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16 April 2003 South Sydney’s biggest problem is that for too long the team once tagged the ‘Pride of the League’ has also worn the ‘Struggle Street’ mentality like a badge of honour. By the players, the staff and the supporters. For the club to be successful, many believe it has to change. It has to develop that hard, professional edge that inner city neighbours Sydney Roosters found to enable it to survive. It has to show it can move on from being a club of great tradition to one with a realistic hope of success. New chairman Nick Pappas – a smart guy with one hell of a job ahead of him – admits it. But he is confident he and his board know how to put the Rabbitohs into the finals regularly again and before big crowds. Pappas realises he not only has to rid the club of its ‘club in crisis’ tag but change a mentality that has taken the best part of 30 years to build. The Rabbitohs have been a club in some sort of crisis since they went from minor premiers to wooden spooners in 1990. They have failed to make the finals ever since, missed the boat with the NRL criteria, refused to merge or re-locate . . . and died as a result, albeit (as the courts found) illegally. Thanks to George Piggins’ resilience, (they should build a monument to him) Souths were resurrected in the courts. Their re-entry into the league was accompanied by amazing emotional support from fans and was followed by a new administration. Between them, the new board and the rejuvenated supporter base promised plenty. Instead, Souths have parted company with their chairman, CEO, coach, captain, marketing manager and media manager, along with several of their biggest signings. They looked back on a path to self- destruction. And their fans deserted them too, starting 2002 with a crowd of 35,316 and finishing with 9129. Pappas says they must lose the ‘Struggle Street’ mentality if they are any hope of not only surviving but becoming successful. http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?ArticleID=5174 15 April 2003 Can someone please ensure the long suffering rugby league fan that he or she will not have to endure anymore off-field bickering concerning a certain club beyond next week? It seems there has been more publicity surrounding the dramas of the Rabbitohs this year than all the clubs combined, and it’s getting mighty boring. Whether its coaching capers, boardroom tussles or players airing their grievances, it has been a huge case of Rabbitoh overkill in the media since the 2003 season kicked off in March. Most in league circles would agree that the reinstatement of the Bunnies was a good thing at the time, but more people have jumped ship from that joint than they've lost matches in recent times, which does not auger well for the all round image of the battling club. What the Rabbitohs’ organisation must learn to do in order to protect its public persona is, at the very least, attempt to keep its dirty laundry in-house. You rarely hear anything from the boardrooms of other clubs, in fact plenty of fans wouldn't even know who the chairman of their club was. Current Souths chairman, George Piggins, is largely responsible for this because he, rightly or wrongly, wears his heart on his sleeve - a walking quote for any journalist in need of a good yarn. Not the ideal situation for a club trying to kick-start a new era in its history. http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=37124 Souths' celebrations short but sweet It was South Sydney captain Bryan Fletcher's 29th birthday last Saturday and the Rabbitohs first win of the year couldn’t have come at a better time. Players, fans, old and new administrators alike, all returned to a packed South Sydney Leagues Club, after Souths 32-22 win against the Wests Tigers, high on winning fever, and Fletcher was heard to say more than once, "At one stage I never thought I'd win a match again." Fletcher's second row partner Justin Smith took out the player's player but he was pushed for the award by winger-cum-fullback Nathan Merritt and Jamie Russo. Smith scored two tries, won a points decision over Tigers tough guy John Skandalis, tackled himself to a standstill and even kicked a goal from the sideline in Souths' season 2003 landmark. Merritt proved to be a lifesaver at fullback and hardly put a foot wrong. He capped off a highly credible performance with an 80 metre dash to seal the match. Russo also proved to be a revelation. Just three weeks ago he was playing rugby union for Randwick, until he ran into Langmack at a pool session, where the coach made him an offer. The win was all the more important because the very next day (Sunday) was the South Sydney annual general meeting and that was when the newly formed board was ratified. