Trent Barrett.

Dean Schifilliti.

Wollongong's Harp Hotel played an important role in the training regime of the Illawarra Steelers.According to a recent interview in Rugby League Week with former player Dean Schifilliti (one half of the Spaghetti Twins, according to Roy and HG) a beer was a crucial part of coach Graham Murray's philosophy in the 1990s.``I remember that for extras at training,'' Schifilliti says, "we each put $10 dollars in our pockets, ran to the Harp Hotel, had a beer or two, and ran back. We were training at Wollongong Showground soth...ththat's not much of a run!"Then, a week later, former Steeler Trent Barrett told RLW, "you'd go to training nd Monday nights was `short and sharp and straight to the Harp (Hotel). I couldn't drink, four beers and that would be the end of me. But you had to go and you had to drink."How times have changed.

Just two weeks into the season and the bookies are installing Souths boss John Lang as one of the coaches most likely to be sacked mid-season.After sitting at $21 before the kick-off to Round One, he's come right into $6.But it's hardly surprising; in fact the likelihood of being sacked comes with the territory for a Souths coach.Just about every coach the Bunnies have had since they came back into the comp seems to become favourites for the ax a few weeks after the start of the season.There's a job you'd have to be crazy to accept.

Watching the Cory Paterson-Billy Slater set-to in the Storm-Knights match on Saturday night, I was surprised to hear Slater say "you can dish it out but you can't take it''.Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Slater has made an impressive career out of sledging opponents - and even throwing punches - only to run away and hide behind one of his forwards when his victim fights back.Witness what he did to Jason Nightingale a few years ago. A stink emerged and Slater was quite happy to throw punches into Nightingale while his Storm team-mates had his arms pinned.But as soon as Nightingale got free, what happened? Slater ran off faster than a scalded cat.Now that it's come out that Slater allegedly sledged Paterson about his depression, which almost led him to commit suicide, I'm not really surprised.It just confirms what I already thought of the Storm fullback.

Several Roosters players have come out and told everyone they've put alcohol bans on themselves.Well, good on them for showing some self-discipline, but why do they feel the need to tell everyone about it? If you think it's important enough to give up alcohol, then by all means do it. But don't broadcast it to everyone as though you want a pat on the back.Besides, it'll surely paint a target on their backs. Now the public and the media will be watching them, waiting for the moment when someone snaps a pic of them with a beer in their hand.

Thursday night marks the return of Matthew Johns to our screens in the rather simply titled Matthew Johns Show.It's a bit of a risk for Channel Seven taking on Johns, who comes with some very unsavoury baggage. He's a personality that divides people - I know of several people who are disgusted about his return and are refusing to watch the show.As for myself, I'll be checking it out. But I have to say the on-air promos, which show snippets of the comedy skits, don't fill me with confidence. They've been awful - on a par with the lame stuff The Footy Show stopped doing about two years ago.

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