Sport Confidential: Loz’s swing to Arizona

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NSW coach Laurie Daley is poised to embark on a 25,000km round trip to the US as the Blues search for a high performance State of Origin edge ahead of another blockbuster series.

Sport Confidential has learned Daley, NSW assistant coach Matt Parish and general manager of football Barrie-John Mather will travel to Los Angeles and — wait for it — Arizona next month to visit the LA Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals.

Under normal circumstances, any NRL-types returning to the scene of the South Sydney Rabbitohs' Arizona cover-up crime would be guaranteed to draw rampant debate.

Mugshots of Rabbitohs players John Sutton and Luke Burgess from the Coconino County Sherrif's Office. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

But given it's Loz, there's guaranteed to be no repeats of any CCTV footage or mug shot run-ins with local law enforcement.

The NSW Rugby League board approved the trip last week, with the trio to spend a fortnight inside the inner-sanctum of the Major League Baseball and NFL teams.

"For us it's about continuously improving and looking outside the square at how other sports do business around the world," NSWRL CEO Dave Trodden said.

"Laurie spent a week with the All Blacks in 2013, which was a great lesson in how much there is to be gained by widening your horizons and seeing what's out there."

The Blues trio may even venture to the San Francisco 49ers to visit Jarryd Hayne in his new career pursuit.

Jarryd Hayne announces he will be playing with the San Francisco 49ers. Picture Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

The Blues will begin their defence of the Origin shield in State of Origin I at ANZ Stadium on May 27.

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WE'VE heard the Manly Sea Eagles aren't the only club interested in off-contract Canterbury-Bankstown and NSW half-back Trent Hodkinson.

The Cronulla Sharks are also heavily in the mix, with ex-Bulldogs teammates Michael Ennis and Ben Barba already having joined the Shire outfit over the off-season. Given the big-money offers likely to be tabled for Hodkinson, it appears unlikely the Blues half-back will remain at Belmore beyond this season.

Bulldog's Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds during warm up for their training session. Picture Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

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PANTHERS star Jamal Idris has revealed how there was a stage last season where he was struggling to walk due to a sciatica nerve problem.

But after off-season spinal surgery, the 120kg Panthers centre has been fast-tracked into the NRL side just six weeks after surgery for Sunday's match against his old side Canterbury. Penrith are aware they are a more damaging side due to his presence.

MATA'UTIA IN THE DOGBOX AT KNIGHTS

THE Sione Mata'utia non-selection in the Newcastle Knights starting 17 got us thinking about the last time a player went from representing the Kangaroos to missing selection for his club side. We had to go back as far as Manly in the 1980s, when Ray Brown slipped from being an international back to reserve grade, such was the strength of the Sea Eagles' forward pack. Michael Jennings also got picked from NSW Cup side Windsor Wolves into the NSW Origin side a couple of seasons ago under Ricky Stuart.

Newcastle's Sione Mata'utia. Source: News Corp Australia

Adding even more intrigue to the Mata'utai issue is his future at the Knights, which remains hugely up-in-the-air over a management dispute and a four-year contract he signed to switch to Canterbury. The Knights have until round 13 to try and convince the youngest-ever Kangaroo to backflip on the Bulldogs deal. In classic Canterbury-Bankstown fashion, the Dogs signed Mata'utai and his brothers Chanel and Pat in a package deal worth in excess of $3 million over four seasons. When we spoke to Knights coach Rick Stone, he assured us Mata'utai was still a strong possibility of playing against the Warriors Friday night.

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MELBOURNE Storm are quietly predicting big things for rookie front rower Felise Kaufusi, the younger brother of ex-Storm and now Bulldogs prop Antonio Kaufusi. The emerging prop, 22, cut his teeth playing Queensland Cup for Easts Tigers last season after a couple of years with the Cowboys and at 112kg, is expected to do some significant damage. The other rookie earning big raps is Roosters bench backrower Siosiua Taukeiaho, who will make his Tricolours debut on Saturday night in Townsville. An ex-New Zealand Warrior, Taukeiaho is a devastating ballrunner.

Felise Kaufusi in action for the Storm. Pic by Colleen Petch. Source: News Limited

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THE Dragons and Storm have added a nice touch to Monday's Kogarah Oval showdown, with all Emergency Services employees to be granted free entry. The 1999 grand final teams established the Emergency Services Cup in 2009, with all employees and volunteers to get in for free when they display the appropriate identification.

