improvement will be required.

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Where more golds will be won: New Zealand’s next big hopes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Where more golds will be won: New Zealand's next big hopes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

When Nigel Avery says he hasn’t counted New Zealand’s medal tally at the Commonwealth Games, it’s possibly because he hasn’t the time to.

With just under a week still remaining at the 2022 Games in Birmingham, the New Zealand team were already more than halfway to surpassing their medal tally from the Gold Coast four years ago – which was the country’s second-most successful performance.

Two more gold medals at the track in London on Tuesday (NZ time) by the dominant duo of Ellesse Andrews and Aaron Gate, and a backstroke win in the pool from Andrew Jeffcoat gave the Kiwis 13 gold already – they won 15 in 2018 and 14 at the 2014 event in Glasgow – and New Zealand tallied 26 in total by the end of day five.

David Liti is defending his 2018 title in Birmingham early on Thursday (NZT).

Scott Barbour/Getty Images

David Liti is defending his 2018 title in Birmingham early on Thursday (NZT).

“I haven’t really counted them,” Avery, the NZ team’s chef de mission, said in Birmingham on Wednesday morning (NZ time).

“My dad has, he’s telling me ‘I think it’s going to be this’.

“With the cycling crew on the track down in London, that first day must have been one of their best ever – but they’ve had more of them. And likewise with swimming, their success has been outstanding.

“You’d probably have to say, even without ringing up the statistics, that we’re in pretty good shape. the [NZ athletes’] villages are really buzzing.”

So where to from here? New Zealand’s record Commonwealth Games gold medal haul of 17 from Auckland in 1990 is under serious threat and the team still have some huge gold medal chances in Birmingham.

Here are the pick of them, and when they will come for gold, in chronological order, as a big day six beckons for the team in black:

Sam Gaze wins gold in the mountain biking in 2018.

Phil Walter/Getty Images

Sam Gaze wins gold in the mountain biking in 2018.

Sam Gaze: Defends the men’s mountainbike crown he won in sensational circumstances four years ago but without competition from fellow Kiwi Anton Cooper this time, after Cooper withdrew the day before the race (which starts at 10:30pm Wednesday) with Covid-19.

David Litti: The team’s strongman will defend his +109kg weightlifting crown at 5:30am Thursday (NZT), and he might be required at the end of the Games to handle the extra medal baggage coming home.

Paul Cole: The world No 2 will be up against Joel Makin of Wales for men’s singles squash gold around 6am Thursday and then Joelle King will be seeking to rebound from her semifinal loss to chase gold in the women’s and mixed doubles, the latter in a formidable lineup with Coll. That gold medal match is early on Monday (NZT).

High jumper Hamish Kerr of New Zealand.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

High jumper Hamish Kerr of New Zealand.

Hamish Kerr: The men’s high jumper sprung to national attention with his bold showing at the Tokyo Olympics last year and showed that he wasn’t a flash in the pan when gaining bronze at the world indoor champs earlier this year. His final starts at 6am Thursday.

Lewis Clareburt: Already a star of the games, one of Wellington’s favorite sons looks primed to add a third medal in the men’s 200 individual medley at the pool (6.07am Thursday NZT). Out to stop him will be Australians Mitchell Larkin and Brendon Smith (second behind Clareburt in the 400IM), England’s Tom Dean (the Olympic 200 free champ) and Scotland’s Duncan Scott, who took bronze in the 400IM after beating Dean in the 200 free this week.

New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather starts in her best event, the 400m freestyle at 6.37am but is up against superstars Ariarne Titmus (Australia) and teenage Summer McIntosh of Canada.

Maddi Wesche was a confident qualifier in the women's shot put.

Simon Stacpoole/Photosport

Maddi Wesche was a confident qualifier in the women’s shot put.

Maddi Wesch: The 23-year-old is also chasing shot put gold, and she eased through qualifying, with her final scheduled for 7:05am Thursday. Wesche was seventh at the recent world champs and will fight out gold with Canada’s Sarah Mitton and Jamaica’s Daniell Thomas-Dodd. Mitton threw 27cm further than Wesche at the worlds in Oregon to finish fourth.

Aaron Gate and his fellow cyclists: Just because the track events have ridden off into the distance, doesn’t mean NZ aren’t eyeing up a handful more medals on the road.

