Five Canterbury Bulldogs players are set to join Joseph Suaalii in making a shock collective switch to rugby union, according to reports.
Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Burton, Jake Averillo and Ryan Sutton have all been confirmed to have signed long-term deals with Australian Super Rugby clubs, leaving the Bulldogs and the NRL scrambling for answers.
The identity of the fifth player is unknown.
In a further twist, some of the quintet are set to play their first Super Rugby matches in a matter of days, with Addo-Carr and Burton signing contracts with the Melbourne Rebels to begin their rugby union careers on April 10, while Averillo is expected to suit up for the Western Force for the first time when they take on the Crusaders in New Zealand on May 6.
It’s believed the Super Rugby teams, with the backing of Rugby Australia, chose to swoop on the Bulldogs alone after club general manager of football Phil Gould publicly urged the Sydney Roosters to immediately part ways with the Wallabies-bound Suaalii rather than retain him until his contract expires in 18 months’ time.
(Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
“Go now. Don’t let the door hit you on the arse on the way out. Go. Go now. Gone. He’s made his decision. You sign a contract for rugby 18 months before his league contract ends,” Gould said on Nine’s 100% Footy on Monday night.
One senior Rebels insider has been quoted as saying: “Let’s put Gus’s word to the test, eh?”
The bombshell news leaves the Bulldogs scrambling to replenish their squad for the remainder of the season, with the club putting an ad on employment website SEEK in a desperate bid to find replacements in time for their clash with the Cowboys tomorrow.
Speaking on Sunday morning, Gould, who has named himself to replace Sutton in the second row for his first NRL game since 1986, expressed his shock at the sudden move.
“When ‘Cirro’ [Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo] phoned me this morning and told me what had happened, I thought it must be an April Fool’s Day joke,” Gould told reporters.
“Then I discovered that it was.”
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
I just wanna see Gus in a Tweed jacket with leather elbow patches .
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
And then we have leagues 2nd greatest brain on the footy show this morning twirling a football around in his hands . Where do they get these people from . I'm not a big Fittler and John's fan but it must make them cringe when they bring him on as a football expert .
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately they called in the wrong specialist and a Proctologist arrived , suited up with the rubber gloves and proceeded to look for the pea ( sorry brain) and I now know where the wording Pea Brain comes from .
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
That will work .
RogerBroughton
Roar Rookie
You might have had me if you hadn't included Sutton. What would the RA want with him?
Faith
Roar Rookie
Tahs defence has been great ...
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
I heard Gus went to St Vincent's Neurological Research Centre on 1 April to volunteer and be a case study for experimental surgery to discover the secrets to the perfect brain. Gus figured that he not only had the perfect brain, but he also had perfection with personality, TV charisma AND Canterbury Bulldogs good looks. When Gus was asked whether he would like anaesthesia for his surgery, he declined saying "I fear nobody or no-one, and not even pain itself." Shaken, but not stirred, the surgeons took a leaf out of Gus's book, and ploughed ahead with surgery anyway, just like an unrestrained bull in a china shop. Contrary to all previous research; the surgeons found nothing between his ears. This led them to call upon the resident ear-nose-throat specialist who found that his ears were solid cauliflowers, his throat matched that of a bullfrog and his nose bone structure had multiple indentations that were consistent with the shape of the rear bumper bar from an early 80's Ford Cortina. Their research proved that despite Gus's claims of cognitive perfection and infallibility, there was nothing but thin air in his brain cavity. More disturbingly, Gus never shut up the whole time they were doing surgery; and unlike a TV remote, they couldn't put it on mute for 80 minutes. No encounter with Gus would be complete without him being excessively arrogant and insulting, and true to form, Gus ripped the each of the Professors a new one at half-time on how they should be doing their jobs better in the second half. The surgery report back to the Director for the Neurological Research Centre concluded that Gus is nothing but a highly paid, butt-ugly windbag whose self-hype and bullshyte has somehow made him a millionaire, and he would be an ideal replacement for Eddie McGuire when he retires from Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Gus's renamed show will be called Who Wants to be like Gus. Unsurprisingly, the entire sheep population of Australia have already registered their names. The final sentence in the report recommended that further studies be done on Gus, particularly in the field of astrophysics to try to discover how a star can be made out of nothing! :silly:
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Tony
Roar Guru
Gus operates all year round
Tony
Roar Guru
I thought they were the Greek midfielder in the World Cup qualifiers
Loosey
Roar Rookie
Ah, checked the date and...... :stoked:
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Red Rob, you misread that news. It said "Gus Gould's head will be the centre of attention and undergo massive amounts of research at the neurological research centre at St Vincent’s". The dean of the centre commented on the Gus head "what a fine specimen of a fvkked-up head we have here! I have never seen so many mashed up neurones in my life". :laughing:
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Josh Addo Carr the new Suli Vunivalu? he he. Mind you I would kill to get Matt Burton into the WB. Apart from being a large human in the centres with a fend, swerve and speed, can you imagine the thoughts running through an opponent's head as he tries to catch one of Burton's swirling bombs coming down from the Ozone layer as a herd of 8 beefy snarling forwards trample towards him threatening to rip his head off?
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
This is quite a laff, though No-Where as good as Peter FitzSimon's article in today's SMH. I cannot read the article behind the paywall but the headline "V'Landys in line to take over as Rugby Australia Chairman" tells you that it is April 1st. If you can read it, I am sure there are a few giggles in it. Perhaps that Gus Gould will take over Andy Marinos's job. Who knows what Sh1T-stirrer Fitzsimons can add in. He certainly can roast Balloon Head Greg Norman when he rips in. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/v-landys-in-line-take-over-as-rugby-australia-chairman-20230331-p5cx10.html
Bingo
Roar Rookie
That’s funny. Had me until I read the names.
Goady
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing:
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
For the reproductive rights alone. He is all about building the junior nursery.
John Allan
Roar Rookie
I heard that St Vincent’s didn’t even give Gus an interview. They told him “Go now & don’t let your bum or head (they look similar) hit the door on the the way out!
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
In Gus’s case can we call it April Tools Day?