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30 October 2002 The USA Tomahawks close out an exciting 2002 season with a final international against the South Sydney Rabbitohs Junior Rugby League Squad at Interboro High School Sports Complex on Saturday, November 2 at 5pm. The 2002 season has seen the Tomahawks play teams from Ireland, Japan, Russia, New Zealand and with this match against an Australian club team the development of international Rugby League by the AMNRL has been extensive. The Tomahawks will be looking to close out the year on a positive note after some tough encounters in the last two matches with Russia and against the formidable New Zealand 'A' squad. A number of young players have had a taste of International level competition and the experience of such opposition will be of long term benefit for the Tomahawks and the AMNRL Club Competition. The South Sydney Rabbits have a long and proud history in the game, with the senior and junior club being one of the founding teams in Australian Rugby League. The Rabbits will boast a number of experienced former NRL stars and be led by former Souths and Canterbury star Scott Wilson. The AMNRL welcome the Souths squad to the USA and look forward to an exciting match that will honor the memory of a number of Souths Junior Clubs playing and family members who were lost in the recent terrorist bombings in Bali. http://www.amnrl.com/news/102802.html 27 October 2002 SOUTH Sydney management has threatened players with a $5000 fine in a bid to stop damaging publicity. Interim chief executive David Tapp last week sent each player a strongly-worded memo, obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, after negative comments from prop Paul Stringer concerning Souths' early start to off-season training. In the memo, handed out at training by new coaching co-ordinator Phil Blake, Tapp implored the Rabbitohs to stop appearing in the press for the wrong reasons. He reinforced the club's media policy, set up by predecessor Paul Dunn, that all interview requests are to be forwarded to him before any comment is given. Breaches could result in a $5000 fine. "I am very frustrated that South Sydney are seemingly in the newspaper or on the radio every second day, most of the time for the wrong reasons," Tapp said. "I just want to eradicate all that and just play the game. "I'm not trying to take away the players' freedom of speech. I just want to ensure that players don't say things that are not in the best interests of the club or the game. "If you look in every NRL player's contract it's very clear. No player is permitted to comment on operational matters that can be taken in a derogatory manner." A major factor behind the memo was Souths' desire to wipe the slate clean after a tumultuous end to their comeback year. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5366538%255E2771,00.html 24 October 2002 Winger Clarke, 19, made six first-grade appearances for the Rabbitohs this year, displaying electrifying pace in scoring four tries. New Zealand junior international Meredith, 19, played in the Rabbitohs' final match of the year - a two-point loss to North Queensland. "He's got a good work ethic, he's big and very aggressive," coach Craig Coleman said. Prop Duncan MacGillivray, who turns 26 on Friday, has re-signed with the club for another year and replaces North Queensland recruit Paul McNicholas as junior development officer. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/23/1034561550925.html South Sydney has finalised the club’s signings for next season by coming to terms with rookie wingers Joven Clarke and Mark Meredith on long term contracts. Both players – originally contracted through the end of the 2003 National Rugby League season – have had their deals extended until the completion of the 2005 competition. Clark, 19, a former junior Australian sprint champion, played a handful of top grade games for the Rabbitohs last season and impressed with his speed and knack for scoring tries. But at a diminutive 73 kilos and lacking the positional nuance to succeed immediately in top flight rugby league, Clark must continue to work on his skill level under the tutelage of Souths first division coach Arthur Kitinas, first grade coach Craig Coleman, and director of coaching Phil Blake. