Former Manly chairman Bob Reilly banned from management roles at licensed clubs
WHAT’S THE BUZZ: Former Manly boss cops a clubs ban, Laurie Daley endorses out of favour Tiger Robbie Farah and Jarryd Hayne threatens legal action.
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BOB Reilly is the former Manly boss we exposed three years ago for his dodgy conduct as chairman of the leagues club.
He has now been banned from any management role at any licensed club for three years after a lengthy investigation by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority found he was not a fit and proper person to hold a position.
The investigation confirmed what we reported back in 2012 that over a three-year period Reilly had cashed 98 personal cheques at the club totalling almost $450,000. He was also paid $17,000 in unapproved expenses.
Reilly remains a board member of the Manly District Football Club and was previously deputy chairman of the Sea Eagles’ NRL club. He was banned in 2012 from entering the leagues club.
His photograph was removed from a frame alongside other board members and was displayed more prominently at the front door of the club with a warning that he is not to enter the premises under any circumstances.
The Sunday Telegraph has obtained a copy of the authority’s findings.
“Mr Reilly’s responses to the complaint, which primarily take the form of submissions through his solicitor rather than direct statements to the authority, convey little sense of Mr Reilly taking responsibility for his actions,” the report said.
“The Authority is satisfied that its findings on the Grounds of Complaint made against Mr Reilly demonstrate a substantial failing as to his personal integrity or, at the very least, a lack of skill and ability in executing his duty as chairman to deal frankly with the club’s board.
“The authority is satisfied that a substantial period of disqualification is now warranted. An order for disqualification will send a signal to the directors of other registered clubs who are not frank in their dealings with their board and who fail to undergo appropriate training to bolster their knowledge of liquor and gaming legislation and matters of corporate governance.
“The Authority is satisfied that it is appropriate, for the protection of the public and the industry, to disqualify Mr Reilly from participation in the registered clubs industry as a member of a governing body or a club secretary for the maximum period available (three years).”
CHEIK AND LOZ JUST BEACH BOYS AT HEART
TWO of the country’s greatest sporting minds got together this week to share intelligence and also lend a hand to a worthy cause.
NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley and Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika caught up at Coogee Beach to promote the upcoming Coogee Island Challenge — a 2.4km swim from the foreshore, around Wedding Cake Island and back to the beach.
Both coaches are long-time members of the Coogee club. They will officially fire the gun to start proceedings at 10am on Sunday, November 29 where more than 1000 competitors will take part. The event will be sponsored by Harvey Norman Commercial NSW.
“I lived at Coogee when I first moved up from Canberra and the surf club welcomed me with open arms,” Daley said.
Cheika has been a member at Coogee since the 1980s and did more than his share of patrolling the beach as a teenager.
“I was only too happy to help out and it’s also given me a chance to catch up with Loz and swap a few ideas, which is great.”
FARAH STILL IN BLUES PICTURE
HE might be off at the Wests Tigers but Robbie Farah is still very much part of Laurie Daley’s plan for next year’s State of Origin. Why else would he have been invited to a media announcement on Friday of the Blues’ new $20 million Centre of Excellence.
Farah will be 33 by the time Australia hosts the next rugby league World Cup in 2017 — yet he still wants to play. The Australian selectors will probably be looking for younger forwards by then but the Wests Tigers star has made it known he would be keen to have a run with Lebanon. Josh Mansour and Reece Robinson are also qualified to play.
SCHOONER THE BETTER FOR BALLIN TO FLY
MATT Ballin has landed a new sponsorship and marketing deal just two weeks after his arrival at the Wests Tigers.
The former Sea Eagles star has been appointed as an ambassador for the launch of the Carlton Draught Aussie Pub Tour in March next year, which coincides with the opening round of the NRL season.
The Pub Tour will take more than 100 winners to five cities over seven days to experience all the great things we love about our pubs.
Ballin went to Bankstown Airport on Friday as an honorary pilot for the tour.
For more information about the tour, visit www.carltondraught.com.
PLANE FURY OVER BOOK PLAN
LAWYERS representing stalled NFL hopeful Jarryd Hayne are threatening to take legal action against the rugby league writer who is working on his unauthorised biography.
The writer received a heavy legal letter last week via email.
Hayne found out about the book through his old Parramatta Eels teammate Tim Mannah, who had been contacted by the journalist to get an insight into his former teammate.
Interestingly, the publisher was having second thoughts about the book anyway, since Hayne was sacked from the playing roster at the San Francisco 49ers.
REFEREES FLYING TO WORK IN STYLE
THERE’S no shortage of money being splashed around at the NRL when it comes to supporting our referees.
Both Gerard Sutton and Tony Archer are in England for the Poms-Kiwis series, having flown there in Qantas business class.
Next stop is the US, again up the front of the plane to check out referee bunkers at major sports. It gets better. Bernard Sutton and Mark O’Neill are joining them for the bunker study tour and will also be travelling in business. We mistakenly thought the extravagant travel arrangements were restricted to Dave Smith and John Grant.
SOCCER JOURNOS TACKLE LAZARUS
IMAGINE the trepidation among soccer scribes when they lined up for a match against the Federal Parliamentary team in Canberra this week.
Looming large in the ranks of the pollies was the giant frame of Senator Glenn Lazarus. Luckily for the journos, Lazarus has had a change of style from his barnstorming league days.
Now he’s a wide midfielder looking to hone his skills.
The journos, with FFA boss David Gallop as a guest player, won the match 3-2 after mad Chelsea fan Senator Stephen Conroy missed a sitter in the last minute.
Originally published as Former Manly chairman Bob Reilly banned from management roles at licensed clubs
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