By Andrew Jones
June 2nd 2009 @ 3:05am
Related coverage
The Identikit Danny Weidler Column
Anthony Mundine defends his WBA super middleweight title against Nader Hamdan. AP Photo/Rick Rycroft
Sydney Sun-Herald readers will be familiar with Danny Weidler from his inside-back page gossip column, The Last Word. League fans will also know him from Channel 9, where he has cultivated a veritable forest of wooden delivery.
Despite being overblown, self-important and basically the same every week, Weidler’s column remains one of the weekend’s guilty pleasures. Here’s my 5-snippet tribute.
1. That Rugby League player you thought was a tool is not as much of a tool as you thought he was
Whether it’s Paul Gallen visiting sick kids between testicle grabs, stitch-rippings and renditions of “you black c***”, or Willie Mason courageously under-performing between public urinations, Danny never misses a chance to talk up the undeserving. I presume it’s his way of gaining exclusive access to the relevant bad boys and their agents?
2. Sonny Bill Williams is the new Muhammad Ali
A former regular in Snippet 1, Sonny Bill Williams is now a weekly feature in his own right. Whether it’s an update on his French lessons (the language ones, not those involving Candice Falzon), his rugby career or – in this week’s highlight – an improbable comparison to the king of all sportsmen, Danny rarely misses an opportunity to write about New Zealand’s thirteenth best centre.
3. Anthony Mundine is the old Muhammad Ali
Either Khoder Nasser is on speed-dial, or Danny’s office is in the back booth of the Boxa Bar, because The Man features on Sunday mornings as surely as an eight-count follows a knock-down. Story A is “Mundine is Australia’s Greatest Athlete” while Story B is “Mundine is misunderstood” (see also Snippet 1). I enjoy Mundine more than most, but it’s fair to say he overtrades in Danny’s columns given he fights only three or four times a year.
4. Wendell Sailor is good for the game, whichever one that is at the moment
Big Dell hasn’t attracted many headlines of late, probably because he hasn’t done anything incompetent or stupid. But when he does, you can bet he’ll be back in Danny’s column!
5. Brett Lee is fitter than ever – really!
A bit unfair to pin this one exclusively on Danny, since this story spreads like swine flu every time the paceman’s Test spot is in doubt. However, the likeable quick has been promoted by Weidler as often as anyone else, despite averaging 32 or more with the ball in all but three years since his debut in 1999.
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(21)
Steve Kaless said | June 2nd 2009 @ 3:25am | Report comment
No one plays favourites like Our Danny. That Sonny Bill what a gentleman, Choc Mundine a genuine sporting megastar.
It is truly amazing though how much mileage Weilder can get out of a fairly limited stable of players.
Boof said | June 2nd 2009 @ 3:35am | Report comment
Wow a personal attack on a fellow hack err journolist,old Danny Weidler must have nicked off without shouting,your such a self rightious bunch of pre madonna`s you sports writers,i reckon its because deepdown you know that sport dosen`t really matter.
& anyone who say`s Wendy isn`t good for the game has no idea.
pothale said | June 2nd 2009 @ 6:05am | Report comment
Eh Boof – that would be prima donnas. Or in the case of sports journalist, he’s more likely to be a primo uomo.
The Answer said | June 2nd 2009 @ 7:29am | Report comment
It doesn’t Boof, that is why we all love it so much.
Also I’d rather see a bit of criticism flying in that the constant “he/she is such a brillant writer and great thinker.” The constant pats on the back and protection is what is the real bore.
Dell may be great for the game, doesn’t mean Wielder isn’t a peanut.
Bill said | June 2nd 2009 @ 7:42am | Report comment
Big Dell is a personality as much as he is a league player.
Long may he continue to run over the top of opponents to score tries, give verbal to opponents on the field & in the press, show emotion when he or his teammates score, get his melon on tv etc.
Brett McKay said | June 2nd 2009 @ 8:18am | Report comment
Andrew, don’t forget the weekly correction of anything Rebecca Wilson writes in the opposition paper, usually accompanied by “she has no moral standing” or something simliar. And funny you mention Candice Falzon, ‘cos she features in snippet 1 just as often!!
I used to enjoy Danny Weidler’s writings, but ever since SBW upped and headed to France, his column has becomes a constant SBW update on anything and nothing. Likewise the defending of Willie Mason – the classic for me was after Mason was dropped by the Roosters for turning up to training with a blood-alcohol reading, Weidler leads his piece to camera with “I was at Willie Mason’s place when he left for training at 7am, and…..”
