Christol74
Reserve Grader
I received a phone call from my brother today who told me that he had attended a function at Cronulla Leagues club last night. That in itself was shocking enough but it got a lot worse. He couldn't believe what went on and after hearing the story neither can I.
The function was a fundraiser for John 'Bomber' Peard who needs money to get to the US for medical treatment. A worthy cause for a legend of Rugby League, although I don't understand the logic behind holding a fundraiser for a former Parra & Easts great at Cronulla Leagues.
To cut a long story short, an auction was held with Ray Hadley acting as auctioneer and lots of money in attendance as well as senior Rugby League figures including Todd Greenburg. One of the items that was auctioned was Peard's prized possesion, a framed, signed jersey from the 1976 Grand Final. However it wasn't his jersey, it was the jersey of the player he had swapped his with at Full-Time. It was the jersey worn by Rugby Leage immortal and Manly Legend Bob Fulton and it still had the mud on it from the 1976 GF.
The auction started at $1000, Hadley apparently bid $2000, and it went up in $1000 increments to $5000. At this point, Hadley was apparently stunned that Greenburg was not interested in purchasing this important piece of Rugby League history so Hadley bid $6000 on Greenburgs behalf. Greenburg was relieved when an unknown person then bid $7000 and the auction was over. A piece of history that is offered once in a lifetime, a grand final winning jersey worn by an immortal of the game, and it sold for just $7k in front of the CEO of Rugby League.
Hopefully someone on here is going to give me some good news and tell me that this jersey is now in the hands of a Manly supporter but given the location of the auction I doubt it. I find it hard to believe that it was in the best interests of Bomber Peard to auction this jersey at Cronulla Leagues with no advertising. At the very least, given the money in attendance, you would think someone would have bought it and given it back to him.
There is no excuse for Greenburg, he should have ensured this important piece of the games history was purchased by the NRL so it could hang in a Rugby League museum. Instead, it has been sold for well under its market value and is more than likely in the hands of a Parra, Easts or Cronulla fan.
http://www.theleader.com.au/story/2539219/gallery-men-of-league-rally-for-bomber-peard/?cs=1759
The function was a fundraiser for John 'Bomber' Peard who needs money to get to the US for medical treatment. A worthy cause for a legend of Rugby League, although I don't understand the logic behind holding a fundraiser for a former Parra & Easts great at Cronulla Leagues.
To cut a long story short, an auction was held with Ray Hadley acting as auctioneer and lots of money in attendance as well as senior Rugby League figures including Todd Greenburg. One of the items that was auctioned was Peard's prized possesion, a framed, signed jersey from the 1976 Grand Final. However it wasn't his jersey, it was the jersey of the player he had swapped his with at Full-Time. It was the jersey worn by Rugby Leage immortal and Manly Legend Bob Fulton and it still had the mud on it from the 1976 GF.
The auction started at $1000, Hadley apparently bid $2000, and it went up in $1000 increments to $5000. At this point, Hadley was apparently stunned that Greenburg was not interested in purchasing this important piece of Rugby League history so Hadley bid $6000 on Greenburgs behalf. Greenburg was relieved when an unknown person then bid $7000 and the auction was over. A piece of history that is offered once in a lifetime, a grand final winning jersey worn by an immortal of the game, and it sold for just $7k in front of the CEO of Rugby League.
Hopefully someone on here is going to give me some good news and tell me that this jersey is now in the hands of a Manly supporter but given the location of the auction I doubt it. I find it hard to believe that it was in the best interests of Bomber Peard to auction this jersey at Cronulla Leagues with no advertising. At the very least, given the money in attendance, you would think someone would have bought it and given it back to him.
There is no excuse for Greenburg, he should have ensured this important piece of the games history was purchased by the NRL so it could hang in a Rugby League museum. Instead, it has been sold for well under its market value and is more than likely in the hands of a Parra, Easts or Cronulla fan.
http://www.theleader.com.au/story/2539219/gallery-men-of-league-rally-for-bomber-peard/?cs=1759