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29 Feb 2004 The South Sydney Rabbitohs have been defeated 38 points to 6 by the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in its final trial game for the pre-season in front of a capacity crowd at Kougari Oval in Wynnum tonight. The Eagles led 24-nil at half time after tries to Steve Menzies, Michael Monaghan, Anthony Watmough and Scott Donald with Chris Hicks converting all four tries. The Eagles were first to score in the second half through Jye Mullane with Hicks converting again. The Rabbitohs points came from a Shane Marteene try after Owen Craigie took an intercept and set Marteene up for a stepping run to the line. Dean Byrne kicked the conversion, taking the score to 30-6 in favour of the Eagles. Donald scored his second try as well as Andrew Walker crossing the line, finalising the scoreline at 38 points to 6. For the Rabbitohs, Willie Manu was powerful in attack, carrying the ball through the Manly defence on a number of occasions. Terry Hill played 60 minutes in his comeback match for the Rabbitohs, providing a lot of direction on the field for the young side. Adam MacDougall also made his debut for 2004, playing a solid 50 minutes. Unfortunately for the Rabbitohs too many handling errors and ill-discipline hurt their game. The Rabbitohs were on the wrong end of a 12-6 penalty count with the penalties being 12-2 in favour of the Eagles at one stage in the match. http://www.souths.com.au/fanzone/viewnewsarticle.asp?ArticleID=625 Off-season recruit Michael Monaghan turned out the sort of performance Manly hopes will take it back to the top as the Sea Eagles romped to an effortless 38-6 NRL trial win over South Sydney at Kougari Oval last night. Monaghan orchestrated a first-half blitz as the Sea Eagles ran in four tries to none in the opening 40 minutes. Flying winger Scott Donald displayed the explosive speed that made him an overnight sensation at Parramatta to finish with two tries as the Sea Eagles enjoyed a 9-3 penalty count in the first half. A mistake-prone Souths struggled to match Manly's fitness and intensity, their night turning even worse when Adam MacDougall was reported for a high tackle on Andrew Walker in the 23rd minute. Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler said he was delighted by the performance of his young charges, particularly Monaghan and 19-year-old Kane Cleal. "Michael just needs a good run with injury and I think he's going to be another who surprises a few people this year," Hasler said. After being disallowed a try in the fourth minute, Manly made amends four minutes later when Steve Menzies latched onto a Donald inside ball to score under the posts. Winger Chris Hicks easily slotted the conversion, his first of five goals in a near-flawless display by the Sea Eagles sharp-shooter. Manly made it 12-0 after 27 minutes when a misplaced Jye Mullane kick found the chest of Monaghan who scooted over for an opportunistic try. It was 18-0 three minutes later when Monaghan placed a deft grubber into the in-goal to find a grateful Anthony Watmough. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/28/1077677020611.html 27 Feb 2004 The South Sydney Rabbitohs announced on Friday that Mark Minichiello has re-signed with the Club until the end of the 2006 season. Minichiello forced his way into the South Sydney First Grade side during the 2003 season and is set to become an integral part of the Rabbitohs squad over the next three years. "I'm glad that I have secured my future with Rabbitohs for two more seasons," Minichiello said on Friday. "I'm happy to be part of this club and I think we can become a major force sooner rather than later." South Sydney's Chief Executive Officer David Tapp is delighted to have secured Minichiello's signature to an extended NRL contract. "Mark is one of a number of young players here at Souths with a very bright future ahead of them," Tapp said. "These young players will lead the Rabbitohs into success over the coming seasons." http://onesport.nzoom.com/sport_detail/0,1278,258189-2-19,00.html 23 Feb 2004 SYDNEY - Wests winger Pat Richards will miss the start of the NRL season after breaking his leg during his side's 20-10 pre-season loss to South Sydney. Richards, one of the Tigers' key off-season recruits, was taken to hospital for x-rays after being tackled in his own in-goal late in Saturday night's game. Tigers football manager Steve Lavers said Richards, who has been tormented by injuries since making his first grade debut in 2000, could miss up to eight weeks. Richard's injury was a sad postscript to a disappointing night for the Tigers at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford. South Sydney centre Todd Polglase, an off-season pick-up from the Bulldogs, helped himself to two tries as the Rabbitohs scored their first victory since round 23 last season. It was a sweet win for coach Paul Langmack and the club, which was soundly thrashed in the corresponding match last season and opened its 2004 pre-season campaign with another hiding from St George Illawarra in the Charity Shield. "Everyone wanted to kick us when we were down," said coach Paul Langmack. