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29 Nov 2001 The South Sydney Rabbitohs and the North Sydney Bears are proud to announce that the two famous foundation clubs are now officially linked to each other. The directors and executives of both clubs have agreed that North Sydney, playing in the first division competition, run by the N.S.W Rugby League, will be a feeder club to the Rabbitohs. This means that players who now show some promise and potential from the North Sydney Junior district can now aspire to still play for an N.R.L. side via South Sydney. North Sydney Bears join the Newtown Jets, another foundation club playing first division, as a feeder club to Souths. This puts Souths in a unique position where, as well as its own first division team, it will have the North Sydney and Newtown sides from which to choose players. "This further strengthens our position heading into a new era and we welcome these wonderful clubs," says Souths C.E.O, Paul Dunn. http://www.rleague.com/newsarticle.php?articleID=4522 North-Sydney chief executive Mark Cannon has denied the club’s new role as a feeder club to South Sydney was ‘anti-Manly’. Cannon officially announced that the Bears and Rabbitohs had formed a partnership at a press conference at the Sydney Football Stadium this morning. The deal has drawn fire from Norths’ former joint venture partner Manly. The partnership collapsed earlier this year with Manly winning the right to play in the NRL next year while Norths will base its first decision team on the Central Coast. "They would have been far better off to try to strike some sort of alliance with us than with Souths," Eagles chairman Ian Thomson said. "I mean - with the greatest respect to Souths - the feedback I'm getting from the Central Coast is that Norths made some enormous blunders when they went up there and we're not going to make the mistakes Norths made." http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=20483 A BRAWL has erupted between the Northern Eagles and divorced joint venture partners North Sydney following the Bears' decision to direct their junior players to South Sydney. With their strong Central Coast connection, Norths were expected to send their juniors to the Manly-run Northern Eagles. But the Bears, who will play in the NSWRL first division competition next season, have reignited a long-running feud between the northern Sydney neighbours by electing to act as a feeder club to Souths http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/story_page/0,5000,3338236%255E5927%255E%255Enbv,00.html 28 Nov 2001 AFTER triumphing in the courts, the South Sydney Rabbitohs are looking forward to a similarly successful return to the playing field. Spirits are high at the Redfern club, with the playing staff and management determined that their return to the National Rugby League (NRL) will finally bring credibility to the popular but perennially struggling club. "There's a lot of excitement amongst the players," said Paul Dunn, the newly appointed chief executive of the club. "It's going to be a great opportunity for them to play in front of a full house for the few weeks definitely, and then depending on how they perform, after that." After their struggles over the last few years, most fans would be content just to see Souths take the field, regardless of how they perform. However, those close to the club are mindful that the last two years have provided a clear signal that they will need to be at the top of their game, both on and off the field, if they are to remain part of the NRL competition. As Dunn notes, the Rabbits will have unprecedented popular support - for the first few weeks at least. This anticipated support has brought in much-needed sponsorship dollars, with the club recently signing a $1.5 million deal with the NSW government's Motor Accident Authority. However, the feel-good vibes from their return won't last if their playing squad can't do the business on the field. They've managed to put together a handy squad, with a host of proven performers. The club's major signing is Adam Muir, the intimidating representative second-row forward, who will be the inaugural captain of the reborn Bunnies. In the backs, the club has picked up versatile utility Shane Rigon from Bradford, and Russel Richardson from the Sharks, a former Kangaroo centre who is both robust in defence and able to find the tryline. It's also made some handy signings in the forwards, including crafty hooker Jason Death and workaholic second row forward Anthony Colella from the Raiders. In addition, they've managed to snare young Frank Puletua from Penrith - a dominating prop, with his best years still to come. They certainly have a handy squad, but they lack a genuine star, a player capable of single-handedly turning a match. The best teams have at least one such player, but Souths coach Craig Coleman doesn't have a first-rate game-breaker at his disposal. The Bunnies were in the market for Brett Kimmorley for a while, until the star half back priced himself out of their reach. Though Kimmorley signed with the Sharks, the Rabbits might yet end up with a genuine superstar. Preston Campbell, the livewire Sharks half and Dally M Player Of The Year winner, is known to be disgruntled with his club's signing of another top-shelf halfback. The rumours that Campbell will gain a release from the Sharks just won't go away, and Souths are the favourites to