Tinkler walks away from Knights

[Rocky Rhodes]

Well, it appears that he has played them all off a break.

He got them all hot and bothered about Snowden, Idris and Bennett all coming to town on the back of his cash. He "pulls out", trashes the board and voila ... you have an uprising from the great unwashed.

The members could quite possibly hand him the club without him spending a cent. If their demand for an extraordinary general meeting is successful then they'll throw out the current board and put Tinkler or his cronies in.

This will probably happen.

But $500,000 for snowden and a similar amount for Idris smells Melbourne. Tinkler will bust the cap for sure, businessmen like himself don't know the meaning of restraint and accountability.

RL + corporate ownership = disaster. See news Ltd as an example..

[Guest]

Gravity of it all lost on Knights, says Newton

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...222-1b44k.html

NEWCASTLE sporting legend Jack Newton has attacked the Knights for not accepting Nathan Tinkler's money, saying chief executive Steve Burraston and the board are responsible for the club being in a downward spiral.

Newton said that if the club's members eventually got the chance to vote Tinkler into ownership they would be mad if they didn't, and urged them to put pressure on the board to stand down with a no-confidence vote at an extraordinary meeting if one was called.

''I don't get what is happening here,'' the former champion golfer told the Herald. ''I don't know Nathan very well, I've only met him once, but, personally, I think if the members don't go for this they've got rocks in their heads.

''I don't see anything else that compares with what Tinkler is offering, and the club is heavily in debt, so I can't see any negatives. The other option that they're talking about now, the patrons' trust, isn't remotely in the same league as the Tinkler offer financially.''

Newton said that before Tinkler began showing interest in the Knights the club had been guilty of wasting an opportunity to build a long-term association with multi-millionaire John Singleton, and Burraston had managed to get offside with high-powered people in Newcastle.

He also remains adamant the club made a big mistake employing Brian Smith as coach from 2007-09, saying the Knights lost their way during that time and were yet to find it back.

''Burraston is a mate of mine, but he's got no PR sense,'' Newton said. ''He's not doing the joint any favours, and he's offside with [Minister for the Hunter] Jodi McKay and [general manager of Newcastle newspapers] Julie Ainsworth, among others.

''I introduced John Singleton to the club, but they didn't know how to make that work. He put money into the club through his Bluetongue beer, but the association broke down. There were issues on both sides with that, but at the end of the day the guy is a multi-millionaire, and money attracts money.

''Burraston couldn't see that, and he [also] felt he had Tinkler in his pocket. How the tide has turned. The current board has been there for two terms, apart from a couple of changes, and they are seeing the club go to rack and ruin. They let [Brian] Smith take over and he totally disregarded our market, which is local juniors.

''Josh Perry went to Manly and won a comp. My son, Clint, went to Melbourne and won a comp. Kade Snowden left and went on to play Origin, for Cronulla.

''We've still got a foot in the old chook raffle days, where politics on the board has reigned supreme since year dot. In league, I can't understand how some of the people who get on boards manage to do so. The club doesn't look after its sponsors and fans as well as it should.''




Newton sees the big picture here..

Newcastle are run my small thinking amateurs..

Tinkler (fat carnt he may be) is a big player on the WORLD stage..

He makes Phonechucker look like a pauper..

For Newcastle to turn him down borders on insanity..

They still don't have a leagues club for faarks sake..

People with Tinkler & Singo's ca$h should be embraced by the game,not shunned by it..

There are a lot of small thinkers in Rugby League...unfortunately..

Thankfully we've got Uncle Nick..

[Guest]

Legend Joey backs Tinkler and hits out at directors..

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1226010361767

NATHAN Tinkler last night gained a powerful ally in his push to take over the Knights when the club's greatest player, Andrew Johns, took aim at Newcastle's directors.

Having missed this week's dramatic showdown in Newcastle while on a surfing holiday in Fiji, Johns said he could not believe passionate Knights fan Tinkler was not already on board as club owner given what his financial clout would mean to the cash-strapped club.

"I'm stunned the deal hasn't already been done," Johns said.

"What the hell are they doing? We don't want Greg Bird playing for Gold Coast. We don't want Kade Snowden at Cronulla. We don't want Dane Tilse playing for Canberra.

"They're our boys and they should be playing for the Knights.

"As far as I can tell, that's what Nathan Tinkler wants to do. Bring as many locals home as he can.

"He's doing this for the community, for Newcastle and the Hunter. Why is it so hard to believe?"

Johns' comments came as former Newcastle premiership-winning coach Michael Hagan said he feared for the club's future unless Tinkler's bid was accepted. It appears a group of angry Knights members could have enough signatures by tonight to force an extraordinary general meeting, which could overthrow the current board.

The Daily Telegraph also understands several more former Newcastle stars will come forward to publicly support Tinkler. Mining magnate Tinkler has told friends he is "hurt" that his honesty has been questioned by Newcastle management.

