'Harry O needs to pull his head in'

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Nathan Buckley (L) and Harry O'Brien fell out after a throwaway comment. Source: Colleen Petch / News Limited

HARRY O'Brien needs to pull his head in.

If not, it's possible the initial spat which propelled O'Brien to not only abuse coach Nathan Buckley, but also senior figures such as David Buttifant and Geoff Walsh in the football offices, will be superseded by a test of wills.

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It's a test O'Brien can't win. Simply, the stand he's taken is now the story.

The story goes like this.

Paul Seedsman's sometimes nickname is ''Lez'', short for lesbian, because someone at Collingwood thought he looked like a woman who had a sex change. Boom. Boom.

It's not  really funny in print, but this is a footy club.

O'Brien is a spruiker himself. He's not about nicknames. He's the voice of social awareness. He is about equality, opportunity, education and tolerance on a range of issues, from racism to same-sex marriage, some of which he has preached to his teammates.

When ''Lez'' was mentioned, Buckley thought he would be funny. 

''You OK with that Harry?'' he said, or words to that effect.

O'Brien cracked it. 

From afar, it would appear O'Brien took Buckley's attempt at humour as condescension, a clear sign his wordly views were not taken as serious as O'Brien hoped they would be.

O'Brien and Buckley had words in the office, O'Brien became erratic and told Buckley, and others, as he stormed around the football department, that they could all go forth and multiply.

A furious O'Brien took off for R&R, and despite Buckley talking to O'Brien last Thursday and basically apologising, the impasse continues.

Late yesterday, the feeling was O'Brien wanted a further apology from Buckley - and in front of the playing group.

The Magpies care for O'Brien and want him to return. 

But they won't bend over just because his feelings were hurt.

Late breaking news, Harry, but everyone's feelings in life are hurt and ridiculed.

You don't have to be an ''AFL star'' to be feel patronised.

It happens every day in every walk of life.

So, harden up and do what you do best: Play footy.

You have to wonder if O'Brien's issue is not with Buckley, but with himself.

His drive to change the world is laudable, and his stance on racism recently was educational and heartfelt, and well worth the fight.

But this? A smartarse comment from Buckley? A potential career killer at Collingwood?

O'Brien has every right to be feel offended, but it's difficult to generate support for yourself when you offend other people.

Against Geelong in Round 8, it was alleged O'Brien called Tom Hawkins a ''f..ken faggot'' at half-time. 

O'Brien took to Twitter post-match to deny such an outrageous claim. 

He would never use homophobic language, he said. ''I called him a ''fat f..k'', he wrote.

In other words, it's cool to call someone fat but not a faggot.

That's OK, the world moves on.

Already, the Magpies seem to be moving on.

They trained yesterday without O'Brien and are planning for their game on Friday night.

And you get the feeling it's not really an issue if O'Brien plays or not.

For the record, he won't.

In the meantime, he wants a robust apology from Buckley.

Buckley might have been a smartarse, but O'Brien surely has picked the wrong fight.

And just maybe the apology should be O'Brien to Buckley, and not the other way round.

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VFL player 'won't walk again'

Casey Tutungi (R) playing for South Barwon earlier this year. Source: Stuart Walmsley / News Limited

A FORMER Geelong VFL player will never be able to walk or use his arms again after a freak on-field accident in a local football match, his family have confirmed.

Casey Tutungi, 27, remained in the Austin Hospital last night as his family broke the news.

Dad Chris Tutungi said doctors had told the family his son's life was permanently changed.

"The medical staff at the hospital gave us the prognosis no parent of an active, strong, vital 27-year-old wants to hear," he and wife Carol said in a statement. "Casey has been diagnosed as a quadriplegic."

The family have been rallying around the gifted footballer and civil engineer, who works at Barwon Water.

Casey, who will become a father for the first time when fiancee Bridget gives birth in November, has seen scans of his baby from his hospital bed.

The co-coach of Geelong Football League team South Barwon was injured during a clash against St Joseph's 17 days ago.

The hard-at-it footballer had just gathered the ball when he ran into an opposition player's stomach.

He flopped backwards, screaming that he could not feel anything.

Doctors told the family that Casey had fractured and dislocated his C4 and C5 vertebrae, which had compressed his spinal cord and caused swelling.

The injury has stopped the brain sending messages to his arms and legs to get them to move.

Mr Tutungi said Casey, who was fully aware of his situation, had some movement in his shoulders and one of his biceps could slightly contract.

He said Casey had been making jokes with nurses despite his circumstances.

"He's still got his sense of humour," Mr Tutungi said.

"We'll give him all the support he needs. He won't let it stop him," he said.

The family have set up a trust fund to provide state-of-the-art medical equipment that could help Casey.

