Crowe and Holmes a Court are saviours of South Sydney
Roar Rookie By darque, 23 Apr 2012 darque is a Roar Rookie
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I rub my eyes a lot these days. Well, not really ‘these days’, but far more since 2006 when Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court paid for 75 percent of management rights at South Sydney.
The reason? Pure disbelief at how some alleged Souths fans grasp every opportunity to criticise, knock and be a general cheerleader for the next depression whenever it comes to the topic of the ‘PHaCrowe’ regime.
Some of the criticism, and quite often in the so-called mainstream media, appears to be written with a very sympathetic slant towards the previous management of South Sydney. Possibly because some journalists are masters of old time mateship and very little else.
However I don’t have any mates who I might offend, possibly because I have already offended them, so I will deal with a commodity seldom mentioned in the mainstream media. It’s called fact.
Around about 1999 South Sydney were in a financial situation so perilous that if it had been you or me we would have been camped out the front door of the Salvos with a handwritten sign saying ‘Help’.
By the admission of the management at the time we were looking at extinction, or at best, relocation to the Central Coast.
Yes, very impressive. Not to mention that had we not been in such a state, there would have been no expulsion from the premier competition.
From ‘99 through to around 2005 we were a basket case. We had to pay overs for even average players. We announced signings of players I struggled to recognise as ‘marquee signings’.
Nobody wanted to come to play for Souths, unless it was for a hefty retirement payout.
Yet we still hear criticism of Russell and Peter and are asked what they have done for Souths?
Well, survival was a pretty good first-up trick. Yes Russell, we did still respect you in the morning.
Moving on, 2007 saw Souths suddenly manage to attract Roy Asotasi and Nigel Vagana. Personally I am not convinced their signings were coincidence, I feel they may have had just a little to do with our new management.
Lo and behold, in 2007 we make the finals for the first time since 1989.
Okay, unless I am madder than the maddest hatter who ever got mad over a hat, this was some pretty immediate and enjoyable improvement.
Sure, we have had a couple of frustrating seasons, riddled with injury to star players, but still only missing the finals by one game.
However, let’s not bog down on one area, let’s look at the overall picture.
Our membership numbers are exceptional, either leading or coming second. Quite an incredible effort for a team not making the finals recently, and a true testament to how much this club is loved and supported.
We are arguably the most heavily sponsored team in the NRL.
We can now make bids for marquee players and be a serious chance of signing them, unheard of not so long ago.
Roster-wise, league experts call us a “top four roster”.
In 2010 we signed Sam Burgess and Dave Taylor, who were largely considered the two best young forwards in the world at the time.
Retention is no longer a problem, with players such as Sutton, Clark, Luke, and Merritt all signing extensions.
Oh, and did I mention the name Greg Inglis?
We secured arguably the most exciting young coach on the market in Michael Maguire and he is already starting to stamp his ‘Storm-like’ attitude onto this talented young team.
The future looks nothing but bright. Very bright.
However, I am still left rubbing my eyes in disbelief at the negativity thrown at Souths by some people.
I guess when some people look out their window at night, they see a pitch black sky. The rest of us see what’s really there, a shining moon and a truckload of stars.
Go the Bunnies!
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April 24th 2012 @ 7:37am
Crosscoder said | April 24th 2012 @ 7:37am | Report comment
George to me was well meaning and passionate about his club,but IMO did not think outside the square ,such as the passionate Crowe with of course his financial resources , was able to achieve.My view is Piggins has now become a pig headed older clubman, who seems to forget the Aussie tradition of making up and shaking hands.Obstinence to try to prove a point , is plain childish.The club would still be sniffing on the smell of an oil rag to survive without the Crowe PHac intervention..
Gee George forgive and forget .The club survived and has the sponsorship backing and membership to underpin it.
April 24th 2012 @ 3:41pm
Godfrey said | April 24th 2012 @ 3:41pm | Report comment
Piggins left the football club nearly 10 years ago. It’s 10 years ago this season that Nick Pappas took over. Nick is the one who has won three wooden spoons over the past decade. Happy clappers like Darque are trying to re-write history.
April 24th 2012 @ 1:37pm
JZCarr said | April 24th 2012 @ 1:37pm | Report comment
Keep pumping those tyres with phrases like “top four roster” and “the future looks bright”. Souths simply don’t have a winning culture, nor the cattle. Sure, big boppers can get you some wins but they ain’t going to win you a premiership. Where are your playmakers? Please don’t say John Sutton … my sides can take it any more.
On the other hand, great comedy article.
April 24th 2012 @ 8:48pm
HBG said | April 24th 2012 @ 8:48pm | Report comment
Sandow was exceptional when motivated, Williams was talented but would hide when something went wrong. How many 1/2′s had Souths been thru up until recently?