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=45914 South Sydney has moved to insure its future by signing exciting rookies Joven Clarke and Mark Meredith to long-term National Rugby League deals. Clarke and Meredith had one year left on their existing contracts, but the Rabbitohs today announced they had re-signed the pair until the end of 2005. Winger Clarke, 19, made six first grade appearances for the Rabbitohs this year, displaying electrifying pace in scoring four tries. But the former Australian junior sprint champion often looked lost in positional play and will have to add some bulk to his spindly 73kg frame to make a greater impact at top level. New Zealand junior international Meredith, 19, played in the Rabbitohs' final match of the year - a two point loss to North Queensland in late August. "He's got a good work ethic, he's big and very aggressive," coach Craig Coleman said today. In past years the Rabbitohs have worked hard to develop their juniors only to see them poached by rival clubs. Willie Peters, Jim Dymock, Jim Serdaris and Craig Wing are just a handful of locals who have been snatched from the foundation club. Manly recently held talks with Souths' new recruits Chris and Shane Walker when it emerged the brothers had clauses freeing them from their contracts after the departure of Rabbitohs chief executive Paul Dunn. http://www.nrl.com.au/s2002/news/static/article_4874.asp 23 October 2002 SOUTH SYDNEY have moved to ensure their future by signing exciting rookies Joven Clarke and Mark Meredith to long-term deals. Clarke and Meredith had one year left on their existing contracts, but the Rabbitohs today announced they had re-signed the pair until the end of 2005. Winger Clarke, 19, made six first grade appearances for the Rabbitohs this year, displaying electrifying pace in scoring four tries. But the former Australian junior sprint champion often looked lost in positional play and will have to add some bulk to his spindly 73kg frame to make a greater impact at top level. New Zealand junior international Meredith, 19, played in the Rabbitohs' final match of the year - a two point loss to North Queensland in late August. "He's got a good work ethic, he's big and very aggressive," coach Craig Coleman said today. In past years the Rabbitohs have worked hard to develop their juniors only to see them poached by rival clubs. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5345026%255E5927,00.html 22 October 2002 IT'S a long way from the Gold Coast to South Sydney's humble inner-city training venue of Erskineville Oval. South Sydney's representative frontrower Paul Stringer was supposed to be sunning his 112kg frame on the sparkling sands of the Gold Coast yesterday. Instead, he and his sweaty teammates were back on the training field – just a fortnight after the grand final. The Rabbitohs were the first NRL club back in training yesterday with a brief fitness test and a 45-minute weights session. Souths' new players Ashley Harrison (a lock from Brisbane), Ahmad Bajouri (a winger from Wests Tigers) and Luke Branighan (a half from Cronulla) were toiling away at training. But State of Origin representatives Chris Walker and Bryan Fletcher – who played in the NRL finals last season – have been given another fortnight off. As players from the other 14 clubs enjoyed their off-season vacation, Stringer questioned whether such an early return to training was beneficial. "I wasn't too impressed when I heard we would be back on the 21st [of October]," Stringer said. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5331218%255E2771,00.html 21 October 2002 With the 2003 NRL Grand Final still 350 days away, South Sydney has already returned to training for next season. After an abysmal return to the league following its two year exile, the Rabbitohs were back on the track at Erskineville Oval at 8am on Monday, coach Craig Coleman telling the Daily Telegraph his team has had enough time off. "We finished before any other club," said Coleman. "We had the bye in round 26 so the guys have had about nine weeks off by now. They've had a good rest and now it's time to get back into it. We're looking forward to it." Former Wests conditioner Edgar Curtis, who has also worked with English Super League clubs and hails from Texas, will put the players through their paces five days a week, with only Thursdays and Sundays to be free days over the next five weeks. "You learn new things every day just talking to him - he's a very intelligent man," Coleman said. While Canberra and Wests won’t return to training until Tuesday next week, Souths coaching co-ordinator Phil Blake denied the players will be put through unnecessary punishment. http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=31572 SOUTH SYDNEY will officially start training for the 2003 season at 8am today - a staggering 350 days before the NRL grand final. Players will arrive at Erskineville Oval in Sydney's early summer temperatures for a weights session to be supervised by new conditioner Edgar Curtis, the Texan fitness guru who joined from the Wests Tigers. Punished by an internal report suggesting players were unfit, the club will even demand players train on Saturdays in a rigorous five-day-a-week training schedule. For the next five weeks, Souths players will do weights on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, a wrestling session on Tuesday and have Thursday and Sunday off. The Rabbitohs are the first team back training, with Canberra and Wests returning on Tuesday week. Some claim mental fatigue may affect teams training before the international cricket season commences but coach Craig Coleman disagrees. "We finished before any other club," said Coleman. