Sydney Roosters director Mark Bouris lashes out at critics
Frustrated after years of salary cap rumours, Sydney Roosters director Mark Bouris has unleashed on the club’s critics, saying the premiers ‘put up with a lot of s**t’ because of their success.
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High-profile Sydney Roosters director Mark Bouris has launched a tirade against vitriolic critics of his club, declaring: “We put up with a lot of shit.”
Bouris described as unfounded the innuendo over his club’s spending on players, saying: “We don’t breach the salary cap.”
And he said the Roosters were victims of tall poppy syndrome after a Daily Telegraph poll on Monday revealed just one in three fans who don’t have a team in the grand final are cheering on the Tricolours.
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“You have to put up with a lot of shit when you’re a successful club and sometimes I do get short-tempered with all the jibes, particularly when I hear it from some people in the media,’’ Bouris said.
“It’s the tall poppy syndrome, totally. Every time someone has a crack at us, it only galvanises our own fans. That’s all we care about. Controversy builds brands.”
Critics of the Roosters take aim at their so-called “salary cap sombrero”, accusing them of spending more money than anyone else on their roster.
“There are some notable Queensland media personalities, ex-footballers, who often have a crack at us in relation to our salary cap,’’ Bouris said.
“The bottom line is we don’t breach the salary cap, otherwise we would have been in trouble for doing it.
“All the shit we put up with, winning would be an amazing reward for the club. It’s a form of admiration in some respects — a backhanded admiration.
“On the flip side, I often feel that a lot of the clubs that don’t get criticised are usually the clubs at the bottom of the list.
“Probably us and Melbourne are the most hated clubs and, funnily enough, we are two of the most successful clubs, statistically.
“Maybe we have to just cop it on the chin because it goes with the territory. That’s the best way to put it.
“If it goes with the territory, then I’m happy with that because if it means our club will be up the top, then that makes me happy.”
Don't know who to support this weekend? Here are ten reasons you should jump on the Raiders bandwagon 🚙#WeAreRaiders #WEARECBR #NRLGFhttps://t.co/9Q4gDBvJPT
— Canberra Raiders (@RaidersCanberra) October 1, 2019
The Roosters were miffed at two cheeky cracks at them on the Raiders’ website on Tuesday.
Canberra offered up 10 reasons to support their club.
Among them was a headline about the Bondi club’s modest fan base, accompanied by a photo of an empty SCG Members Stand.
There was also a not-so-subtle dig at Roosters chairman Nick Politis on social media, nicknamed the Salary Cap Sombrero.
It read: “Two caps are better than one sombrero. With the return of (assistant coach) Andrew ‘Cappy’ McFadden to the Raiders ranks, the Raiders have two caps in 2019.”
Asked if he wanted an end to his club being bashed, Bouris said: “Nah, keep doing it.
“We are only interested in the people who love us and who are our fans. We don’t really care about the rest.
“All it does is galvanise our own fan base. You can’t please all the people all the time. We just want to please our own fans.
“I have confidence in the players, team, coach and the coaching staff. I have confidence in the club.
“It’s like an ecosystem of support all round. Everything they need to have going into the grand final is there for them to use.”
Bouris, who is the founder of Wizard Home Loans and now chairman of finance company Yellow Brick Road, reserved special praise for Politis and Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
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“There is one person on our board who really stands out over and above everybody and that is our chairman, Nick,” Bouris said.
“He is close to all the players, texts players, he helps players, he mentors them and helps them personally if they are in trouble.
“He is prolific in his output toward our team and coaching staff. Nick knows every single inch of the track.
“How many grand finals have we played in, how many have we won and how many minor premierships have we won?
“There’s one common denominator during that whole time and it’s Nick Politis.”
“Robbo is right up there. I have had experiences with a lot of coaches at the Roosters. In terms of intellect and strategising, Robbo is one the best coaches I have ever seen.
“I experienced all the great NSW coaches when I sponsored NSW and Robbo is as good as any of them. He is right at the very top.”
Originally published as Sydney Roosters director Mark Bouris lashes out at critics