Five Dock Bulldog
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Roosters hit by email smear campaign
April 14, 2005 - 8:15PM
Sydney Roosters coach Ricky Stuart says the NRL heavyweights have been plagued by an email smear campaign - including an alleged "Wayne Carey/Kelly Stevens incident" - aimed at bringing down the club.
On the eve of the Roosters' crucial NRL grand final re-match against the Bulldogs, Stuart said it was outside influences that worried the team not their ordinary season start which includes three straight losses.
Stuart alluded to an email, obtained by ****, that claims team morale is "very low and split over a incident".
"There is a Wayne Carey/Kelly Stevens incident about to surface...," the email said, alluding to the former AFL player who had an affair with his team-mate's wife.
It also names a first grade player, saying he is "on his last legs with management and some players" and is bound for the Bulldogs.
And it claims a "prominent first grader" was kicked out of a Kings Cross pub at 3am on the morning of the Wests Tigers match (a fortnight ago) after partying "with three Rooster cheerleaders".
Stuart said the club had dismissed the email as unfounded but admitted it did have a damaging effect.
The Roosters mentor said his frustration was compounded when its contents were read out by a caller to a Sydney radio station.
"There's a rumour doing the rounds at the moment ... from these gutless, weak people in the public who want to bring down the organisation of the team, a lot of preparation, a culture," he said.
"That email ... it's a way of getting at something that we have all tried hard to work for with regards to achieving something.
"... we were trying to hose down the effects because everything in this email is ... incorrect information.
"It can be very damaging and that's a part of what makes it hard for a club - you are doing everything you can within but it's what is happening outside that sometimes can create an effect."
Stuart said the team would stick together through the tough times - an attitude he learned from his playing days at Canberra and Canterbury.
"Probably the thing you are worried about (most is) the damaging effects (off field)," he said.
Stuart said he wasn't worried about the Roosters' on-field situation - yet.
The Roosters currently sit 12th with a 2-3 record.
"You never think that (you are in trouble), you are always confident to win each game...," he said.
"We wouldn't want to be in this position around round 10, 12 or 14."
April 14, 2005 - 8:15PM
Sydney Roosters coach Ricky Stuart says the NRL heavyweights have been plagued by an email smear campaign - including an alleged "Wayne Carey/Kelly Stevens incident" - aimed at bringing down the club.
On the eve of the Roosters' crucial NRL grand final re-match against the Bulldogs, Stuart said it was outside influences that worried the team not their ordinary season start which includes three straight losses.
Stuart alluded to an email, obtained by ****, that claims team morale is "very low and split over a incident".
"There is a Wayne Carey/Kelly Stevens incident about to surface...," the email said, alluding to the former AFL player who had an affair with his team-mate's wife.
It also names a first grade player, saying he is "on his last legs with management and some players" and is bound for the Bulldogs.
And it claims a "prominent first grader" was kicked out of a Kings Cross pub at 3am on the morning of the Wests Tigers match (a fortnight ago) after partying "with three Rooster cheerleaders".
Stuart said the club had dismissed the email as unfounded but admitted it did have a damaging effect.
The Roosters mentor said his frustration was compounded when its contents were read out by a caller to a Sydney radio station.
"There's a rumour doing the rounds at the moment ... from these gutless, weak people in the public who want to bring down the organisation of the team, a lot of preparation, a culture," he said.
"That email ... it's a way of getting at something that we have all tried hard to work for with regards to achieving something.
"... we were trying to hose down the effects because everything in this email is ... incorrect information.
"It can be very damaging and that's a part of what makes it hard for a club - you are doing everything you can within but it's what is happening outside that sometimes can create an effect."
Stuart said the team would stick together through the tough times - an attitude he learned from his playing days at Canberra and Canterbury.
"Probably the thing you are worried about (most is) the damaging effects (off field)," he said.
Stuart said he wasn't worried about the Roosters' on-field situation - yet.
The Roosters currently sit 12th with a 2-3 record.
"You never think that (you are in trouble), you are always confident to win each game...," he said.
"We wouldn't want to be in this position around round 10, 12 or 14."
