AUSTRALIA’S SPORTING MAGAZINE Hop In His Step SOUTHS STALWART JOHN SUTTON JOSH KENNEDY AND WEST COAST LOOM LARGE IN THE AFL FINALS Mason Cox A BIG DEAL FOR THE MAGPIES #321 SEPT 2018 • NZ $10.99 $9.99 0 9 Sporty Reads Winging It OUR GUIDE TO MARIKA THE BEST KOROIBETE’S NEW BOOKS GOLDEN CHANCE 9 771037 164003 the home of football team mode Introducing the adidas ‘Team Mode’ collection, featuring the classic red/black/white Predator colour. Available in selected stores and online now at rebel, the home of football. the home of football follow us @rebelfootball on instagram EDITOR'S LETTER TM AUSTRALIA’S SPORTING MAGAZINE SINCE 1991 E HAVE a trope we resort There’s something different to on our rugby league BEST LINE IN THE to the nature of the modern MAG THIS MONTH: W podcast Dead In Goal, the officiating crisis, though. Where EDITOR Jeff Centenera “robot ref”. We’re talking more we would once whinge about a jcentenera@insidesport .com.au than a bunker, a VAR, TIO, DRS or decision, we now make general whatever three letters you care “To be able to indictments of the sport itself. ART DIRECTOR Allan Bender to string together. A genuine, String a few bad calls together, [email protected] non-human, rule-enforcer that jump into these and it’s a failure of leadership on wouldn’t make mistakes, feel any the part of the administration. ASSISTANT EDITOR pressure, just apply the rulebook chairs, wheel And it’s here we get to another James Smith [email protected] like running an operating system. around and contemporary mode of thinking And we guess that robot ref would that reframes old-fashioned CONTRIBUTING WRITERS call offside on every single play- whistle-blower hate – the idea of smash into Matt Cleary, Travis Cranley, Robert Drane, the-ball, so league fans would still sport as “product”. Brooke Longfield, Andrew Marmont have a reason to complain. other people is If every league or code is just There is nothing so tedious in another widget, it’s easy to think GROUP EDITOR Kevin Airs sporting discussions as bitching pretty of officiating as quality control. [email protected] about the officiating. Ref-blaming exciting.” Too many errant whistles, and proceeds from the assumption you’re bound for product recall, Inside Sport on the web that our sports should be called –Australian Steelers and the customers will switch to www.insidesport.com.au perfectly, when the reality is wheelchair rugby some other brand. The natural each game is an exercise in player Andrew next step is tweak the offering: EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: [email protected], (02) 9901 6100 randomness, and we can only hope Edmondson, p.73 change an interpretation here, the difficult decisions don’t occur trial a new rule there. at critical moments. The beauty of But it’s in these discussions of ADVERTISING sport is in the showcase of human endeavour; captain’s challenges or starting positions that it officiating, too, is a very human act, for all the becomes apparent that sport is less like a product, Adam Jackson Head of Sport fallibility it entails. and shouldn't be treated like such – our sports are Tel: (02) 9901 6109 Mob: 0431 212 504 [email protected] There’s an awful talking point that circulates institutions. They come with a deep inheritance, with every officiating controversy in modern times and have to be tended to for the future. Keeping Ryan Coombs Advertising Sales Manager – the players and coaches have become so much that in mind, any change to them should be Tel: (02) 9901 6379 Mob: 0449 671 738 better these days, so why not the refs? It ignores deliberate. At least until the infallible robots come [email protected] that, one, there’s no basis of comparison with refs along to tell us what to do. QLD: Damian Martin Queensland Ad Manager of the past; and two, the game might be much Mob: 0417 168 663 harder to call than back then. But trying to argue E CAN only hope the calls go the way of [email protected] these controversies in good faith is rather beside your footy team as we head towards the the point – the coach who complains is only ever a W decisive point of the season in our various coach who has lost. Perhaps we need a league rule: codes. In the AFL, we have a plus-sized theme Executive Chairman David Gardiner only the winning coach gets to criticise the refs. this month, with the West Coast Eagles as our Commercial Director Bruce Duncan cover subject. As Travis Cranley Managing Director Hamish Bayliss writes, the Eagles have a line-up Production & Digital Services Jonathan Bishop full of big bodies, an approach Production Manager Peter