The Sharks approached the NRL about the issue and were basically told they could challenge it, but it would be a legal fight. The club wasn’t prepared for that. Loading The Sharks also gave Holmes a $100,000 payment as an incentive to sign on long-term. That gave the club confidence he could stay. They asked for that payment to be returned pronto when Holmes announced he was leaving. It was.

The Sharks also asked that Holmes’ partner leave her job at the club, but she left on good terms. She attended the Sharks’ Christmas party. If Cronulla appear weak for not challenging Holmes it is because they knew of his conviction to leave and didn’t want a legal battle. Instead they took the long-term approach. Holmes has to return to the club if he flops during the period covered by his previous Sharks contract. The problem for the club will be fitting him under their cap as they have signed Shaun Johnson.

They also have an undertaking that Holmes will promote the Sharks brand during his US journey. Be sure Holmes will have a lot of ground to make up with the playing group if he ever did return. Now the fans can meet the real Man Anthony Mundine has been talking about a comeback; how he’d have no trouble disposing of Jeff Horn if he got another crack. He has told plenty of people in his inner circle this.

Mundine’s closest advisors have told him to stay retired. I told him as much a few years back, because I was worried he would end up one of those fighters who didn’t know when to quit. Hit and miss: Anthony Mundine lands a rare punch against Jeff Horn in Brisbane. Credit:AAP To be honest, the Horn-Mundine fight lasted longer than the sum total of our conversations in the past couple of years. There was no falling out, he just needed to take his show to a different audience. I didn’t want to see him get hurt and I’ve watched very little of the last few fights of his career. I went to bed long before the bout with Horn started. Mundine’s 96-second loss was a sad end to a career that inspired so many. Me included. I sat ringside for most of his fights, when he set the nation alight with his ability and mouth.

I sat there with butterflies in my stomach watching an athlete who became a friend take on the world. His blinding speed and brash approach made me like boxing, a sport I’ve never had any real interest in. I shed a tear when Mundine beat Antwun Echols — possibly his greatest victory. Raw emotion: Mundine breaks down after beating Antwun Echols to claim his first world title in 2003. Credit:Craig Golding I was taken on the ride of my journalistic career from the moment Anthony told me Laurie Daley (the NSW No.6 at the time) was running on old legs and to quote him on that. His stories were gold: from the outrageous shots at greats to bringing back a love sick Solomon Haumono, who had fallen for a model nicknamed the ‘‘Pleasure Machine’’. There was his decision to quit the Dragons and go to boxing and take off to America. I wore miles of flak for being his ‘‘mouthpiece’’. He certainly helped my career. Enormously. He had so much pull with athletes in this country. You’d be surprised at the sports stars who looked up to him. Love dash: Solomon Haumono with Anthony Mundine and Gabrielle Richens. Credit:Ken James

I certainly didn’t agree with his homophobic rants and some of the attitudes towards other athletes. I’m still angry with him for his 9/11 comments, where he said: ‘‘America’s brought it upon themselves.’’ Those comments ruined his American dream — and so they should. We eventually made up.

The night he beat Danny Green at the Football Stadium was one of the most memorable of my life. Biggest Australian scalp: Anthony Mundine goes toe to toe with Danny Green in Sydney in 2006. Credit:Steve Christo I’m glad he found an avenue for his opinions. He has won over more people and made new media friends. It will help him in the next and most important phase of his life, as a true role model and on occasion a spokesman for his people. Hopefully the public will learn about the real Man.

Stadiums backflip will put host of deals at risk NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley didn’t like our column last week and said he wouldn’t be swayed by Todd Greenberg’s threats to take NRL grand finals away from Sydney. The problem is sports administrators and fans recognise that Daley’s anti-stadium bluster is merely political opportunism. Its designed to get elected. Loading The major sporting codes have made a significant contribution to the NSW government’s plan to upgrade the city’s three major rectangular stadiums: The NRL has pledged 25years of grand finals and State of Origins for Sydney; the ARU has agreed to 10years of Bledisloe Cups and an additional Test match each year, a guaranteed Lions Test and rugby sevens events; and Football Federation Australia has agreed to a 12-year deal to host 12Socceroos and 12 Matildas internationals.

This sporting content is worth hundreds of millions of dollars to NSW and would be off the table if Daley becomes premier. Under the stadium rebuild plan, NSW will get all of this guaranteed content at no additional cost to the state. A Daley-led Labor government would need to negotiate new deals with the codes or, more likely, enter a bidding process with other states for events such as the NRL decider, Bledisloe Cup clashes and Socceroos internationals.

And don’t think NSW will be leading the pack. Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth have all gone past NSW in terms of stadium infrastructure. This week the WA government admitted it was possible to pay off Perth’s $1.8billion Optus Stadium in just 10 years as a result of a surge in tourism and visitation to the city on the back of the new stadium. Next year Perth will host a State of Origin game and a Bledisloe Cup Test for the first time, and also welcome Manchester United in July. The irony that the Labor government in WA originally opposed the building of Optus Stadium has not been lost on NSW’s sports leaders. Loading Des knows the cop shop drill This column has no sympathy for Dylan Walker if he is found guilty of domestic-related common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but he does have a good man in his corner in Manly coach Des Hasler. It wasn’t a family member or a player agent who drove Walker out of Manly police station at 11pm on Thursday night, it was Hasler. Those who know him well say Hasler has now been to every northern beaches cop shop to escort players home after an incident. Hasler cancelled plans to attend the Affinity Diamonds Christmas party to be by Walker’s side.

The reclusive Hasler is no fan of the social scene. His wife, Christine, arrived without him. Manly are lucky to have him back. Seven tosses out chance for golden start Channel Seven bosses are still cringing after a blooper of the highest order in the opening moments of their first crack at Test cricket coverage. It was great to see them covering everything that moved, but the host broadcaster was bowled middle stump by an incredible blunder: they missed the result of the toss – a matter of some importance in a game of cricket. They showed the coin getting flipped, but then crossed back to their befuddled presenters before the Indian captain had announced whether he would bat or bowl. It was awkward to watch hosts Mel McLaughlin, Ricky Ponting and Michael Slater try to talk about what had just happened behind them when they had no clue.