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5328451%255E5927,00.html 17 October 2002 I am sure that Souths fans don't need to be reminded of the gallant fight for survival that the Club staged from October 15, 1999, until that glorious day, July 6, 2001, when the Club was vindicated for its defiant stance by its epic victory in the Federal Court of Australia and its subsequent re-instatement to the NRL. I also know that the great majority of Souths supporters had anticipated just how difficult the Club's return to the NRL would be after two years in the wilderness and a long, anxious and, at times, stressful campaign for survival. It should therefore come as no surprise that the Club's first year of competition has produced less than remarkable results on the field and some tension within the Club itself. In many respects, this was the most likely result for a club that endured so much media and public attention in the aftermath of such a tumultuous victory which had surprised so many. http://www.souths.com.au/news/news.php?ID=161 South Sydney chief executive David Tapp has again re-affirmed that Chris and Shane Walker will be Rabbitohs next year. With speculation continuing to swirl on the former Broncos players’ future, Tapp has released a statement saying that the Walkers will be Rabbitohs, and that the Manly club has not made an effort to sign the duo after being warned off by NRL chief executive David Gallop. “There has been much speculation about the Manly Club allegedly attempting to sign these players, but the NRL has ruled categorically that Shane and Chris Walker must play with Souths,” said Tapp. “To the best of my knowledge, Manly has made no attempt to sign the two Walker Brothers since receiving the NRL's written warning. ”Our position is very clear - Chris and Shane Walker will be playing for South Sydney for at least the next two years and any suggestions to the contrary are incorrect.” http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=45885 THE Walker brothers saga took another dramatic twist yesterday when it was revealed the eldest of the trio, Ben, was offered a $150,000 contract in July - but neither the club chairman nor the coach were told. A bewildered Souths boss George Piggins said he only found out about the contract offer at a meeting on Monday when State of Origin star Chris and brother Shane Walker requested a release from the club. The Walker brothers were keen to play together at Manly. Ben Walker and his manager Barry Collins produced the written contract offer at the Souths meeting - which was news to Piggins, coach Craig Coleman and the board of directors. Ben, 26, a former Leeds and Northern Eagles five-eighth, was offered a $150,000-a-season contract by Souths back on July 4. Coleman said last night he was not told about the offer to Ben Walker. "The first I knew about it was on Monday at the meeting. But having said that, I'd love to have Ben Walker here," Coleman said. Former chief executive Paul Dunn admitted last night he made the offer to Ben Walker but he could not recall whether he told Piggins. Dunn said he had faxed off a contract to Collins in early July. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5304525%255E5927,00.html 14 October 2002 SOUTH Sydney will become the first NRL team back into full training when players assemble next Monday for a fitness test. The Rabbitohs' training session is just 15 days after the NRL grand final was played. "We'll have a fitness test, weights session and do some wrestling," said Souths coach Craig Coleman. "By then the players will have had two months off. "We finished in the last week of August because we had the last round bye. "We need to get back into training but the new players who played in the finals will be given another two weeks off. Eight weeks is still a good holiday." http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5281260%255E2771,00.html 13 October 2002 South Sydney chairman George Piggins has worn another attack from disgruntled directors, as the last of the Group 14 faction - a trio of politicians - quit the board on Friday afternoon. Labor MPs Anthony Albanese and Deirdre Grusovin and Randwick mayor Dominic Sullivan resigned at a meeting with Piggins. The trio had threatened to quit for some time and Piggins has two replacements lined up - Redfern Aboriginal leader Sol Bellear and businessman Peter Lahood. The departures follow the recent exodus of CEO Paul Dunn and members of the high-profile Group 14 established to help the club before its expulsion from the league in 1999, including Andrew Denton and Mike Whitney, who delivered Kerry Stokes as a major sponsor. "The Group 14 came in with their ideas about how to run the club and now they're all gone," Piggins said. "People like the Lissings [former directors Martin and Jerry Lissing] are the same people who said Souths were in disarray when the Super League war was on. But we went to court [to fight for reinstatement to the National Rugby League] on the past history of the club and