Gate and fellow team pursuit gold medalist Tom Sexton will set off in the men’s time trial just after 11pm Thursday (NZT), as Gate bids to become the first New Zealand athlete to win four golds at one Commonwealth Games. On current form you wouldn’t bet against him.

The women’s time trial lineup is also stacked with potential winners/medallists: Henrietta Christie, Mikayla Harvey and Georgia Williams. The women race off in staggered starts from 9pm Thursday.

The women’s trio will be joined by Niamh Fisher-Black and Ella Harris in the women’s road race at 7pm Sunday (NZ time), while Patrick Bevin will be one to watch in the men’s event starting at 11:30pm the same day.

Tom Walsh is the warmest of gold medal favorites in the shot put.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Tom Walsh is the warmest of gold medal favorites in the shot put.

Tom Walsh: The two-time Olympic bronze medalist is heavily favored to win his second Commonwealth Games men’s shot put gold on Saturday (6:06am NZT) and has fired a pre-competition warning to his rivals, including fellow Kiwi Jacko Gill.

Julia Ratcliffe: One of three NZ women’s hammer throwers in Birmingham, Ratcliffe won the title on the Gold Coast and she and team-mates Lauren Bruce and Nicole Bradley are contenders in Birmingham when the medals get handed out on Sunday (6am NZ time).

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Supercars stakeholder selling out – Speedcafe

Supercars stakeholder selling out - Speedcafe

Supercars at The Bend

A shareholder in the consortium which owns Supercars is set to sell out.

Speedcafe.com understands that the stakeholder is in fact Sydney property tycoon Brian Boyd, who is also a part-owner in the Australian Racing Group (ARG).

It had been thought that ARG held a 30 percent share of Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises (RACE), but Speedcafe.com now believes that the 30 percent in question is in fact separate holdings owned by Boyd and the Rogers’ respectively.

It is thus understood, contrary to an earlier report, it is not ARG itself which is selling a stake in RACE.

Barry Rogers has reaffirmed his commitment to Supercars amid the stakeholder sell-out and confirmed the Rogers-owned shares are not on the market.

“No, we’ve we haven’t sold any of our shares,” Barry Rogers told Speedcafe.com.

“We’re committed to the whole…we’re committed to all of motorsport, bloody oath we are.

“At this point, we’re committed to everything we do. We’re committed to a sharing holding in RACE, we’re committed our involvement with ARG and our share holding there.

“That’s sort of where we stand, but I can’t speak for others.”

On the so-called ‘ARG stake’, Rogers explained, “There’s two ARG people, being us, and a fellow called Brian Boyd, who is Payce.

“Between us, we’ve got a percentage of RACE, but they’re in our individual names.”

He elaborated, “I think, between us, we’ve probably got about just short of 30 percent stake; not remove 30 percent combined.”

The news that a shareholder is set to sell out follows a reportedly rejected takeover bid of Supercars from European company FanTech.

At the time, Barclay Nettlefold, Supercars’ chairman, acknowledged that a number of approaches have been made for the business but did not provide further detail.

Rogers penned an email to Supercars team owners in the wake of the reports, obtained by Speedcafe.com.

In that email, Rogers spoke of the fragmentation of the Australian motorsport landscape and a divide between Supercars and ARG, despite the common ownership.

RACE acquired Supercars last October, purchasing Archer Capital’s approximately 60 percent stake and the 35 percent of shares owned by the teams themselves.

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Luke Keary, concussion, head knock, Sydney Roosters, Lindsay Collins, recovery time

Luke Keary, concussion, head knock, Sydney Roosters, Lindsay Collins, recovery time

Roosters star Luke Keary has opened up on his concussion battles, how he’s dealt with the setbacks and why it can be one of the more frustrating injuries.

He has also revealed that teammate Lindsay Collins will take a break from the game after suffering a head knock against Manly — his second in as many weeks.

Keary suffered a head knock in the Roosters’ Round 14 loss to the Storm and was sidelined for four weeks before starring in his return game against the Knights.

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The 30-year-old has a well-documented history with concussion. He suffered four in the space of 14 months between January 2018 and May 2019 — with the last one during that period forcing him into an extended break from the game.

When he suffered his latest knock, many in the game feared for his long-term future. But Keary had the advice of those who know best to guide him through a tricky period.