Ryman that runs contrary to the league’s Circulation Director Carole Jones prevailing style. Can it succeed this September? SUBSCRIPTIONS Also on that front, Bob Drane turns his attention to Mason Cox, www.mymagazines.com.au Collingwood’s athletic big man Toll free 1300 361 146 or +61 2 9901 6111 who has dazzled in picking up the Locked Bag 3355, St Leonards NSW 1590 sport in the few years since he arrived from the United States. We have another, more Level6,BuildingA,207PacificHighway, conventional code-hopper in St Leonards NSW 2065 Marika Koroibete, a rugby league Locked Bag 5555 St Leonards NSW 1590 star now lining up in union, and for the Wallabies. And we have a Inside Sport is published by nextmedia Pty Ltd ACN: 128 805 970, Level 6, Building A, 207 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 © 2017. bloke content in his familiar spot All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole – South Sydney’s John Sutton, or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed by Bluestar WEB Sydney, distributed in Australia and NZ by Gordon & Gotch. ISSN who just became the first 1037-1648. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for Rabbitoh to play 300 games in the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. All material submitted is at the owner’s risk and, while every care will be taken the famed club’s long history. nextmedia does not accept liability for loss or damage. To round the edition off: if you’re a regular reader of the Privacy Policy magazine, we’re guessing that We value the integrity of your personal information. If you provide personal information through your participation in any competitions, you like to read about sport. So surveys or offers featured in this issue of Inside Sport, this will be used we’re once again presenting our to provide the products or services that you have requested and to improve the content of our magazines. Your details may be provided to book review special – whatever third parties who assist us in this purpose. In the event of organisations providing prizes or offers to our readers, we may pass your details on to game you follow, there’s a good them. From time to time, we may use the information you provide us to read to be found in there. inform you of other products, services and events our company has to offer. We may also give your information to other organisations which may Jeff Centenera use it to inform you about their products, services and events, unless you Editor tell us not to do so. You are welcome to access the information that we hold about you by getting in touch with our privacy officer, who can be contacted at nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590 6 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 WILL YOUR TEAM MAKE IT? WATCH EVERY GAME OF EVERY ROUND LIVE IN HD WITH NO AD-BREAKS DURING PLAY. Start watching right away on the foxtel app while you wait for your connection. Foxtel and some services not available to all homes. Foxtel marks are used under licence by Foxtel Management Pty Ltd. 52 60 66 80 44 SEPTEMBER 2018 44 BullyBall TheAFLhasbeenoverrunby,well,running.Thebig bodies of West Coast will seek to halt that trend. BY TRAVIS CRANLEY 52 Texas Stranger AmericanMasonCoxisthelatestimporttopickup Aussie rules, but he’s different to converts of the past. BY ROBERT DRANE 60 ManontheEdge He’sthefirstRabbitohtoplay300games.Howdid JohnSutondoit?Inhisown,laid-backway. BY MATT CLEARY 66 WithaCause From Fiji to league to the Wallabies’ wing, Marika Koroibete plays with a purpose. BY ANDREW MARMONT 74 BestNewSportsBooks Check out our guide to these quality reads. 80 Excerpt:Overlander A cycling writer gets on the bike for an epic of a ride. BY RUPERT GUINNESS 6 EDITOR’S LETTER 28 QUARTER TIME 58 ANATOMY OF A CHAMP 10 THE BREAKDOWN 30 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 72 1 ON 1: ANDREW EDMONDSON 12 20 THINGS YOU MISSED 32 PUNTER’S CHANCE 88 HOW TO ... 14 FREEZE FRAME 35 PUB DEBATE 90 BUY BETTER 22 INSIDE NRL 36 FOURTHINGSYOUMUSTNOTMISS 92 EAT HEALTHIER 24 INSIDE AFL 38 HOT SHOT #1 94 HOT SHOT #2 26 INSIDE RUGBY 40 IN HINDSIGHT 98 IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING 8 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 ‘Bob led our club to glory.’ Luke Beveridge ‘There is only one Bob Murphy.’ Martin Flanagan ‘We are indebted to him for making us believe in the game again.’ Gerard Whateley OUT NOW nerobooks.com THE BREAKDOWN Leaving it a bit late PENRITH GRABS FOUR TRIES IN SEVEN MINUTES AT BROOKVALE OVAL TO SCORE THE LATEST-EVER 18-POINT COMEBACK WIN IN THE GAME’S NRL ERA.