Cameron Smith's Wife Given Diamond Ring By NRL

[Mark from Brisbane]

So will Turdie give Baz a ring too when Des rightly wins the Dally M Coach of the Year 😀

Lol

 

[47MVEagle]

It's disgusting is what it is.

Turdberg does nothing out of altruism.

He's either done this out of pure sycophancy or he sees Smith as a major figure in his future, when he decides to enter politics.

Whatever his reason, it's as corrupt as can be.

 

[ricardo]

So Mrs James Graham didn't get one?

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

It's disgusting is what it is.

Turdberg does nothing out of altruism.

He's either done this out of pure sycophancy or he sees Smith as a major figure in his future, when he decides to enter politics.

Whatever his reason, it's as corrupt as can be.

As someone else already alluded to above, a hush-money reward for not bringing scandal to the game's current preferred golden boy? Surely not, but what is the alternative explanation?
How about a valuable gift for McKinnon's missus, would seem more appropriate.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

So will Turdie give Baz a ring too when Des rightly wins the Dally M Coach of the Year 😀

Trent missed out on Todd’s altruism after failing to deliver a breakthrough wooden spoon for the Northern Beaches’ first grade team last year. Close, but no cigar.

It isn’t personal, it’s business.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

As someone else already alluded to above, a hush-money reward for not bringing scandal to the game's current preferred golden boy? Surely not, but what is the alternative explanation?
How about a valuable gift for McKinnon's missus, would seem more appropriate.

Definitely hush hush, and everyone knows it.

 

[wombatgc]

Imagine buying a ring without knowing her taste in jewellery. Big call.

None of the women in my life would have put up with a random diamond ring chosen by the nrl or Greenberg or whoever.

I bet it is tacky.

How many women you got Mohammed- Abdul-Shoe1?

 

[globaleagle]

Definitely hush hush, and everyone knows it.

Well....... if she went the divorce path, she'd get more than a 15k diamond ring out of it.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Well....... if she went the divorce path, she'd get more than a 15k diamond ring out of it.

Nah she’s got the golden goose right there!!

 

[Shoe1]

How many women you got Mohammed- Abdul-Shoe1?

None at the same time!

 

[manlyfan76]

So if Nathan Hindmarsh's wife divorced him and married Luke Lewis tomorrow does she now qualify for a ring?

 

[wombatgc]

On what planet is it ok for a CEO to go behind the board and organise a $15k diamond ring (which wasn't reported on the registered corporate gifts list) and give it to the wife of one of the highest paid players in the game.

It's quite astonishing. It's completely inappropriate use of company funds and asks so many questions of the credibility of the man and organisation...mainly how many other gifts have the NRL not reported officially?

This is amateur hour of the highest order.

How long can this clown run the NRL?

How’s the timing. Leaves it till Thursday (so Kent and Crawley can’t get at him till Monday night on 360). Just happens to be Women in League round. So the virtue signalling is on maximum volume.
He’s just trotted out a column on the DT site, that beggars belief. He is on another planet.

 

[castle eagle]

this is the first time that i have heard how much they(scam & turdston) pocketed from their testimonial match & how much went to charity.
$150,000 to the player & $15,000 to charity(unsure if it is $150,000 each or together & $15,000 each or total to charity)
i don't know about others but while i'm not surprised at the division of the money i am disgusted that it has been divided up that way

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

this is the first time that i have heard how much they(scam & turdston) pocketed from their testimonial match & how much went to charity.
$150,000 to the player & $15,000 to charity(unsure if it is $150,000 each or together & $15,000 each or total to charity)
i don't know about others but while i'm not surprised at the division of the money i am disgusted that it has been divided up that way

That game was a total joke , remember this was for players already on in excess of a million a year each.

AND, players that will ( have ) slotted straight in to the media post their careers on probably half that per annum.

It’s an affront to the many great players who play the game but are never afforded anything like this.

 

[qldeagle]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...l/news-story/b3bdecacc88ee220758c3d386aa24ffe

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.”

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.

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 premiership 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.

That'll do me.

 

[Supreme Leader]

ATO will be onto it as it is from sCam's employer

What did Turdie give to the girlfriends

Didn't she get a gig on League Life?

 

[Supreme Leader]

I'm surprised that Greenturd just didn't bend over to satisfy Smith

 

[Shoe1]

The nrl board probably thought Greenberg was going to give her a phone call

 

[Supreme Leader]

Did Vonnie reject it?

I thought she got swallowed up in the media frenzy

 

[OneEyedEagle]

@Ange is that you Vonnie? "SWEETHEART"