The image - captured on live national television at the time - showed the former North Sydney captain being frog-marched out of the Doug Walters Stand by police and security guards during a one-day international between Pakistan and Australia. Taylor does not resemble the same man in his reincarnation as a first-grade coach despite the altercation with David Fa'alogo that has him hanging to his position by a thread. While others on his coaching staff have not always obeyed the same tough alcohol policy that has angered some players, we're told Taylor most certainly has. That said, his decision to embark on a seven-hour Sunday sesh with his players at Forrester's Hotel has mystified many, not least many within his own club and rival coaches. (Although we have heard about the debauched antics of another NRL coach who went as long and hard as his players last Monday. That's another story, for another time). As one Souths insider remarked: "JT doesn't get out and about much, but when he does he is as annoying as a mother-in-law on a honeymoon.'' For now, Taylor is the coach of South Sydney. Former assistant Mark Ellison, who was told he was unwanted beyond this season, is not. But it was duly noted by some at Etihad Stadium last night that Ellison had made the long trip down to Melbourne to watch the club's under-20s side play the Storm while Taylor was nowhere to be seen. Coincidence?

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

STILL on the Rabbitohs' festivities, the players went to much effort to dress in traditional Japanese costume in honour of departing favourite son Craig Wing, who is walking out of the club he adores so much to fulfil a lifelong dream of playing rugby in the Land of the Rising Sun. Surprise, surprise! Wing wore civvies. And the next day, was sighted at Roosters Mad Monday celebrations. Wing also didn't endear himself to those punters who'd backed against the Sharks' two-and-a-half points start last Saturday night when Wing missed the final shot at goal. Then again, it could've been worse. Consider the big-time punter who invested no less than $800,000 on Penrith to reach the top eight to win $4 million as the Panthers folded like deckchairs against the Knights.

SOME random musings from rugby league's night of nights, the Dally Ms ...

Dragons players and staff showed they don't consider themselves rugby league rockstars by catching a bus to and from Wollongong.

Afterwards, Souths officials were steaming after the ceremony after Fox Sports caller and compere Warren Smith asked Nathan Merrit on stage if he thought Taylor had some boxing ability.

In other news, everybody was asking who the mystery girl with Roosters captain Braith Anasta was. Her name is Natasha Pinter, a friend.

And finally, and as you rubbed shoulders with rugby league's rough-headed elite, it was impossible not to notice how absurdly nice-looking the girls who clung to them like liferafts were. In many ways, it's equally hard not to think of the current VB campaign that honours "Men who punch above their weight''.

IN these dark and uncertain times, the grandest news in recent memory is Cold Chisel getting the band back together to perform at the final round of the V8 Supercars series at Homebush in December. The Daily Telegraph's resident rock chick, Kathy McCabe, interviewed the band during the week and keyboardist Don Walker recalled the band being on stage during the infamous Bathurst riots in the early 1980s. "I don't think we caused the riot; I would like to think we didn't,'' he said. Then the great Jimmy Barnes himself chimed in: "I don't think we helped.'' Chisel and the high-octane aroma of petrol from Holden and Ford V8s filling your nostrils ... Does it get any better?

EVERYONE loves a sporting look-a-like. But right now, there are too many floating around to ignore. The Footy Show is having a field day off the back of how much Dragons winger Wendell Sailor looks like Danny Glover. And those images of the First Lady Michelle Obama flexing up for the cameras during the week made her look suspiciously like Serena Williams.  Yesterday, Triple M's new breakfast show The Grill highlighted the alarming similarity between former Penrith hardman Mark Geyer and gender-confused South African runner Caster Semenya after she appeared on the cover of You magazine. Check it on www.triplem.com.au. But the one that has floated our boat the most is this one straight out of the rugby union. Waratahs captain Phil Waugh's two young boys love calling Wallabies prop Benn Robinson by his well-worn nickname "Fat Cat.'' But the whippersnappers were completely fooled recently when they eyed a front-page photo of 2Day FM shock jock Kyle Sandilands. "Both my boys looked at it and at the same time went: `Fat Cat! There's Fat Cat!'' Waugh told us ... Given his crude remarks about Magda Szubanski and concentration camps, we'd love to see Sandilands pack down against the South African pack some time.