Show me the dough: Lovett dons the apron

Locker Room

HE IS used to throwing upper cuts in the ring, but Canberra's Steve Lovett will soon become known to the nation for throwing cakes in the oven. Dubbed the ''boxing baker'', Lovett has temporarily traded in his gloves for an apron as part of the new reality show, The Great Australian Bake Off, to be screened on Channel Nine next month. Lovett couldn't divulge much information about how he fared, but revealed his fellow boxers got a kick when they found out, including training partner and world champion Daniel Geale. ''The first reaction is a bit of a laugh to people, they never would've thought I'd be a baker,'' Lovett told Locker Room. A stonemason by trade, Lovett accidentally fell into baking but boxing is still his main passion. Lovett had a narrow victory over Western Australia's Jeremy Allan on the undercard of the Geale v Anthony Mundine fight in January to improve to an unbeaten 6-0 record, and is hoping to finalise details for a coming bout in the next month or two.

Close shave for glamour boy Earl

NOTWITHSTANDING last week's shocker against the Panthers, flamboyant winger Sandor Earl has been a revelation for the Canberra Raiders. But that hasn't stopped his management dropping his name to several rugby union clubs, including the ACT Brumbies. Earl is contracted to the Raiders until the end of 2014, but has an option in his favour at the end of this season. His finishing ability, pace and marketability could make him an attractive option for the rival code, although his unmistakable bleached-blond hairdo has been given the flick after one week. Earl will sport a shaved look at Skilled Park on Sunday after getting his hair chopped off to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation as part of the World's Greatest Shave.

Raiding the Storm den

RAIDERS coach David Furner has denied interest in luring serial code-hopper Israel Folau to Canberra next year when he comes off contract at the Waratahs. It does leave the question of how the Raiders would like to spend the money left behind by Josh Dugan, who was their highest-paid player. The Raiders would love to make a strong bid for a hooker. They had been sweating on whether coach Craig Bellamy would leave the Storm, which would have activated an out-clause for Cameron Smith. It might sound unlikely, but the Raiders were ready to throw the kitchen sink at Smith for the Australian captain to play in lime green.

Simple explanation

DUGAN'S partner Amanda Palmer was spotted flying to the Gold Coast on Saturday. The Titans are one of the clubs said to be interested in Dugan. Before you jump to conclusions, Palmer wasn't on her way up to support the Raiders or to look for a potential new home for her and Dugan. She was on her way to an engagement party. But she was overheard telling people her partner had left the Raiders because of a falling out with the coach. Solves that mystery then, if it even was one.

Shark warning

THE BRUMBIES have made themselves at home in Umhlanga Rocks, about 15 minutes outside the centre of Durban. But a recovery session at the beach near the hotel lasted only a few minutes after training last week. Players were enjoying a swim when the loudspeaker came on to warn them of jellyfish in the water. Reports were that Robbie Coleman and Scott Sio were the quickest out of the water, especially after their teammates warned them about the Sharks off the Durban coast.

Full of beans

BRUMBIES fly-half Matt Toomua fancies himself as a bit of a coffee connoisseur and loves to cafe hop his way around Canberra. He took his barista skills international when he wasn't satisfied with the brew in Durban. Toomua jumped behind the coffee machine at the bar at the team hotel and made 20 coffees for teammates and staff. We're told the Brumbies were impressed with his skills and he has been recruited to be on call for barista duties for the rest of the tour.

Bring on the Socceroos

WITH Netball Australia confirming on Friday Australia and New Zealand will square off for the first time in Canberra, the only sport yet to feature prominently in the city's centenary celebrations is soccer. The ACT government has been in talks with Football Federation Australia about staging a Socceroos fixture against a high-profile opponent, but details are unlikely to be signed off until World Cup qualification is secure. What officials don't want is a repeat of the Socceroos' most recent visit to Canberra in 2011 when they thrashed minnows Malaysia 5-0 in what was more akin to a training run.