Bennett triggers Broncos stampede

QUEENSLAND Origin star Darius Boyd is tipped to follow Wayne Bennett to St George Illawarra next season and there have been rumours the Dragons will pick up an even bigger name Bronco for 2009 or the year after, with Justin Hodges, Karmichael Hunt and even Darren Lockyer mentioned. The talk goes that the Broncos may have to offload one of them at the end of this season to ease salary cap pressure. But chief executive Bruno Cullen says that is rubbish. Hunt and Lockyer are contracted until the end of next season and Hodges until the end of 2011. Cullen says the Broncos hope to retain Hunt and Lockyer beyond next year, but concedes they may face a battle to fight off huge interest from other clubs in Hunt. Meanwhile, Boyd is expected to be granted a release to join the Dragons, despite taking up an option to extend his contract with the Broncos for a further season. Back-rower David Stagg has indicated he won't be changing his mind after recently enacting a similar clause to Boyd, making it difficult for Brisbane to snare promising St George Illawarra forward Lagi Setu. Tazos can be misleading Just a week after being listed as one of the reasons that forced Mark Gasnier to French rugby union, Tazo football cards found in packets of Smith's chips have been blamed for exposing children to hardcore porn on the internet. Smith's and the NRL were this week forced to launch an investigation after complaints that kids Googling the website listed on the chip packets were inadvertently being directed to a porn site. As a result, the company advised customers to go directly to www.smithsfooty.com.au and not use search engines to access the site. Gasnier last week questioned how much money Smith's made out of its footy cards, while concerns have also been raised about children being encouraged to buy chips so they can collect the Tazos. Monty likely to slam Sam Former Warriors captain Monty Betham will dust off the boxing gloves to return to the ring for a charity fight against ex-Wallaby Sam Scott-Young in Brisbane next Friday night. Despite Scott-Young's reputation as a hard man, he faces a tough initiation against Betham, who quit boxing earlier this year after an unbeaten five-bout career at cruiserweight level. Also stepping into the boxing ring at Brisbane Convention Centre to help raise money for a cancer foundation will be Tony Butterfield, Andrew Gee, Colin Scott and Frank Bunce. Crusaders chalk one up Canberra's Marshall Chalk is the first signing of promoted Welsh-based Super League club Celtic Crusaders, and with up to 10 imports allowed, more NRL stars will join him. Other names linked with the Bridgend side - which is coached by former Brisbane assistant John Dixon and already has Josh Hannay on the books - include Neville Costigan, Luke Covell, Rabbitohs halfback Jeremy Smith, Ben Rogers and Frank Puletua. Meanwhile, Salford, the other club admitted to Super League next season, have signed North Queensland prop Ray Cashmere. Also heading to England are Dragons utility Rangi Chase, who has signed for two years with Castleford, and Nathan Fien, who is expected to finalise a deal with Huddersfield after being given permission by the Warriors to negotiate with rival clubs. No dinner for Carney Todd Carney was a last-minute no-show at a Women in League dinner in Canberra on Wednesday night after his well-documented nighttime antics earlier in the week. The Raiders halfback, who was stood down from the squad after a wild night out in Canberra, was due to attend the function with his mother, Leanne. But organisers sent out a release just hours before the dinner, after the allegations against him had come to light, announcing that his replacement in the Canberra team for tomorrow night's clash with Gold Coast, Marc Herbert, would attend the event. The dinner was held as part of a number of events to celebrate 100 years of women's involvement in rugby league. Souths coach Jason Taylor and his wife, Lana, will join Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello and partner Terry Biviano as guest panellists at a women in league lunch today in Sydney. The function will be attended by more than 200 women involved in the game's grassroots as well as NRL CEO David Gallop, Penrith's Petero Civoniceva and hooker Luke Priddis, Wests Tigers duo Todd Payten and Dean Collis, and Bulldogs pair Daniel Holdsworth and Reni Maitua.