Donations to the Casey Tutungi Future Fund can be made at Bendigo Bank branches or via caseytutungi.com

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Off the Hook: Griffin's season ticket

Coach Anthony Griffin sees over a Broncos training session at Red Hill. Source: Jonathon Searle / News Limited

EXCLUSIVE: BRISBANE hierarchy have ended months of speculation over coach Anthony Griffin's future by guaranteeing his job for next season even if the Broncos miss this year's finals.

The Courier-Mail can reveal the Broncos board has given unequivocal support to Griffin, whose tenure has come into question amid Brisbane's dramatic slide to 13th place on the NRL table.

Broncos legend Darren Lockyer has been an influential figure, telling Broncos chief executive Paul White at a meeting last week Griffin is the coach to preside over a reinvigoration of the club.

The Broncos are facing the worst season in their 25-year history and must win six of their last eight games, including Friday night's clash against Cronulla, to make the playoffs.

But if the Broncos capitulate and miss the finals for the second time in four seasons, Griffin will avoid the axe.

The 46-year-old is contracted until the end of 2015 and White, also a board member, confirmed Monday night Griffin will be at the helm next season irrespective of a finals fade out.

"I can categorically say this now: Anthony's job is safe, simple as that," White said.

"The club is fighting very hard to make the finals, there is still a job to be done this year. But myself and the board are convinced Anthony is the right man and the right coach for our club moving forward.

"The strong thing about Hook (Griffin) is that he is brutally honest, he's got an enormous work ethic and he treats people with respect.

"He is building the right culture for our club. We are going through a tough period at the moment, we are being challenged and we are right to be challenged.

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"I'm just as accountable and my job is to make sure everyone in this organisation has everything they need to succeed in an industry where the bar keeps getting higher.

"It (sacking Griffin) is not a reaction we are contemplating."

Brisbane great Gorden Tallis said on Sunday he believed Kevin Walters is tailor-made to rebuild the Broncos but Lockyer, the club's most-capped player, urged powerbrokers to stay patient with Griffin.

"I've said to a few people, including Paul White, that Anthony is the right coach for the Broncos," Lockyer said.

"I have been coached by plenty of coaches and from my experience, Hook is very good.

"The coach has got what it takes, but it is probably the resources around him that can improve.

"If the Broncos can add one or two matchwinners to their roster, they are a force.

"Hook is very direct with the players, he is not a coach to make excuses. I like his attitude and the style he coaches.

"I'm confident he can make Brisbane a competitive powerhouse again."

Broncos legend Walters, an assistant coach at Melbourne, is off-contract at season's end.

He has been linked with a return to Brisbane but says he is undecided about his future.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing next year," he said.

"My family are still in Brisbane, but I will see what happens for the rest of the season.

"They (Brisbane) do need to make the finals. Knowing the Broncos and the culture that has been up there, they won't give up ... but they are making it hard for themselves."
 

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Jersey will always remind me of Mum

Robbie Farah after the Blues' victory in Game Two of last year's State of Origin. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

WHEN Robbie Farah says he has never wanted to win a game of football more than this State of Origin decider, the emotion builds in his eyes.

As the Blues arrived in camp Monday, the tough hooker opened up about his personal motivation - and how every time he pulls on a NSW jersey he thinks of his late mother Sonia, who lost her battle with pancreatic cancer last year.

"I don't like dwelling on it or going back," Farah said. "But the last game Mum watched me play was in a sky blue jersey.

"That is why this jersey means so much to me and why I want to wear this jersey for as long as I am playing footy."

After seven consecutive series defeats, and especially the way in which the Blues lost in Brisbane two weeks ago, almost all the experts have given up on this being the year NSW end the dominance of this mighty Queensland team.

But not Farah.

He was standing beside the pool at the Blues' Coogee headquarters Monday when he was asked if NSW could come back from the humiliating 26-6 defeat they suffered in Brisbane. That is when Farah opened up about his private motivation.

Sonia passed away just four days after watching her son's heroic 63-tackle effort in NSW's epic game two win over Queensland last year from her hospital bed.

Josh Dugan, Jarryd Hayne, Michael Jennings, Josh Morris, Brett Morris, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce, James Tamou, Robbie Farah, Paul Gallen (c), Ryan Hoffman, Luke Lewis, Greg Bird. Interchange: Anthony Watmough, Andrew Fifita, Trent Merrin, Josh Reynolds, James McManus, Boyd Cordner, Aaron Woods.

And of all the games in his life that he has wanted to win, this one on Wednesday week is now at the top of the list.

"I don't think I have wanted anything more," he said.

"Obviously coming so close last year and under the circumstances of last year, too.

"I guess Origin has taken such a greater role in my life because of the circumstances of what happened at the time last year.

"It's fair to say I want this really bad."

At the start of last year there were all these questions being asked about Farah's toughness, and whether he was an Origin player.

The irony now is that if NSW skipper Paul Gallen fails to recover from his foot injury next week, Farah will take charge as captain.