Speaking for the first time since that head knock, Keary told the Fox League Podcast that he was “a little bit nervous” to return in Round 19.

But shared that “compartmentalizing” and listening to medical advice is what helped him get back onto the field.

“I think the way you deal with it initially and the big one is the medical advice you get. I found the top neurologist in the country giving you advice — they’re the ones you should listen to,” he said.

“There’s a lot of people who are going to have an opinion about it, which is fair enough, but if you can just listen to them (neurologist), they’re not going to put you at risk. They’re not going to let you get back out there if they think there’s a risk to your long-term future.

“If you can kind of compartmentalize everything and take the right people’s advice it makes you a little less nervous to come back.

“But it’s always a tough one to come back from… you don’t want to get them as a player and you don’t want to see other players get them.”

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Keary also gave a rare insight into what the recovery period actually looks like for players — and why it’s different for everyone.

“I’ve had ones where I’ve had symptoms and with those you can’t do anything, you’ve just got to rest and wait for the symptoms to go, the NRL has a return to play policy which you follow and it’s a pretty safe way to get back into contact and games,” he said.

“Then there’s others… In 2019 I had a few in a row and I had a forced six-week lay-off. I was actually fine, I didn’t have any symptoms, but the doctors thought it was the best thing to have a month off.

“I was fine the whole time, I had a couple of weeks off then I trained with the boys for three or four weeks. I think they’re all different depending on symptoms.”

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It’s those types of concussions where there’s no symptoms that Keary admitted are “definitely” frustrating because his body may have felt fine but he had to put his long-term health first.

“Obviously with other injuries you just know straight away, whatever it is there’s sort of a set time limit. Head (injuries) are very different,” he said.

“Every single player is different. Some players take an hour to recover, some take weeks, some take months.

“The neurologist will tell you too, I think it’s the brain patterns don’t go back to normal for a few weeks so I think in society and even in medical they admit don’t have all the information they need at the moment.

“But I’m pretty experienced with them so I can tell you they’re very cautious and they don’t take footy into consideration — they take into consideration your health.

“As a game we’re doing as good a job as we can to protect the players and put in the best measures and protocols we know at the moment which are going to help.

“It’s never going to be perfect because as I said even the top docs will admit they just don’t have enough information yet.”

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Between Keary’s history and the early retirements of Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend last season, the Roosters are well-equipped for concussion challenges.

They’ll take their time with Collins, who suffered a head knock in Origin III and then another against Manly last Thursday.

Keary revealed Collins, who is “in good spirits,” will take a break but is hopeful of returning before the end of the season.

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“It was real unfortunate,” Keary said of Collins’ concussion.

“Obviously the Origin one and then first game back, that wasn’t a pretty sight. But he was in really good spirits.

“It’s funny, everyone’s different and some knocks you’re rattled by, they make you sick and then others you’re fine five minutes late.

“Linds was in real good spirits after the game, he’s been at training every day — he wanted to train with us yesterday but the doctors wouldn’t let him.

“He’s obviously going to have some time off, get himself right, make sure his head and neck are right, make sure everything is OK, go see some independent doctors and take the time he needs to come back, make sure he’s healthy and strong and to make sure he’s OK to play.

“Hopefully we get him back before the end of the season, but if not, we all just want Linds to get healthy again.”

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Commonwealth Games 2022 medal tally: Australia leads rankings, 11 gold medals clear of England

Shayna Jack, Mollie O'Callaghan and Emma McKeon hug on the 100m freestyle podium at the Commonwealth Games.

Australia is well ahead in the medal tally on day five of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

It was another strong day of competition, with Australia winning 35 medals across multiple events. Here is the medal tally for Australia’s athletes so far:

  • Gold: 42
  • Silver: 32
  • Bronze: 32
  • Total: 106

You can check out how the latest batch of medals were won in our Commonwealth Games blog, or have a look at the medal winners and the top 10 medal standings by country below:

Day five:

Gold:

  • Kaylee McKeown, Zac Stubblety-Cook, Matthew Temple and Emma McKeon, swimming, mixed 4X100 medley
  • Eileen Cikamatana, weightlifting, women’s 87kg division
  • Ariarne Titmus, swimming, 800m freestyle
  • Jasmine Greenwood, swimming, SM10 individual medley
  • Col Pearse, swimming, 100m butterfly
  • Nina Kennedy, athletics, pole vault
  • Australia’s men’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball
  • Mollie O’Callaghan, swimming, 100m freestyle
  • Elizabeth Dekkers, swimming, 200m butterfly
  • Kate McDonald, gymnastics, beam
  • Aoife Coughlan, judo, women’s 70kg

