Todd Carney, Sharks in mediation over unfair sacking claim after publication of lewd photo
FORMER NRL star Todd Carney and the Cronulla Sharks ordered into mediation to resolve his almost $3 million claim against his old club for sacking him over his infamous ‘‘bubbling’’ toilet incident.
NSW
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FORMER NRL star Todd Carney and the Cronulla Sharks have been ordered into mediation in a bid to resolve his almost $3 million claim against his old club for sacking him over his infamous ‘‘bubbling’’ toilet incident.
In what the 29-year-old claims was a breach of contract, the Sharks sacked the former NSW Origin half in 2014 in the wake of the scandal, which centred on a photograph which appeared to show Carney urinating into his own mouth at a Cronulla nightclub.
Carney subsequently signed with French club Catalans and recently signed a three-year contract extension with the Super League franchise.
It was the third time Carney had been sacked by an NRL club.
In 2008 the Canberra Raiders tore up his contract following a drink-driving offence and subsequent allegations that he urinated on someone at a nightclub.
The NRL also deregistered Carney for the 2009 season. In 2011 he was also let go by the Sydney Roosters after breaking an alcohol ban.
In the case of the Sharks dismissal, Carney’s lawyers have claimed the club breached the collective bargaining agreement by not allowing him to plead his case before the club board after the incident came to light.
Last year Carney won a wrongful dismissal case against the Sharks that was brought before the NRL appeals committee.
At the NRL appeals committee, Tribunal chairman Ian Callinan QC found the Sharks failed to allow Carney “due process” before tearing up his contract.
Before his sacking he had signed a $700,000-a-year deal with the Shire club to run until the end of 2018.
On the opening day of law term yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled the mediation between the parties must take place by May 27.
The court heard yesterday that if the case does not settle at meditation, it will be listed on June 1 to determine the issues in dispute. Carney has until March 21 to serve evidence supporting his claim against the club.
In an interview last year, Carney said: “I feel I was harshly done by. Some people don’t.”
“I want it to be cleaned up because I think one day the club might think back to what’s happened to me and it might help another player,” he told Channel 9.
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