Farah isn't even contemplating Gallen not making it onto the field at ANZ Stadium.

"I have no doubt he will be right," Farah said.

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"He is as tough as nails and I know that unless you cut his leg off Gal will be out there next Wednesday."

But it must be an honour to be considered next in line, especially when you remember the questions being asked about your toughness last year?

"I seemed to be copping it left, right and centre, from you included," he smiled.

"I wasn't even sure I was going to get another chance (to play for NSW). It had been a while, since 2009.

"I knew I was good enough to play on this stage. I never doubted myself or the belief I had in myself."

Farah has earned respect through performances on the field and off it over the past year. During some of the toughest times in his life, he has showed us the qualities that make up the man.

As a son, as a footballer and as a leader.

It's worth remembering that in last year's series Farah was awarded the Brad Fittler Medal as NSW's outstanding player of the series. The award is voted on by his teammates.

And during some difficult times at the Wests Tigers, he has been the one player who has consistently aimed up this year.

Farah admits the adversity he has lived through over the past 18 months has made him a stronger man.

"Definitely," he said.

"When you are faced with different sorts of things, I guess you can either curl up in a ball and have a cry about it or let it affect you - or you just get on with it.

"I think I have learned how to get on with things. I have had no option but to get on with things, really.

"I was kind of forced to do it, the timing of things, because I was in here and being a captain at club level. It has definitely changed me."

But one thing that hasn't changed is what motivates him - family.

At 29, Farah is not too proud to admit that he still lives at home with his father Peter and he doesn't hide the bond they share.

"Yeah, I do," he said. "I'm about to move out but I am still with him.

"I don't need him to tell me how proud he is. You just see it on his face.

"He is a pretty emotional sort of guy, my old man, and I am pretty emotional too.

"He gets a bit teary and makes me a bit teary.

"Yeah, it's an unspoken love, I guess.

"I don't need him to tell me he's proud every day because I know how proud he is."

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Axing still hurts Lions legend

Brian O'Driscoll was controversially dropped by Lions coach Warren Gatland for the series decider against the Wallabies. Picture: Philip Hillyard Source: Philip Hillyard / The Daily Telegraph

The pain won't subside easily for rugby icon Brian O'Driscoll, but he is able to appreciate the bigger picture following the most disappointing moment of his glittering career.

Having been dropped by Lions coach Warren Gatland for the decider - the only time he has been dropped in his 15-year career - O'Driscoll watched his teammates put on a record score against Australia last Saturday.

"It wasn't exactly as I would have liked it scripted, but you don't write your own scripts - otherwise you'd be scoring hat-tricks every week," O'Driscoll said.

"It was a tough week, disappointing, but we won the series and that's the main thing.

"One man's disappointment counts for nothing, there's a squad full of guys who are very, very happy, they've won themselves a Lions series and will always be remembered in Lions folklore, forevermore.

"One of the tours that matches '97, '89, '71 and '74, '13 is now a number that will be remembered.

"Not having an involvement on the final day does taint it a little bit for you, but it's still a series win and I played 80 minutes in the first two Tests and I had a big say in what happened.

"It's just nice to be able to say, I've been on four tours and thankfully I've been able to win one finally."

The Irishman said he would likely feel more grief over the coming weeks, but was heartened by the incredible outpouring of support following Gatland's announcement.

"I was fairly conscious of it, got a few texts, but a lot of Tweets," he said.

"You hear it through a few people, talking to a few guys back home, that made it a little bit easier, because I wasn't the only one that felt I should have been in the team.

"I haven't really analysed it all and thought, 'How painful is this?' You're just living it raw.

"I'll probably think about it more over the next few weeks when I've got a bit of time on my hands.

"If players didn't back themselves they wouldn't be able to get up week in, week out.

"You've got to think you're better than your opposite number, that's why you need to be selected every week, and that's the mentality all rugby players need to have."

O'Driscoll, who will likely become the most capped Test player in history when he retires next year, was highly praised by Gatland and Lions teammates for his reaction to the axing, immediately helping those who were picked ahead of him.

"I've seen different people, never having been dropped before, I've seen how certain people reacted over the course of time to disappointment. And you know there's a correct way, and an incorrect way, of doing that," O'Driscoll said.

"I wanted to make sure that I reacted in the best possible manner, to help the team out as much as I could."

O'Driscoll made his Lions debut in 2001 against Australia, and endured losses in that and ensuing series against New Zealand and South Africa.

Their historic 41-16 victory over the Wallabies last Saturday ended a 16-year winless streak.

"You go and earn your right for destiny ... you have to fight for it," O'Driscoll said.

"There's no great secret, we played better in the third Test and that was the difference.

"I don't think [the Wallabies are] as strong as the 2001 team that we played, they were World Cup winners in 99, it's probably in a bit of a developmental phase.

"By their standards they'll be disappointed with how they played."

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