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Dingo Deans, NRL on common ground
WALLABIES coach Robbie Deans and NRL club bosses have placed Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek in a proverbial dutch oven over his slamming of the ANZ Stadium surface and claims his team must be treated as the most valuable commodity in Australian sport.
The Dutchman was tres miffed that two league matches were played in the space of two days ahead of last night's World Cup qualifier against China. "Only one thing is important - that we qualify for the World Cup," Verbeek reckoned. Oh reaaaally? "We are more than happy to support them and wish them well," Deans said. "But the world doesn't stop [for the Socceroos]. We all keep pursuing our own dreams." And this from South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson. "It didn't seem to help the Netherlands," he said in reference to Holland's 3-1 loss to Russia in the Euro 2008 quarter-final. "If Pim wants the perfect tabletop pitch he can have a stadium built for the four matches they play here a year. They play the Super League grand final at Old Trafford and Manchester United don't whinge about it. Get over it." And this from Bulldogs boss Todd Greenberg: "The FFA knew full well that three NRL games were being played over four days. I've got a few things on my to-do list at the moment. Looking after the Socceroos isn't one of them." And, finally, this from Dragons chief executive Peter Doust, who revealed stadium officials approached him the day before Friday night's match against Penrith about moving the fixture - but heard nothing more from them. "It's a bit rich to be calling on rugby league to move games. We're a hirer of the venue like everyone else," he said.
The new Crowded House
Still on Deans, the new Wallabies coach has finally accepted his new nickname at a fan day at North Sydney's No.2 oval. When a punter asked him to autograph his Wallabies jumper "Dingo Deans", he happily obliged before remarking "That's a first." Of course, it makes us hope All Blacks fans will be uttering this after the Wallabies claim the 2011 World Cup: "A dingo stole my World Cup."