Departure ... Russell Crowe. Photo: Quentin Jones
IT STARTED with a text message at 1.31am last Sunday. Russell Crowe had either read my column online overseas or he'd been told about it. There was speculation he wanted to sell up after six seasons as a co-owner at South Sydney. It was the second time in the past couple of months it had come to my ears - the first time, Crowe said it was not true. This time I went to Souths officials who said it was not on the cards. To Crowe's enormous credit he didn't want this journalist to be red-faced when he went public with his plan to sell up. He had been having private chats for the past six weeks with the club about an exit but didn't give the club a date. Rabbitohs chief executive Shane Richardson said the first he knew about Crowe's official exit was when he started getting phone calls after my story on the Today Show last Sunday.
An idol to some
RUSSELL CROWE has acres of critics who want to bag him but Bob McCarthy summed it up best when he said Crowe's contribution to Souths was as large as any of the greatest players the club has had. And it will irk the Rabbitohs diehards but if George Piggins deserves a statue for his great job saving Souths when they were booted out of the NRL at the end of 1999, then Crowe deserves one right beside him. Shane Richardson said without Crowe's efforts, Souths would no longer be around. The club couldn't pay its bills. Now thanks to Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court's involvement they are a very well-run club with a fantastic roster, great coach and facilities as good as any in the NRL. They've gone from a park side to a professional football team. Crowe has restored the pride to a team known as the Pride of the League. It has come at a huge personal cost and Crowe's desire to reconnect with his family should be respected and given the highest praise. Just as his time at the club should be.
No Khoder violation
THEN there was this tweet from Russell Crowe on Tuesday in response to comments from David Campese. ''@Davidcampese11 I'm alright David. Hope you are happy and busy. Khoder Nasser is a mate of mine. He is a clear-minded, original thinker.'' Crowe and Nasser have been mates for some time. Crowe's respect is reciprocated.
Warren of figures
THERE'S been some unusual reporting regarding the status of funding made by Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court at the Bunnies. It appears some in the media have mistakenly adopted the club's statutory accounts as the basis for analysis of the further funding Crowe and Holmes a Court have made available to the club. This is flawed - the law requires the statutory accounts adopt notional (''arm's length'') calculations that bear no real connection to actual terms negotiated between the investors and the club. In addition to their capital investment, Crowe and Holmes a Court gave Souths additional funds to help it regain its rightful place in the NRL. These funds were provided on a ''limited recourse'' basis. This is because they are only ever repayable out of profits and if the cashflow permits it. Holmes a Court tipped in $4.5 million and Crowe gave $1.65 million for a grand total of $6.15 million. These injections were made during the 2007 and 2008 financial years when the club underwent a rapid and much-needed transformation. They are repayable in 2024, but only out of any profits. If there are no profits (or available cash), nothing is payable. The interest rate is a modest 1 per cent above the 30-day bank bill swap reference rate, which is 3.36 per cent. Interest has been waived until October 31, 2014.
Letter for the law
THERE is a non-Sydney-based player agent who is involved in an anonymous letter-writing campaign, designed to bring down a prominent and respected rugby league identity. His cowardly attacks are being monitored and what he may not know is that they are likely to become the subject of legal proceedings; punishment for his actions could result in a jail sentence.
In a league of his own
CRITICISM of the new NRL chief executive, Dave Smith, because of his lack of league knowledge and background is justified. However, we quickly forget his predecessor, David Gallop, was a lawyer who was drafted in by Super League without any great league background either. Smith's business pedigree is excellent and he is as qualified as Gallop was in the legal area. Yes, Smith needs to come up to speed in a hurry or he'll be found out but he at least deserves the opportunity to do so before he is considered a failure. That said, this column would have been perfectly happy to see John Grant as head of the commission and chief executive, but wiser minds obviously didn't want that to happen.
Cashing out
GARY MCINTYRE made an inglorious exit from the Bulldogs during the 2002 salary cap scandal, so it was a big deal when his son, David McIntyre, was appointed to head up the Canterbury League Club. Word is that David has had enough of dealing with the Bulldogs football club - which calls the cash shots - and he wants out.
Black day
PAUL GALLEN is not a big punter but, as he was leaving Las Vegas on his honeymoon to head to Los Angeles, his wife Anne said they should have one bet as they checked out of the Aria Casino. He had $500 to lay down and she said to put it all on Black 8. Gallen agreed but, as they were placing the bet, she got cold feet and said to bet just on black. On cue, black 8 came up, meaning they missed out on about $16,000. Anne was almost in tears. Gal was not far off either.
Family frolics
THEY are quite the sporting family, the Colemans: Craig was a South Sydney great, son Liam is emerging as a promising rugby league player and daughter Tara is killing it as an ironwoman. In the ironwoman world titles she finished second in the final. And she came fifth in the swim finals. Mum Debbie was in Adelaide to see it all and the tears were flowing.
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