What the?!?
sheek said | June 2nd 2009 @ 9:54am | Report comment
Danny Weidler – “full of self-importance & wooden delivery”. That sums the guy up.
I don’t bother reading him anymore.
sledgeross said | June 2nd 2009 @ 10:03am | Report comment
Boof, there were sports journalists around before Madonna!!!
Weidler is a blight on Rugby League, just as much as Rebecca Wilson is. Both are envious of the adulation the players get, but handle it differently. Weidler is a lick-spittle sycophant who gains irrelevent pieces of info garnered by buying players drinks and writing only positive articles, he is “mates” with them. Wilson suffers from penis envy. Shes not a bloke and as such has a chip on her shoulder, which is a shame because she knows alot about the game. She has a penchant for hysterical and biased reporting which is just as bad as Weidlers, though I find Weidlers much more offensive, because he makes his stories up ie exclusive SBW scoop, SBW likes using 3 ply dunny paper!
Boof said | June 2nd 2009 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
er pothale ,your right its Prix for some & Prix for you…keep on inhaling ..
Marty said | June 2nd 2009 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
Wieldler is a moron.
Weidler World said | June 2nd 2009 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
Go easy on Danny – he invested in an SFS Gold Mmebership and can be seen most days hanging out trying to hear tip bits from the roosters / waratahs / swans / bunnies etc – like a mosquito he is always present and annoying.. His sunday column is trash and his “exclusives” on nine news make Karl Stefanovic look like George Negus – I love the way he prefaces a comment with “I have it on teh good understanding that coach xyz has upset key players at the roosters / waratahs / bunnies / swans etc – given those sides haven’t won anything for a while perhaps Weidler is backing the wrong horse – the player….
He also loks like he is Phil Gould’s love child and used to be twice the size when he firsted started at the Stadium…
Bay35Pablo said | June 2nd 2009 @ 1:52pm | Report comment
Weidler is the Perez Hilton of the Aussie sporting world. Which I guess makes Rebecca Wilson … What? Miranda Devine? Sheesh.
Weidler’s problem is he fronts up as a “journalist” while relying on being mates with various persons to get his “scoops”. His Sunday column is little more than a puff piece of rumours and gossip, which reads like it’s submitted by various players’ agents.
While to a certain degree a journalist needs to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, and when to not give away too much for fear no one will ever talk to him again, Weidler plays this b%llshit approach of making clear he knows more but won’t say. Is he a reporter or a gossip column writer?
If he’s not getting a cut, or a regular lunch from most of those he reports on, he’s letting himself down ….
BigAl said | June 2nd 2009 @ 7:23pm | Report comment
never heard of him !
westy said | June 2nd 2009 @ 7:35pm | Report comment
Journalist …a person who follows an NRL player around waiting for him to urinate against a wall.
OldManEmu said | June 2nd 2009 @ 8:31pm | Report comment
Danny Weidler – dont forget all the Tamsyn Lewis, Jana Novotna, Nova Perris Kneebone “exclusives”.
DannoW said | June 2nd 2009 @ 9:28pm | Report comment
Weidler & Wilson what a pair of clowns! I actually think they like cross promotion, because if you only ever read one of them you’d have to buy the other paper to work out what they’re on about.
A bit like Gus and Rothfield.
Mark said | June 3rd 2009 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Has anyone ever seen Danny Weidler and Rebecca Wilson in the same room at the same time eh eh? They share the same hack writing skills and are both very ugly men. Coincidence…me thinks not!
EDGE said | June 3rd 2009 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
I agree whole heartedly with the Mundine, Sonny Bill and anything Rosstersfrequency in Danny’s articles and wouldlove to see a Danny Weidler bing for each weekends articles!
EDGE said | June 3rd 2009 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Make that –
I agree whole heartedly with the Mundine, Sonny Bill and anything Roosters frequency in Danny’s articles and would love to see a Danny Weidler bingo for each weekends articles!
Harry said | June 4th 2009 @ 9:30am | Report comment
High quality article and even better responses, good to see this sort of stuff nailed.
Andrew Jones said | June 4th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Thanks Harry! Thanks all! Except maybe Boof – fancy accusing me of being a journalist!!