Rhythm and Roos
For once, Walsh wasn’t the biggest star in the place.
Rock megastar Jon Bon Jovi is on a promotional tour in the UK and caught the tube to Wembley Stadium on Friday to speak to some entertainment reporters when England were scheduled to do their captain’s run – but they didn’t front.
Jon Bon Jovi meets the Kangaroos at Wembley.Credit: Instagram
The Livin’ On A Prayer singer was still at the stadium when his management saw the Kangaroos were in the house, and he approached Rhodri Jones, the managing director at Rugby League Commercial, to ask if he could meet the players.
“The Kangaroos management said yes straight away, and I noticed when Jon was asked about the game he knew it was like NFL without helmets … which was the NRL’s line when they were selling the game to America in Las Vegas,” Jones said.
Assistant coach Gordie Tallis was the first to grab a photo with Bon Jovi, before Roos team manager Tim Rutherford marched him towards the players and the team’s hype man Josh Addo-Carr brought him into the group. Tom Dearden grabbed a hug and coach Kevin Walters introduced himself with a cheeky handshake.
Bon Jovi said he knew the game and the players were “tough sons of bitches”. Bon Jovi’s song Our House has been used in an NRL ad in the past. “This is my house and I’m sharing it,” he said of Wembley.
Walters, however, didn’t like the suggestion that this was a meeting of rock stars. He went to some lengths to point out his players were hard workers first and foremost.
Walsh told to zip it
If you were wondering why Walsh has been so quiet in London in the lead-up to the first Test, it’s because team management decided to gag him.
Walsh has developed a good rapport with the touring media and is clearly loved by his Kangaroos teammates. But the view of team officials was that it would be better to let his football do the talking.
Kangaroos officials have placed Reece Walsh on a media ban while on tour.Credit: NRL Photos
“It’s his first Ashes series,” coach Walters said. “So we decided to give him a bit of space to help his preparation. Also, it’s not all about Reece – but he has shown he is ready to perform at this level.”
Walsh did plenty of media after the grand final and also spoke when he entered Kangaroos camp in Sydney. He can handle himself with ease. In fact, his post-grand final press conference was about as good as it gets. Let’s hope we get to hear from him in the lead-up to the second and third Tests because he has the rock-star presence the international game needs.
In the Foxx the tourists trust
The importance of Addo-Carr to this Australian squad can’t be underestimated. In the early days of the trip, when the squad were getting to know one another, it was the Foxx who did the ice-breaking. You could hear him before you could see him – and when you saw him, there was invariably a smile on his face and often a boom box in his hand.
Josh Addo-Carr has pulled his career back from the brink.Credit: NRL Photos
He helped bring the team together. If there were fears the NSW and Queensland players would bring their Origin rivalry into camp, Addo-Carr put them to rest.
The way Addo-Carr has made his way back into the Kangaroos set-up after being overlooked for Origin is quite the comeback. He rang Walters to let him know he was keen to be involved, and he went back to his old sprint coach Roger Fabri to sharpen up.
His old levels of speed are evident, and he was impeccable for the Eels after being thrown a lifeline by Jason Ryles last season. Addo-Carr was at the crossroads after being sacked by the Bulldogs. Since then, he has shown maturity and resilience to revive a career that could so easily have been cooked.
Strange initiation
Harry Grant singled out the baby of the tour, Ethan Strange, as another who had brought the touring group together. He said as much on stage at the team’s appearance at Australia House. Turns out the squad have challenged each other to mention a particular player’s name at an event and Harry worked Strange’s name in beautifully. That said, you can see the group going out of their way to make Strange feel comfortable on his first big tour. He is sure to be a regular on these kinds of trips in seasons to come.
Strange days: Harry Grant on stage at Australia House.Credit: NRL Photos
Gregan, Cleary go down memory lane
Wallabies great George Gregan was spotted deep in discussion with Cleary at Australia House during the week. “I did a bit of work with Penrith a few years back, before COVID hit, and I was reminiscing about that,” the World Cup-winning halfback, who now lives in London, told this column. Naturally, we discussed the potential for a Cleary code switch. “Of course he could make it,” Gregan said. “He would be a sensation at rugby. His running, passing and kicking game are all perfectly suited to the game.”
Tino torn between staying and leaving
The story around Tino Fa’asuamaleaui is a little tricky to nail down. The Gold Coast skipper has told the Titans he will test the open market on November 1. There is no doubt he is sick to death of losing. And the rotation of coaches at the club. It’s why he wants to see what is out there. But he has a genuine love for the Titans. He has given years of effort to the club and for no apparent reward. The owners get plenty of praise from their supporters in the media, but the chopping and changing of coaches is beyond a joke. Tino has every reason and right to look to better himself.
King’s clothing empire
Max King and wife Christy have launched kids clothing brand Child Of God.
Max King and his wife, Christy, have found a silver lining after his omission from the Kangaroos team – they have been able to launch a successful kids clothing brand. The couple have launched Child of God, a label that incorporates their beliefs and their fashion interest. “I won’t lie, I was disappointed to miss selection – but I don’t think my wife minded at all,” King said. “We have bought a house and launched a business, and if I was away for a month it would have all fallen on her. Instead, I’ve been around to help with both. The clothing has really taken off in a big way. We’ve had orders from everywhere in Australia and from overseas as well. It’s quite incredible because I’ve never been involved in a business before. I think it’s a great little business and because I just think football day and night it could help with my approach to the game, as it gives me something else to focus on apart from my team and my family.”
When in London
There have been plenty of obstacles for the players in their first week of camp – not least the London traffic. Training grounds have been a good 45 minutes-plus away from the team hotel in Kensington, with travel times blowing out to an hour and 15 minutes. But the group are loving staying in the heart of London and enjoying all it has to offer. It’s an interesting trade-off. In the past, teams have stayed on the outskirts of town and used the tube to get in and out.
Big in Japan
The Kangaroos were not the only sporting team staying at their Kensington lodgings. The Springboks and Ajax were also in attendance. Perhaps even bigger stars than those sides were the champion Sumo wrestlers who were competing at the Royal Albert Hall. Sharing lifts with the Sumo boys was quite an experience.
If the cap fits
The Kangaroos are a stylish bunch with a keen eye for fashion. The quest is now on for the entire group to wear Peaky Blinders-style caps to one of the Tests.
Roo are ya?
Though his image in poster form is plastered on bus stations all over London, Nathan Cleary has gone completely unrecognised by the English public. Asked if had been recognised, a delighted Cleary replied: “Not once.”
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Only here for the beard
Best comeback of the tour so far? The goatee worn by Gehamat Shibasaki. He was unrecognisable without it, but the facial fuzz has made a gradual return.
Bar scene
The bonding evening for the players involved a night at a local bar, while one of the team dinners saw the players spend time at the pub where scenes for the Ted Lasso series were shot. They enjoyed a meal and watched an EPL game there after attending the NFL match at Wembley Stadium.