COWBOYS star Luke O'Donnell could become the next NRL star to disappear into the cross-code sunset.

Footy Confidential can reveal O'Donnell has been in touch with none other than Eddie Jones, the former Wallabies coach who now works as recruitment man for Japanese rugby powerhouse Suntory.

Our sources in Townsville told us a few weeks ago that O'Donnell - off-contract at the end of this season - has racked up a big international phone bill with calls to Jones, who unsuccessfully tried to lure the aggressive back-rower to the Queensland Reds three years ago.

It's understood the Cowboys face a futile battle to keep O'Donnell - who will line up at lock for City tonight - after committing more than $500,000 to retain Johnathan Thurston. The club has a further 13 NRL squad members off contract, and last week lost up-and-coming forward Steve Rapira to the Warriors.

Jones confirmed he'd been speaking to O'Donnell when we contacted him in Japan yesterday, but took an each-way punt over Suntory's desire to make the 29-year-old an offer.

"To be honest, I actually tried to get Luke across to the Queensland Reds in 2007, but the ARU would not support us," Jones said.

"I've known him for a while and see him as a friend. I'm a big admirer of his play.
"But from Suntory's point of view, it's going to be difficult to convince people that we need blokes who can't teach the others rugby.

"These aren't one-off conversations. We talk a bit and I've always been keen to have a look at Luke in rugby.

"I've got no doubt he'd make it as a forward. I brought Peter Ryan across to the Brumbies [from Brisbane] and he was one of the best I've signed."

Should O'Donnell stay in the NRL, expect the Tigers junior to head back to NSW. We've heard the Knights wouldn't mind welcoming him back to the Premier State.

Knights Discuss Luring Kimmorly Back To Newcastle
"I WILL never let anything happen to Newcastle."

With those eight words, mining magnate Nathan Tinkler provided every Knights fan with fresh hope that their cash-strapped club will survive.

In a rare interview, Tinkler told The Sunday Telegraph that while he had no interest to own the Knights, he would never sit back and let the club buckle under financial pressure.

He also hoped the club would not be privatised and remained in the hands of the community. Tinkler's comments came in the same week that the Knights discussed luring Brett Kimmorley back to the club next season.

The shock move could mean Kimmorley finishes his career with the club he started with in 1995.

Newcastle is one of the few clubs with money to spend and Kimmorley is seen as the perfect player to help nurture a young No 7, possibly Dragons Toyota Cup halfback Beau Henry.

While Knights officials are resigned to Kimmorley staying in Sydney, it has not stopped them from entertaining the idea of making an approach.

Kimmorley even gave the Newcastle under-18s side a pep talk on Friday before they won the Country Championships in Port Macquarie.

Tinkler, who meets with Knights CEO Steve Burraston each month, said: "I'm a loyal supporter of the Knights, both personally and corporately.

"Whether or not they need to privatise is a decision for the club, but they have some great sponsors and I'm not sure if they need to go down the privatised route.

"I live in Newcastle and I've got to say I would never let anything happen to the Knights. But I do believe they should be owned by the community - they are a community club - and I'd be keen to support them to remain that way.

"I would be more likely to help them through sponsorship and so forth than to say, 'guys, I want to own the club'. I think Singo (John Singleton) would love to own a footy club. It is a bit of a bucket list item for Singo to own a footy club. That would be interesting. I enjoy going to the footy but that is my level of involvement, I don't hold any private desire to own a football club."

Burraston announced a fortnight ago the club turned a $100,000 profit for last season, despite reduced attendance because of renovations to EnergyAustralia Stadium. He did not expect the club's coffers to suffer a hit because of the bad headlines surrounding Danny Wicks and Chris Houston.

However, Burraston would not speculate on talk of luring Kimmorley away from the Dogs.

Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said he hoped to sit down with Kimmorley and manager George Mimis later this week to discuss his immediate future.

PENRITH will today announce the re-signing of their captain, Petero Civoniceva. The Queensland and Australian prop is in the final year of his original deal with the Panthers, who have been battling with the player's former club - Brisbane - to win his services for the next two years.

Penrith have come out on top, with Civoniceva agreeing to stay. The deal means Civoniceva, who is still at the top of his game despite turning 34 last month, will still be playing first grade at 36. A media conference has been called for this morning at CUA Stadium.

Great news for Penrith bad news for Brisbane. I wonder how much money the Broncos will throw at Hannant?

He goes alright..dont know where that info came from..was never in talks with brisbane i heard..

Parra must frustrate their supporters worse than Souths...they had the forwards to win...enigmas!!!!