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3550699&thesection=sport&thesubsection=rugbyleague 18 Feb 2004 Rabbits on trial The South Sydney Rabbitohs travel to the Central Coast this weekend to play the Wests Tigers in a trial match but Souths supporters will be keenly watching the result in hope of a turnaround in form leading into the 2004 season. Captain Bryan Fletcher and his team expressed their disappointment at last weekend's below par loss to St George Illawarra in the Charity Shield. Fletcher, and coach Paul Langmack, are hoping that Souths' fans will stick with their team as they look for an improved performance in the coming NRL season. The Dragons starved the Rabbitohs of possession last Saturday night, which was compounded by some poor decision-making and bad handling errors, but Fletcher believes last year's wooden-spooners will be competitive this year. Souths two key signings, Adam MacDougall and Terry Hill, were late withdrawals, because of a virus, from the Charity Shield, which also had a detrimental effect on the side's performance. But Hill is back for this weekend and Langmack has shuffled around the rest of the squad, searching for the right combination. Brett Kearney has been named at five-eighth for the Tigers trial, replacing Owen Craigie, who has been named on the bench. Willie Peters, who was impactful when he took the field against the Dragons on Saturday, will have the first shot at halfback, with Dean Byrne starting the match on the bench this week. Compounding the bad news for Souths, in the wake of the Charity Shield, is the torn pectoral muscle suffered by prop Scott Geddes. Geddes suffered a knee injury in the same match last year and so missed the rest of the season, now the chest injury looks like ruling him out for several months at least. Souths' first grade trial squad for Feb 21: 1) Brad Watts 2) Matt Riddle 3) Shane Rigon 4) Todd Polglase 5) Ahmad Bajouri 6) Brett Kearney 7) Willie Peters 8) Glenn Hall 9) Jason Death 10) Luke Stuart 11) Bryan Fletcher 12) Willie Manu 13) Terry Hill Bench: 14) David Fa’alogo 15) Owen Craigie 16) Mark Minichiello 17) Shane Walker 18) Jamie Russo 19) Dean Byrne http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=48001 17 Feb 2004 South Sydney skipper Bryan Fletcher has urged his teammates to give the club’s long-suffering fans something to smile about. The Rabbitohs were crushed 8-34 by St George Illawarra in Saturday night’s Charity Shield match at Aussie Stadium, and Fletcher told The Daily Telegraph the club’s fans can ‘only take so much’ after two disappointing seasons back in the top flight. "Souths fans come out at the start of every year wanting success so I can understand why they are angry," Fletcher said. "Our supporters are loyal but there is only so much they can take. Like the players, they want success." "This is our third year back and we've got to start winning and improving - and I know we will. The fans just have to give us a chance and that will come in round one of the premiership when we have our top 17 players on the field." "There's no need to panic. We did use 27 players and had five first-graders out. We can make all the excuses in the world but I still think we're in a heaps better position now than last year. It was really disappointing. Hopefully it can be put down to a 'one-off'." Coach Paul Langmack has also vowed that the team will ‘deliver’ for its supporters, and pointed out that big-name recruits Terry Hill and Adam MacDougall had both been absentees because of illness. "I don't want to say too much. We'll do our talking on the field," Langmack said. "But we'll be all right - we'll deliver. Let's not forget it was a trial and we used 27 players. And the Dragons played well. I just hope the fans stick with us." http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=47983 Nominated as a NSW Origin contender before damaging his knee in last year's Charity Shield match, South Sydney prop Scott Geddes can forget about this year's series, too, after yesterday undergoing surgery for a torn pectoral muscle. In a further blow to Souths, who lost fellow front-rower Mark Meredith for the season with a knee problem a week earlier, Geddes was ruled out for five months after being injured in his comeback match last Saturday night against St George Illawarra. The Dragons yesterday learnt that they would be without winger Nick Youngquest for three months after an ankle injury he sustained in the World Sevens failed to respond to treatment and he was booked in for surgery. Former Test second-rower Dane Carlaw has undergone minor knee surgery that may sideline him from Brisbane's opening-round clash with the Warriors on March 14 after a recent training mishap. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/16/1076779909935.html 15 Feb 2004 DISAPPOINTED South Sydney coach Paul Langmack yesterday had a message for the club's fans: "Everything will be all right." The Rabbitohs were humbled 34-8 by St George Illawarra in the Charity Shield at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night. But Langmack promised fans: "I said you will see a different team and you will." Souths have the chance to improve this Saturday in a trial against Wests Tigers at Gosford. "I thought we'd play better (against the Dragons)because we had trained so hard during the off-season," Langmack said. "But the players are aware they can play better. "We only completed 11 of 23 sets in the first half - there was too much dropped ball. "We just seemed to be defending all the time. And when we got the ball we were always coming off our own line." Souths used 27 players but were without new recruits Adam MacDougall and Terry Hill, who withdrew just before the game. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,8693572-23214,00.html 15 Feb 2004 The Charity Shield has once again gone the way of the Dragon, as St George Illawarra made the most of poor ball control from the South Sydney Rabbitohs for a 28-8 win at Aussie Stadium. The match has become a traditional preseason fixture for the two clubs and a way to gauge each other's form while rasing money for a number of charities. South Sydney had promised unveil two of their big name signings – Terry Hill and Adam MacDougall – but both were late withdrawals, as was former Bulldogs winger, Shane Marteene. This may have had a negative effect on Souths' rhythm as struggled to stop the Dragons dominating the flow of the game, despite showing some promise in patches. The worst story of the night came for South Sydney forward Scott Geddes, who was playing his first game back after a long rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction. Geddes injured his knee in last year's Charity Shield and in the second half of this year's clash he found himself in the dressing rooms clutching a shoulder, wondering if a another season was about to pass him by. If so, Geddes is likely to opt out of next year's Charity Shield, to avoid any possibility of a hoodoo. Back on the field, rugby league observers were given an early chance to see one of this year's new rules in action – the held up rule – where if a player is held up in goal on a tackle, other than the last, he retreats ten metres and plays the ball, with the tackle count continuing on. Hooker Mark Riddell tried to barrel his way over but the video referee (Phil Cooley) ruled that he had not grounded the ball, so Riddell was forced to play the ball on the ten-metre line and within an instant Matt Cooper was crossing for a try in the corner. Most players will testify that nothing substitutes for match fitness so it was reasonable to expect that players from both sides would show signs of tiring after the early adrenalin had worn off. Unfortunately for Souths their task was made harder by having to defend for an extraordinarily large proportion of the opening forty minutes, so being drained of oxygen when they did get the ball in their hands, they tended to turn over possession too easily either through ill-advised passes or poor decisions – thankfully the Charity Shield is effectively a try so some of the moments that tended towards the embarrassing don’t officially count. The Dragons extended their advantage when captain Trent Barrett, in his first game in nine months because of last year's injury problems, took a lucky rebound off the upright from his own kick to score with 25 minutes of the match gone. South Sydney then created a number of opportunities to force their way back into the game but they were unable to successfully find their way to the line. The Dragons eventually made the Rabbitohs pay for their inability to make passes stick when Barrett worked a neat mid-park manoeuvre with halfback Lachlan Russell to put Henry Perenara away under the posts to stretch the lead 16-0 at halftime. South Sydney no doubt came into the second half with the intention of maintaining possession and their hopes would have been boosted by an early try, which came from a break