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=46772 14 April 2003 New South Sydney Chairman Nick Pappas has unveiled plans to take the club back to Redfern Oval. Speaking after the new board had been backed by the club’s members at the Rabbitohs’ Annual General Meeting on Sunday, Pappas told The Daily Telegraph he expects Souths to go forward, and part of that involves its former home ground. "We've turned over a new leaf in the history of this club, there was a bit of pain to get there but in the end I think everyone is going to be happy," Pappas said. "Basically I wanted to present a new unified approach where we have a more inclusive approach to members and supporters. There was a strong call for unity, putting past divisions among membership behind." "It's every Souths supporter's dream to return to Redfern Oval. The difficulty lies in converting the dream into reality. I'd like to see it happen one day." The AGM also witnessed former leader George Piggins’s final act as an official, and Pappas added that he was deservedly lauded by the supporters, while the man himself was proud of his time in charge. http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=37373 It was a little like those days in the old schoolyard when someone yelled "fight, fight". A crowd would instantly gather, everyone wanting a closer look, and the opportunity to shout their five cents' worth for their combatant. The sting was somewhat taken out of the "fight" earlier in the week when a compromise was reached between the two factions challenging for positions on the board of the South Sydney Football Club, but that didn't stop a major turnout at Redfern yesterday for the club's annual general meeting. Many still wanted their five cents' worth. The queue began to gather long before the doors of the South Sydney Leagues Club opened at 9am, but there was no sign of actor Russell Crowe, which was unusual as he loves his Bunnies, and also has the reputation of loving a "fight". The crowd grew and there was naturally just one topic of conversation - Souths' first victory in nine months the night before against the Wests Tigers. The doors were finally sprung at 9am, but the AGM kick-off time of 9.30am had to be delayed for almost half an hour while the throng checked in. Behind the closed doors there were constant rounds of applause, an occasional raised voice, but no audible shouting or screaming - and no stream of blood seeping under the door. About 80 minutes later the double doors swung wide open. It was over. Surely now it would be time to get on with playing football. "This club is going to stay on the back pages for the right reasons as we move into the eight, then into the semis, then into the grand final, before an extraordinary victory in September," Andrew Denton said. Denton may have been a casualty of the merging of the old and the new boards, but he made it clear he still has green pumping alongside the red in his veins. "Jim Hatfield, the deputy chair, emailed me the morning after the deal was struck and said, 'Let's put it behind us'. I said, 'If I can help, just ask'. Of course I'm here to stay." http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/14/1050172486939.html NEW South Sydney chairman Nick Pappas has revealed his vision to take the Rabbitohs into a bold new era. The focal point in the Pappas master plan to restore pride in the famous red and green jumper is a return to Redfern Oval. Pappas and the new South Sydney board were officially ratified at the club's AGM attended by about 450 football club members at Souths Leagues Club yesterday. While outgoing chairman George Piggins was receiving standing ovations for his enormous contribution to the club, Rabbitoh supporters were still celebrating the club's first top grade win in 272 days. The Rabbitohs beat Wests Tigers 32-22 in an entertaining match at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night -- Souths' first win at home since last May. "We've turned over a new leaf in the history of this club, there was a bit of pain to get there but in the end I think everyone is going to be happy," Pappas said. "Basically I wanted to present a new unified approach where we have a more inclusive approach to members and supporters. "There was a strong call for unity, putting past divisions among membership behind." Pappas said a move back to Redern Oval would be one of the issues raised when the new board meets tomorrow night. "It's every Souths supporter's dream to return to Redfern Oval," Pappas said. "The difficulty lies in converting the dream into reality. I'd like to see it happen one day." It was an emotional day at Souths Leagues Club yesterday as the final curtain was brought down on Piggins' 13-year tenure as chairman of the Rabbitohs. "George was given a rousing reception by members when he left the stage. It was a very meaning moment," Pappas said. The man who led South Sydney to one of their greatest victories - their battle for readmission to the NRL - admitted he would sorely miss being part of the day-to-day running of the Redfern-based club. "You don't do something for 13 years and then suddenly stop and not miss it," Piggins said. "I had a lot of pride in trying to keep Souths alive and for that now to be gone is taking a big part of my life away. "But having said that I'm looking forward to moving on." http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,6281321-23214,00.html 13 April 2003 The Rabbitohs have ended a winless streak that dates back to July last year, out-enthusing the Wests Tigers 32-22 for an emotional victory at Aussie Stadium. Putting their off-field dramas behind them, a fired-up Souths outfit presented coach Paul Langmack with his inaugural win as a first-grade coach. Souths second rower Justin Smith scored 20 points for the Rabbits who turned around last week’s dismal