gain his signature should the little champ leave the Sutherland shire. According to Paul Dunn, Campbell would prove an ideal acquisition. "Everyone knows he was a keen supporter of Souths before he joined Cronulla and I'm sure he would love to come back into our ranks," said the chief Rabbit. "We would love to have him on our side." Even if the Rabbits miss out on signing a superstar such as Campbell, the mix of their playing roster means that they will be no easybeats. "I'm not going out on a limb and saying we can finish in the top eight," said captain Adam Muir. "But I think we can be really competitive each week." http://i7sport.com.au/ Souths Sydney have ruled themselves out of consideration for free agent halfback Craig Field, who spent the early part of his career at Redfern. “We’re not interested in Craig, we have already signed five halfbacks,” said Rabbitohs coach Craig Coleman. “We’re happy with the roster.” Field is without a National Rugby League club after being sacked by the Wests Tigers for an off-field incident during Mad Monday celebrations. http://www.ozleague.com/default.asp NORTH SYDNEY chief executive Mark Cannon has said that a newly-announced affiliation with South Sydney is not an "anti-Manly" deal. South Sydney held a press conference today at the Sydney Football Stadium to announce that the Bears would be a feeder club to the Rabbitohs. North Sydney, which ended its association with Manly following the collapse of the Northern Eagles, will base its first division team on the Central Coast. http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/story_page/0,5000,3334458%255E5927%255E%255Enbv,00.html THE bad blood between North Sydney and Manly over the collapse of the Northern Eagles has continued to spill over with the Bears choosing to become a feeder club for South Sydney next year. The deal, which will be announced by representatives of both clubs at the SFS this morning, prompted an attack from their former joint venture partner yesterday. "They would have been far better off to try to strike some sort of alliance with us than with Souths," Eagles chairman Ian Thomson said. "I mean - with the greatest respect to Souths - the feedback I'm getting from the Central Coast is that Norths made some enormous blunders when they went up there and we're not going to make the mistakes Norths made." http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/story_page/0,5000,3330866%255E5927%255E%255Enbv,00.html North Sydney will align themselves with South Sydney with the deal being announced between the two clubs shortly. The partnership between Norths and Souths has angered Manly with Eagles Chief Executive Ian Thomson saying "They (Norths) would have been far better off to try to strike some sort of alliance with us than with Souths. "I mean - with the greatest respect to Souths, the feedback I'm getting from the Central Coast is that Norths made some enormous blunders when they went up there and we're not going to make the mistakes Norths made." Souths will enjoy a luxury of riches next season with three First Division sides to choose talent from for the top grade. Souths earlier in the week formed an alliance with Newtown and of course will field their own side in First Division. Norths have made the right decision going in with Souths. After the treatment and sabotage Manly dished out to the Bears during the ill-fated Northern Eagles "marriage" - the last club Norths should associated themselves with is Manly. It's very rich of Thomson to all the sudden expect Norths to become a feeder to a club that knifed them in the back. Newtown and Norths were the only two First Division clubs without an NRL affiliation until this week where the two foundation clubs aligned themselves with the NRL's most traditional club - South Sydney. The news is great for the young players at North Sydney as they'll have an easier path to play NRL next season. Well done to North Sydney on their alliance with South Sydney. http://nrl.rleague.com/news/index.php?articleID=4510 Northern Eagles chairman Ian Thomson has blasted today’s announcement of South Sydney’s affiliation with North Sydney. The Bears NSWRL First Division side will become a feeder club to the Rabbitohs, who return to the senior premiership next year after two season’s in exile. “They would have been far better off to try to strike some sort of alliance with us than with Souths," said Thomson. There has been bitterness between both Manly and Norths since the collapse of the Northern Eagles joint venture earlier this year. Norths were at one point threatening legal action against Manly, who were granted a stand-alone National Rugby League licence to compete in the 2002 premiership. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=41687&ngref=http%3A%2F%2Ffootyshow%2Eninemsn%2Ecom%2Eau%2Fnrl%2Fdefault%2Easp 26 Nov 2001 The Newton Jets and the South Sydney Rabbitohs are delighted to confirm Newton's position as an official feeder Club to South Sydney. http://www.souths.com.au/ South Sydney president George Piggins has won an internal battle that threatened the future of the club, and its juniors. After being re-elected to the club’s board yesterday, Piggins led the charge against a plan for Souths Juniors to take over Souths Leagues. Around 300 leagues club members yesterday voted against the controversial plan, which now appears to be all but dead and buried. Piggins was keen for Souths Juniors to come on board, but took issue with some of the proposed conditions, which left the door open for the Juniors to sell the Leagues club and change its name within two years. The Juniors were also willing to pay off Souths’ debt of $6.5 million, an amount owed to financier AMP. