weststigers4life
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http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-in-mess-over-roosters-sbw-breach/story-e6frext9-1226542432285
THE charade surrounding the return of Sonny Bill Williams has reached farcical proportions and underlines the lack of leadership and strategy when it comes to making big decisions at NRL headquarters.
The Sydney Roosters have been limply slapped with a breach notice for failing to provide salary cap auditor Ian Schubert with enough documentation surrounding the negotiating of the deal.
Talk about being flogged with a wet lettuce.
Although the NRL didn't specify what detail it sought from the Roosters, the fact Williams is represented by unaccredited player agent Khoder Nasser might have something to do with it.
But why are we treating Williams like a criminal because he wants to play in the NRL?
Surely after his five-year purgatory and a $750,000 settlement with the Bulldogs he's paid his dues. Why aren't we celebrating his return?
Especially after the public relations disaster of Israel Folau's botched return and subsequent switch to rugby union. Why does the NRL insist on continually trying to nit-pick with interference? Who's responsible? John Grant? Shane Mattiske? Ian Schubert?
This policy-on-the-run approach is supposedly designed to show what a tough, strong-arm game rugby league is.
If the NRL followed the rules to the letter of the law, Williams wouldn't have been registered because Nasser is not accredited.
If the NRL desperately wants Sonny Bill back in the game, and marketing manager Paul Kind's keenness to use him to promote the 2013 season says they do, why fine the Roosters for making it happen? Let's hope the NRL details the reasons for the breach when it metes out the Roosters' punishment in the new year.
Sydney Roosters chief operating officer of football Brian Canavan told The Sunday Telegraph the club's powerful board would review the breach notice when the NRL outlines the severity of the punishment.
"We're ecstatic that he'll be playing in our colours next year. It's a coup for rugby league to have an elite international athlete of his talent," Canavan said.
"Once the breach is received it will be considered by our board.
"The process was exhaustive. From our perspective, it's what legal people call a vanilla contract. It's very straight forward.
"There are no third-party agreements or anything like that in it. It's just a straight contract amount.
"Sonny Bill's history is not the norm but we just wanted him to come back to our club and to play rugby league. To me, it's a coup that he's playing rugby league once again."
THE charade surrounding the return of Sonny Bill Williams has reached farcical proportions and underlines the lack of leadership and strategy when it comes to making big decisions at NRL headquarters.
The Sydney Roosters have been limply slapped with a breach notice for failing to provide salary cap auditor Ian Schubert with enough documentation surrounding the negotiating of the deal.
Talk about being flogged with a wet lettuce.
Although the NRL didn't specify what detail it sought from the Roosters, the fact Williams is represented by unaccredited player agent Khoder Nasser might have something to do with it.
But why are we treating Williams like a criminal because he wants to play in the NRL?
Surely after his five-year purgatory and a $750,000 settlement with the Bulldogs he's paid his dues. Why aren't we celebrating his return?
Especially after the public relations disaster of Israel Folau's botched return and subsequent switch to rugby union. Why does the NRL insist on continually trying to nit-pick with interference? Who's responsible? John Grant? Shane Mattiske? Ian Schubert?
This policy-on-the-run approach is supposedly designed to show what a tough, strong-arm game rugby league is.
If the NRL followed the rules to the letter of the law, Williams wouldn't have been registered because Nasser is not accredited.
If the NRL desperately wants Sonny Bill back in the game, and marketing manager Paul Kind's keenness to use him to promote the 2013 season says they do, why fine the Roosters for making it happen? Let's hope the NRL details the reasons for the breach when it metes out the Roosters' punishment in the new year.
Sydney Roosters chief operating officer of football Brian Canavan told The Sunday Telegraph the club's powerful board would review the breach notice when the NRL outlines the severity of the punishment.
"We're ecstatic that he'll be playing in our colours next year. It's a coup for rugby league to have an elite international athlete of his talent," Canavan said.
"Once the breach is received it will be considered by our board.
"The process was exhaustive. From our perspective, it's what legal people call a vanilla contract. It's very straight forward.
"There are no third-party agreements or anything like that in it. It's just a straight contract amount.
"Sonny Bill's history is not the norm but we just wanted him to come back to our club and to play rugby league. To me, it's a coup that he's playing rugby league once again."
