Cut and paste the article.
You ask Manly chairman Scott Penn if he has a message for the fans, the loyal supporters who have stood by the club through forced mergers and boardroom brawling.
The same fans who will turn out at Brookvale Oval tomorrow to watch the club as they desperately attempt to keep their finals hopes alive against Penrith.
The very same fans who are now asked to support the club as they deal with ugly match-fixing allegations.
“Stick with us,” Penn says.
“We have been through tough times before. The club is a very proud club, we have done nothing wrong, we know where we want to go and we’re heading in the right direction. We just need everyone to stick with us and be patient with this process. We can’t control the authorities and the process they’re taking.
“We only ask them to communicate with us as much as they can. We’re hurting, there is no question we’re hurting. We don’t want to be here. No one wants to be here.
“If there is something, let’s bring it out. We have nothing to hide.”
Penn tells you this as he sits in a coffee shop adjacent to the headquarters of his family business Penn Health in North Sydney.
Barely a week has passed since match-fixing allegations rocked the code and his club, with two Sea Eagles games from last season at the centre of police inquiries.
Penn and the club remain in the dark over the specifics of the allegations, with police reluctant to discuss any details in depth until they establish the veracity of the claims.
The club is also immersed in legal action with its major sponsor, Coco Joy. The disappointing thing for Penn is that after years of warring at ownership level and financial difficulties, the club is on the verge of a golden period.
By next season, the Sea Eagles will break even or potentially turn a profit. Manly have finally secured the funds to redevelop Brookvale Oval, locking in their future at their spiritual home.
Penn just wants some answers. He has spoken to the NSW police and been given the cold shoulder. The police will divulge details only when they are good and ready.
Penn is forced to rely on his faith in the playing group. Asked whether he believes that the players would not be involved in fixing matches, Penn replies: “Based on what I know, yes. They are professionals. They’re not only paid professional athletes, but there is a code of honour.
“Someone may not have a great game but they have a duty to each other. This is a gladiatorial sport. It’s the toughest game on earth. You can’t ever fathom that one of your own is not going to play to the best of their ability. It’s not going to happen. I think it is unfathomable.”
With the police providing no answers, Penn has moved to bring former chief racing steward Ray Murrihy into the fold. Talks are ongoing and Murrihy is expected to join the club in a consultancy role next week.
“We’re still working with Ray,” Penn said. “We hope to have him on board early next week. It’s to review our internal procedures ... just to make sure they’re rock solid. It’s to work with the authorities — the NRL, hopefully the police and potentially betting authorities to look at whether there are any irregularities.
“We have absolutely nothing to hide. Hopefully Ray can help with his knowledge. We’re not afraid of the consequences. We want to know what we’re dealing with. That has been our biggest challenge in the last week — we have had no information and no tangible facts with which to defend ourselves.
“We’re being tarnished with a brush that we can’t defend.”
Penn has been on the Sea Eagles board for 12 years. For nine of those years, he has been chairman. He has invested millions of his own money in the club. He feels the current pain as much — if not more — than anyone.
“I have had one conversation with the police to say can you give us any information,” Penn said.
“They said no. The only thing they reiterated was that at no time have they ever said there were any clubs they were concerned about, any games they were concerned about and any players they were concerned about.
“All they have said is they released a one-line statement saying there was a potential issue. That’s it. The police have not corroborated that Manly is even involved.
“That's the difficulty we’re facing. It’s still all speculation. Either of those wins would have meant we made the finals last year. The disappointing element to the events of the past week is that the club is doing incredibly well.
“We're on track for record revenue this year. Admittedly our on-field performance is not where we want it to be. Off the field, everything has been going incredibly well.
“We have record levels of membership and sponsorship. This is a point in time we didn’t need as a club. We feel like we have the right team in place on and off the field.
“We just need to catch a few breaks.”