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=41606&ngref=http%3A%2F%2Ffootyshow%2Eninemsn%2Ecom%2Eau%2Fnrl%2Fdefault%2Easp 22 Nov 2001 South Sydney coach Craig Coleman has warned of fireworks heading into the club’s Charity Shield match with St George-Illawarra in February. Coleman says that players always look forward to the match, traditionally played against St George. “We would look forward to the match because it was our first fair dinkum game after months of off-season training. It signified to all rugby league fans that footy was back again,” said Coleman. The first Charity Shield match was played in 1982, with the Rabbitohs downing the Dragons 9-7. However, the Dragons do hold the wood over the Rabbitohs, winning eleven of the eighteen matches played. Next year’s match will be played on February 16th, and tickets will go on sale in December. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=41545&ngref=http%3A%2F%2Ffootyshow%2Eninemsn%2Ecom%2Eau%2Fnrl%2Fdefault%2Easp 19 Nov 2001 WAS Gladiator star Russell Crowe wearing a bullet-proof vest under his black trenchcoat at yesterday's South Sydney Rabbitohs function? Photographed signing autographs for fans and shadowed by his ever-present security entourage, from the back the jacket gave the distinct appearance of hiding a vest. But if it was a vest, everybody involved with the star and organisers of the Thank the Fans day at Redfern Oval weren't letting on. "Absolute rubbish," his agent said. Nor was anyone keen to provide more information about the black and fortified-looking van which transported Crowe to and from the event. Crowe, a fervent South Sydney Rabbitohs fan, and his band, Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts, were on hand to entertain the fans at the free concert at Redfern Oval. http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,3274904%255E421,00.html 16 Nov 2001 The South Sydney Rabbitohs have made official a longstanding partnership with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU). The CFMEU is Australia's main trade union in construction, forestry and forest products, mining and energy production has begun a campaign to enlist their union members as Souths members. The relationship between the club and the union was made official at the “Rabbit Warren” located at the CFMEU headquarters in Sydney today. “I’d like to thank the CFMEU. South Sydney has been a working man’s area ever since I’ve been here – and I’ve bee here for 40 years,” said South Sydney president George Piggins. “We’ve fought to keep to South Sydney a working man’s team in a working man’s game.” http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=0000041427 Former New Zealand Warrior Jason Death is enjoying the change of climate at his new club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Death says he was not unhappy in his two years at the Warriors but playing rugby league in the land of rugby union was tough. According to Death, getting attention from the New Zealand press was almost impossible and when the Warriors did come under the media’s gaze it was usually to “put the boot in”. “The All Blacks were all anyone talked about,” said Death, “and anything on rugby league was at least three pages from the back.” “Once the Warriors made the finals, though, there was a change in attitude from the New Zealand papers,” said Death. Souths’ coach Craig Coleman has indicated to Death that he will the number one choice at hooker for the club. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=41443 14 Nov 2001 South Sydney is expected to kick-off the National Rugby League's season 2002 with a game against the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The NRL announced competition dates for next year, with the premiership kicking off on March 15 and the State of Origin series returning to Wednesday nights. But the re-admitted Rabbitohs' first-round game is expected to be the early highlight, with Souths boss George Piggins confident it would be played on a Friday night under lights at the SCG. "It will be great to see South Sydney back in the competition continuing 92 years of tradition," Piggins said. http://au.sports.yahoo.com/sports/20011113/aapleague/1005646747-3893280804.html 9 Nov 2001 The Northern Eagles and Souths last night displayed an interest in Campbell if released. "If the Sharks want Brett Kimmorley and release Preston Campbell, we wouldn't have one hand up, we'd have both up and our feet," said Northern Eagles official Peter Peters. "We deliberately left a couple of spots open for a special player and we regard Preston as one of those. "He would draw another 2000 through the gate for us each week" Souths coach Craig Coleman added: "There are a lot of Cronulla boys here at Souths. I haven't spoken to Paul Dunn (club chief executive) but of course we are interested in good players. http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/story_page/0,5000,3214558%255E5927%255E%255Enbv,00.html SOUTH Sydney's campaign to rebuild the famous red and green army has begun. The Rabbitohs yesterday released a variety of football club memberships for season 2002 designed to cater for all walks of league fans. There are seven packages to choose from, ranging from basic football club membership to corporate membership. Souths chief executive Paul Dunn last night urged Rabbitohs fans to show their support for the back-in-business club. "What we'd really like to stress to all our fans is that there is a membership package for everyone," Dunn said. http://sport.