But she is still adored across the planet. The Tina Turner Musical, which is currently playing on Broadway in New York having wowed the West End in London, will come to Sydney next year. And she is still revered in rugby league, which was first introduced to Turner in 1989 with another song, "What You Get Is What You See". NSWRL general manager John Quayle bought the rights to that song in 1988 but couldn’t find the right person to sing it — until Turner did. Quayle then convinced major sponsor Winfield to stump up the money to secure one of the world’s biggest recording artists.

Soon after, he found himself in Turner's home in London as she paraded in front of him in a variety of outfits for a one-day shoot she would do at Fulham's home ground. When she emerged in red hot pants, he declared: “That’s the one, Tina!” With the NSWRL on the bones of its backside, Quayle knew the game had to grow and attract new eyeballs, mainly belonging to women, if it was to survive. John Quayle knew he had to make rugby league sexy. He wanted to make its greatest asset — the players — sexy. Sharks glamour boy Andrew Ettingshausen, who was playing at Leeds during the Winfield Cup off-season, was identified as the best person to feature in the ad. When he was snowed out and his match deferred to a Tuesday, Quayle was left with Gavin Miller and Cliff Lyons, who were also playing in England.

“When Tina walked into the freezing cold dressing-room, Cliffy couldn’t speak,” Quayle recalled with a grin. Quayle swore Lyons and Miller to secrecy. He didn’t want anyone knowing about the advertisement. People around the game would soon start asking how much it cost. The only other person at the NSWRL who knew was chairman Ken Arthurson. Days before it was unveiled on the big screen at the new Sydney Football Stadium, Arthurson took a call from Rex Mossop, who he coached at Manly before Mossop became rugby league's leading broadcaster. “Tell me it’s not true, Arko,” Mossop said. “What?”

“You’ve got an American singer, who’s a grandmother, about to become the face of the game.” Arthurson called Quayle in a panic. They suddenly realised the gamble they were taking. What if they had spent all this money on a campaign that didn’t work? Instead, it was an instant hit. It became a game-changer for Australian sport, which had never sold itself like this. Tina Turner with John Quayle, Ken Arthurson and Roger Davies before the 1993 grand final. Credit:NRL Photos The day before the first State of Origin match that year, Davies called Quayle. He had another Tina Turner song, which hadn’t been recorded. “I think it’s a sports song,” Davies said. “Why don’t you come to Los Angeles and listen to it?”

Quayle talked to his board at the opening match of the series at Lang Park, and soon found himself in a LA recording studio listening to Turner sing "Simply the Best". “I knew straight away that it would work,” Quayle said. They signed up Turner for the next five years and she became the face, voice and big spiky hair of rugby league. For one campaign, she climbed to the top of the Harbour Bridge at dawn wearing high heels. For another, she sang with Jimmy Barnes. Then she sang it before the 1993 grand final. Players in this period were starting to get greedy, asking for money to promote the game. When they saw the tearaway success of the Tina Turner campaigns, they fell over themselves to be involved without payment.

Turner wasn’t so demanding. All she wanted when they were shooting the ads were fresh mangoes and production to start after 11am. She only ever signed one contract with Quayle and, in later years, spoke of her respect for the game. People often approached her at airports around the world to tell her they were fans — of her and rugby league. Come on, NRL. Get it done. Bring our girl back. Sporting royalty rolls up at The Prophet Now this is the “spotted” of all “spotteds”.

For 20 years, entrepreneur Norm Nichols has hosted a dinner at The Prophet, the famous Lebanese restaurant on Cleveland Street, Surry Hills. On Monday night, the rollcall included: Alan Jones, Wayne Bennett, Sam Burgess, Jeff Fenech, Andrew Johns, Benny Elias, Mark Bouris, Matt Moran and Johnny Elias. Jones been at all of them and, unsurprisingly, captivated the room when he addressed them. “It’s always an honour to be there,” Benny Elias told us. “I’ve also been going for the last 20 years, too. We’ve had boxers and politicians and prominent businessmen. But this was the best roll-up I can recall us having. It was a privilege to be in the room.” No overreaction to Manly's Lottoland lout

Those accusing security staff of overreacting when a Manly fan lashed out at Storm centre Will Chambers in the Lottoland tunnel are way off the mark. This column has been sent footage of Chambers leaving the field of play and then up the tunnel. You can clearly hear someone barking at him: “You f---ing dog! You f---ing dog!” Security and police swooped on a Manly fan, centre, who confronted Melbourne Storm’s Will Chambers on Saturday night at Lottoland. Credit: Grant Trouville © NRL Photos Various people in the tunnel have confirmed that the Sea Eagles fan, who was apprehended by police and has received a two-year ban from the NRL, was the man spitting the invective. The fan narrowly missed Chambers when he lashed out with his phone but did strike one security guard in the side of the head.

As revealed earlier this week, the supporter in question wrote to Manly to apologise but said he was only taking a pic. What’s emerged now is that he was trying to video himself abusing Chambers as he left the field after being sinbinned. What a hero. The real hero of the situation was the Sea Eagles long-time security manager, Michael Malligan, who rag-dolled the fan and removed him from the area before police arrived. Old ones are the best Andrew Walker played his first game for Randwick in 1991, alongside Eddie Jones.

On Saturday, at the age of 45, he will play his last when he returns for the Galloping Greens in their match against Argentina at Coogee Oval. Beautiful stuff. Of course, he also played for the Roosters under Phil Gould, who remembers him thus: “Andrew Walker is one of my favourite players of all time. He’s one of the most naturally gifted footballers I have ever had the pleasure to coach. He was unique in many ways. Our team never restricted his talents by trying to handcuff him to rehearsed structures and set plays. Rather, we learned to anticipate what Andrew might do in any situation and we would try to react to his brilliance. Andrew was highly competitive too. He played with zero fear and zero hesitation.” Good luck to him and those brave supporters who will watch that match before heading out to Bankwest Stadium for the Wallabies’ clash against Samoa before flying out on Sunday for the Rugby World Cup. The quote

"Sorry mate, I just got lucky.” — That was Shane Warne’s remark to Mike Gatting after delivering the Ball of the Century, as recalled by Greg Baum in the Herald this week — not a reference to The Sun’s story, also published this week, about his “four-way romp with lover and two sex workers that woke neighbours”. Classy. Loading Thumbs up Oh the beauty of sport. Either Sharks captain Paul Gallen and Tigers hero Robbie Farah (possibly, broken leg permitting) will play the last game of their stellar careers on Sunday at Leichhardt Oval with the winner progressing through to the finals. Thumbs down