House at 35 Mueller Street, Yarralumla, Canberra, owned by Kevin Rudd and Therese Rein. Source: News Limited
<span id="U1026629245857eG" style="font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;">RICKY Stuart</span> loves a celebrity mansion. When he started coaching at the Cronulla Sharks he bought <span id="U1026629245857KI" style="font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;">Ian Thorpe's</span> waterfront home on Burraneer Bay in the shire.
Now he has moved to Canberra and is living in former prime minister Kevin Rudd's old house.
Mr Rudd and wife Therese Rein sold their Yarralumla home in September for $2.25 million and the buyers decided to lease the house.
It was described as a "sophisticated and luxurious home" with five bedrooms, Italianate gardens, a swimming pool and a spiral staircase. Stuart was keen to play it down yesterday when asked about his new residence.
"Seriously, it's a nice family home and close to our families which is why we've moved back to Canberra," he said. "Just say I hope I don't have to use the panic buttons … at least until Round 3."
The house is in the same street as Stuart's sister-in-law and close to his parents.
"We haven't been close to our families for a long time," he said. "We're really enjoying it."
Stuart has kept his home in the shire and will rent while coaching the Raiders. He signed a three-year deal after quitting the Eels.
"I'm really enjoying the coaching side of things," he said.
"I feel I'm very fortunate to be back in my old town coaching my old team."
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IN more property news, Sharks coach Shane Flanagan can't be too worried about reports he may face suspension over the ASADA scandal because he was spotted looking at new property in the shire yesterday. He is upgrading and looking around the Lilli Pilli area.
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Blake splits with his player agent
BLAKE Ferguson is no longer being managed by player agent Sam Ayoub.
The State of Origin winger is now being guided by Anthony Mundine and Khoder Nasser.
An accredited agent or accountant will become involved when he's closer to making a decision on his NRL future.
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This proves that Isaac's no goose
YOU could never accuse Sharks hooker Isaac De Gois of not being loyal to his family.
The Sharks players recently went on an end-of-season trip to Hawaii and - in a rugby league first - De Gois took his wife, Renee.
He has copped plenty of ribbing from the players, but more importantly he got lots of brownie points at home.
De Gois faces a real battle to retain his first-grade spot this year with the emergence of Holden Cup hooker of the year Michael Lichaa, a boom local product.
Lichaa played in the club's NSW Cup premiership-winning side.
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Abbot girls score a prime gig
SOON we could be seeing more of Tony Abbott's daughters than the Prime Minister himself.
Racing administrators want to use Bridget and Frances to promote next year's $18 million autumn carnival at Randwick, The Championships.
The plan is being driven by Racing NSW supremo, Peter V'landys, who first met the girls on Derby Day in Melbourne two years ago.
"I said to Bridget when I first met her I'd like to use her as the face of an autumn carnival and we did last year," V'landys said
"They thought I was joking but I followed it through and we used her.
"We're looking at both girls for The Championships next year. They are very impressive young ladies."
Abbott's daughters also have horse racing in their blood.
Their grandparents Richard and Fay Abbott have been going to Randwick and Rosehill every Saturday for 35 years.
"They never miss a race meeting," V'landys said.
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AFL players do a runner
TWO Essendon players walked out of a restaurant in St Kilda last week without paying for their meals or drinks. They told a waiter two girls they had met over dinner would take care of the bill then scarpered.
Typically, soft Melbourne media outlets like the 3AW Sports Today team made nothing of it. The club dismissed it as a "silly but harmless" prank and a couple of days later the players returned and paid the bill.
They are fortunate it didn't become a police matter and lucky that 3AW announcers Gerard Healy and Dwayne Russell are so determined to protect players at all costs.
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Is Sami our toughest Olympian?
SAMI Kennedy-Sim is not just one of our top Winter Olympic medal hopes but also one of Australia's bravest sportswomen.
After routine knee surgery in April this year, the skier suffered an infarct stroke while recovering from the operation.
It occurs when a vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked, with a third of all varieties of infarct strokes resulting in death.
She not only survived but soon returned to training.
"I thought my sporting life was over," she said. "I'm so lucky as the people around me were able to seek the best medical treatments and advice, and get me back on snow."
Kennedy-Sim is now nominated for the Ian Thorpe OAM Outstanding Achievement award at NSW Institute of Sport Awards on Thursday week at Randwick.
If courage counts for anything, she's a good thing.
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Nine racing's Callendar girls
CHANNEL Nine used to have a reputation as a 'blokey' TV network. Not any more. Sports Director Steve Crawley has hired FIVE women for the network's coverage of the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast in the new year.
