A story doing the rounds this week suggests the big wigs at the NRL have been listening to Beyonce – and heeding her advice.
Having awarded Cameron Smith a Waterford crystal football in recognition of his 400th NRL game, as well as commissioning a mural in his honour to be painted in a Melbourne suburb, the NRL also decided it was fitting to show some gratitude to Smith’s wife, Barbara.
Specifically, she was gifted a diamond ring for the hard work she has done behind the scenes to help her hubby become one of the greatest rugby league players of all time.
“Our biggest stars wouldn’t be where they are today without the women in their lives,” Todd Greenberg told News Corp.
“We make no apologies for honouring the amazing role Barb has played and the sacrifices she has made throughout Cameron’s career.”
Todd liked it, so he put a ring on it.
(Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh-oooh-uh-oh.)
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
And, predictably, there have been those who have bemoaned the action as further evidence of the NRL’s all-too-cosy relationship with the Melbourne Storm.
Apparently, by giving Mrs Smith a nice piece of jewellery, the NRL are helping the Storm to circumvent the salary cap – the assumption presumably being that the Smiths took the ring to Cash Converters the next day.
News were keen to point out that the ring “was not included on the official register of gifts paid for by the governing body”.
I can kind of see where they are coming from on that one, but then again, it’s not a present for Cameron, is it?
Having spent my 20s with a stud in my nose, I’m hardly going to have a crack at a bloke who decides he wants to wear a diamond ring – but, and I may be wrong, Cameron Smith just doesn’t strike me as the type to ask his wife if he can borrow her bling for a night out.
(Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
And with his annual salary estimated at $1 million – just from his club, to make no mention of other endorsements – we can also assume that the Smith family don’t require visits from the Smith Family to keep food on the table.
The ring may be worth thousands, but it’s staying put on Barb’s finger, not being hocked to help pay for a sports car.
So the suggestion a nice token of gratitude to a woman who moved away from home and her support network, raised three kids with very little help – Cameron himself recently spoke of how much of the heavy lifting his wife did on that front on the Matty Johns Podcast – and backed her man to the hilt on his quest to be the best footy player he could be is some form of subterfuge is not only ridiculous, it’s insulting.
How about we give people a little bit of credit every now and then.
The NRL are trying really hard to no longer be the neanderthal code that treats women as second-class citizens, having instigated initiatives like this weekend’s Women in League round, the NRLW and seeing women whistle-blowers refereeing top-flight footy.
Then, a few weeks ago, a player racked up a quadruple century of NRL matches for the first time in history, and the governing body had the perspicacity to recognise the woman who made it possible.
James Graham’s 400 games is a wonderful achievement too, but considering more than half were for the Super League, it’s completely understandable that the NRL isn’t making the same song and dance over it – you don’t congratulate someone for ten years of work if eight of them were at another company.
And while the saying is ‘she deserves a medal’, Barb Smith probably preferred a diamond ring.
A woman who has done the hard yards that no-one else saw and gives 110 per cent for both halves – because her other half was away playing footy for large parts of the year – was given a gift. An expensive gift, sure, but it’s a multi-billion-dollar enterprise that bought it for her – did we expect them to give her a ring they won in a skill-tester?
As for suggestions it’s money that could be better spent elsewhere, that there are more deserving women at the grassroots who could have done with the financial boost spent on the ring? In a nutshell, piss off.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely living in Australia – a life of unimaginable privilege compared to 98 per cent of the world’s population, even if you are on our country’s bottom rung. So unless you live on bread and water and have never accepted a gift in your life, insisting that your friends donate to charity in lieu of buying you something nice on your birthday, you’re in no position to cast judgement on people who give gifts to those who don’t really need them.
It’s the world we live in – sometimes we spoil people. It takes a special kind of pettiness to try and make people feel bad for doing something nice.
And ultimately that’s what’s happened here: the NRL did a nice thing for a person who deserved to have a nice thing done for them.
The idea it was underhanded, manipulative or – as News reported – has left the governing body “scrambling” is laughable.
Congratulations Barb – yours is a huge achievement and you deserve any and all recognition that comes with it.
Nat
Roar Guru
Just the response I expected. Gibberish supported by "check mate".
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Show me? I'm not Jerry McGuire Nat! You may not use the word logic much, as a QLDer I don't expect you to, but with your reliance on the Courier Mail for the QLD spin on things your research is often lacking as well. Or are you prepared to back these views up with links to the arguments that you are referencing? Remember Nat, it's OK to have an opinion without supporting references as long as it is your own. "the next two highest contributors... who also post supporting links" Note, I'm not claiming to be one of the highest contributors on this forum (especially whilecI am being heavily moderated) just simply one of those with the highest instances of posting supporting references and links. "I would hazard a guess..." Just a guess mate. A casual observation. If YOU doubt that then prove me wrong. "Who are the next two highest contributors who also use supporting references?" Like I said, prove me wrong by naming profiles that routinely post supporting links to reference their comments, and writers and editors don't count! Tick tock Nat. Get to work. ;-)
Nat
Roar Guru
Show me one time I've used the word "logic"? Champion, you literally make s..t up as you go, including this one. But I'll play your funny games. Who are the next two highest contributors who also use supporting references?