created by halfback and halftime substitute Willie Peters. The movement was finished by a short from dummy half Jason Death to try scorer Shane Rigon. But then again when ensuing opportunities came Souths way, either fate or fingers conspired to prevent them from making further inroads. The Dragons, who fielded an impressively strong squad, punished Souths in the 50th minute with a surge downfield that ended with Nathan Blacklock scoring under the posts. Five minutes later, the Dragons were in again as Riddell and forward Brent Kite worked a hot potato pass interchange before putting Shaun Timmins over the line. With just over ten minutes left it was two ex-Dragons that combined to give the Rabbitohs a second try, as Peters, five metres out from the try line, threw a flat and hard pass to put Lee Hookey over. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=47990 St George Illawarra captain Trent Barrett returned from a nine-month injury lay-off as the Dragons beat South Sydney 34-8 to retain the Charity Shield at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night. More than 21,000 fans saw the Dragons turn in a disciplined performance against a Rabbitohs side which was plagued by handling errors. The Dragons had a 16-0 lead at the break after an inspirational first half from five-eighth Barrett, then went on to score 18 points to the Rabbits' eight in the second stanza. Barrett scored one try and made another when he put Henry Perenara through with yards of space to cross under the posts in the final minute of the first period. His own try came when his grubber kick bounced back off the post and straight back into his hands for the touchdown. The other first half try had gone to Matt Cooper, who got the Dragons on the board in the ninth minute when he bundled the ball over the line in the corner. Barrett was playing in his first game in nine months after a broken ankle wiped out most of his National Rugby League season last year. Hitting back The Rabbitohs hit back just two minutes into the second half through former Dragon Willie Peters. Brought on to the field for the second half, half-back Peters made the vital break before being tackled by Nathan Blacklock, with the ball finding its way out to Shane Rigon in space for the try. But the Dragons countered through quick tries to Blacklock and Shaun Timmins to leave the Rabbits reeling at 28-4 down. South Sydney's woes got worse when Ahmad Bajouri had a try disallowed by the video referee after touching down with his foot over dead ball line. But a period of sustained pressure from the Rabbitohs paid off in the 69th minute when dangerman Peters found Lee Hookey in a hole in the Dragons defence, with his try near the corner flag seeing the scoreline reading 28-8. Ben Creagh's first top flight try with just two minutes to go was the icing on the cake for the Dragons, who had Lachlan Russell sending over his fourth goal of the match to bring up the 34 points. http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/s1045135.htm 14 Feb 2004 South Sydney coach Paul Langmack yesterday promised the club's fans would see a "different" Rabbitohs side this season, but he is still undecided who will be playing at halfback. Souths, wooden spooners in each of the two seasons since their return to the NRL, will have their first hit-out of the year tonight in the annual Charity Shield clash against St George Illawarra, and Langmack said Dean Byrne and Willie Peters would be offered the same chance to impress for the No.7 jersey. Utility Brett Kearney and former Australian schoolboys star Joe Williams are other options, but at this stage of the season Langmack said he was looking for either Byrne or Peters to stake a claim for the playmaking role. "Last year I think we used seven or eight halfbacks . . . Ashley Harrison played halfback, Jamie Russo played halfback, and they're forwards," Langmack said. "Dean Byrne and Willie Peters will get half a game each, so they will get equal opportunity and we'll go from there." Peters joined Souths from the Dragons as one of the club's major signings last year, but he spent most of the season on the sidelines hampered by injuries - prompting the Rabbitohs to recruit Byrne from St George Illawarra and Williams from the Roosters. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/13/1076548229502.html LONG-SUFFERING South Sydney fans will see a vastly different team in tonight's BMW Charity Shield duel with St George Illawarra in the kick-off to a make-or-break year for the Rabbitohs. That pledge came from Rabbitoh coach Paul Langmack late yesterday as his players wrapped up their preparation for the traditional pre-season showdown between the two clubs at Aussie Stadium. Since their return to the NRL in 2002, Souths have won only eight premiership games - five that year and three last season. They also trail the Dragons 12-5 with three matches drawn in the 20 Charity Shield matches contested. "I can guarantee Souths fans will see a different team this year," Langmack said. "Attitude, fitness and the way we play have all improved from the past two years. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,8676549-23214,00.html 12 Feb 2004 Tennis great to launch Charity Shield The Allight South Sydney Rabbitohs, in conjunction with the St George Illawarra Dragons, is proud to announce that former world number one women’s Tennis player Martina Navratilova will be kicking off the 2004 BMW Sydney Charity Shield on Saturday night, February 14. Ms Navratilova is a Rabbitohs fan and has strong ties with the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, one of the beneficiaries of proceeds from the Charity Shield. Paul Francis, Chairman of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, said, "Humpty was privileged to have Martina Navratilova as his guest of honour at Humpty's Legends Dinner last year and she continues to lend a hand in helping to raise funds for much needed medical equipment for the kids". http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?ArticleID=7807 SOUTH Sydney will have to turn recent history on its ear if they are to beat St George Illawarra in Saturday night's annual Charity Shield match. Rabbitohs fans are demanding a victory to avoid the traditionally fierce pre-season match becoming a lop-sided event. Souths have won only one game in nine years - a 16-14 win in 1999. But Rabbitohs lock Terry Hill, being hampered by the flu, said: "We'll be super competitive - that is certain. "We are taking this game very seriously." Asked was he surprised at Souths' record, Rabbitohs coach Paul Langmack said: "I am actually. "But we'll be out there doing our best. "What happened in the past doesn't really count for much this Saturday night." Dragons coach Nathan Brown yesterday named Queensland player Lachlan Russell at halfback with regular Brett Firman unavailable because of injury. Russell, 20, returned to play the final three matches of last season in Premier League after missing most of the year after a knee reconstruction. "It's a big game and it will be good to see how I go," Russell said. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,8659281-23214,00.html 11 Feb 2004 South Sydney and St.George Illawarra Charity Shield teams Wed Feb 11, 2:34pm (NSW) Written by: Michael Carayannis South Sydney and St George Illawarra, who will take part in the BMW Charity Shield on Saturday night, have named strong sides for the contest. The Dragons will go into the match as favourites to retain the Shield, but a new-look South Sydney side with Adam MacDougall, Terry Hill and half Dean Byrne will be looking for some early success in 2004. The Dragons have a fairly inexperienced side, led by halfback Lachlan Russell. The 20-year-old will partner captain Trent Barrett in the halves, who makes his return to the game after an ankle injury. 2004 BWM Charity Shield Teams (Kick Off at 8:00pm): South Sydney Rabbitohs B Watts, A Bajouri, L Hookey, A MacDougall, S Marteene, O Craigie, D Byrne, T Hill, B Fletcher ©, A Harrison, F Lolohea, S Walker, G Hall. Reserves: P Stringer, L Stuart, W Peters, S Rigon, T Polglase, M Riddle, W Manu, B Kearney, D Fa’alogo, J Death, J Russo. St.George-Illawarra Dragons B Hornby, N Blacklock, D Howell, M Cooper, R Simmonds, T Barrett ©, L Russell, S Timmins, L Thompson, D Young, N Long, M Riddell, L Bailey. Reserves: A Sims, M Henderson, B Kite, H Perenara, T Jensen, L Withers http://nrl.rleague.com/news/index.php?id=14826 10 Feb 2004 BIG-name recruits Terry Hill and Adam MacDougall will turn out for South Sydney in the Charity Shield match against St George Illawarra at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night. MacDougall, who has joined the club this year from Newcastle, will partner Lee Hookey in the centres, while Hill will return to Souths at lock. Three of the Rabbitohs' other off-season signings, Dean Byrne (halfback), Glen Hall (prop) and Willie Manu (interchange) will also play in the annual match. Regular front rower Paul Stringer makes his return from shoulder surgery on the bench. The Dragons will name their team tomorrow. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,8645147-23214,00.html 9 Feb 2004 Souths will show off six of their off- season recruits when the Rabbitohs play North Sydney in a trial match at Nelson Bay on Saturday. Coach Paul Langmack has named a strong 20-man squad for the clash with the Bears, which includes high- profile recruit and former test centre Terry Hill. Hill will make his return to the famous Rabbitohs, 14 years after last playing for the club. Langmack also included former Bulldogs Matt Riddle, Todd Polglase and Glenn Hall, Dean Byrne (Dragons) and former Tigers Hill and Willie Manu in the squad. Former Newcastle winger Adam MacDougall and skipper Bryan Fletcher have been rested in preparation for the club’s Charity Shield clash with St George-Illawarra on February 14. Souths squad: Brad Watts, Matt Riddle, Todd Polglase, Lee Hookey, Ahmad Bajouri, Owen Craigie, Dean Byrne, Glenn Hall, Shane Walker, Mark Meredith, Ashley Harrison, Willie Manu, Terry Hill. Reserves: David Fa'alogo, Filimone Lolohea, Luke Stuart, Jamie Russo, Brett Kearney, Rhys Hanbury, Mark Leafa. http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=47598 SYDNEY boy Bryan Fletcher knows little about Coonamble, the small NSW country town seven hours north-west of the bright lights Fletcher grew up in. The brightest lights in Coonamble - which Fletcher will visit as part of the NRL's QantasLink Clinics in NSW and Queensland next week - are the stars in the clear country skies. "I know it's a long way from the beach," keen surfer Fletcher said. "I've got a mate who's got a farm in Mudgee. I've been there twice. That's about the extent of it. "I'm excited about going to see the kids - about as excited as they are about seeing me. "I'm looking forward to it." Fletcher is one of 60 NRL stars who will be dropping into 25 towns across both states over two days on February 18 and 19. High-profile stars such as Craig Wing (Peak Hill), Luke Ricketson (Dubbo) and Brad Fittler (Dubbo) - all part of the Roosters' glamour collection - will also leave their comfort zone in visiting the bush. Wing will join teammate Jason Cayless in a trip to The Dish in Parkes, home of one of the world's biggest dish radio telescopes. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,8625251-23214,00.html Knee blow as Buns blot Bears The South Sydney Rabbitohs had a successful beginning to their preseason trials as they managed to wipe an old foe – the North Sydney Bears – 36-0 in Nelson Bay but the bad news for Souths is that one of their squad appears to have already suffered a season ending injury. Forward Mark Meredith, one of their most improved players in 2003, suffered a knee injury, which is expected to be confirmed as a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament this week, meaning he will require a knee reconstruction. The Bears, now a NSW Premier League side, had no answer for their cross town former rivals. In the second half of the match the Rabbitohs took on the Northern Blues and they provided stiffer resistance but South Sydney still had the edge, outscoring the combined side 18-12. In the Premier League trial match, Souths' speedster, Joven Clarke, notched up five tries as they ran in a total of 70 points. This Saturday night the Rabbitohs take on the St George Illawarra Dragons in the annual Charity Shield match at Aussie Stadium. http://www.ozleague.com/news_article.asp?id=47925 IT's nearly 12 months since South Sydney saviour George Piggins stepped down from the club presidency in favour of solicitor Nicholas Pappas. After yet another season of disappointment Pappas could not be blamed for thinking Piggins had merely handed him the NRL's version of the poisoned chalice. On the eve of their third season back to the fold after two years of exclusion from the premiership, 2004 shapes as a make-or-break proposition for the famous old club. Despite a strong off-season recruiting drive the Rabbitohs are favourites for yet another wooden spoon. Daily Telegraph chief rugby league writer PETER FRILINGOS spoke to chairman Pappas about the road ahead for the Rabbitohs. Q:After two seasons of disappointment on the field for Souths why will 2004 be any better? A:That's a question that should be asked at the beginning of this season. We have recruited well, there's a good mix of youth and experience with players like Terry Hill and Adam MacDougall who have done it all at Kangaroo and premiership level. We also have a good blend of youth and I don't think we could have done much more. We've bought very astutely and I don't think we could have done much more with the money we had to spend. Off the field we have a new unity, a new spirit of common purpose and the board is functioning very well and we have continued to forge new connections with the business community. We have a very good relationship with Souths Juniors which is continuing to mature. So after two very lean seasons I don't think we could have done much more on and off the field to get at least moderate success this year. Q:Given that former