LEGENDS IN THE SWING OF THINGS

CRICKETING royalty visited Terrey Hills Golf Club yesterday, when former Test captain Allan Border and West Indies icon Brian Lara played nine holes. Glamorous TV presenter Louise Ransome also dropped in to help Fox Sports' WOW prize winner Trent Pollard celebrate a round with the cricket legends. With the World Cup in full swing, Border and Lara took time out in between commentary duties to enjoy perfect conditions on one of Sydney's best courses.

Brian Lara with Foxsports WOW competition winner Trent Bullard, Louise Ransome from Foxsports and Allan Border at Terrey Hills Golf Club. pic mark evans Source: News Limited

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THERE'S some serious merry-go-round trading going on in Big Bash land. Shane Watson is the latest big name to be linked to the Sydney Thunder, while Cameron White is tipped to defect from the Melbourne Stars to join archrivals the Renegades.

RED FACED TURNS ONE-DAY WONDER

WHAT a difference two months and the colour of a cricket ball can make. Australia's man-of-the-moment Mitchell Starc will be ready to rumble again this weekend when Australia host Sri Lanka at the SCG on Sunday. It was a vastly different story in December, when spin king Shane Warne rightly criticised his negative body language after Starc turned in a shocker with the red ball in the Gabba Test match against India. With the white ball, different story.

Australia's Mitchell Starc celebrates with teammates after dismissing Afghanistan's Zadran Najibullah. Source: AP

Starc confirmed his status as an absolute weapon with figures of 6/28 against New Zealand at Eden Park last weekend. On Sunday against Sri Lanka, Cricket Australia are urging all Aussie fans to "go gold" by turning the SCG into a sea of colour.

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WE love the Big Show Glenn Maxwell's swagger once he gets his eye in with the bat but his choking banter with the raucous Eden Park crowd in New Zealand last Saturday was bordering on stupidity. Maxwell needed to wait until Australia had sealed the result or risk getting a massive pull-through, which we've been told was delivered via Australian coach Darren Lehmann.

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MINI'S NEW MODE OF STREET MUSCLE

RETIRED Sydney Roosters champion Anthony Minichiello has always loved life in the fast lane, as evidenced by his latest ride.

Mini is currently jetting around town in the new Lexus RCF, a five litre V8 which retails for $144,000 on road.

As this picture shows, Mini was test driving the vehicle around Mount Panorama a couple of weeks ago and has since become the owner of a brand new, black version.

They don't call him the mayor of Bondi for nothing.

Sydney Roosters champion Anthony Minichiello. Source: Supplied

SCREEN SIZE DOES MATTER

THIS is the first look at Allianz Stadium's new high-definition big screens, which will be switched on later this month.

The 277sq m video boards are five times bigger than the ones they replace, however their state-of-the-art design means that only 12 seats have been removed from the southern and northern ends of the ground.

The new Allianz Stadium big screens. Source: Supplied

The massive screens were being tested last week in preparation for the next A-League match at Moore Park, Sydney FC versus Brisbane Roar on March 15.

The Sydney Roosters will then host the Panthers in round three of NRL action on March 23.

WINNING

THE Autumn carnival gets into full swing on Saturday with some of the best horses in the country set to go around at Royal Randwick and Flemington. In the Group 1 Randwick Guineas, Hallowed Crown, Shooting To Win, Scissor Kick and Sweynesse will all line-up while south of the border in Melbourne, Kermadec, Wandjina and Alpine Eagle will do battle over 1600m at Flemington. Remember you've got to speculate to accumulate.

Hugh Bowman rides Hallowed Crown to win race 6, The Blackwoods CRC Hobartville Stakes during Sydney racing at Rosehill Gardens. Source: Getty Images

DUNCE CAP

WE teed off on the smoke and mirrors NRL Integrity Unit a month ago, having a good giggle about how the bastion of the greatest game of all is simply window dressing firing Russian roulette bullets. Now supercoach Wayne Bennett has confirmed it, choosing some different dialogue to express how much of a laughing stock the whole charade has become. The mobile phones episode from earlier in the week was one of their best. Enough said.

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SPOTTED

WALLABY and Waratahs legend Phil Waugh and ex-teammate Benn Robinson enjoying dinner at Lucio's Italian restaurant in Paddo last night. With Robinson set to eclipse Waugh's record 136 Super 15 games for the Tahs, Waugh was spied with a bottle of 1999 Grange Hermitage. The significance? It was the year Waugh debuted for NSW. Congratulations to Robinson, who has been working on his fitness with league legend Mark "Spud" Carroll.

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