Silver:

  • Jaydon Page, athletics, T45-47 100m
  • Kiah Melverton, swimming, 800m freestyle
  • Alex Staffy, swimming, butterfly
  • Sam Williamson, swimming, 50m breaststroke
  • Matt Temple, swimming, 100m butterfly
  • Shayna Jack, swimming, 100m freestyle
  • Damien Delgado and Chris Flavel, lawn bowls, for men’s pairs
  • Bradley Woodward, swimming, 200m backstroke

Bronze:

  • Lani Pallister, swimming, 800m freestyle
  • Keira Stephens, swimming, SM10 individual medley
  • Rhiannon Clarke, athletics, T37/38 100m final
  • Emma McKeon, swimming, 100m freestyle
  • Brianna Throssell, swimming, 200m butterfly
  • Emily Whitehead, gymnastics, floor final
  • Chelsea Hodges, swimming, 100m breaststroke
  • James Bacueti, gymnastics, vault
  • Georgia Godwin, gymnastics, beam

Birmingham 2022 medal tally:

POSITION

TEAM

gold

SILVER

BRONZE

TOTAL

1

Australia

42

32

32

106

two

England

31

3. 4

twenty-one

86

3

new zealand

13

7

6

26

4

Canada

eleven

16

19

46

5

south africa

6

5

5

16

6

India

5

5

3

13

7

Scotland

3

8

fifteen

26

8

wales

3

two

8

13

9

Malaysian

3

two

3

8

10

Nigeria

3

1

4

8

posted

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Adelaide Crows director apologizes to Eddie Betts over 2018 pre-season camp

Adelaide Crows director apologizes to Eddie Betts over 2018 pre-season camp

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But Betts, a three-time All-Australian player, wrote that he would have to live for the rest of his life with the shame of having participated in some of the more confronting exercises conducted at the camp, run by a group he has chosen not to name.

Betts described the camp as “weird” and “completely disrespectful” and left him feeling “like a piece of me was brainwashed”.

In his book, Betts says that confidential information he had given in a private counseling session on the camp had been misused, and that the camp co-opted sensitive Aboriginal cultural rituals that offended him, jeopardised the wellbeing of other, younger Indigenous players within the Crows’ playing squad, and affected his family life. He said it led to his lack of form in 2018 that ultimately prompted him to leave the Crows.

Silvers said he had exchanged text messages with Betts on Wednesday, with a more detailed chat to be had later in the week.

“Six years [Betts] lit up the Adelaide Oval. For a long period of time, Eddie, Anna and the family have been an integral part of the club. So, what I read I was actually saddened to read it. People’s welfare and well-being is paramount to our club. So I’m sorry to read the coverage,” Silvers said.

“I don’t want to speak on his behalf. It’s obviously hurt him in a number of ways. But like I said, I’m a new leader at this footy club. I wasn’t there at the time. We’ve got a number of new pillars here we’ve got a new head coach, new head of foot and new chair, new CEO. I like to feel we’re moving in a different direction. And we’d love to see Eddie and his family back at our club. ”

Adelaide Crows director Mark Ricciuto (left) is the last key football figure still at the club in the wake of the fall out of the 2018 pre-season camp, as detailed by Eddie Betts in his new book.

Adelaide Crows director Mark Ricciuto (left) is the last key football figure still at the club in the wake of the fall out of the 2018 pre-season camp, as detailed by Eddie Betts in his new book.Credit:Getty Images

Ricciuto, who said he hopes Betts “is moving on”, is again in the spotlight, with Silvers asked whether the former club skipper should step down from the club board.

“I don’t think it’s my place to speak about a director of our board, that’s probably more than the chair’s. But what I’ll say about Mark is that he’s a passionate person. He’s delivered both on and off the field. He’s been a really strong footy director and a great support for me.”

Ricciuto, a Crows champion and premiership player, said on Triple M Adelaide that the club had already admitted the camp was not executed perfectly despite the good intentions of those planning it. However, he said he was sad to hear of Betts’ experience.

