‘Fatty’ Vautin was a TV trailblazer. The silence from some after his retirement says a lot

It is also worth noting that no one from the NRL reached out to Vautin to congratulate him on his iconic career. You can imagine if a News Corp figure of note was snubbed the pile-on would be huge.

The public’s reaction has been enormous, with so many people reminiscing about Vautin’s career.

The messages he has received from sports stars, politicians and media identities have been overwhelming. At least News Corp have not been hypocritical by suddenly deciding to put Vautin up in lights.

There is no question that their relentless campaign helped push The Footy Show off television. Fortunately, the good memories of the show live on.

Burns was glowing in his tribute to Vautin.

“Fatty is an Australian television phenomenon, much like Paul Hogan in the generation before. Unforced humour and genuine ‘Australian-ness’ made them part of our lives and provided great moments of light in an increasing world of darkness. I saw him on a Channel Seven show – I think it was Sportsworld – and thought, ‘That red-headed bloke is a natural’. It’s good to be right.

It is impossible to discount what Vautin did in front of the camera.

“After the first show, we went to the pub and I said, ‘There won’t be a show two’. I got that wrong because we had a bloke that we could all relate to. As Phil Gould said, it brought hundreds of thousands of new fans to rugby league. I am proud to call him and his family my friends.”

Vautin’s best mate and manager John Gibbs also paid tribute.

“The Paul I met in 1979 was quite introverted, but possessing a sharp wit and a wicked sense of humour,” Gibbs said. “As a rugby league player, I reckon he was underrated by many, but not those who counted – his teammates. It was no fluke his 1995 Queensland team, against all odds, had success. Paul brings out the best in everyone.

“Most importantly he doesn’t try to be anyone but himself. His self-deprecating humour is natural and has endeared him to a legion of fans who know him as Fatty.”

Laurie won’t shy away from a fight - if it’s needed

Queensland State of Origin coach Billy Slater can expect nice guy Blues coach Laurie Daley to come after him if Slater attacks his players publicly or privately.

Daley says he won’t be putting a target on Slater when it comes to Origin’s game within a game – dealing with the media – but he is up for the fight.

Michael Maguire surprised everyone with his targeting of Slater in this year’s series, putting the Queenslanders on tilt with some carefully worded sledges. Maguire decided to go for the head of the snake and made Slater his principal target in the media with his now famous “glass houses” sledge.

Maguire was reacting to suggestions from Queensland that Joseph Suaalii’s high tackle on Reece Walsh was premeditated.

Maguire chose to get personal about Slater’s disciplinary record as a player and made sure his players knew he had their backs. He took Slater on without ever naming him. It was genius from a coach who for many years was reluctant to say much at all or use the media to his advantage.

Daley is an expert in the media, much like Slater, but he won’t be as combative as Maguire.

“I won’t go looking for controversy, but I’ll make sure my players know that I have their backs if the situation arises,” Daley said.

“I’m not a combative person unless I need to be. One thing I’ve learned about Origin is that sometimes things get thrown up at you, and I’ll react. The players will know where I stand. I’ve got no plan to have a crack at anyone. But I’ll be authentic, and I’ll be me.”

Daley is annoyed that he is considered “too nice” to be a great coach.

Return of the King

Matt King has rebounded from the disappointment of missing out on the NSW head coach job to become Daley’s main assistant.

NSW Rugby League boss Dave Trodden said: “One of Madge’s [Maguire] great legacies was the structure and staff he put together, and it was important to us to retain those staff. For good reason, Matt King is highly regarded by everyone in our organisation because he is a talented coach. It is a great boost.”

Trodden says it is a tribute to Daley’s standing in the game that he’s also been able to get Craig Bellamy in his Blues coaching set-up.

“Craig has expressed interest in the past in helping the Blues, but it’s thanks to Laurie that we’ve actually got him back here,” Trodden said.

“That’s a strong point that needs making because a lot of people have already been critical of Laurie and the appointment. There is no way that Craig Bellamy would join up with NSW if we were some kind of circus.”

DCE’s love ... of Des

There was a lot of love at Daly Cherry-Evans’ wedding to Vessa, and not just between the bride and groom. Former Manly coach Des Hasler was there because of his big role in DCE’s career. They won a premiership in 2011.

The master of ceremonies, rising media star and former NRL player Cooper Johns, seized the moment to raise the presence of Hasler and highlight the absence of current Manly coach Anthony Seibold. It brought much laughter to the room.

The only current staff member who went was long-time kit man Alex Ross. Seibold and DCE sat beside each other at Toafofoa Sipley’s wedding three weeks ago.

I’m not suggesting there is any issue between Manly’s captain and coach, but Cooper is clearly comfortable having a crack at his old Sea Eagles mentor Seibold. Hasler is still very popular with the playing group, but officials at the club have no time for him following their acrimonious split.

Job Hunt above board

The Broncos are not breaking any rules by positioning Ben Hunt for a post-football career. NRL clubs are allowed to help transition players into work after they finish playing.

What has been raised in discussions with the club is a spine coaching role for Hunt with senior and junior players, which could start next season. This would be an issue for Brisbane if they were trying to offer Hunt a job in lieu of a year of his contract. If that was the case, his salary would have had to be included in their salary cap.

The Bulldogs were faced with that situation when Josh Jackson retired in 2023 and was going to be employed by the club the year he retired. Because he had a year to run on his deal, the NRL ruled that his training staff salary for that season would need to be included in the salary cap.

Kevvy gets Parker’s job at Fox League

The return of Kevin Walters to the Fox Footy commentary team means that Corey Parker has been squeezed out. It is a significant move as Parker — love him or hate him — had an opinion and was never afraid to give it.

Walters is a Fox favourite and more measured, but his real value will be if he talks openly about his axing from the Broncos. Particularly if he opens up about the review process, the players’ loss of faith in his game plans and his angry reaction to being sacked.

What is tricky for Walters is he is an ambassador for the Broncos, something Fox must be aware of.

“With regards to my role coming to the end of its tenure with Fox Sports, Fox have stipulated that they have another ‘Queensland’ option that they have decided to go with moving forward,” Parker said.

“I am, of course, disappointed. I loved my role there. I know I was hard-working, well-prepared, honest, transparent, of strong opinion and open. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been apart of it for the past nine years.

“I hope to come back to the screen in people’s lounge rooms in another capacity sometime soon. Watch this space.

“I will enjoy moving forward for now, having weekends back home with my family, watching my very sporty four children now thrive and achieve on the field of their choice.”