Terry Zarsoff
First Grader
I understand that the official toast at the testimonial was - ‘To wives and girlfriends, may they never meet.’
Cameron Smith's Wife Given Diamond Ring By NRL
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- Start date
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MadMarcus
Toovey for NRL CEO
Shoe1
Journey Man
They better have declared the flowers. They can cost a bomb
Just when I thought I knew how corrupt biased and sleazy the NRL leadership is ('consistency is overrated') I wake up to this news.
Astonishing.
Astonishing.
If that statement by GreenTurd had even the slightest element of thruth in it .. the NRL would have made sure their recognition of Barb was front page news .... not done privately and without virtue signalling ...
Sounds more like a "thank you" for keeping quite all these years ....
Shoe1
Journey Man
Can he go in there and not be let out?
Todays Telegraph
Major story breaking by Paul Kent & Michael Carayannis
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
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
Major story breaking by Paul Kent & Michael Carayannis
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
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
Didn't Parramatta try to bring fui fui's parents out for a milestone game but was denied due to the cap...
Vonnie got a visit from little scam.
I'm not torn on this one at all. It's an out and out disgrace.
You know who deserves recognition? Wives of players that struggle just for the chance to play first grade, that are lowly compensated. Wives of players that have suffered injury after injury after injury and have stood by their partners through all the rehab.
The wife of the player who would, quite comfortably be the highest paid player the game has ever seen (and that's just the legal payments) - no. They've been more than compensated.
You know who deserves recognition? Wives of players that struggle just for the chance to play first grade, that are lowly compensated. Wives of players that have suffered injury after injury after injury and have stood by their partners through all the rehab.
The wife of the player who would, quite comfortably be the highest paid player the game has ever seen (and that's just the legal payments) - no. They've been more than compensated.
40 years an eagle
Bencher
Why on earth nobody has made a compilation of all the NRL's two-faced, biased, corrupt and absurdly blundering actions under Greenturd is beyond me.
It is astonishing the crap this mob has blatantly pulled and gotten away with. The total unaccountability is bewildering.
It is astonishing the crap this mob has blatantly pulled and gotten away with. The total unaccountability is bewildering.
KOMORI
Born and bred an Eagle
Seriously though what a ****ing joke this is, since when did players wives or family deserve this??
Meanwhile my grandsons junior club struggles to provide kit for kids whose parents can’t afford it.
Meanwhile my grandsons junior club struggles to provide kit for kids whose parents can’t afford it.
HappilyManly
Journey Man
So will Turdie give Baz a ring too when Des rightly wins the Dally M Coach of the Year 
| Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7 | 6 | 1 | 54 | 14 |
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 59 | 12 |
|
6 | 4 | 2 | 53 | 10 |
|
6 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 10 |
|
7 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 9 |
|
8 | 4 | 4 | 73 | 8 |
|
7 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 8 |
|
7 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 8 |
|
7 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 8 |
|
7 | 4 | 3 | -8 | 8 |
|
8 | 4 | 4 | -60 | 8 |
|
8 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 7 |
|
6 | 2 | 4 | -31 | 6 |
|
7 | 3 | 4 | -41 | 6 |
|
7 | 2 | 5 | -29 | 4 |
|
7 | 1 | 6 | -87 | 4 |
|
7 | 1 | 6 | -136 | 4 |