handling to only spill the ball on eight occasions tonight. Three successive penalties conceded by Souths led to the first points of the game as Tigers fullback Joel Caine slotted an easy penalty attempt. Brilliant lead-up work by Wests prop Corey Pearson set up a Michael Buettner try in the 7th minute, extending the lead to 8-0. http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=37321 The South Sydney Rabbitohs have defeated the Wests Tigers 32-22 in front of a crowd of 11,167 at Aussie Stadium. Souths were lead by second rower Justin Smith, who crossed twice and landed six goals from six attempts in his tally of 20 points. The lead changed many times during the match, but Souths finished the stronger of the two sides and won after leading 14-12 at the break. For Souths, Nathan Merritt, Smith, skipper Bryan Fletcher and front rower Paul Stringer all stood out. Three penalties in the opening three minutes from referee Matt Cecchin helped Wests take a two point lead through the boot of fullback Joel Caine. Soon after Corey Pearson popped a nice short pass to replacement half Aaron Tippett, who drew the cover of Nathan Merritt and put Michael Buetttner over for the try under the posts. Caine’s extras put Wests up 8-0 after just 7 minutes. In the 13th minute Souths opened their account; second rower Justin Smith landing a penalty from thirty metres out after Wests were pinged for being inside the ten. http://www.souths.com.au/fanzone/viewnewsarticle.asp?ArticleID=297 Yippee, hooray and thank the Lord, for the drought has broken. After an agonising wait of 271 days, South Sydney finally won again last night and didn't they love it. It was like the Rabbitohs had won the grand final against Wests Tigers when winger Nathan Merritt dashed 80 metres to score the try that sealed Souths' 32-22 win two minutes from full- time. Merritt's teammates converged on him in the Tigers' in-goal and the long-suffering Souths fans roared their heads off in delight. After the full-time siren blew to make it official, the Souths players took time to thank their fans. They didn't want to leave the field after that, and why would they? The last time Souths won, also against Wests Tigers on July 14 last year, they had a different coach, a different chief executive and - after tomorrow's elections - a different chairman. It's been a long time, including seven losses to finish last season and four more to start this year before last night's breakthrough. It was a run which might have continued, as the Tigers established an advantage early in the match, when a penalty from fullback Joel Caine and a try by five-eighth Michael Buettner, converted by Caine, gave them an 8-0 lead within the first 10 minutes. Buettner's try came after prop Corey Pearson exploited a gap in the centre of Souths' defence by putting halfback Adam Tippett through and Pearson supported again. The Rabbitohs invited more trouble when winger Ahmad Bajouri knocked on 20 metres from his own line in the ninth minute, but they survived when Tigers second-rower Anthony Laffranchi repaid the favour close to Souths' line several tackles later. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/12/1050069124448.html The South Sydney Rabbitohs have registered their first win of the season at the expense of the Wests Tigers as Aussie Stadium. The 32-22 victory also represented the first success for Souths' coach Paul Langmack as a coach. The Rabbitohs didn’t seal the result until fullback-cum-winger Nathan Merritt ran 80 metres to score with just two minutes left on the clock. It was a seesawing encounter, with both sides making the most of momentum when it came their way, and Langmack didn’t come to the sideline until Merritt's try had been awarded. Second rower Justin Smith played a crucial role in the victory – in the second half particularly – as he picked up two tries, kicked a swag of goals (six including one notable effort from the sideline), stood toe to toe to trade fists with John Skandalis, and pulled off some vital tackles. The result would also have been welcomed by new South Sydney chairman Nick Pappas, who took over from longstanding supremo George Piggins earlier in the week. After a resolution to the board room battles of the last few weeks the ideal sentimental result for neutral and partisan observers would have been a win for South Sydney over Wests Tigers. But when Tigers five-eighth Michael Buettner crossed in just the seventh minute after a Joel Caine penalty goal, the resulting eight points seemed to present a early psychological mountain to climb. Souths fought back to their credit, and after a Smith penalty goal, ever-consistent prop Paul Stringer barrelled over the line from dummy half, re-injuring a dodgy shoulder in the process. Wests Tigers stand in halfback Adam Tippett was proving unfazed by being thrust into first grade football – he played a crucial part in the Buettner's try and then showed good vision to kick behind the line for a try to Daniel Fitzhenry. But as Souths captain Bryan Fletcher increased the value of his involvement in the game, the Rabbitohs gained some important momentum, and two minutes before the halftime break Smith ran onto a flat ball from Fletcher to score next to the posts. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=46755 The Rabbitohs celebrated like they had won a grand final when winger Nathan Merritt raced 80m to score the match-winner after they led 26-22 in the dying stages with the Tigers pressing the line. Souths coach Paul Langmack will feel an enormous weight off his shoulders after notching his maiden victory for the club to improve the side's record to 1-4. Goal-kicking second-rower Justin Smith booted six goals out of six attempts and scored two tries for a personal haul of 20 points. The Rabbitohs inflicted their revenge on the Tigers, who beat them 58-12 in a pre- season trial, which preceded the sacking of Craig Coleman as coach, and 50-4 at Aussie Stadium in round 21 last year. They led 26-22 following a 57th minute try to Smith and held on grimly to give their fans hope for the 2003 season. The Tigers were off to a blistering start and led 8-0 after seven minutes following a Joel Caine penalty goal and a try to Michael Buettner following some excellent work from prop Corey Pearson, who slipped a beautiful pass to halfback Adam Tippett, a late inclusion for Lincoln Withers (hip). The 21-year-old No.7 raced about 35m to set up Buettner under the posts. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,6275100-23214,00.html ADVICE from legendary fullback Graeme Langlands helped Paul Langmack break his coaching duck last night, as South Sydney Rabbitohs broke an 11- match losing streak by beating Wests Tigers at Aussie Stadium. Having heard through a mutual friend that the former Test fullback had a high opinion of young winger Nathan Merritt, Langmack invited Langlands to training on Thursday. The result was a late switch of Merritt to fullback, with the local junior the hero of the night with a runaway 80-metre try with just two minutes remaining to seal Souths' first win in 272 days. "He (Langlands) ended up taking the whole backline for training," Langmack said. "He reckoned Nathan would make a good fullback. It was his first game there tonight and he was great. "He's got a lot to learn, but hasn't he got great footwork?" Merritt's try came as the Tigers were peppering the Souths line, as they did for most of the final 20 minutes. Bustled into error by the Rabbitohs defence, the Tigers spilled the ball and five-eighth Jamie Russo gave the ball to Merritt with open space in front of him. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6276588%255E2771,00.html 10 April 2003 Channel Seven boss Kerry Stokes yesterday reaffirmed his commitment to South Sydney but said his $3million private sponsorship deal with the club had never been in doubt, regardless of what had happened in the brawl for boardroom places. Before Tuesday's peace deal, in which George Piggins agreed to stand down to be replaced as chairman by Nick Pappas, it had been feared Stokes would not renew the $1 million per year arrangement unless the challenging team, featuring Channel Seven personalities Andrew Denton and Michael Whitney, was successful at Sunday's annual general elections. Denton was responsible for persuading Stokes to back the Rabbitohs if they were readmitted to the National Rugby League last year and an affidavit from the West Australian businessman helped convince the Federal Court the club would be financially viable. Piggins would not agree to a compromise board including Denton and Whitney and they, like the outgoing Souths chairman, had to withdraw their nominations. Simon Francis, a spokesman for Stokes, said yesterday the make-up of the board would have no bearing on whether an option to extend the sponsorship deal for two more years was taken up. "The sponsorship is a club sponsorship," Francis said. "At no point throughout the process from those early days of the legal action until now has it been contingent on who is involved with the club." http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/09/1049567742580.html Andrew Denton may still be feeling the bruises of the football boardroom battle but, like all Souths diehards, he has survived. When election rivals George Piggins and Nick Pappas sat down with a large piece of blank paper on Tuesday to carve out the compromised future board of Souths, Denton's name was the first one Piggins demanded should join him on the outer. While Denton yesterday acknowledged he would rather have been on the board "to help Nick", he says he does not feel shafted. "No, not at all. Nick [Pappas] and I had discussed that there might be need for compromise before he approached George ... I was well aware before the meeting that I was going to be one of the sacrifices," he said. "I said it was the right thing to do ... the way things were going, by the AGM on Sunday things would be irreparable. For the good of the club, I was prepared to do anything. "We have a much stronger board than we did 24 hours ago. The way the compromise was reached yesterday was the first classy thing the club has done in 18 months." Denton said the new board, split 5-4 in favour of the Piggins faction but with Pappas as chairman, was "a really good board ... and having Nick in the chair is a huge step forward and will help us achieve the goals of being more professional and positive". With Denton, along with former Test cricketer Mike Whitney, responsible for persuading Channel Seven owner Kerry Stokes to tip $1m a year into the Rabbitohs, will the absence of