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,3215296%255E5927,00.html 8 Nov 2001 The resurgence of South Sydney continues to grow, with news they are set launch a lucrative offer, to disgruntled and disillusioned Shark, Preston Campbell. The Dally M Player of the Year is controversially set to be replaced by Brett Kimmorley at halfback, after the former Northern Eagles and test halfback was lured to the Cronulla shores by his former coach, Chris Anderson, who will take over from John Lang next season. Campbell has admitted, that despite still being under contract to the Sharks, he might well seek a release if he is not the first choice number 7, for season 2002. The uncertainty in Campbell’s future has seen a number of clubs offer him the number 7 jersey, with the leading contender being South Sydney. Souths CEO Paul Dunn has made no secret of the fact that the Rabbitohs would welcome him with open arms, should he leave the Sharks. http://www.rleague.com/newsarticle.php?articleID=4250 As it currently stands, the South Sydney Rabbitohs are officially the most popular club as they hold a massive 18,000 club membership subscriptions. This is expected to rise in the coming weeks as the CMEFU, which were vocal supporters during the fightback have announced that all of there union subscription forms will include an option to pay extra for Souths membership. Experts at Souths expect total membership to rise to 25,000 by kick-off next year. In addition to this, Season ticket sales have been considerably high. The Rabbitohs will be having a fan day soon to pay tribute to all the supporters that helped them out during their hard campaign. Live entertainment will be provided at Redfern oval with the chance to catch the new look Rabbitohs in action. It is rumoured that Russell Crowe will be there mingling with the punters. SMH 1 Nov 2001 LONDON BRONCOS appear to be losing their battle to keep Dennis Moran who made a big impression in his first season with the club last year, although they will insist upon receiving a fee for the half-back. South Sydney, who return to the Australian League next year, want Moran to join them and he has been training with the club although he still has a year remaining on his contract with the Broncos. Nick Cartwright, the Broncos' chief executive, said that the coach, Tony Rea, had told Moran that if he wanted to leave and play for Souths, he would not stand in his way. Cartwright said: "This still stands so long as certain conditions are met, the most fundamental condition being that we are suitably compensated for the loss of a player who is central to our future plans." http://www.sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;$sessionid$3NVRZ5AAAC3GTQFIQMGCFFWAVCBQUIV0?xml=/sport/2001/10/31/slwhal01.xml&sSheet=/sport/2001/10/31/ixrugl.html The move of utility player Dennis Moran back into the National Rugby League has been blocked by his English Super League club. Moran is currently training with the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Erskineville Oval, and reports have indicated his desire for a release from the final year of his London Broncos contract. But the Broncos are keen to keep Moran, who played well from a variety of positions last season, and London chief Executive Nic Cartwright believes the issue is “clear and simple.” It had been reported in a Sydney newspaper that Moran had an agreement from Broncos coach Tony Rea to terminate his contract early, but the club denies this, and has pointed to the fact that Moran recently signed an extension with the London club until the end of Super League season 2003. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=41192 Despite continuing stories out of Sydney about the future of Broncos scrum half Denis Moran, London Chief Executive Nic Cartwright sees the issue as being ‘clear and simple’ and does not understand why there seems to be so much confusion. Moran has served one year of his two-year contract with London Broncos and has recently agreed to an extension, which will see him playing in the capital at least until the end of the 2003 Super League season. Moves by the South Sydney club to entice Moran back to the NRL are not only unethical but will prove fruitless according to Cartwright unless necessary conditions are met that prove beneficial to all parties concerned. http://www.rleague.com/newsarticle.php?articleID=4167 London Broncos have insisted South Sydney will have to pay "considerable" compensation if they want to sign former Parramatta scrum-half Dennis Moran. The 24-year-old is only halfway through a two-year contract with the Broncos and, according to the club, recently agreed to an extension which would see him playing in the capital until the end of the 2003 season. But Moran has started training with the re-formed Souths club and told the Sydney Daily Telegraph he would be seeking a release from his Broncos contract. "I'm enjoying it here at Souths," he said. http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=rleague/01/10/31/RUGBYL_London.html |