“We all love Eddie and we hope Eddie is getting over that. That was four years ago. Certainly, the club moved on from that and are looking towards the future and have made a lot of ground since then. It has come up in Eddie’s book and that is fair enough. Hopefully, Eddie is moving on as well and the club can move on to bigger and better things,” Ricciuto said.

“It’s sad to hear Eddie write that because he has been one of the greats of the football club.”

Betts, a Wirangu, Kokatha and Guburn man, who is a father of five, said he returned from the camp with feelings of shame and humiliation that left him angry, paranoid, secretive and “feeling drained and lethargic”.

It was on the eve of the 2017 finals that the mind-training instructors instigated the “the power stance”, Betts wrote, which meant all 22 Crows players and coach Don Pyke stood with their arms down, slightly away from their sides, in a commanding posture, designed to try and intimidate the opposition.

The group that ran the camp has previously said it recognized ″⁣that some parts of the camp didn’t resonate with some players″⁣.

A SafeWork SA investigation in 2021 made no findings of any wrongdoing against the mind-training specialists, while a previous AFL investigation cleared the club.

Betts left the Crows after the 2019 campaign and finished his career at Carlton, where he had spent the first nine years of his career.

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Reason rep star Ken Maumalo turned down Melbourne Storm

Ken Maumalo isn’t going anywhere. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Wests Tigers winger Ken Maumalo has revealed a chat with cousin Nelson Asofa-Solomona almost convinced him to head to the Storm on loan for the rest of the season, but in the end, his young family kept him in Sydney.

Maumalo and teammate Daine Laurie were reportedly some of the players the Storm chased before the August 1 deadline as they looked to bolster their outside backs after long-term injuries to Ryan Papenhuyzen, Reimis Smith and George Jennings.

And while Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma did make the move south, his teammates stayed put.

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David Nofoaluma has settled right in with teammates Brandon Smith and Xavier Coates. Picture: Tony GoughSource: News Corp Australia

“They’re looking for some players at the moment, but I just said that I’ve got a family and it’s too much of a move for me,” Maumalo said.

“’Nofa’ is the perfect person to go over because he’s got no family, no kids, so it’s better for him.

“I got my cousin who called me from Melbourne – Nelson – and he said that Craig (Storm coach Craig Bellamy) mentioned my name to him.

“He said I should keep it on the backburner and just see where things are at. I said if things go well and to plan, then why not, but it was too much of a move.”

Maumalo said the lure of playing football finals and potentially winning a premiership was tempting, but he couldn’t turn his back on the Tigers who are looking to bring back the glory days under Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall.

“It’s a good opportunity to go over and be in a good system and a system that has been good for a number of years now,” he said.

“That was the exciting part of it, but I’m doing this for my family, myself and my teammates here. I’m trying to build this club up again to where it was back in 2005.”

Tigers fullback Daine Laurie was also linked with a move to Melbourne, but the youngster says that may not have been entirely true.

Daine Laurie denies he was ever linked to the Storm. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

“I didn’t know anything about it. I only saw it in the media,” he said.

“I saw it on Instagram and I was kind of confused about it because I hadn’t heard anything off my manager.

“I would’ve been shy as if I’d gone down there. If that opportunity had come, then I probably would’ve wanted to stay here anyway.”

Maumalo’s focus remains on helping the Tigers finish strongly in 2022, but he does have one eye on the World Cup at the end of the year.

The 28-year-old has represented both New Zealand and Samoa, but says he’s ready to commit to the Kiwis.

Ken Maumalo is hoping for more of this in the UK. Picture: AAP Image/David RowlandSource: AAP

New Zealand has lost a number of players, including Jason Taumalolo, to second-tier nations over the past few years, but Maumalo says the team is getting back to its best as they look to dethrone the Kangaroos at the World Cup.

“The Kiwis jersey sort of lost itself around 2016-17 when those players were jumping ship to play for Tonga and Samoa,” he said.

“I was lucky enough to debut in 2018 to help build that jersey with the number of players that were there.

“The jersey is in a good spot now where it should have been for the past couple of years, and now I’m keen to push that jersey and keep building on that jersey.

“There’s so much depth now in the Kiwis squad, so no matter who turns to Tonga or Samoa, we’ve still got a big roster with a number of good Kiwis playing across the NRL and the UK.”

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