coach Craig Coleman was sacked for non-performance, will Paul Langmack suffer the same fate if Souths don't make the playoffs this year? A:Paul Langmack is contracted to this club for this year and the next and we intend to honour that commitment. No fair-minded person would judge him on the basis of his first season because he came in on the eve of the competition starting in a club in torment. His performance really starts from now and will continue to the end of next year. I'm really happy with the way Paul has approached the whole thing, he has shown incredible dedication, he is one of the most industrious people I've seen. Q:Will Souths' chances of survival in the NRL be directly linked to what happens on the field? A:No. We could have a moderately successful season and still fail. Financially the club has walked a tightrope for years. While we have the highest sponsorship and marketing revenue of any club in the competition at the end of the day the absence of leagues club backing puts us at a disadvantage. We're confident we can re-invent the rugby league club model and at a time when licensed clubs are going through difficulties through taxation and other pressures. We've got marketing and sponsorship revenue of $4.8million which is almost double what any other club has which proves we have a unique brand capable of generating that response despite the club finishing last in 2003. Q:Because Souths get no money from their leagues club does that mean they will eventually have to be taken over by Souths Juniors? A:Our board believes a closer relationship with the Juniors is essential for the future prosperity of the club. Souths Leagues in not in a position to make a substantial commitment to the football club and it appears it won't be for some time. The Juniors historically has been the Rabbitohs' sugar daddy and some people wrongly believe that will always be so. But instead of a takeover I would like to see a closer alliance between the two clubs and we're working towards that end. Q:It has been suggested the so-called George Piggins factor controls Souths board, is that so? A:I've been actually quite amazed by the restraint and good sense George has displayed since he stepped down last April. We've spoken on a regular basis but George has been just another supporter. Some people might accuse me of naivety but I can tell them there has been no issue that has come before the board since last April where we've had any split. In other words all issues I've brought to the table have been carried 9-0. Q:Do Souths still want to return to Redfern Oval and will the club play some home games on the Central Coast or elsewhere? A:Redfern is the club's holy of holies but given the state of the ground and the leagues club it will be difficult to go back on a permanent basis. But there are on- going talks about some sort of return maybe once a year if certain things happen. I can't elaborate further at this stage. The same applies to Gosford for possibly one game. We are also close to signing up at Aussie Stadium until 2010. The Daily Telegraph http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,8625299-23214,00.html 5 Feb 2004 TERRY Hill will play his first game for South Sydney in 14 years when the Rabbitohs clash with North Sydney in a trial on Saturday night. Souths junior Hill, 32, was today named at lock in coach Paul Langmack's 20-man squad for the game at Tomaree Oval in the NSW coastal town of Nelson Bay. The former Test centre, recruited from Wests Tigers, played seven matches for the Rabbitohs in 1990 before he was forced to Easts under the controversial draft system which he successfully challenged in the courts. Hill also had stints with Wests and Manly. Langmack has chosen to rest former Newcastle winger Adam MacDougall and his new captain Bryan Fletcher in preparation for the annual Charity Shield match against St George Illawarra on February 14. Second-rower Justin Smith (groin) is the only Souths player on the injured list. Langmack named six recruits in his starting side for the match against the Bears – former Bulldogs trio Matt Riddle, Todd Polglase and Glenn Hall, halfback Dean Byrne (St George Illawarra) and ex-Tigers Hill and Willie Manu. The Rabbitohs will play three more trials before their NRL round one clash with 2003 grand finalist Sydney Roosters on March 14. Souths squad: Brad Watts, Matt Riddle, Todd Polglase, Lee Hookey, Ahmad Bajouri, Owen Craigie, Dean Byrne, Glenn Hall, Shane Walker, Mark Meredith, Ashley Harrison, Willie Manu, Terry Hill. Reserves: David Fa'alogo, Filimone Lolohea, Luke Stuart, Jamie Russo, Brett Kearney, Rhys Hanbury, Mark Leafa. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,8591110-23214,00.html |