that came out trumps over the Murdoch organisation. Souths have been around for a long while and we're just running the business as we always have. "We've never budgeted on receiving a leagues club grant and this year's no different to any other." In their first season back this year, the Rabbitohs also had to deal with controversy over the termination of skipper Adam Muir's contract, dramas with the signing of key recruits Bryan Fletcher and Chris Walker and speculation about the future of coach Craig Coleman. The politicians were very clear on what they thought of Piggins's leadership in a four-page letter they sent to him after resigning. They said the club needed cultural changes and should be more professional to ensure its survival. They called for professional leadership and administration, adding heat on Piggins to quit. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/12/1034222636241.html 11 October 2002 Manly have been warned to end talks with Chris and Shane Walker or risk a fine for breaching the National Rugby League's anti-tampering rules. Believing that the Walkers have get-out clauses in their contracts with South Sydney, the Sea Eagles have been examining the possibility of reuniting the pair and brother Ben at Brookvale next season. Ben Walker is contracted to Leeds for another year but is keen to return home if a suitable deal can be struck and the British club may be prepared to release him after signing former Rabbitoh Andrew Dunneman from Halifax this week. However, Souths insist a clause freeing Chris Walker and Ashley Harrison from their contracts after the departure of Rabbitohs chief executive Paul Dunn has been rescinded by the Brisbane pair's manager Chris Orr. Acting CEO David Tapp said all correspondence with the Walker brothers had been shown to the league and NRL chief executive David Gallop confirmed that Manly had been advised to cease any negotiations. "We are satisfied that there is a binding agreement between South Sydney and both players and have informed Manly of that fact," Gallop said. Tapp also said that Sydney Roosters second-rower Bryan Fletcher had reaffirmed his commitment to Souths. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/11/1034222550330.html 10 October 2002 Souths fans, don’t believe the hype. High profile recruits Chris and Shane Walker are contracted to the Rabbitohs for at least the next two NRL seasons. Rumours persist that the Walker brothers – perceived to be unhappy with Souths unstable operations structure – are in talks with Manly about a move to the North Shore next season, speculation that Rabbitohs acting chief executive David Tapp firmly refutes. The rumours of the Walker’s defection to Manly are groundless, as both have signed for Souths next season, and have taken the clauses out of their lucrative deals with the Redfern club. A release from Souths also states that: “the National Rugby League has seen all the correspondence between Souths and these players and has ruled that no other club can now negotiate with these players as they are bound to Souths.” “The ‘CEO Clause’ in Chris Walker’s contract, this was inserted by my predecessor and without the knowledge of the Board or coaching staff,” said Tapp. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=45849 9 October 2002 The South Sydney Rabbitohs has binding agreements with both Chris and Shane Walker for the next two seasons. According to CEO David Tapp, the managers of each of these players have already agreed in writing to our terms and conditions and Chris and Shane will be a part of Souths’ playing roster. They will take up training duties early next month. “As for the ‘CEO Clause’ in Chris Walker’s contract, this was inserted by my predecessor and without the knowledge of the Board or coaching staff. The manager of Chris Walker has since rescinded it in writing. Shane Walker never had such a clause in his contract,” says Tapp. The “CEO clause was a highly unusual rider inserted into the contracts of Chris Walker and Ashley Harrison (each managed by the same person) that if Paul Dunn left the club, they were free agents. Harrison has personally re-affirmed his decision to play with Souths for 2003 and beyond. Tapp describes a recent newspaper report that Bryan Fletcher might not be coming to Souths as “absolute rubbish”. “We have a signed contract with Bryan, and both Bryan and his manager have recently re-affirmed Bryan’s eagerness to play with Souths. The newspaper claim was totally false and never had any substance to it,” he adds. As for allegations that another club might be negotiating with Chris and Shane Walker, the National Rugby League has seen all the correspondence between Souths and these players and has ruled that no other club can now negotiate with these players as they are bound to Souths. http://www.souths.com.au/news/news.php?ID=154 5 October 2002 South Sydney bound Brisbane Broncos pair Chris Walker and Ashley Harrison will be in Rabbitohs red and green next season. The young Broncos standouts