The gorgeous Francesca Cumani will be joined by Emma Freedman, Yvonne Sampson, Claire Bird and vet/model Josie Gollan.
Cameron Williams will host the broadcast with the one and only Richie Callander helping out, too.
Talk about beauty and the beast.
Warne cops a celebrity roast
SPIN king Shane Warne stepped out in Melbourne last week with fiancee Elizabeth Hurley, much to the disgust of celebrity gossip queen and Canadian TV star Elaine 'Lainey' Lui. In between calling Warnie "gross" and a "shocker", the internet sensation delivered one of the best carve-ups. "Let's play 'Picture Him On Top Of You'," she wrote on her blog laineygossip.com after seeing the latest set of pics of Shurley. "Go … His lower lip looks like a TONGUE!"
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Schu on other foot for old ref
NEW Gold Coast Titans CEO and former NSW Sports Minister, Graham Annesley, has wasted no time making his mark in his new role. He recently restructured the Titans administration, making seven staff redundant, while applications have just closed for a new role as head of sales and marketing. In an unusual twist, NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert was also on the Gold Coast last week doing his annual audit of the club. After spending almost a decade on the same side, I'm sure it was unusual for Schubert and Annesley to be on opposite sides of the table for the first time. But as you can see from the photo above they didn't always agree.
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Deals on wheels as NRL lose out
HOT on the heels of Harvey Norman's $1 million deal to sponsor the A-League's Friday match of the round, another NRL partner has signed up with the FFA.
Hankook Tyres, naming rights sponsor of the NRL's Monday Night Football, has signed on as an A-League partner.
As a big South Korean multi-national, Hankook has a natural affinity with the world game and market watchers say the move could be part of a long-term play at the expense of the NRL.
The 2015 Asian Cup in Australia will see the South Koreans among the favourites
Sugar's sweet without Kostya
THE great Kostya Tszyu denies he'll be in Shane Mosley's corner for his fight with Anthony Mundine. The pair were photographed at Kostya's gym on Friday but the former world champ says: "We're good friends - Shane doesn't need my help."
Mosley's fight against Mundine is on November 27
at All Phones Arena.
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SAINT:
CRICKET won't be the same when the little master Sachin Tendulker finishes this 200th Test match. We use the words champion, superstar and legend too often in sport but this guy deserves every accolade he gets.
SINNER:
Throwing a right hook and belting a bloke in the head is not what I would describe as self defence.
Billy Slater is fortunate Australian team management and coach Tim Sheens are so pathetically soft and refused to punish the Storm fullback for the 2.45am incident outside a Manchester nightclub.
CAFE DE GAV
Footy great Gavin Miller has returned to his hometown of Goulburn and gone into a new food business.
If you stop at the Beg Merino on the road to Canberra, you'll find the Sharks legend, former Dally M champion and Origin skipper in the cafe.
He purchased the business recently and does everything from cooking, serving and cleaning tables to washing the dishes.
WEEKENDS WITH KENNY
At an age when he could be excused for slowing down and heading towards retirement, Channel Nine star Kenny Sutcliffe keeps working harder and harder.
Apart from presenting the nightly news sports bulletin, Kenny has agreed to take on hosting duties of Weekand Today over a fortnight in summer.
SWING AND A PRAYER
Blake Ferguson was back at the Zetland Mosque on Friday with his 'brother' Anthony Mundine for lunchtime prayers.
Ferguson is expected to announce this week he will fight on the undercard of the Mundine-Shane Mosley fight on November 27.
"Blake's in the best shape of his life," Mundine said, "If he fights, he'll shock a lot of people because he's got plenty of skill."
BLAME THE MISSUS
An Irish weightlifter who was banned for two years for using performance enhancing drugs has blamed his wife for giving him the wrong supplements.
It's the best excuse since Shane Warne blamed his mum for giving him the wrong headache tablet when he was busted and then sent home from a tour in South Africa.
KING-SIZED HONOUR
Sydney accountant Tom York has been made a life member of Basketball Australia after 50 years of outstanding behind-the-scenes service.
York has served in every area of the game, starting as a treasurer at 17 for a social club then worked for the Sydney Kings, as a state selector and managed the Boomers at the 1996 Olympics.
SPOTTED
Sharks front-rower Andrew Fifita wearing Tonga's team outfit to watch Italy play at the Rugby League World Cup. Probably wouldn't have pleased Holden, the Kangaroos' team sponsor