Waldron

[AyiosYiorgos]

Disgraced ex-Melbourne Storm boss Brian Waldron has finally apologised for his role in the salary cap scandal that resulted in the NRL club being stripped of two premierships.

The Storm lost their 2007 and 2009 titles when a 2010 NRL investigation revealed systemic salary cap cheating.

No players or coaching staff were implicated but Waldron was described as the "chief rat" behind the rorting.

Waldron had earlier resigned to take up the chief executive role at the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby franchise but quit and went to ground after his involvement was revealed.

He has maintained his silence in the four years since until a column on The New Daily website, where he writes about sport and business.

"Regretfully I got ahead of myself. It's absolutely appropriate that I apologise to all those hurt by my actions and I do so without reservation," Waldron wrote.

"Leaders are accountable whether by their actions, their inactions or their naivety. Be it about salary cap breaches, recruitment errors, coaching appointments or the pursuit of scientific advantage, the buck stops at the top."

He didn't fully explain what drove him to cheat, saying that ego and emotion were a "dangerous cocktail of trouble" as clubs searched for a competitive edge.

"Invariably disaster happens when those in positions of authority or influence let their emotions and ego determine their decisions.

"Actions occur that are detrimental to the club, the interest of the code and sometimes even the health and well-being of the players."

"In such situations boundaries are pushed collectively and individually. Processes are broken. Policies are ignored. Risks are taken. Expensive decisions are made in search of that competitive edge."

Apart from losing two premierships, the Storm were fined $1.7m and made to play for no premiership points through the 2010 season.

Waldron said he had done a lot of good in his administration roles at the Storm and earlier at AFL club St Kilda.

"Regretfully the good is quickly forgotten when wrongdoings are laid bare. I understand and accept this is the consequence of inappropriate actions."
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8836867

 

[ooneil]

Its kinda like the apology I give my wife when I don't really think I have done something wrong but just want to keep the peace.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Paul Kennedy (ABC News / Sport) wrote STORM CLOUD.

I highly recommend reading it.

Never remembered that their U20's wonder the Holden Cup in 2009 and whilst they let first graders go, they kept many of these up and comers.

Widdop, O'Neill, Duffie, Bromwich, Proctor, McLean.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

For mine, any team that breaks the salary cap as bad as the Dogs did in 02 and Stom did should never be anywhere near a premiership for the 10 years after the breach.

 

[footycardswaps]

Paul Kennedy (ABC News / Sport) wrote STORM CLOUD.

I highly recommend reading it.

Never remembered that their U20's wonder the Holden Cup in 2009 and whilst they let first graders go, they kept many of these up and comers.

Widdop, O'Neill, Duffie, Bromwich, Proctor, McLean.

As a Tigers fan it's pretty hard to ignore the 2009 NYC Grand Final, that's where Widdop Scored a try WHEN he put the ball down short of the line!, no Video refs but the in goal judge OK'd it, subsequent replays showed it to be a no try.

 

[Dragon_Fire]

what a laugh this would of been 4 years ago,

 

[footycardswaps]

Paul Kennedy (ABC News / Sport) wrote STORM CLOUD.

I highly recommend reading it.

Never remembered that their U20's wonder the Holden Cup in 2009 and whilst they let first graders go, they kept many of these up and comers.

Widdop, O'Neill, Duffie, Bromwich, Proctor, McLean.

Has there ever been a player that they have 'reluctantlally' let go?, they only ever let go of their dud players!, not many kick on post Storm.

 

[footycardswaps]

what a laugh this would of been 4 years ago,

And now you've got Widdop!, fair dinkum can't Wally Waldron be taken back to the law courts as he has obviously libelled himself!.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I don't agree with Waldron or what he did, but he was working for News Ltd.

Post Super League, where they lost (rumour) about $500-600 million on the whole thing, they wanted Perth out and Melbourne in as an 'expansion' but really as a lure for Pay TV growth. Remember, it is NRL that sells pay TV subscriptions from 1995-2013. Now they've stitched up AFL, it might change (and you can already see the affect wall to wall TV is having on some of their crowds too).

News Ltd co-ran the NRL from 1998-2012. In that time, the poor TV deals they negotiated with themselves stymied the growth and development of existing clubs and expansion. They also cut the wrong clubs - Souths (despite what people say, they've been the peoples team for a long time, and passions were bubbling with all the other clubs dying or merging), Gold Coast, South Qld [2nd Brisbane team], Perth. They lost in court to bring back Souths, Gold Coast returned in 2007, and now Brisbane 2 and Perth and the front runners for the new NRL expansion licences. They also botched the Central Coast Bears move in 1999/2000, and forced Norths and Manly out, and just messed the whole thing up. They also sacrificed the South Coast with the Saints merger.

And when we talk about losing money, the ARL had been saving dollars for years and in the early 1990's proposed to design, construct and own & keep the Olympic Stadium for the ARL after the 2000 Olympics. Instead, the money for that went to lining the pockets of Johns, Fittler, Harrogan, etc. And people complain the NRL don't have any assets.

News Ltd wanted Melbourne to succeed like Brisbane Broncos and would stop at nothing to ensure their success. With a gun to their head AND enjoying the lavish, glam lifestyle that success brings, I can completely understand what Waldron did. Don't get me wrong: I don't agree with it.

And before we forget, who were those people who knew that Melbourne would win the 2010 wooden spoon and made dollars off bookies from it. Hmmm… Only people who knew the crisis was about to envelope the club were...

