Cameron Smith’s wife given diamond ring by the NRL
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg is under fire for the decision to present Cameron Smith’s wife Barbara with an expensive diamond ring as the Melbourne star marked his 400th game.
The NRL is scrambling to explain why Cameron Smith’s wife Barb was presented with a diamond ring in recognition of her husband’s 400th game.
The gift was not listed among the official ones to Smith when the NRL formally celebrated his milestone in July and has raised questions about why the wife of a player would be rewarded by the game.
The lavish gift was not approved by the Australian Rugby League Commission.
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At the time of the milestone match, the NRL revealed it was presenting Smith a Waterford crystal football after the game, as well as a specially commissioned mural in Smith’s image in Richmond.
No mention of the diamond ring was made.
READ GREENBERG’S OPINION ON SMITH RING
Greenberg presented Barb Smith with the ring at a private dinner the NRL held for her husband in the week leading up to this 400th game. While the dinner was covered in various sections of the press, there was no mention of the ring.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg defended the gift on Thursday.
“Our biggest stars wouldn’t be where they are today without the women in their lives,’’ Greenberg said.
“We make no apologies for honouring the amazing role Barb has played and the sacrifices she has made throughout Cameron’s career.
“His feat made history and may never be done again. It was right to acknowledge the achievement in the way we did.”
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The Storm denied they were involved.
“We had no idea it was coming,” Storm chief executive Dave Donaghy said. “It was a gift from the NRL. We gave her a bunch of flowers.”
It comes after the NRL allowed Smith a testimonial game at Suncorp Stadium at the start of last year, well before his retirement, when he pocketed $150,000 while donating $15,000 to a charity.
There’s no suggestion that Smith or his wife have done anything wrong.
A concern for Smith and the NRL is also whether the gift has income tax implications.
While Barb Smith will claim the ring was a gift, the Australian Taxation Office could deem it assessable income given the ring was received in recognition of her husband’s occupation.
An NRL spokesman said the gift to Barb Smith had no salary cap implications.
“It is a gift from the NRL,” the spokesman said. “No different to gifts for 300 games, premiership rings or players who are paid out of the NRL marketing fund to promote events.”
The NRL says that, depending on the player’s circumstances, it will replicate the gift for any player who gets to 400.
St George Illawarra’s James Graham played his 400th first-grade game last weekend with limited official recognition.
Why Smith’s wife was given the gift at all is confusing given Smith received the Waterford crystal ball in recognition of his achievement.
There are also questions around the lack of transparency around the lavish present given how well Smith has been rewarded and the peculiar relationship between the Storm and the game’s administration.
Melbourne have been allowed to celebrate their 2009 season, for instance, going as far as carrying official commemoration on their NRL jersey ‘‘celebrating 1999 & 2009 grand finals’’, with no recrimination from the NRL.
This is after the Storm were stripped of their 2009 premiership for cheating the salary cap.
The Storm had their name removed from the premiership trophy and were ordered to remove the 2007 and 2009 premierships from their website.
EELS FANS SOFT TOUCH FOR FINAL
LONG-suffering Parramatta fans can finally watch their team in a premiership decider. While it has been a 33-year wait since the Eels last won a first grade title, their women’s touch team will play Brisbane.
In the men’s, the first-placed North Queensland play Newcastle, who beat Wests Tigers in the preliminary final to progress.
The grand finals will start at midday at the SCG on Sunday before the NRL match between the Roosters and Warriors.
SAINTS BOSS WHITTLES COACHING LIST TO FOUR
THE shortlist of names to replace incoming Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook at Super League club St Helens makes interesting reading.
St Helens boss Mike Rush was in Australia last week and has narrowed the candidates down to Storm assistant Jason Ryles, Warriors assistant Todd Payten, Tonga coach Kristian Wolf and Titans caretaker coach Craig Hodges. Ryles, in particular, is considered a NRL coach in the making. In a case of one going the other way, Wigan premiership-winning coach Shaun Wane also wants to have a crack at coaching in the NRL. Given the success of English players, could a coach make the transition as well? Wane won three Super League titles with Wigan, the most recent last year.
