MATTHEW JOHNS is seriously considering a career in FM radio. Triple M's struggling breakfast program has made an approach and, now Johns has officially shelved plans to host his TV program, he has time on his hands. As revealed in this column last week, Johns has a month-to-month deal with the Knights so that his work there would not interfere with future plans. John Singleton, his business partner in his television venture, has talked with Seven boss David Leckie about the prospect of Johns doing radio. Johns was initially wooed by Triple M. When he knocked them back, they went for Mark Geyer. Johns and Geyer have previously worked together on Nine's Sunday Roast program. The Grill team has not enjoyed the ratings that management was hoping to achieve - and the fallout between Gus Worland and Stuart MacGill did not help the situation. Johns would need to make a change to his lifestyle but it might be the challenge he is looking for as he considers his next television move.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
ABSENT DAD SLATER TELLS ALL
KELLY SLATER opens up to the Wide World of Sports show in an interview this morning - one of his regrets is not being able to be there all the time for his daughter, Taylor. ''To be honest with you, I'm not a full-time dad,'' he said. ''My daughter lives in Florida with her mum and her stepdad, and goes to school full-time, and I basically travel 10 months a year and more. I'm only home a month or two a year. I don't see all the daily stuff that's happening but when I sit back and think about it, she's a good kid - a good girl - and I don't really worry about her in that way. There's millions of situations parents deal with every day with kids that are 14 years old that are scary, and I think my daughter's got a good head on her shoulders. So at this point I'm not too worried.''
BENJI CALLS SPONSORS SUMMIT
BENJI MARSHALL will hold a forum for his sponsors in May and it won't be simply to thank them for their support through a testing time. Marshall, through his manager Martin Tauber, had been planning a sponsors' forum to gauge how best they can work together in the future. He has an amazing list of sponsors - including Air New Zealand, Channel Nine, Mambo, Zanerobe, Asics, Cougar, Spartan, Sony and others. Not one of his sponsors has rung Tauber to say it does not want to be associated with him. Marshall's legal team will argue that he felt threatened by the situation he found himself in - they know provocation is not an excuse for hitting someone. Marshall might also call on his mate, who was involved in the scuffle, as a witness. He fronted at North Sydney police station on Wednesday but the coppers there told him he had no charge to face.
STEWART BACKS LASH-OUT
MANLY insist Brett Stewart knew about their attack on the NRL and had told them he was grateful the club stuck by him and took the stance they have. Stewart went through hell for more than a year before he was cleared of sexual assault charges. Stewart should have been cleared the day after charges were laid - instead he was dragged through the mud and in many ways has been again because of the recent blow-ups. NRL boss David Gallop has offered Stewart his hand in peace for a second time. When Stewart was going through the worst of his dramas, Gallop offered to sit down and talk with him. He was told ''no'' in very clear terms. ''I think one thing that I didn't say this week about Brett's situation is that I feel very sorry for Brett,'' Gallop said. ''I think he has been through a lot as a person and doesn't need to go through it again. I would like to sit down with him and have a coffee and a chat. He is a decent person and deserves to be able to move on.'' There is no doubt Des Hasler has been driving Manly's support for Stewart. When the Eagles board sat down to discuss a penalty they decided to stand down Stewart - but did an about-face when Hasler spoke against it.
MINDERS USELESS, SAYS WILLIE
LEAGUE'S human headline, Willie Mason, flew out of Australia in low-key fashion but had this warning for players. ''Forget minders, they are a waste of time to protect players,'' he said. ''It just doesn't work. I think the only way to avoid trouble is to avoid hotspots like Kings Cross. The days of players being able to go out are pretty much over because there are always going to be dickheads trying to bait you, and they now have mobile phones and cameras to try and make a quick buck.''
GI'S PICKET-FENCE BLUES
GREG INGLIS is about to start house-hunting, and to say that Sydney prices have stunned him is an understatement. Inglis is living in North Bondi with his wife, Sally, and their two dogs. They are about to put his Melbourne property on the market - Sally was down south this week making sure it was in order for the sale. Inglis is looking to buy in the east or somewhere close to Souths' Redfern base but prefers the larger properties in Sydney's west - he just doesn't want to have to weave through traffic every day. Inglis's third-party deals are all in place - he is due to host a dinner at ANZ Stadium on March 23 with Dave Warner and Brett Kimmorley.
TAHU HAS A FAN IN ELLIOTT
WORD is that Panthers coach Matthew Elliott was impressed by Timana Tahu's attitude when they met to discuss his future. ''Any preconceived ideas I had were removed after spending time with Timana,'' Elliott said. ''He didn't try and push anyone else forward as someone to blame for anything that went wrong. He took things on himself.'' Tahu has a renewed hunger for the game and, while he has trained hard, he will take a few weeks to be properly fit. The Eels have all but signed his financial settlement.
CALL TO PROBE STORM BETS
IN LIGHT of league's recent betting dramas, questions are again being asked about those who backed the Melbourne Storm to ''win'' the wooden spoon last year. The matter was investigated; now, however, some suggest it should be reopened, with prominent league names being linked to winning wagers. It's worth noting that none of those caught up in the investigation into the controversial betting on the Bulldogs-Cowboys game are being thought of as those who might have placed bets on the Storm winning the spoon. At least two prominent league names keep being mentioned to me - those people denied placing bets on that option when I asked them.
DOGS BOSS SEES PINK AT SNUB
Greyhound Racing NSW boss Brent Hogan says his organisation will reconsider its relationship with the McGrath Foundation after being snubbed by the charity group. Racing groups in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania raised $120,000 for the foundation during February - every time the dog wearing pink (No.8) won a race $500 was donated to the McGrath group. When it came to the cheque presentation no one from the McGrath group turned up. ''The reason we were given is that there was criticism of dog racing and people were complaining that the McGrath Foundation were receiving money from us,'' Hogan said. ''The inference was that our sport is cruel to animals. There were threats that there were going to be protests at the presentation so the safety of their workers was the reason no one showed up to collect the cheque.'' As it turned out there were no protests. ''We are going to review the entire process,'' said Hogan.
SURF CHAMP'S REGRET
KELLY SLATER opens up to the Wide World of Sports show in an interview this morning - one of his regrets is not being able to be there all the time for his daughter, Taylor: ''My daughter lives in Florida with her mum and her stepdad … and I travel 10 months a year and more. I'm only home a month or two a year. I think my daughter's got a good head on her shoulders.''
TODD'S MUM NOT SYDNEY-BOUND
REPORTS that Todd Carney is about to move his mum, Leanne, to Sydney are off the mark. Carney is living on his own after Roosters teammate Jake Friend moved out. Apart from being a good mate, Friend was also Carney's personal chef. Carney is overhauling every aspect of his life and deserves credit for doing so.
LUI HAS A NEW REASON TO PERFORM
Wests Tigers halfback Robert Lui will have another reason to produce something special in tomorrow night’s season opener against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium. Lui and partner Taleah Backo welcomed their first child, a boy named Matthias, late on Tuesday night at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The Tigers see Lui as Benji Marshall’s long-term halves partner, and believe the duo can lead them to the finals again.
@danny_weidler
dweidler@nine.com.au
