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NRL newcomers' hands are clean: Searle
07:42 AEST Mon May 30 2005
AAP
A documentary crew was hired by Gold Coast bid chief Michael Searle to prove his "hands are clean" in their battle to become the NRL's 16th team from 2007.
Searle and the NRL were accused by North Sydney president Mike Gibbons of secret backroom deals after the Gold Coast pipped his Central Coast Bears for a spot in the 2007 premiership last Friday.
But Searle said he had been nothing but transparent during negotiations - and had the footage to prove it.
A documentary team followed Searle and his team around in the countdown to the NRL announcement.
"We've been transparent throughout the whole process. There have been no backroom deals done anywhere," he said.
"Eventually you will see the footage that was taken of the day, we had a documentary crew following us around."
"Then you'll realise there was no way a deal had been done (previously)."
"The emotion that came through from all the people (after the NRL announcement) involved proved that it (the 16th team announcement) was certainly not certain."
"There was uncertainty the whole way through the process - we've got clean hands."
Searle said the fledgling NRL club was still to decide on when to release the documentary footage.
"We decided to put it (documentary) together in the week leading up to it, just to have it for history's sake," he said.
"We will make a decision as to which way we will go with it but at the moment we've got a lot of footage and a lot of audio - we will work through it and release it later."
Searle was disappointed he didn't think of documenting the bid earlier - starting with their initial NRL knockback last August.
"I was disappointed we didn't record the August outcome, which sounds funny because it was negative," he said.
"But I am a big believer in identifying history."
Despite the negative response from Gibbons, Searle said he had received congratulatory e-mails from their bid rivals from the NSW Central Coast and Wellington amid the euphoria of their entry.
"We've received lots of texts and e-mails from as far afield as the new French Super League franchise (UTC) to the Southern Orcas (Wellington) who gave us a call and even (Central Coast bid's) John Singleton gave us a nice fax," he said.
"I think everyone acknowledges that it is a great result for the game - it's just a shame there wasn't a way to make everyone happy."
Searle said he had already been "stopped in the street" at the Gold Coast which celebrated its entry with more than 21,000 attending North Queensland's Friday night win over the Bulldogs at Carrara Stadium - the 2007 venue of the new NRL club.
"It's been awesome seeing the way the community has reacted, even the good will that has been generated around the league throughout the weekend, it's been great for the game," he said.
The hard work has already started for Searle who will start "four days of planning" when he visits Sydney for talks with the NRL.
Searle will also hold a planning conference from Saturday on the Sunshine Coast including head coach John Cartwright and support staff featuring former Queensland Origin skipper Trevor Gillmeister.
Searle said the club would remain "transparent" with its player talks which are expected to start with Penrith pivot Preston Campbell who played for the Gold Coast before it was cut in 1999.
"If we are in the market for a player or going to be in the market for a player, we will be up front and honest with them - I've got no problems with being transparent," he said.
"The honeymoon will cease, we are not that naive. But if we are as transparent as we can be with other clubs at least they have the comfort that there won't be any surprises.
"If someone wants to know if we are in the market for a player they only have to ring me, I will tell them up front."
07:42 AEST Mon May 30 2005
AAP
A documentary crew was hired by Gold Coast bid chief Michael Searle to prove his "hands are clean" in their battle to become the NRL's 16th team from 2007.
Searle and the NRL were accused by North Sydney president Mike Gibbons of secret backroom deals after the Gold Coast pipped his Central Coast Bears for a spot in the 2007 premiership last Friday.
But Searle said he had been nothing but transparent during negotiations - and had the footage to prove it.
A documentary team followed Searle and his team around in the countdown to the NRL announcement.
"We've been transparent throughout the whole process. There have been no backroom deals done anywhere," he said.
"Eventually you will see the footage that was taken of the day, we had a documentary crew following us around."
"Then you'll realise there was no way a deal had been done (previously)."
"The emotion that came through from all the people (after the NRL announcement) involved proved that it (the 16th team announcement) was certainly not certain."
"There was uncertainty the whole way through the process - we've got clean hands."
Searle said the fledgling NRL club was still to decide on when to release the documentary footage.
"We decided to put it (documentary) together in the week leading up to it, just to have it for history's sake," he said.
"We will make a decision as to which way we will go with it but at the moment we've got a lot of footage and a lot of audio - we will work through it and release it later."
Searle was disappointed he didn't think of documenting the bid earlier - starting with their initial NRL knockback last August.
"I was disappointed we didn't record the August outcome, which sounds funny because it was negative," he said.
"But I am a big believer in identifying history."
Despite the negative response from Gibbons, Searle said he had received congratulatory e-mails from their bid rivals from the NSW Central Coast and Wellington amid the euphoria of their entry.
"We've received lots of texts and e-mails from as far afield as the new French Super League franchise (UTC) to the Southern Orcas (Wellington) who gave us a call and even (Central Coast bid's) John Singleton gave us a nice fax," he said.
"I think everyone acknowledges that it is a great result for the game - it's just a shame there wasn't a way to make everyone happy."
Searle said he had already been "stopped in the street" at the Gold Coast which celebrated its entry with more than 21,000 attending North Queensland's Friday night win over the Bulldogs at Carrara Stadium - the 2007 venue of the new NRL club.
"It's been awesome seeing the way the community has reacted, even the good will that has been generated around the league throughout the weekend, it's been great for the game," he said.
The hard work has already started for Searle who will start "four days of planning" when he visits Sydney for talks with the NRL.
Searle will also hold a planning conference from Saturday on the Sunshine Coast including head coach John Cartwright and support staff featuring former Queensland Origin skipper Trevor Gillmeister.
Searle said the club would remain "transparent" with its player talks which are expected to start with Penrith pivot Preston Campbell who played for the Gold Coast before it was cut in 1999.
"If we are in the market for a player or going to be in the market for a player, we will be up front and honest with them - I've got no problems with being transparent," he said.
"The honeymoon will cease, we are not that naive. But if we are as transparent as we can be with other clubs at least they have the comfort that there won't be any surprises.
"If someone wants to know if we are in the market for a player they only have to ring me, I will tell them up front."