Read STORM CLOUD. It is amazing.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Has there ever been a player that they have 'reluctantlally' let go?, they only ever let go of their dud players!, not many kick on post Storm.

My father-in-law and I discuss this frequently.

Plenty of players - esp forwards - leave the Storm and do nada elsewhere.

They go to a new club on $$$ and the new club expects them to tell them the secrets of the Storm's success. I tell you what it is: Bellamy tells them to do one thing. That's their job. They do it each and every week. When they move, they're expected to be the star, lead the way, earn those big bucks. But they haven't got a fuggin' clue what anyone else does except that simple little job they did for Bellamy.

 

[footycardswaps]

I don't agree with Waldron or what he did, but he was working for News Ltd.

Post Super League, where they lost (rumour) about $500-600 million on the whole thing, they wanted Perth out and Melbourne in as an 'expansion' but really as a lure for Pay TV growth. Remember, it is NRL that sells pay TV subscriptions from 1995-2013. Now they've stitched up AFL, it might change (and you can already see the affect wall to wall TV is having on some of their crowds too).

News Ltd co-ran the NRL from 1998-2012. In that time, the poor TV deals they negotiated with themselves stymied the growth and development of existing clubs and expansion. They also cut the wrong clubs - Souths (despite what people say, they've been the peoples team for a long time, and passions were bubbling with all the other clubs dying or merging), Gold Coast, South Qld [2nd Brisbane team], Perth. They lost in court to bring back Souths, Gold Coast returned in 2007, and now Brisbane 2 and Perth and the front runners for the new NRL expansion licences. They also botched the Central Coast Bears move in 1999/2000, and forced Norths and Manly out, and just messed the whole thing up. They also sacrificed the South Coast with the Saints merger.

And when we talk about losing money, the ARL had been saving dollars for years and in the early 1990's proposed to design, construct and own & keep the Olympic Stadium for the ARL after the 2000 Olympics. Instead, the money for that went to lining the pockets of Johns, Fittler, Harrogan, etc. And people complain the NRL don't have any assets.

News Ltd wanted Melbourne to succeed like Brisbane Broncos and would stop at nothing to ensure their success. With a gun to their head AND enjoying the lavish, glam lifestyle that success brings, I can completely understand what Waldron did. Don't get me wrong: I don't agree with it.

And before we forget, who were those people who knew that Melbourne would win the 2010 wooden spoon and made millions of dollars off bookies from it. Hmmm… Only people who knew the crisis was about to envelope the club were...

Read STORM CLOUD. It is amazing.

If you get to come Across a copy of Ken Arthurson's book on the whole Super League thing he admitted that the then NSWRL and the Subsequent ARL were pretty frugal with their expenditure and had banked a whole lot of $$$ then came April 1st 1995 and just like the future fund from John Howards Liberal government money was put aside for the future, someone in both the NSWRL/ARL and the Libs had A vision for the future but those plans were blown out of the water.
Whilst I was a staunch supporter of the ARL in this era the wrong people got the $$$ but on the other hand a lot of fringe players got huge money, while the player draft was defeated in the early 90's the Super League organisation completely disregarded that as well and that was how the 'franchises' in the Hunter Mariners and the Adelaide Rams were established and the subsequent Melbourne Storm.

 

[sharkiefan0102]

Apart from Forwards and Widdop, there was also a guy they let go called GI

 

[The Mad Hatter]

ARKO is a very interesting read, I agree. NEVER SAY DIE by George Piggins isn't too bad either. If you get past the club biases, etc, a lot of what they reveal is pretty gut churning for NRL.

Would make a great mini-series if done properly…but as Phil Gould once kinda said: there's too many self interests, too many biases, too many grudges for the NRL to move on for the greater good. Perhaps with the 'Independent Commission' things might finally turn around.

It's funny, cause AFL was heading the same way as the ARL/SL in mid-1990s: cull Melbourne clubs; expand. I remember Hawthorn and Melbourne wanting to merge and the battle that erupted. The AFL watched the NRL tear itself apart and never wanted to force relocations, mergers, deaths of clubs. What's funnier, I went to Melbourne in 2004 and went to the Demons and Swans game. The Swans fans were giving it to the Demons and after the game (and this is a shitty thing to do) but I was chanting 'enjoy your move to the Gold Coast'. Last weekend, one to the Demons ex bosses admitted the club would be $50million better off if they had gone to the Gold Coast. Same with North Melbourne moving to West Sydney or Canberra.

I also remember so many people being jack of the Super League / ARL war in 1996/97 they shifted to the Swans - because they were winning, had Roos and Lockett and the AFL did these ads

ARL had SIMPLY THE BEST. Man…bring that ad back on telly, with buff young guys and the ladies would be flocking to games again like 1994.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Hijack alert, but why couldn't they get Jessica Mauboy to sing this:

 

[footycardswaps]

Apart from Forwards and Widdop, there was also a guy they let go called GI

By this stage GI knew his market value, thus became Rusty's Marquee player, would be good value to swap,GI with Buddy for a day in the downtown of both codes Central!.

 

[thenamesgould]

For mine, any team that breaks the salary cap as bad as the Dogs did in 02 and Stom did should never be anywhere near a premiership for the 10 years after the breach.

Absolutely, the Storm and Bulldogs have both shown that it is worth it in the long run to breach the cap. Both got premierships as their reward within two years.

Just finished reading Storm Cloud myself, very interesting read. Left me hating the Storm, their players, staff and coach even more than I think I already did ...