Seven Daze in League: Is it time for an NRL franchise in Temora?

After saving rugba league from the Bubonic Plague, revolutionising the game with the six-again rule, and planting a flag in America like a modern-day Christopher Columbus, Saint Peter helps the MCG caterers serve up party pies in a VIP suite during Origin II last night.

"I was just assisting our staff because they'd done such a brilliant job," he explains.

Whatever they are paying PVL, he's cheap at half the price.

NSW women's coach Kylie Hilder hasn't even been put out of her misery after last night's Origin series loss to those dirty, rotten Cane Toadettes, but Jamie Soward is already campaigning to jump in her grave.

"I want to interview if there's a chance," the St George Illawarra NRLW mentor tells AAP. "I'd love to coach the Sky Blues."

Poor Kylie. If only she'd chosen the Southwell girls, she'd probably be celebrating a series win and a new contract.

Meanwhile, on another coaching front, former Wallabies boss Michael Cheika drops out of the running for the Parramatta vacancy after being offered a job by English rah-rah club Leicester.

It's a bit of a shame. I liked the idea of Cheika becoming the NRL's first code-crossing coach since Alan Jones at Balmain back in the early 1990s. The "Parrot" was hardly a raging success, but at least he was an innovator, introducing compulsory naked team massages every Monday, according to former Tiger Shane O'Grady.

It's disappointing Cheika won't be able to infuse a little bit more of that rugby-style culture into the greatest game of all.

I NOTE with interest a report in the Daily Telegraph that reveals "nearly a dozen consortiums" have contacted the ARL Commission to express interest in joining an expanded NRL competition.

I assume the usual suspects - Perth, PNG, Brisbane, New Zealand etc - have thrown their rings in the hat, but as I have stated previously on this page, I believe the logical next franchise for the NRL should be based in Wuhan, China.

Alternatively, Temora, the Riverina town with a 4000-strong population, surely has to come under consideration after producing NSW Origin stars Liam Martin, Angus Crichton and Zac Lomax.

Todd Payten and Trent Barrett are also Temora products, so there's your coaching staff sorted.

AT the professional level, rugba league has arguably never been softer, but fortunately the Real NRL competition remains no place for the faint-hearted.

Take Jono Carroll's picture above of Kurri Bulldogs back-rower Tyran Stevenson, who somehow wrapped himself around a fence post during his team's 34-4 loss to Central at St John Oval.

Here's hoping Tyran's ribs and internal organs are still in working order, and that he didn't do too much damage to the post.

WALLABIES great Michael Hooper announces his immediate retirement from Australian rugby after missing the Sevens team for the Paris Games.

Meanwhile, another rah-rah veteran, Kurtley Beale, is apparently pondering retirement after (allegedly) rupturing his Achilles.

Coincidence? I think not.

It's just more evidence of a mass exodus from the game they play in heaven, before big Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i changes codes next year and starts smashing blokes.

TOMMY Turbo is cleared to return from his umpteenth hamstring injury, and I am intrigued to read that the Silvertails have flown out physiotherapist Dave O'Sullivan - who has worked with the English rugby team - to supervise the recovery.

It was only last year that they sent Turbo over to the US for some running repairs, which raises one obvious question.

Are there no decent physios north of the Spit Bridge?

THE OLD Fox has apparently fired a broadside at the NRL over its bunker, sin-bins, send-offs and weak refereeing, in an interview with Fox Sports at the weekend.

"I have no doubt they are saying to themselves in there at the NRL: 'Here comes Bennett again, whinging'," he is quoted as saying. "But no one rings me up from the NRL."

For some reason, this evokes an image in my mind of Joe Biden during his much-publicised election debate last weekend.