Co Patron of Eagles set Zorba straight.

[swoop]

It will be interesting to see how Zorba responds to Sibraa's letter.

He'll probably eat half a dozen pies

 

[Chip and Chase]

It will be interesting to see how Zorba responds to Sibraa's letter.

He won't.

 

[lovefooty]

He will be sitting there plotting his revenge on Sibbra as we speak. He is one of the most vindictive evil people i have ever had the displeasure of ever meeting.

 

[Woodsie]

He will be sitting there plotting his revenge on Sibbra as we speak. He is one of the most vindictive evil people i have ever had the displeasure of ever meeting.

Yeah, but for over 40 years he was Manly's evil vindictive bastard and other clubs hated him, I loved him for it.

Then he became Penn's evil vindictive bastard and he lost me.

 

[Pittwater Legend]

I have high regard for guys like Cummings, Mayer and Perry.

They were all backroom staff but for me, they felt like they were part of the team. A lot of **** has gone on behind the scenes but you needed a great team on and off the field to come back from the dead and deliver the success that we have been fortunate to have had since 2003.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It's really hard to imagine why ZtH would want to piss off Kerry, other than the fact Kerry's wife Julie is on the FC board.

Oh yeah that's it, the FC board that gives out the REAL life memberships not the Micky Mouse ones.

He's fast becoming the most hated man in football administration.

 

[Scorpio]

He's fast becoming the most hated man

It seems to me that people that fit that description never voluntarily retire - they know that no one will say anything nice about them after they're gone.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

It's really hard to imagine why ZtH would want to piss off Kerry, other than the fact Kerry's wife Julie is on the FC board.

Oh yeah that's it, the FC board that gives out the REAL life memberships not the Micky Mouse ones.

He's fast becoming the most hated man in football administration.

He's already there with supporters of other clubs. His hyperbolic, overwrought, breathless, triumphalist twaddle has been irking fans elsewhere for four decades or more.

 

[wombatgc]

Dear Member

The Board of the Manly-Warringah Rugby League Football Club welcomes Premier Mike Baird’s decision to allocate $10 million towards the upgrade of Brookvale Oval. This is in addition to the existing $10 million commitment made by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott back in 2013. Further, the Board sincerely hopes Mr Abbott will be able to persuade the federal government to allocate further funding which according to Premier Baird’s commitment will be matched by the NSW government.

The Board however rejects attempts to rewrite history with respect to the long history of funding for Brookvale Oval.

In the Manly Daily of Saturday 23 April, Peter Peters, included a piece in his weekly column about funding for Brookvale Oval. The article contained many mistruths and inaccuracies. Club Co-Patron and Football Club Life Member Kerry Sibraa who has been associated with the raising of $22 million for Brookvale Oval over an 18-year period wrote the following response which we felt our members should also have the opportunity to read.

I write to object in the very strongest terms to the article written by Peter Peters in his weekly column in today’s Manly Daily.

Under the heading “Penn’s mightier” he writes:

“The recent news that funding is available to start stage one of the Brookvale Oval makeover is a massive salute to the perseverance of the chairman Scott Penn, Sea Eagles chief executive Joe Kelly and chief financial officer Neil Bare.

They got away from the unsuccessful efforts of the past 20 years and changed tack to heavily involve powerbrokers at federal and state levels of politics.”

Not only is this offensive to the efforts put in by many over the years to secure funding for the upgrade of Brookvale Oval, but it is entirely untrue.

I am happy to give credit and praise to the recent efforts of the current Sea Eagles administration led by Joe Kelly to secure an additional $10 million from the State Government – as well of course, thanks to the Premier, Mike Baird for providing the much needed funding.

However, Mr Peters not only insults a range of distinguished Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles CEOs who have served the Club during the 20-year period he mentions, but also myself, as I have been involved in every bid for funding with them over that time. The CEOs he denigrates includes Frank Stanton, Ian Thomson, Paul Cummings, Grant Mayer, Graham Lowe, David Perry and former Chair Joe Cross.

Clearly Mr Peters fails to recollect the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to myself at the Annual Awards night in 2008 by Chairman Scott Penn for my efforts in securing funding for Brookvale Oval.

In the 20-year period referred to by Mr Peters, prior to Premier Baird’s recent announcement of $10 million in funding, a total of $22 million had been raised for Brookvale Oval (not including the $10 million promised by Deputy Prime Minister Albanese prior to the 2013 election).

With respect to “the changing of tack” to heavily involve State and Federal powerbrokers, I would think even Premier Baird and former Prime Minister Abbott would be surprised to read that, having received numerous representations from these CEOs and myself over a long period. This is in addition to former Premiers Carr and Iemma (who gave $6.6 million to the Club in 2008), and former Prime Minister Rudd and Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (who had already pledged $10 million prior to Tony Abbott’s $10 million) who also received many direct representations in the past.

