Former Wests Tigers chairman has no regrets over Robbie Farah’s $3.5m deal

[cattivo]

THE Wests Tigers chairman who rubberstamped Robbie Farah’s four-year $3.5 million deal in 2013 has confirmed the local junior was owed “a lot of money” by the club.

Former Tigers chairman Nick Di Girolamo told The Sunday Telegraph he accepted full responsibility for Farah’s contract and rejected ex-coach Mick Potter’s claim the club was “frivolous” with its spending.

“Firstly, I don’t want to be drawn into any criticism of the current administration,” Di Girolamo said.

“I was an advocate for an independent board and I still am. They’ve obviously got difficult decisions to make and they need to be given every opportunity to do so.

“In terms of what transpired during Robbie’s last contract negotiations, the assertion he’s being paid overs is a furphy.

“I can confirm Robbie was owed a lot of money by the Tigers and the other issue was he was being chased by Souths and the Gold Coast.
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“We wanted Robbie Farah to be a Wests Tiger for life. Robbie’s the NSW Origin vice-captain. His peers in the same echelon are being paid similar money. That’s reality.

“So any suggestion that the board was being frivolous with Wests Tigers money is nonsense.”

Nick Di Girolamo and Robbie Farah.
Nick Di Girolamo and Robbie Farah. Source: News Corp Australia
Di Girolamo, who stepped aside from Wests Tigers after being named as part of an ICAC investigation, was the figure who famously sent ex-Premier Barry O’Farrell the bottle of Grange Hermitage red wine that ended his tenure.

The former Tigers board member, who is still awaiting a final judgment on the ICAC ­investigation, to which he denies any wrongdoing, said he would make the same decision again “without batting an eyelid”.

“Anyone who’s picked up a Steeden would know that when you’ve got three young guns like James Tedesco, Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses coming through in key positions, they’re going to need an experienced head to guide them,” Di Girolamo said.

“So if people think that the decision to sign Robbie was wrong, I accept full responsibility for that.

“But at the time given the money he was owed and the sacrifices he had made and his value to the club on and off the field as a local junior, we thought it was the right decision.

“If I had to make the same decision again, I would do it without batting an eyelid.”

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[Knuckles]

Is the former Wests Tigers chairman ever guilty of any wrong doing ???

 

[Tim Sheens]

I am reminded of this guy every time my Sydney Water bill arrives and think about whether or not part of the charges are going towards covering former payments to political cronies.

Don't care for his opinion at all.

 

[hammertime]

Oh yeah, the bloke who gives gifts of bottles of grange as a present would have never have an issue knowing the value of a dollar….

 

[fibrodreaming]

What a disgrace the old board were!

They owed substantial sums to Robbie, but because the cap was a mess, they simply kept shovelling the outstanding amounts into the outyears of his contract.

And this bloke says “If I had to make the same decision again, I would do it without batting an eyelid.”

What a joke.

Well, we are all paying for his ineptitude now.

 

[Geo]

We want Robbie to be a WESTS Tiger for life even though at the time he was being chased by the GC and Souths so irrespective of form we will commit to 3.5 mill (going up with every article BTW) and they weren't frivolous…

OK Nick...go have a lie down mate...

 

[Bones]

That last sentence alone is proof that removing the old board was the best thing to happen to this club since 2005\. :crazy

 

[Snake]

All the previous boards were spineless , gutless and self centred …now the buck stops and the new board that wants to rectify the mismanagement of the past gets pasted ...well done you spineless idiots hang your heads for what you have NEVER DONE for this club.

 

[Tigerdave]

Former Tigers chairman Nick Di Girolamo told The Sunday Telegraph he accepted full responsibility for Farah’s contract and rejected ex-coach Mick Potter’s claim the club was “frivolous” with its spending.

No Potter is right, that was frivolous spending

“Firstly, I don’t want to be drawn into any criticism of the current administration,” Di Girolamo said.

criticism which they shouldn't be copping since this is all your fault

The former Tigers board member, who is still awaiting a final judgment on the ICAC ­investigation, to which he denies any wrongdoing, said he would make the same decision again “without batting an eyelid”.

and on that note, it's good that you're gone.

 

[Milky]

Oh shutup for the love of god, all of you.

Farah was in the form of his life, if he left at the time there would have been a massive backlash from the fans. He did the right decision by re-signing him, at the market price. Farah is worth 950K no doubt. Second best hooker in the world at the time, NSW vice captain, right after the Benji Marshall saga, Youngsters coming through. The club would have been in shambles if they let him go. Yes the contract was slightly too long but thats something you have to deal with. Farah was not let go because of the cap, it's because the club wants a fresh start.

 

[cqtiger]

Oh shutup for the love of god, all of you.

Farah was in the form of his life, if he left at the time there would have been a massive backlash from the fans. He did the right decision by re-signing him, at the market price. Farah is worth 950K no doubt. Second best hooker in the world at the time, NSW vice captain, right after the Benji Marshall saga, Youngsters coming through. The club would have been in shambles if they let him go. Yes the contract was slightly too long but thats something you have to deal with. Farah was not let go because of the cap, it's because the club wants a fresh start.

