Breaking news as Roscoe quits Seven

Breaking news as Roscoe quits Seven

3.07.2009
Breaking news as Roscoe quits Seven
Breaking news ... Ian Ross is to retire from Seven at the end of the year, with Mark Ferguson defecting to the network yesterday.
IAN Ross, the Sydney newsreader who has kept Seven News on top for five years, has delivered a blow to the network, telling chief executive David Leckie he wants to retire at the end of the year.

Ross, 69, has told colleagues at Seven he wants to go out on top of the ratings and spend more time at his home in Queensland and with his eight grandchildren.

The Nine newsreader who failed to overtake Ross over four years, Mark Ferguson, stunned the industry yesterday by defecting to Seven just days after launching a new national news show, This Afternoon, co-hosted with Andrew Daddo and Katrina Blowers, The Australian reports.

Ferguson was dumped in January as the 6pm anchor in Sydney in favour of Peter Overton and was recently told his pay would drop from $700,000 to $500,000 next year.

Ross, or Roscoe, as he is known, is earning a lot more - for fronting the bulletin four nights a week.

In 2005, Mr Leckie rewarded Ross with a $1 million pay packet for putting Seven News ahead of rival Nine for the first time, and every year since has increased his package to entice him to stay.

The succession plan put in place by Seven news chief Peter Meakin is for weekend newsreader and Sunday Night co-host Chris Bath to replace Ross in the 6pm slot next year.

However, there are also plans afoot to trial a new double-header news bulletin with Bath and the recently hired Ferguson, who has to work out his contract at Nine until October.

Ross`s popularity on Seven News is credited with spearheading Kerry Stokes`s challenge to the supremacy of the once great Nine Network.

Seven planned to delay an announcement of Ross`s retirement, but The Weekend Australian revealed Mr Leckie reluctantly agreed this week to let his star anchor go after six years reading the Sydney bulletin.

Shortly after Ross quit, Mr Leckie offered the disgruntled Ferguson a job at Seven to boost the newsroom`s male ranks - and to antagonise Nine chief executive David Gyngell, sources say.

The two bosses then insulted each other`s networks in warring media releases.

"Ian Ross, Chris Bath and Samantha Armytage are brilliant," Mr Leckie said in a statement.

"Mark is Nine`s best news anchor. We clearly have the best in the business. It will be great to have Mark on board with our market-leading news and public affairs teams."

Mr Gyngell hit back: "We`re actually flattered that another network had to look to Nine to find a new newsreader."

Mr Gyngell said he was very disappointed Ferguson had turned down the generous offer of a new contract.

Ferguson had been earning $700,000 a year but that would have been cut next year to reflect his demotion from No 1 to No 2 newsreader, Nine sources said.

Since he was dumped after four years in the top job, Ferguson has been very unhappy, and loathes Overton.

Ferguson turned up to co-host This Afternoon yesterday and traded barbs with Daddo throughout the show. "Oh, so you`ll be back Monday?" Daddo asked, sarcastically.

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A nightmare build-up was bad enough, but nothing compared to the suffering that awaited New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium.

When the dust settled on a spiteful clash, Queensland had staked their claim as Origin`s greatest by sealing a record fifth straight Origin series with a 34-6 victory.

But more pain is expected for fiery NSW backrower Luke O`Donnell.

The Maroons faithful in the 52,452-strong crowd went into party mode as Queensland continued their golden run - a 10-4 win-loss record since their winning streak began in 2006.

Only Queensland`s 13-3 record from 1922-26 is better.

It was going to take something special to take the focus away from the Andrew Johns racial row that had marred NSW`s shocking countdown to Origin II - but it became a subplot after O`Donnell`s brain explosion.

The Cowboys enforcer was considered lucky not to be sent off in the 26th minute when the match erupted following his ugly spear tackle on Maroons winger Darius Boyd.

He was placed on report - but that may be the least of his worries.

After O`Donnell`s shocking tackle sparked an all-in, the fired-up North Queensland forward could be seen headbutting David Taylor as the Queenslander was restrained by NSW`s Joel Monaghan.

While O`Donnell appeared to come off second best in the end after Sam Thaiday had finished with him, the Cowboys backrower looks set to have an even bigger headache when he appears before the judiciary considering his NRL rap sheet.

Not much had gone right for NSW in the countdown to arguably their most important clash in Origin`s 30-year history.

And the trend certainly continued from the kick-off.

Days after Johns` now infamous racial slurs rocked the countdown to Origin II, the question remained: ``How would the Maroons` indigenous stars respond?``

The fired-up Suncorp Stadium crowd didn`t have to wait long for the answer.

In the third minute a pumped Greg Inglis - the focus of Johns` rant that cost him his NSW assistant-coaching gig - had dragged two defenders over to score.

By the 12th, Israel Folau - another reportedly in Johns` sights on last week`s Blues bonding night - had latched onto a floating Willie Tonga pass and crossed with one of his first touches of the game to make it 10-0.

Asked how the Johns saga had affected him, Inglis told Channel Nine: ``It showed in my game tonight.

"I was pretty upset about it, and it`s pretty disappointing."

Cameron Smith gave NSW a sniff when he inexplicably kicked the ball out on the full not once but twice.

Yet by halftime Queensland had crossed again through Darius Boyd (35th minute) to make it 16-0.

It could have been worse. Billy Slater`s 31st minute effort was called back due to a dubious forward pass ruling.

It was more of the same in the second half as Queensland kept scoring, and players kept biffing.

The niggling act between Inglis and NSW centre Beau Scott boiled over in the 57th minute when the pair went toe to toe.

But there was no stopping the Maroons juggernaut as they blew out to a 34-0 lead through Tonga (44th), Folau (48th) and Cooper Cronk (62nd).

After Brett Morris was called back in the 74th minute for off-side, NSW finally got on the board through prop Brett White in the final minute, ensuring Queensland did not seal a record-breaking victory over the Blues.

It was the only solace for a badly beaten Blues outfit on Wednesday night.

In another headache for NSW, Paul Gallen was placed on report for a 23rd minute high shot on Nate Myles.

"I told you I was going to get him back," Gallen could be heard saying on the referee`s microphone.

AAP

Maroons embarrass woeful Blues   06/16/2010
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