We Can Be The Best - Rabbitohs

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday June 8, 2006

Glenn Jackson

PETER Holmes a Court officially bought control of South Sydney at 3.03pm yesterday, and within an hour he was claiming the club could be the greatest in the NRL.

The millionaire businessman yesterday handed Souths' outgoing chairman Nicholas Pappas a cheque for $3 million. It was more of a symbolic gesture, having been effectively in control of the club since he and actor Russell Crowe won a members' vote on March 19 - but he insisted his bold proclamation was not.

"Could we have the best facilities in rugby league? Yes we can. Are we located in an area where we've got a lot of business, and a lot of potential sponsors? Yes. Will it take time? Absolutely," Holmes a Court said. "But I can't imagine doing anything else.

"We've got the capacity to gather all the ingredients to make that possible."

In officially gaining control of the club at Sydney Town Hall, Holmes a Court said the club would borrow heavily from AFL clubs the Sydney Swans and Collingwood and Cricket Australia as they set about their task.

"Brisbane are as slick as, but they're not nearly as slick as the Swans or Collingwood," Holmes a Court said. "The best practices are not unfortunately in rugby league."

The club has also borrowed cheekily from the Swans as they bid to find the "right" players to take the club into the bold new era. "Their motto is 'no dickheads'," Holmes a Court said. "Ours is, there's no 'I' in team, but there is in dickhead. We've borrowed that from them."

Despite 12 losses so far this season, Holmes a Court insisted the club was in a better position to attract players than they were this time last year - when they were preparing to launch failed bids for Matt Orford, Braith Anasta and Steve Bell.

Cronulla's Kiwi international Nigel Vagana is likely to be the test case. The Rabbitohs have made him an offer, believed to be worth almost $1 million over three years, and are expecting an answer by Friday.

Chief executive Shane Richardson conceded the club would still have to pay "overs" to attract talent despite the significant off-field changes.

"We've got to start the domino somewhere," he said. "But we don't need 10 - we need three each year."

The venue was symbolic yesterday - it was where thousands of Souths fans started their rally in 2001 after the club was kicked out of the competition.

The club has also been garnering support from City of Sydney in their bid to establish themselves as the pride of the league again.

The council has already pledged $19 million to upgrade the club's spiritual home ground, Redfern Oval, into a state-of-the-art training facility.

"What we must do is make it so every team runs out on the field knowing it can win every weekend," Holmes a Court said. "It hasn't been that way for a while."

But Holmes a Court implored fans not to expect overnight success. The Rabbitohs are still to finalise two positions on the football club board.

In accepting Holmes a Court's cheque, Pappas said: "Today marks the fulfilment of a promise to deliver the big end of town to the Rabbitohs. Souths is now on a secure financial footing. We're no longer a year-to-year proposition."

Meanwhile, Warriors captain Ruben Wiki beat a grade-five charge of dropping the knees at the NRL judiciary last night. He was facing a ban of eight weeks if he had been found guilty of the offence resulting from Sunday's game against Brisbane.

But Melbourne's Billy Slater failed in his bid to have a dangerous throw charge quashed. Slater will now be suspended for two matches.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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