If you want an insight into why Bernard Tomic has flamed out at the age of 24, consider the phone call your humble correspondent received on Tuesday from his father, John.
A column in that morning's Herald explained how genial and unaffected Team Tomic had been during a two-day visit for a magazine feature I wrote about 11 years ago on the rising star of Australian tennis. John drove me back to my hotel that day, getting sideways in his old Mazda on the modified streets of Surfers Paradise, which was gearing up for IndyCar that weekend.
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Bernard Tomic: 'It's a grind. I'm trapped'
The tennis player declares he's only playing tennis for the money in an interview on Channel Seven's Sunday Night.
Tuesday's call went like this:
JOHN TOMIC: "You leave something out of your story."
WEBSTER: "What's that?"
TOMIC: "You pretending or you just joking?"
WEBSTER: "No, you tell me."
TOMIC: "[Tomic then describes a lewd sexual act]. That's what made me excited that I drive so fast."
WEBSTER: "Yeah, that's pretty funny."
TOMIC: "You clear now? And you will pay. You will pay for this one."
WEBSTER: "Oh, will I? And how's that, mate?"
TOMIC: "F--- you. I f--- your wife and everything.
WEBSTER: "I thought that was a positive column about you and Bernard."
TOMIC: "I will find you. I will find you."
WEBSTER: "You'll find me? Is that a threat?"
TOMIC: "Not a threat. I want to drink with you."
WEBSTER: "You want to have a drink with me?"
TOMIC: "Yeeeeesssss. Lovely. I want to drive you in the car on the drink. I am not threatening you. If you have balls, I have balls."
WEBSTER: "Well, it sounded like a threat."
TOMIC: "F--- YOU, IDIOT!"
WEBSTER: "Yep, that sounds like a threat."
Then the big fella hung up ... Gold. Gold. Gold.
The brief conversation highlights why his troubled son might be struggling with more than the daddy issues most of us have to deal with in this wretched existence called life.
John Tomic and his wife fled war-torn Yugoslavia and moved to Germany, where Bernard was born, then came to the Gold Coast, where John drove taxis to pay the bills while learning English via the internet.
When I visited them on the Gold Coast all those years ago, I didn't see a Damir Dokic-like figure, just someone who wanted the best for his son and family. Professional tennis wasn't his way out but their way out.
While many at Tennis Australia had concerns back then about his influence on Bernard's career, John was adamant he would let his son walk away if he wasn't enjoying it. "He is my son and I love him," he said.
A decade later and Team Tomic is just about done.
As revealed on Seven's Sunday Night program, Bernie's in Miami, cruising around in his Jeep listening to American rapper Future and his song Honest ("I'm a rockstar for life, just bein' honest"), saying he feels "trapped" inside his own life.
John might start asking himself instead of others what role he played in it all going so wrong.
DALEY SET FOR ANOTHER CRACK
Blues coach Laurie Daley's one-year contract extension is expected to be confirmed at an informal meeting of the NSWRL board on Friday night, although it will be some time before it is announced.
Chairman George Peponis has declared that no decision on Daley's future would be made until a wide-ranging review was complete, but Daley already has the support of enough directors to ensure he keeps his job.
While some wanted him gone following the Blues' calamitous performance in game three against Queensland, others are prepared to defer to Peponis, who has said all along that he wants Daley to stay.
While a clean out of Daley's coaching staff is anticipated, one of the key directives from the board will be for Daley to maintain some distance from his players instead of being too close to them.
DESSIE NOT THE ONLY DRAMA AT DOGS
Everyone seems to be keeping their jobs this week. How un-rugby league. Des Hasler fronted a board meeting on Tuesday and then left still holding onto his position as Bulldogs coach.
Hasler was always due to front the Bulldogs board to ask for some more gym equipment and so on.
The team's performance was raised but Hasler was never being sacked. Even those directors who didn't want him re-signed four months ago were surprised at the speculation that cranked up about him being punted.
Despite the Bulldogs' horrendous form, sacking and then paying out Hasler made no sense.
What's clear is that politics are well and truly at play at Belmore ahead of next February's annual general meeting when former player Paul Dunn is expected to again challenge chairman Ray Dib.
Strap yourselves in, Dogs fans. There's seven more months of this to go ...
MALONEY LIKELY TO STAY AT SHARKS
The likelihood of a $9.2 million salary cap for next season has probably ended the chance of James Maloney getting the $850,000 he wants to play at another club next season.
Maloney was possibly going to Souths, then Newcastle, and then we heard this week that Canberra was also in the hunt.
But with so much uncertainty around the cap in the past year, most clubs can't afford to lure him from the Sharks, where he has one year remaining on his current deal.
The Sharks are unlikely to let him go anyway as the possibility of Cooper Cronk playing on beyond next year diminishes.
COOTE ALL CLASS
The legendary Ron Coote was honoured on Wednesday night at a gala dinner in Sydney for his role in helping the Men of League Foundation flourish.
It prompted this email from Harold Sharp, who in 1973 became the licensee of the Phoenix Hotel in Woollahra. For the next three years it became the venue for Easts players to drain a few beers following training and matches.
"I can clearly remember when Jack Gibson became coach and it was expected that Ron Coote would be appointed captain," Sharp said. "One Thursday evening following training, Arthur Beetson walked into the hotel and took me aside excitedly to tell me that he had just been appointed captain of the team.
"The rest of the players arrived, including Ron Coote. As they settled down to a quiet drink, Ron stood and toasted the appointment of Arthur as captain. I am sure Ron would have loved the position but he made it clear that they were a team and were all totally behind Arthur."
The week
Pride of Sydney: Flags at the Swans' match against St Kilda. Photo: Cameron Spencer/AFL Media
THE QUOTE
"Still married to the footy cos we can't marry who we love. Shame Malcolm." – A Sydney Swans supporter's banner at last Saturday night's Pride match against St Kilda at the SCG.
THUMBS UP
Golfer Jarrod Lyle is one of the friendliest sportsmen you will ever meet, so it was heart breaking to learn he is gearing up for a third battle with leukaemia. Then comes his response: "Just another bump in my road. I will fight like no other." Good luck to him.
THUMBS DOWN
ARL Commission chairman John Grant says he's all about "the good of the game". The decision to usher in former Queensland premier Peter Beattie as his successor, with the clear intention of getting up the nose of Sydney clubs, further fractures the code. Boo.
It's a big weekend for … Manly, who are coming off a massive loss to the Dragons and face the Storm in Melbourne on Sunday. We're about to see what Trent Barrett's team is made of.
It's an even bigger weekend for … GWS. After two draws, then two losses, then losing star Toby Greene for two matches via suspension, a thumping win over the Dockers on Saturday would be timely.
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