LATE TEEN’S FOUNDATION GETS SUPPORT OF BLAKEY
JUNIOR teammates Nick Blakey and Cooper Rice-Brading were on the same path towards AFL stardom when their lives took very different routes.
Rice-Brading lost his battle as a teenager with the rare cancer osteosarcoma two years ago but this week Sydney Swans young gun Blakey returned to where it all began for the two of them at Trumper Park in Paddington to raise awareness for his friend’s foundation. Only a minuscule amount of cancer funding goes to sarcoma and this is reflected in the fact survival rates have shown no quantifiable sign of improvement while treatment of better-known conditions has improved.
Blakey and Rice-Brading’s family joined Easts juniors to help honour Cooper’s legacy. “It’s pretty special and humbling to come down and help out,” Blakey said. “When Cooper passed, it affected a lot of people at the footy club. He had a close relationship with the Swans and was in the academy like me.
“It shook the whole club.
“Coops’ foundation is raising a lot of money that goes straight to sarcoma research.”
Cooper’s brother Mitchell said awareness is improving as the Garvan Institute in Sydney begins trials of better treatment methods.
“Quickly into his treatment he realised this was a very aggressive rare cancer and the funding didn’t match the attention it really required and so he started the foundation,” Mitchell said.
“He got the ball rolling all the while knowing in all likelihood it wouldn’t be to benefit him and then sadly almost two years ago he passed away. We’re trying to continue that fight he started. We’re trying to find that cure for sarcoma and get funding.”
PEARCE STRIPPED BARE
ROOSTERS coach Trent Robinson asked the question after last Sunday’s win over Canberra: who was responsible for introducing the new stripping rule?
The man who introduced the rule was ARL commissioner and former Balmain hero Wayne Pearce.
“And I am very happy I did,” Pearce told Sport Confidential.
Instead of winding in the rule, as is being mentioned in various parts of the game, Pearce has plans to expand.
“At the end of the season, we have to investigate more ways to bring unpredictability to the game,” he said.
Pearce has even wondered whether it is time to bring back competitive scrums.
“It would bring forwards back into the game,” he said.
KURT CONSIDERS KNIGHT MOVES
IN-DEMAND Cronulla back-rower Kurt Capewell says the departure of close friend and teammate Jayden Brailey to Newcastle could influence his decision to join him at the Knights. The Sharks are desperate to cling on to the versatile Capewell but their salary cap woes may mean he has to look elsewhere.
“We’re talking with the Sharks and a few other clubs,” Capewell said. “I love the shire. I love the Sharks. I love playing for the club. It would be tough to leave. If it does come to that, I’ll leave with my head high because I’ve had such a good time here. It wouldn’t be leaving on a bad note if it comes to that.”
The Knights are circling. They have already signed Brailey for next season.
“I respect him not just as a good mate but as a great footballer,” Capewell said of Brailey.
“I love his work ethic and the way he trains. Someone like that going to the club does increase interest. It does weigh in at decision time.”
WOMEN GAINING GROUND
TWO NRLW matches will be stand-alone fixtures — separate to the men’s NRL finals — for the first time this year.
New Zealand Warriors will host the inaugural stand-alone match in round two of the NRLW season on September 22 before St George Illawarra play Sydney Roosters at Leichhardt Oval in round three.
“The introduction of two stand-alone NRLW matches is an exciting first for the women’s premiership,” NRL general manager of the women’s elite program Tiffany Slater said. “On the back of another hugely successful women’s State of Origin game, this evolution of the competition allows fans to have more women’s rugby league as its own event and more certainty around when and where games will be played.’’
The final draw and venues including which team will make the trip to New Zealand to play the Warriors will be released at the end of NRL round 25. The three-round competition includes four teams — Dragons, Roosters, Warriors and Brisbane.
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MOORE CAUGHT OUT BY PORK
ABC Grandstand rugby league caller Andrew Moore dramatically abandoned his post mid-game during the South Sydney-Melbourne match last Sunday. The emergency related to a pre-game pork roll and left co-commentator Luke Lewis and sideline eye Dene Halatau calling the match for a few minutes. Moore has been passed fit for this weekend’s matches.
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