Between 2013 and 2014 I chaired a group established by the Board of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles called the Brookvale Oval Committee. This Committee, which included Chairman Scott Penn, worked with neighbouring St Augustine’s College to draw up plans for Brookvale Oval to be able to submit to Mr Baird and Mr Abbott (paid for by St Augustine’s). The Committee then worked closely with both Mr Baird and Mr Abbott, Warringah Council and the NRL to progress the plans with a Sea Eagles/NRL jointly funded feasibility study undertaken by Aver Consultants. After a year-long hiatus where other plans involving a private development around Brookvale Oval came and went, the St Augustine’s/Aver plans were updated and resubmitted to Premier Baird early this year. This was done in the context of announcements of the State Government’s $1.6 billion announcement of stadia funding, which was a direct threat to the Sea Eagles’ capacity to continue to play out of Brookvale Oval.

I have attached a table that reflects some (but by no means all) of the representations that have taken place with senior NSW and Federal politicians since 1998. As the table reflects, years of advocacy have taken place in the lead up to significant funding announcements.

I am therefore disappointed the Manly Daily would allow an article of such personal bias, conflict of interest and misrepresentation of fact to be published unchecked.


Hon Kerry Sibraa AO
Co-Patron
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles


History of fundraising for Brookvale Oval since 1998.


Politician or representative

Year

Funding

Comment/Outcome

Special Minister of State & Minister for the Central Coast, John Della Bosca MLC

1999


Presented a $9 million proposal for a total upgrade of Brookvale Oval

Premier Bob Carr

1999


Presented a $9 million proposal for a total upgrade of Brookvale Oval

NSW Minister for Planning Craig Knowles

2002


Sought advice as to ways of securing funding for Brookvale Oval

NSW Minister for Sport, Morris Iemma

2002

$300,000

Scoreboard and seating to be matched by Warringah Council

Warringah Council

2002

$300,000

Scoreboard and seating as above

Federal Member for Warringah, Tony Abbott

2005

$1,000,000

Television standard lights

NSW Sports Minister, Graeme West

2007

$170,000

New turnstiles

NSW Treasurer, Michael Costa

2006


Presented a $20 million proposal for upgrading Brookvale Oval (4:6:10 million split between local, State and Federal governments)

NSW Premier Morris Iemma

2007 & 2008

$6,600,000

Extension of Jane Try stand and other facilities

Warringah Council Administrator, Dick Persson

2008

$4,000,000

Extension of Jane Try stand and other facilities (as above)

Shadow Federal Sports Minister, Senator Kate Lundy

2007


Lobbying for Federal Government funds to provide $10-15 million to upgrade Brookvale Oval as above

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

2009


Lobbying for Federal Government funds to provide $10-15 million to upgrade Brookvale Oval as above

Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan

2009


Lobbying for Federal Government funds to provide $10-15 million to upgrade Brookvale Oval as above

Federal Sports Minister, Kate Ellis

2009


Lobbying for Federal Government funds to provide $10-15 million to upgrade Brookvale Oval as above

Federal Sports Minister Senator Mark Arbib

2010


Lobbying for Federal Government funds to provide $10-15 million to upgrade Brookvale Oval as above

Deputy Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese

2013

$10,000,000

Announced funding for new eastern hill stand if elected

Opposition Leader/Prime Minister Tony Abbott

2013

$10,000,000

Announced funding for new eastern hill stand if elected

NSW Sports Minister Gabrielle Upton

2014


Lobbying for State Government funds to match Federal funding to upgrade Brookvale Oval

Premier Mike Baird

2012 onwards


Lobbying for State Government funds to match Federal funding to upgrade Brookvale Oval.

Also, when Treasurer, Chairing Brookvale Oval Committee Roundtables involving Prime Minister’s office, Warringah Council and NRL.

NSW Sports Minister, Stuart Ayres

2015


Lobbying for State Government funds to match Federal funding to upgrade Brookvale Oval

Federal Member for Mackellar, Bronwyn Bishop

Ongoing


Meetings held at various times

Member for Wakehurst, Brad Hazzard

Ongoing


Meetings held at various times

Total funding announced prior to 15 April 2016


$32,370,000

(includes Albanese $10m pledge)

If I ever had to exercise due diligence for any investigative matter ....I'm calling you HM!....

 

[sheridanstand78]

What Zorba wrote in his article is very unfair and fantasy. I really dont understand why he continues to be so political. He and his family have financial ownership of the club and no Manly fan does not appreciate that investment and what it means.

Zorba there are many people over the last 70 or so years who have worked tirelessly for the good of our club. Writing inaccuracies like this just continues the division that has contributed to unsettle and make key figures leave our club.