were reportedly mulling the possibility of voiding their lucrative long-term contracts after South Sydney chief executive Paul Dunn resigned from his post over two weeks ago. Both Walker and Harrison, key components of the Rabbitohs team for 2003, had clauses in their contracts allowing each to “get out” if Dunn left the Redfern club. But, according to a South Sydney statement: “Walker and Harrison's manager had contacted the club by fax, assuring Souths that his players did not wish to exercise that option and would in fact rescind it.” Harrison, Chris Walker, and Shane Walker will be in the fold next season, as will Sydney Roosters premiership player Bryan Fletcher, St George Illawarra troika Justin Smith, Willie Peters, and Lee Hookey, and Wests Tigers flyer Ahmad Bajouri. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=45834 5 October 2002 Roosters stalwart Bryan Fletcher is yet to sign his South Sydney contract - and developments yesterday should give him pause for thought. Fletcher goes into the grand final against the Warriors tomorrow night with full intentions it will be his last game for the club before joining the Rabbitohs for three years. But it emerged last night that fellow Souths recruit, Brisbane's Chris Walker, is being courted by Manly. "Bryan would be pretty concerned if Chris Walker didn't end up going to Souths," a source close to Fletcher said when told. Sea Eagles chief executive Ian Thomson did not deny having contact with Walker, while the Origin star's agent, Chris Orr, said yesterday that a get-out clause in his contract with Souths had still not been deleted. The possibility of the Rabbits' stellar collection of 2003 recruits falling victim to collective cold feet will alarm their supporters and give a glimmer of hope to the Roosters faithful, who do not want Fletcher to leave. But after securing a reported $280,000-per-year contract with Souths and exchanging correspondence - a legally binding process - escaping the deal would be messy and his options elsewhere are limited. Nevertheless, it's thought the Test second-rower's contract is sitting unsigned in the desk of his manager, Steve Gillis, while the issue plays itself out. Gillis declined to comment. Orr sent a fax to the Rabbitohs last Friday which was said to have settled the issue by undertaking not to exercise Walker's and Bronco Ashley Harrison's rights to get out of the contracts after the departure of Souths chief executive Paul Dunn. But Orr said the fax was prefaced by "at this stage". http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/04/1033538773680.html 4 October 2002 Warrington Wolves have signed Rabbitohs centre or winger Brent Grose on a one-year contract. Grose, 23, completes Wolves' overseas allocation, the other slots for Super League VIII having been filled by Darren Burns, Sid Domic, Graham Appo and Nat Wood. Grose scored nine tries from 24 appearances for South Sydney in the 2002 season. He has previously played for Cronulla Sharks in the 2001 series, scoring five tries from 15 appearances. Wolves head coach Paul Cullen said: "Brent is a young, exciting three-quarter who has done it in the best competition in the world. He is a proven try-scorer and we are excited about his potential here at Wilderspool next season." Widnes Vikings have confirmed the release of five players from their Super League VII squad. Scrum half Barry Eaton, second row Sean Richardson, winger Damien Munro, hooker Mike Briggs, and Blake Cannavo have all been informed they can now look for new clubs for next season. Eaton, who played 25 times this season scoring 129 points, is already attracting interest from another Super League club in West Yorkshire. http://www.playtheball.com/news/news.asp?newsid=6604 Warrington have signed Brent Grose, who can play at centre or on the wing, from South Sydney Rabbitohs on a one-year contract. Grose, 23, completes Wolves' overseas allocation. The other slots for Super League VIII having been filled by Darren Burns, Sid Domic, Graham Appo and Nat Wood. Grose scored nine tries from 24 appearances for South Sydney in the 2002 season. He has previously played for Cronulla Sharks in the 2001 series, scoring five tries in 15 appearances. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/2295225.stm 1 October 2002 Brisbane Broncos pair Chris Walker and Ashley Harrison are still coming to Souths for the next few seasons despite an unusual clause put in their contracts. The clause allowed the pair to walk away from the Rabbitohs if former CEO Paul Dunn left the club. It was a clause which was unknown to the Board or any of the coaching staff and was only discovered after Dunn’s departure. However, last weekend, Walker and Harrison's manager had contacted the club by fax, assuring Souths that his players did not wish to exercise that option and would in fact rescind it. A check of all player contracts has revealed that there are no others which contain this very strange "get out" clause. http://www.souths.com.au/news/news.php?ID=148 |