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Speaking from experience I see Nat. Fortunately, I like to cover my bases and every angle and research my arguments... where needed. I would hazard a guess that I post more supporting references for my arguments than the next two highest contributors combined who also post supporting links. Nat, THAT's Checkmate once again! Thanks for playing. ;-)
Nat
Roar Guru
Ahhh "logic". The word used most where research is lacking.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Cracking stuff Joe! It's a shame that the response of the majority of posters proves your point.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Misdirection won't win you the argument Nat. The only logical conclusion is that the NRL has double standards when it comes to the Storm and Greenberg should be docked his salary for 2020 for cheating the salary cap. :stoked:
Nat
Roar Guru
Souths signed him, you trained him, you needled him and knew full well the extent of the injuries well before 2019 kick off. No, you took the gamble and played him. No other team in history has had the salary cap compensated in the year the player buckles and retires injured, just Souths. On the ring, I couldn't care less. It was a gesture only that equates to about 1% of his total pay packet. People are on here bleating like it's some form of enticement. If it was a $15k car people would be laughing at the tacky cheap POS but a diamond ring...
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Had they done that to Smiths parents there wouldn’t have been such a hull a balloo..
BA Sports
Roar Guru
That was probably 10 years ago. Who flew Graham's parents out from the UK for his 400th?
Tom
Guest
I seem to recall Parramatta got in some trouble for flying out Fui Fui Moi Moi's child from Tonga for one of his milestone games. If a club gets in trouble for such a gesture, why is the NRL any different?
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
Paul Gallen became the oldest player to step on the field & play 1st grade NRL rugby league in some 40 years yesterday, so what did the NRL do for that milestone ? Cameron Smith earns terrific money and gets a heap of lurks & perks and his wife has made no more sacrifices than any other mother with a working husband. The bloke is a professional football player but I can tell you now there are plenty of jobs out there where it places far more stress on family life than playing rugby league. The last bloke that ran the NRL went to run Soccer where they are good at kicking own goals so Greenberg should be an ideal replacement as he has had plenty of practice over the past 3 years or so.
Chop
Roar Guru
I can kind of see where they are coming from on that one, but then again, it’s not a present for Cameron, is it? So you're suggesting that the NRL would've bought her a ring if Cam had been working inthe NRL office? Sure, let's suggest it's completely unrelated....
madmax
Guest
Obviously you're a Storm supporter lolol.
madmax
Guest
James Graham played 400 games!! Did he receive anything or his wife for that matter?
Nat
Roar Guru
You can make that argument for every dollar spent. Every refuse truck that hits the road games away from hospital beds. Every dollar of research into one cancer can get questioned about why not another. If the NRL spent $15k on kids jerseys the other 200000 parents would wonder why their kids/ clubs got nothing. They have a budget for these things and while that $ amount may seem excessive, in the grand scheme its not, its just a gesture to someone who never asked for it and humbled by it.
Greg
Roar Pro
Away 6 months of the year? Really? Honestly i dont really have a problem with the gesture. I think it was actually good the NRL acknowledged her. I think it was stupid to do it with a $15K ring, because like others i believe it should be spent elsewhere, and more so I cant believe they couldn't for see public outrage. A call to stage and some prepared words would have been enough, but adding the ring hardly outrages me. What has got me outraged is the pushing of this narrative that she has "sacrificed so much" and is "so deserving". I am well aware there are different levels and types of sacrifice but to use such a powerful word in my opinion takes away from the many everyday people who have to make similar or greater sacrifices without the $1million dollar contracts or support of a football club. Just say she has supported Cameron every step of the way and deserves to be acknowledged for it and i'll agree. Dont push the farcical narrative with it.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
800K in favours? How do you figure that? Why should Souths be paying for a player against the salary cap would is retired and unable to play? About the $15K, it's the principle of the thing. The NRL are being inconsistent and you know it. If Cam Smith wasn't the most celebrated QLDer you wouldn't be interested.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
If I was Cameron Smiths wife I'd be a bit sheepish if someone mentioned the sacrifices I'd made to help my husband. He hasn't been off fighting in the jungles of Borneo , he's been playing sport and earning massive money. Any sacrifice has been incredibly richly rewarded. Good luck to her.
elvis
Roar Rookie
15k might be a rounding error, but it is still a lot of kid's jerseys. Just because the percentage is small doesn't mean the number can't be significant.