the duo from the board mean Stokes may not remain a sponsor when his deal expires at the end of the 2004 season? "I couldn't answer that," Denton said. Will Denton be available to help with future wooing of corporate Australia? "If the club wants me to help, I'll help." Will he be at Aussie Stadium on Saturday when Souths host Wests Tigers? "I certainly will and I am confident we will win - and I'll be tipping them." http://www. Outgoing South Sydney chairman George Piggins strongly denied he would be pulling the strings in the National Rugby League club's new-look boardroom. Piggins smoked the peace pipe with incoming chairman Nick Pappas on Tuesday, reaching a compromise that saw his existing board maintain a majority in the new nine-man line- up. Five current board members - handpicked by Piggins - will join forces with Pappas and three members of his ticket, including Ray Martin and Nick Greiner, to guide the Rabbitohs into the future. That led to accusations Piggins would retain power at the club despite standing down as chairman and handing over the reins to Pappas. "I will not have any influence on the board," Piggins said on Channel Ten. "The board are their own people...and they're not yes people for me. They have their own minds." The compromise agreement ended nearly a week of acrimony between the rival camps ahead of this weekend's Annual General Meeting. The new line-up will be ratified officially on Sunday as the only candidates after the three independents were convinced to withdraw. The compromise was welcomed by coaching staff, players and supporters as life returned to normal at the Redfern club. The coaching staff were plotting how to beat Wests on Sunday, players were looking forward to taking on the Tigers and supporters were back to discussing who the club should buy next season. Souths captain Bryan Fletcher admitted the off-field friction was starting to take its toll, with the Rabbitohs yet to win this season. "It was getting pretty ugly there but in saying that I am pretty disappointed that George has gone," Fletcher said. http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?ArticleID=5111 8 April 2003 George Piggins has bowed to pressure and quit as the chairman of South Sydney. Nick Pappas, who was heading a rival ticket to oppose Piggins at the club’s elections this weekend, is the new chairman of the club. The two rival parties have reached a compromise, with four members of Pappas’ ticket, including television personality Ray Martin and ex-NSW premier Nick Greiner, joining five current members of the board to form the new lineup. Pappas commended Piggins' decision in a statement on the club's website. "I would like to pay tribute to George for all he has done and for graciously agreeing to this compromise". "George has given his heart and soul to South Sydney and I intend to continue his outstanding work, while striving to ensure the Club reaches its full potential. The decision ends Piggins decade-long stint as chairman of the club. He was hailed as the Rabbitohs’ saviour after helping to get South Sydney re-admitted to the competition in 2001 after it was expelled in 1999. Piggins remains in charge of the South Sydney League Club but will no longer be directly involved with the football club’s operations. The battle started last week when Pappas announced his bid to challenge Piggins at the club’s elections. A war of words between the two parties ensued over the following days, before a peace deal was brokered on Tuesday. With its off-field issues now seemingly resolved, South Sydney will now be seeking an improvement in their on-field performance. http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=37185 George Piggins has announced that he is standing down as Chairman of the South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club following thirteen years at the helm. The decision was reached following a marathon meeting between Piggins and Nicholas Pappas this afternoon at South Sydney Leagues Club. A compromise has been reached, which both parties describe as being very much in the best interests of the Club. "I have given the issue a great deal of thought and reached the decision that I would only be staying in the Chairman's role for another twelve month period,” said Piggins. “It became obvious that the candidates suggested by Nicholas Pappas would make an excellent Board. I think the make-up of the new board will be very strong and I look forward to watching the Club develop under its guidance," Piggins concluded. The revised Board structure includes five directors that have been serving on the Piggins Board in recent months, while four new faces will appear on the new Pappas Board. "It will be a tremendous privilege to assume the Chairmanship of this great Club, from an icon like George Piggins," said Nicholas Pappas. http://www.souths.com.au/fanzone/viewnewsarticle.asp?ArticleID=289 Allight South Sydney Rabbitohs head coach Paul Langmack has made a number of changes to the side defeated 38-16 by the New Zealand Warriors last Sunday. Captain Bryan Fletcher returns from a one match suspension to lead the Rabbitohs against Wests, while Andrew Hart will play in his first NRL clash this season. Hart has missed the opening four rounds of the Telstra Premiership with a groin injury. Frank Puletua