You and your family have control and now it is time for you to unite the fans and members of this club and work with the football club to get the best outcomes for all of us.

Writing stuff like that shows you up for the ignorant and arrogant person that you can be!

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

As I have said in the past, one of the biggest mistakes in Arthurson's tenure was signing Peterides from Faecalmatta.

I understand however that they hate him too.

 

[BOZO]

As I have said in the past, one of the biggest mistakes in Arthurson's tenure was signing Peterides from Faecalmatta.

I understand however that they hate him too.

To win the 1973 grand final Arko needed a player that was tough enough to absorb and endure severe beatings and wear out the Cronulla team down and that player was Peterides who put his body on the line for his beloved Sea eagles .
Peterides has been a surviver both on and off the field . He has survived head high tackles Board room battles and public assassinations and remains the longest serving Manly official and this is because he has always had a close connection with the Manly Mafia ie; Arko Fulton and Penn

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Thanks Panoutas.

 

[BOZO]

Thanks Panoutas.

Always remember Tezza . We all love our mighty Sea eagles feathered friend . We are all in the same maroon and white team of supporters

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Always remember Tezza . We all love our mighty Sea eagles feathered friend . We are all in the same maroon and white team of supporters

OK. Thanks tethered fiend.

 

[sheridanstand78]

Always remember Tezza . We all love our mighty Sea eagles feathered friend . We are all in the same maroon and white team of supporters

What you say is right. Shame Zorba doesn't see it that way!

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

What you say is right. Shame Zorba doesn't see it that way!

Nailed it buddy!!

I know @BOZO always looks on the bright side and thinks we are all one big happy family BUT we are not.

And to this I'm amazed why ZtH wants to continue , they've won, they've shafted everyone and started again , so why the need for this ?

 

[Shoe1]

To win the 1973 grand final Arko needed a player that was tough enough to absorb and endure severe beatings and wear out the Cronulla team down and that player was Peterides who put his body on the line for his beloved Sea eagles .
Peterides has been a surviver both on and off the field . He has survived head high tackles Board room battles and public assassinations and remains the longest serving Manly official and this is because he has always had a close connection with the Manly Mafia ie; Arko Fulton and Penn
View attachment 3615

So if Bucknall was on in 73 instead of zorba do you reckon we would have lost?

Credit to zorb for being there and congrats on the premiership and all, but I reckon other 2nd rowers could have done the job.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Zorbas column today - no hint of an acknowledgement to his erroneous claims last week regarding Brookie funding. No surprise really. He does manage a plug for Foran and Brad Arthur though.

Barrett’s men need to bridge the gap
May 6, 2016 5:14pm
Peter Peters Manly Daily

THE  Cowboys and Johnathan Thurston did the Sea Eagles a massive favour last Saturday night.

They rode into Brookvale, jumped all over any Manly mistake and reminded everyone how high the standard is at the very top of the NRL.

The Cowboys are deserved reigning champions. They are the benchmark and the best side in the competition.

Big, powerful, mobile forwards and clever backs with a mixture of speed, skill and adventure. Throw in the best halfback/player of the modern era, in Thurston, and you have one heck of a football side.

So how would one rate a Sea Eagles side coming out of yet another five-day turnaround without the likes of Brett Stewart, Tommy Trbojevic and Apisai Kourisou?

I believe they were much better than the 34-18 scoreline suggests.

I saw grit and determination. The halftime score of 22-6 wasn’t promising but Trent Barrett’s side did not shirk their task in the second half.

Manly are a side on the improve and it will come.

Support Foran

KIERAN Foran is facing enough demons right now without having cruel untruths levelled at him, his partner and his former teammates.

The former Sea Eagles poster boy is trying hard to get his life back in some order at the moment. Unfortunately, when you are the captain of an NRL side in the social media-mad world of today, your personal life is no longer private.

Surely that doesn’t give people the right to slander, back stab and blatantly lie about something they have no knowledge of.

His former teammates and everyone in the game send nothing but love and best wishes.

Arthur pressure

FORMER Manly assistant coach Brad Arthur is proving something of a rock as Parramatta go through a seemingly never ending salary cap scandal.

The Eels head coach is building a massive reputation as the man to lead Parramatta out of the crisis they are in – and he is.

But people have been quick to forget the fact that he single-handedly convinced Anthony Watmough and Kieran Foran to leave Manly and join the Eels at Parramatta.

Somehow Arthur has escaped criticism in this soap opera-like series of administrative blunders.

Huge crowd

A SELLOUT crowd of more than 50,000 is expected in Brisbane for the Sea Eagles v Broncos and Cowboys v Storm double header.

The game will be one of two “home” games Manly play away this season.

Peter Peters is a media and sales consultant with the Sea Eagles

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Could that be intrepreted as a backhander directed DCE's way?