25…30…
One left, & played for the Wallabies briefly???
This Adam Reynolds shows signs of promise, but it seems like Sutton & Luke are taking the pressure off him to help guide him through. Though, I think he has given more interviews this year than Wayne Bennett.
April 24th 2012 @ 3:18pm
Godfrey said | April 24th 2012 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
To read the truth, google ‘It’s Time For Rusty’s Rabbitohs To Deliver.” It’s more factual than the bedtime story above.
April 25th 2012 @ 8:46am
darque said | April 25th 2012 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Anyway, my final comment on this article.
Thanks to all those who have posted sensible comments, both positive and negative. It’s especially interesting hearing the view of people who don’t follow Souths.
As for Godfrey, Graeme, Perp, Botak, Paul or whatever name you’re using these days, I am going to say this nicely as I’d hate to offend you, but you’re an idiot. There is a reason you have been banned from every forum you’re ever involved with, yes, it is because you’re an idiot.
You’re not happy unless you’re bagging Souths, you see nothing good about any aspect of the club and troll from forum to forum telling anyone who will listen.
Peter and Russell have made a huge difference to the club and everyone one in the human world can see it, even those who don’t follow Souths. Apart from you, of course.
I respect this website and appreciate the facility they provide for a sports loving public.
Bearing this in mind I will no longer engage in any communications with you as I refuse to bring this site down to the boring and hate filled level you achieve on every forum you attend.
We know already that Souths are in debt, you are not revealing some dark hidden secret as you seem to believe. You need to recognise that nearly every major team in every code in this country and overseas are also in debt. It’s not news, it’s like telling us we pay wages, er yeah, we know.
Go away, stop trying to bring disruption and your obsessional hatred of Russell and Peter to forums, and basically, grow up.
April 25th 2012 @ 9:46am
Godfrey said | April 25th 2012 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Darque, you are a pitiful name dropper and propagandist trying to ingratiate yourself with a movie star. I invite readers to go to the Souths football club website and read the 2011 financial report. You will see that the club as of 31/10/10 had liabilities of $10,643,118 and assets of only $4,652,784. The club is in the red for $5,990,334 (on top of other loans it has). In 2005, the year before privatisation, the club was only in the red for $343,312. As can be seen, the club is on a downhill financial path. You will also read in that same financial report that Souths lost $864,226 last financial year and have forecast another substantial loss this year. The financial report also records that Souths had to renegotiate loans because it couldn’t pay them. And the club’s property arm, High Concept Commercial, recently went into receivership and all the club’s real estate assets are being sold to pay the debts. This is the reality as shown by the club’s own reports. Darque’s stuff is bedtime stories trying to please a movie star.
April 25th 2012 @ 9:51am
Godfrey said | April 25th 2012 @ 9:51am | Report comment
Darque – for the record, I don’t hate Russell Crowe, even though his record demonstrates that he is a phone throwing thug with a penchant for drunken tantrums and brawls. But this doesn’t hide the fact that for the past decade you have operated forums defaming and vilifying George Piggins. That you are now a propagandist under many names and guises for Crowe working for him “on a mysterious project” is of no surprise to anyone. Cheers mate.
April 25th 2012 @ 10:31am
clipper said | April 25th 2012 @ 10:31am | Report comment
Just a small point Godfrey, without coming down on one side or the other. You mention Souths are nearly 6m in the red (on top of other loans it has). Surely all the loans it has are liabilities – you can’t have other loans that wouldn’t be counted there.
April 25th 2012 @ 11:51am
Godfrey said | April 25th 2012 @ 11:51am | Report comment
It’s very difficult to assess the extent of the loans and liabilities because there’s no transparency and accountability. As reported for the first time in The Daily Telegraph last May, the football club owes Crowe and Holmes a Court $6.15 million. It had accrued $567,000 in interest and couldn’t pay it. The football club lost $864,226 last year, so the loan would now be greater. On top of that, the football club’s property arm High Concept Commercial Pty Limited, the affairs of which are not included in the football club’s annual report, has recently gone into liquidation. The club’s real estate assets are to be sold to pay the debts. Those assets were worth between $15 and $20 million back in 2007. Before privatisation, the football club’s biggest financial loss was $480,000 and that was during the Super League war court cases. Since privatisation, the football club lost $2,759,956 in 2007, $4,135,036 in 2008, and $864,226 in 2011. The club has forecast in its annual report another substantial loss this year. All we know for sure is that as of 31/10/10 the football club had liabilities of $10,643,118. Back in 23006 the liabilities were only $1,909,889. My disappointment is that Russell Crowe promised members that he’d “always keep giving the money” if they trusted him with the club. What he really meant was that he’d loan money at exorbitant interest rates. It’s a shambles.