Eels coach Stephen Kearney will come under pressure to keep his job next year if the bookies are correct after the rookie NRL mentor was named favourite to be the first coach sacked next season. On the back of a disastrous debut season with Eels, Kearney faired no better on the international stage, with his Benji Marshall-led side suffering a humiliating defeat against England at the weekend after two heavy defeats by Australia. Leading bookmakers told The Inside Back Kearney is ahead of Roosters boss Brian Smith and Raiders mentor David Furner as the coach most likely not to see out 2012. ''We are surprised he received little criticism from experts last year given his record," one agency said. ''I'd say he would be top of the pile at around $3.'' Fortunately for Kearney and other coaches under pressure, the NRL recently banned such markets from being framed, betting agencies can only speculate on who might replace an outgoing coach.
HENRY HELPS AUSTRALIA
The Queensland Reds can include Graham Henry on their Christmas card list this year, his World Cup win with the All Blacks saving the Super Rugby champions from possibly losing their star coach. The Inside Back can reveal the NZRU had earmarked Ewen McKenzie as Henry's successor for the All Blacks top job had the nation lost the final to France. NZRU officials were set to overlook assistant Steve Hansen had the All Blacks stumbled. It's understood McKenzie met NZRU officials. Ironically, it is Australia's World Cup loss to the All Blacks that saved McKenzie from being lost to Australian rugby. McKenzie has been touted as a possible addition to Robbie Deans' coaching staff next year, while Hansen is all but certain to succeed Henry as All Blacks coach.
ZAC'S WILD NIGHT
All Blacks winger and confessed alcoholic Zac Guildford has reportedly staggered naked and bleeding into a Cook Islands bar, where he allegedly assaulted two patrons including a 60-year-old man. Witnesses, staff members and even Guildford's mother admitted an incident took place. Staff reported he was soaking wet, bleeding from the head, naked and intoxicated. It's understood he was on the South Pacific island for a friend's wedding and was involved in a motorbike accident earlier that day. A New Zealand woman, identified only as Fiona, said: ''His eyes were gone, he was completely out of it.''
DESERT DREAMING
Almost nine months after the scheduled Bahrain Grand Prix was aborted due to political unrest, the Gulf state's Crown Prince has declared racing will return to the country next year. Bahrain has been given until April 22 to prove it's safe and capable of hosting the race or F1 director Bernie Ecclestone will likely take the race to Texas. But the Crown Prince won't hear of it, insisting Bahrain is ''safe''. ''Just like any other country that has faced troubles in the past, we will learn and move on,'' the BBC reported.
RAMOS RESCUED
If NBA players thought their off-season was tough, they should spare a thought for Major League baseballer Wilson Ramos who was found in the mountains of Venezuela at the weekend after being kidnapped last Wednesday. Ramos was taken from his mother's Valencia home while visiting the area to play games in the off-season and had to be rescued by helicopter in the Montalban mountains. Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said three men had been arrested, including a Colombian ''linked to paramilitary groups and to kidnapping groups''.
