From the Sydney Morning Herald. Sounds like another one of Weidler's beat ups, trying to drag us through the mud.
Relationship between master and commander in troubled waters
Those watching the Adam Reynolds contract saga at South Sydney are claiming it could derail the club, but there is a growing issue at play behind the scenes: a cooling of the relationship between co-owner Russell Crowe and chairman Nick Pappas.
Crowe called a meeting at Redfern Oval on Monday to discuss some of his plans for this season and it was significant to note who wasn’t there as much as who was.
The likes of Wayne Bennett, assistant coach Jason Demetriou and development coach Ben Hornby all had a chat with the Hollywood star, but the main person Crowe wanted to talk to was chief executive Blake Solly. Crowe gave Solly a call to say he needed to talk and rode from his Woolloomooloo base to meet with Solly and watch the team train. They had a long discussion and there was no sign of Pappas.
Souths will argue there was no need for him to be there, but the truth of the matter is their relationship isn’t what it was. Crowe is known to still be close to former CEO Shane Richardson, someone he credits with putting Souths back on track.
While Crowe is close to Richardson, Pappas is not. Pappas blamed Richardson for the long-term deal that Sam Burgess signed, which cost the club hundreds of thousands of dollars when Burgess was medically retired in 2019. The resulting dispute was the end of their relationship.
But Crowe has stuck by Richardson. It was Richardson and Crowe who pushed hard for Bennett to join the club. Pappas wasn’t as keen, given Bennett had knocked back Souths in the past. But the pair pushed ahead. Pappas was so close to Crowe at one stage he invested in one of his movies. It has been suggested that he didn’t get the return he was hoping for.
There is another sore point for Souths fans: Pappas has become increasingly friendly with Nick Politis. The Roosters chairman is despised by everyone else at Souths, and Crowe delights in baiting him and the Roosters. Pappas has remained publicly silent about his frustrations with Crowe, but those close to him have relayed his frustrations to this column.
Pappas will always have a significant place in Souths history. He has worked closely with Crowe for years, but it will be interesting to see how long that continues.
Crowe did not want to comment on his relationship with Pappas, but was surprised I was asking about it, while Pappas did not respond to requests for comment.
Also, from Sporting News,
NRL reportedly set to commence selection process for 17th team
The NRL is reportedly set to begin the selection process for a 17th team, with prospective bid teams preparing to meet with Peter V'landys and Andrew Abdo over the next month.
V'landys has made it clear that NRL expansion in the heartland of rugby league was firmly on the agenda in 2021.
This has seen the likes of the
Brisbane Jets,
Redcliffe Dolphins and Brisbane Firehawks emerge as potential options for the second Brisbane team, with the league looking to bring them in for the 2023 season.
With speculation continuing to mount,
Courier-Mail reporter Pete Badel has revealed the formal process is set to begin in April, with the commission expected to announce the successful candidate in July.
“I can tell you Peter V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo will look to fly north in the next three weeks,” Badel told
NRL 360.
“They are tipped to come here by the end of the month and they want to talk to the respective bid teams which are the Brisbane Jets, the Redcliffe Dolphins and the Brisbane Firehawks with a view towards a potential tender process starting in April
“This is exciting news for Queensland rugby league fans. The way things are going, the numbers have to stack up, but Peter V’landys is pretty confident that we will see a fourth Queensland team in 2023.
“The team is expected to be announced in July. A second Brisbane team will be coming in sooner rather than later."
The inclusion of a second Brisbane team has already attracted interest from Storm superstar Cameron Munster,
who admitted he would consider signing with a expansion team for 2023.
He has already received interest from the Jets, with their director Nick Livermore telling
Sporting News they believe Munster would be an ideal inaugural captain
“Cameron Munster is certainly one too. He’s made no secret that South-East Queensland is his home," he told
Sporting News.
“I think he’d be an amazing first captain, but ultimately we need to get that license first.
"We need to make sure there’s as many quality Queensland players to start with, and then players from out of state who we’d also love to have a look at.
"They'd need to be off contract and available, and we’re having those conversations right now."