has been omitted from the side that lost to the Warriors to make room for Hart, with Duncan MacGillivray coming on to the bench to replace injured regular Jamie Fitzgerald. Wade McKinnon returns at fullback and replaces Brad Watts, while Luke Stuart slips back to the bench. http://www.souths.com.au/fanzone/viewnewsarticle.asp?ArticleID=287 As George Piggins prepares for battle to retain control of the club he loves, standing by his side, as ever, is his wife, Nolene, writes Roy Masters. George Piggins without wife Nolene is Bourbon without Beefsteak, Starsky and no Hutch, Gilbert without Sullivan. The phone rings at their south Coogee home yesterday morning and it's George, South Sydney's president, calling Nolene. "Guess who I just got a call from?" George says, not waiting for the answer. "Andrew Denton. He wanted to know if I'll shake his hand." Nolene listens as George relays his account of the conversation, explaining he told Denton he would shake his hand but would fight hard for re-election at this week's ballot. The radio at their spacious seaside home is tuned to 2GB, the station that is part-owned by the person Nolene says George listens to more than anybody, Alan Jones. The phone rings again. Someone has called to say NSW coach Phil Gould is about to be interviewed on 2KY. She switches stations. Nolene listens carefully as Gould gives his interpretation of the Rabbitohs saga, saying: "George Piggins has made decisions on bad information." Nolene's almost lyrically expressive eyes take turns at being belligerent, vengeful, protective, indignant and furious as she relates Gould's association with the Rabbitohs. She ends by fixing me carefully, saying: "I would like you to say what I've said about Gus Gould in your story." http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/07/1049567627224.html GEORGE Piggins stood down as chairman of South Sydney today as the National Rugby League club's warring parties reached a compromise. South Sydney lawyer Nick Pappas, who was running a ticket against Piggins in this weekend's football club elections, will take over as chairman. Piggins loyalist Jim Hatfield will be the deputy chairman. Four members of the Pappas ticket will combine with five members of the current board to complete the new-look Rabbitohs line-up. Today's announcement ends nearly a week of in-fighting at the club following Pappas' announcement last week that he would be leading a campaign to unseat Piggins. Piggins, the man who led the club's successful fight for reinstatement to the NRL, will remain as head of South Sydney Leagues Club but will play no part in the football club operations. Piggins, a former Souths player and coach, was chairman of the football club for more than a decade. He was revered by Souths supporters for his leading role in the club's legal battle with News Limited over their expulsion from the premiership at the end of 1999. However, his grasp on the the chairmanship has come under fire in recent days from Pappas and his supporters. The new is: Nick Pappas (chairman), Jim Hatfield (deputy chairman), Jim Lahood, Peter Lahood, Sol Bellear, Ken Stewart, Nick Greiner, Ray Martin, and Nick Hatzistergos. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6256424%255E23209,00.html IF the pressure of an attempted vivisection by Nick Pappas's proposed committee room takeover is causing concern at Souths, it was not obvious yesterday. It was, by any interpretation, a quiet day at the leagues club. Too quiet really for a licensed club hoping to make money as around 50 people stood in small clusters, having a drink, talking or watching the races on the giant screen. Those races are merely a forerunner to the big contest on the weekend when a ballot of around 950 eligible football club members will try to untangle the gory knots threatening the current administration of George Piggins. At one table sat Kevin Ballis and Bob Mellalieu, who said they were football club members and would support Piggins. "I'll vote for George," Bob said. "He's given this place 100 per cent, make that 200 per cent. "I've followed the club for 40 years. I'll go with George." Mellalieu said Piggins' work with Souths was not always portrayed as favourably as it deserved. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6254374%255E2771,00.html EMBATTLED South Sydney chairman George Piggins has cast doubts on the credentials of his opponent Nicholas Pappas to run the South Sydney football club. Piggins claims Pappas has played a leading role in the affairs of a Kensington licensed club that is in danger of going broke. Piggins' comments came after Pappas supporter Andrew Denton rang him at home to apologise for Saturday's radio slanging match. The Piggins camp has also revealed there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the accessing of South Sydney's football club computer data on voting members. "Nicholas Pappas told me the other that he was chairman of the Castellorizian club in Kensington and that organisation might have to close its doors,"Piggins said. "He said the club was losing $20,000 a month. "We are also investigating the eligibility of Michael Whitney, Mark Carroll and Nick Greiner to stand as directors of the football club. http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6254375%255E2771,00.html |