Cronulla assistant Shane Flanagan will take over as Sharks head coach next season after Ricky Stuart on Monday announced he would quit the post at the end of the NRL season.

Stuart claimed it was the right time for him and the club to part way, with the Sharks agreeing to a release from the final year of his contract in 2011.

The Sharks have had a horrid 18 months with the club lurching from one off field drama to the next, while they have hardly fared better on the field with Cronulla having won just eight of their past 34 matches.

For Flanagan, who was Stuart's assistant at the Sydney Roosters before the duo came to Cronulla at the start of the 2007 season, the role will be his first head-coaching appointment.

Stuart said he was keen to coach again in the NRL, but denied he had spoken to any other club as yet.

"The decision at this time was right for me and the club," Stuart said.

"I'm over the hardest part and that was just then talking to the players.

"We've got a really close bond, they're a great group of players ... it was difficult in regards me talking to the players and telling them of my decision.

"I think the time's right, it's right for me to go out and look at some new challenges and I think the timing is also certainly right for the club."

Flanagan, who has a contract for the 2011 season with an option in the club's favour for 2012, said it had been a whirlwind few days given he has also been tied up with the NSW Origin side in his role as assistant to coach Craig Bellamy.

"It was very hard not to be wondering what was going on in offices and phone calls around the joint," Flanagan said.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity ... I've worked for this for a number of years."

THE Gold Coast Titans have been plunged into a fresh financial crisis after it emerged the Queensland government is suing the embattled club for almost a quarter of a million dollars in unpaid taxes.

The revelation came as mining magnate Clive Palmer, the billionaire owner of A-League club Gold Coast United, declared he would not provide a multi-million dollar rescue package if the Titans faced going to the wall.
In a development that has rocked the NRL club, lawyers acting for the Queensland Office of State Revenue have filed papers in the District Court in Brisbane claiming $226,278 in outstanding payroll tax from Gold Coast NRL Pty Ltd.
Court documents sighted by The Sunday Telegraph show the commissioner is also claiming unpaid interest, beginning from May 19, on two additional amounts of $177,105 and $33,415.
The Titans have 28 days to pay the debt or indicate their intention to defend the claim.

The six-figure tax bill dates back almost two years, beginning in the 2008-09 financial year _ indicating the club's payroll tax issues began prior to Gold Coast's ongoing legal battle with Simcorp builder Alex Simpson.


The new lawsuit is another blow for the club, which was ordered to pay $3.05 million to Simpson by a building tribunal last week, only for the Titans to win a Supreme Court decision ruling Simpson's claim to be invalid.
Seven News broke the tax saga in Queensland last Friday night and alerted embattled Titans managing director Michael Searle of the latest financial issue to grip the Gold Coast club.
But Searle expressed surprise the issue had become a District Court matter. In a statement, the Titans club said: "The club's external accountants have been dealing with the matter and believe their position is correct."
Under Queensland legislation, companies that pay $1 million or more in wages annually are subject to payroll tax.
The latest legal brouhaha to hit the club follows a torrid year off-the-field for the Titans, who have had to fight salary cap rorting allegations and an on-going battle with builder Simcorp over the incomplete $22 million Centre of Excellence.
As revealed by The Sunday Telegraph last week, debts incurred on the Centre of Excellence project have blown out to $24 million _ more than the value of the land and building.
The Titans were also forced to approach the NRL for a $300,000 advance a fortnight ago to keep up with payment but Searle continues to deny they are in any financial trouble.
"We approached the NRL for assistance on a short-term basis," Searle told a media conference earlier this week.
"It's not uncommon, a number of clubs do it, it's basically to give us some surety moving forward, and some comfort."
With the Gold Coast under mounting financial pressure, mining ty**** Palmer last night declared he had no interest in bailing out the Titans.
"It (rescuing the Titans) wouldn't be a viable proposition. I would only be interested if the club was sold for $1," he said.
"I've got a soccer team. That's what I'm concentrating on.
"It's pretty hard for any code to make a profit in today's world, given what players are being paid and what it costs to run a club. "They (Titans) will sink or swim on their own merits . . . they are running out of money by the looks of it.''
An NRL spokesman said the governing body had no specific comment on the Titans' tax issues but would monitor the situation closely.

As for Titans...same old story...NRL need to do more promotions on club games to boost attendances, money and publicity...or not only Gold Coast will feel the heat...

...too much emphasis on origin at expense of comp....

I think the NRL will bail them out undercover...they're too valuable to lose again...they won't do same for sharks...

..Henry is disposable...

.YAAAAWWWWWN...

perhaps we'd do better picking the NSW side from the defectors to pommyland...