Would have been in a shambles, Milky?

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[Milky]

Oh shutup for the love of god, all of you.

Farah was in the form of his life, if he left at the time there would have been a massive backlash from the fans. He did the right decision by re-signing him, at the market price. Farah is worth 950K no doubt. Second best hooker in the world at the time, NSW vice captain, right after the Benji Marshall saga, Youngsters coming through. The club would have been in shambles if they let him go. Yes the contract was slightly too long but thats something you have to deal with. Farah was not let go because of the cap, it's because the club wants a fresh start.

Would have been in a shambles, Milky?

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

What is your question?

 

[gallagher]

Thank god that moron has moved on.

 

[Russell]

Oh shutup for the love of god, all of you.

Farah was in the form of his life, if he left at the time there would have been a massive backlash from the fans. He did the right decision by re-signing him, at the market price. Farah is worth 950K no doubt. Second best hooker in the world at the time, NSW vice captain, right after the Benji Marshall saga, Youngsters coming through. The club would have been in shambles if they let him go. Yes the contract was slightly too long but thats something you have to deal with. Farah was not let go because of the cap, it's because the club wants a fresh start.

Not because of the cap - you are joking - right.

Anyone in their right mind doesn't sign a player of his age for 4 years. 2 years with a club option would have been about right. That is what has been proven.

We are in it up to our necks now. No one is suggesting not paying him out. It is a contract and he is entitled to it. As for playing NSW Cup (which he said in the SMH he will play because he is not leaving Sydney), I would not have him in the club after all this now. It is either NRL or nothing. The animosity, bad vibes among the remainder of the team would not be worth it.

It is a shame it has ended this way as Robbie has been a Tigers legend and was entitled to go out with respect. Imo it was Ayoub or himself that let the cat out of the bag and caught the Tigers with their pants down. Hence fumbling announcements before it could be coherently fixed. I think he brought the disrespect on himself.

He is not the player he was a couple of years ago - now, that is either because of his age, carrying injuries for a long time or he is not getting on with Taylor or not doing what he is told. I don't know anymore on this than anyone else on here.

Loved him to death - but he has to go altogether for mine (no NSW Cup, no nothing). If we can't flog him off or if he won't take another offer then we will have to pay him to sit on his banana chair. Not because of the cap… sure.

Now I'll shut up Milky.

 

[jirskyr]

None of this matters, Shady Nick can say whatever he wants on the topic because there is no professional fallout for him. It really doesn't matter if it was a good decision or not, the decision was made and the people responsible don't work for the club anymore.

 

[ricksen]

No wonder we're in such a state given clowns like him were running the ship.

 

[fibrodreaming]

Oh shutup for the love of god, all of you.

Farah was in the form of his life, if he left at the time there would have been a massive backlash from the fans. He did the right decision by re-signing him, at the market price. Farah is worth 950K no doubt. Second best hooker in the world at the time, NSW vice captain, right after the Benji Marshall saga, Youngsters coming through. The club would have been in shambles if they let him go. Yes the contract was slightly too long but thats something you have to deal with. Farah was not let go because of the cap, it's because the club wants a fresh start.

You are missing the point Milky. The issue is not that we re-signed Robbie at market rates.

The point is that we couldn't afford to pay him and so kept moving the outstanding amounts into the outyears of his contract.

They were operating a gigantic pyramid scheme, and we all know that they end in tears.

And the former chairman has the hide to say that he would do it all again. It beggars belief.

 

[lathami]

Here they are again the haters club, u guys should go out for a beer or a public flogging. That your style..
Again you talk about money and that he is getting paid to much, but seem to skim pass the FACTS he is owed about $400,000 from the last contract. When the club was broke farah helped the club out. But hay lets forget about that stuff and concentrate on the negative..
So his contract was not that inflated, just paybacks.
I love how you guys love the new board of "people that don't know rugby league" as good people.
Lets see where u are when we are at the bottom of the comp next few seasons. And who u are blaming then????
U guys should 'get a room'.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Here they are again the haters club, u guys should go out for a beer or a public flogging. That your style..
Again you talk about money and that he is getting paid to much, but seem to skim pass the FACTS he is owed about $400,000 from the last contract. When the club was broke farah helped the club out. But hay lets forget about that stuff and concentrate on the negative..
So his contract was not that inflated, just paybacks.
I love how you guys love the new board of "people that don't know rugby league" as good people.
Lets see where u are when we are at the bottom of the comp next few seasons. And who u are blaming then????
U guys should 'get a room'.

:bawling

There there

 

[gallagher]

Here they are again the haters club, u guys should go out for a beer or a public flogging. That your style..
Again you talk about money and that he is getting paid to much, but seem to skim pass the FACTS he is owed about $400,000 from the last contract. When the club was broke farah helped the club out. But hay lets forget about that stuff and concentrate on the negative..
So his contract was not that inflated, just paybacks.
I love how you guys love the new board of "people that don't know rugby league" as good people.
Lets see where u are when we are at the bottom of the comp next few seasons. And who u are blaming then????
U guys should 'get a room'.

I thought Fatah could sook.