Former Knights coach Hagan said he hoped members would be given an opportunity to make up their own minds about Tinkler's offer, saying the Newcastle board had an obligation to take the deal to a members meeting.

"I don't think the process has been handled particularly well and to allow someone like Nathan Tinkler to walk away without giving the members an opportunity to hear what he has to say is pretty disappointing," Hagan said.

"To pass up the size and nature of the offer that's been talked about and continue with a model that we've had for 22 years and which is not going to sustain the club into the future is not the right path.

"If the board is concerned about the shortcomings in the deal, they should be pointing them out to the members at a meeting."

High-profile Newcastle fan Jack Newton weighed into the debate again last night, saying: "It's not the Steve Burraston and Robbie Tew show. This has dragged on and on.

"It's about time they went to the members and they make the decision, not them [the two officials]."

[Billy Gunn]

So basically you have a one armed golfer who is still pissed his son was punted, drug freak Joeeeeeeey and Singo ho ownes Majic Millions who Tinkler buys a shit load of horses all saying they should sell their club.

[trewhella]

Yep Billy. Exactly what I was thinking mate


However, what I know about clubs like Newcastle and cronulla

Small minded dullards will cling onto perceived power at the cost of the club.

Just look at that leech Barry pierce. What a c. Paid himself 90 k each director 20 k plus drinking tabs, meanwhile the players have to pay for sundries and the joints going broke

[Kingbilly]

I am with Billy Gunn and Trew here, just because the guy has money it doesn't mean that he is the man to take over the Knights.
It could go either way, like his successful ventures or belly up like his many suspect ones.

[Vasco]

Two comps since 1988, that's one more than us. Not bad for a pub team.

That's a very Souff Sydney-like statement there.

Since their last premiership they have constantly struggled financially. Even during their "glory days" it was covered up by the great Andrew Johns and his ability to carry his team.

Since his departure the club has gone downhill rapidly, with crowds no longer what they were and the club struggling financially more than ever.

As for your comment on the dangers of corporate ownership...

Where would Souffs be without Crowe?

Where would Manly have ended up without Delmege?

How strong would the Wests Tigers be without Triguboff?

Dare I say it, where would the Roosters be without Politis, Bouris, Gyngell, McGuinness and co?

Tinkler, fat or not, wants to make the Newcastle region a sporting giant. Why not?

The Newcastle Jets were gone until he came in. Now they are moving forward and have just signed one of the A League's best players. They will continue to attract good players from now on.

The people jumping up and down calling Tinkler a "fat pr!ck" etc have no understanding of the mechanics of running a business. Much like the people running the Newcastle Knights.

Time to get the head out of the sand and realise that he can only be good for the Knights.

[Headless Chook]

That's a very Souff Sydney-like statement there.

Since their last premiership they have constantly struggled financially. Even during their "glory days" it was covered up by the great Andrew Johns and his ability to carry his team.

Since his departure the club has gone downhill rapidly, with crowds no longer what they were and the club struggling financially more than ever.

As for your comment on the dangers of corporate ownership...

Where would Souffs be without Crowe?

Where would Manly have ended up without Delmege?

How strong would the Wests Tigers be without Triguboff?

Dare I say it, where would the Roosters be without Politis, Bouris, Gyngell, McGuinness and co?

Tinkler, fat or not, wants to make the Newcastle region a sporting giant. Why not?

The Newcastle Jets were gone until he came in. Now they are moving forward and have just signed one of the A League's best players. They will continue to attract good players from now on.

The people jumping up and down calling Tinkler a "fat pr!ck" etc have no understanding of the mechanics of running a business. Much like the people running the Newcastle Knights.

Time to get the head out of the sand and realise that he can only be good for the Knights.

Would you want the Roosters board to hand the club to a rich benefactor for virtually nothing, with no guarantees in place?

[Guest]

So basically you have a one armed golfer who is still pissed his son was punted, drug freak Joeeeeeeey and Singo ho ownes Majic Millions who Tinkler buys a shit load of horses all saying they should sell their club.

Singo no longer owns Magic Millions...

But don't let facts get in the way of your story..

The Jo-E line was so predictable too...The man bleeds for Newcastle..So does Newton..

Small minds..

[supermario]

I really don't care if he is a fat prick.

Ok lets put it this way, lets say the Roosters are struggling, a mining magnate comes in says he will give $10mill a year for the next 10 years, all sounds good, yeah you would jump at the chance.

Jump forward to when the paperwork is brought forward. the "promised" $10mill/year has reduced to "the balance from the revenue up to $10mill" and the next 10 years has only been reduced to a guaranteed 2.

That is just 2 warning bells that, as a board member or Chairman, you would want to have questioned.

The knights board did the right thing to question these details, just cause tinkler does not like to be questioned does not mean the knights board should back down.

Tinkler has pulled out because he was pissed off with delays and the knights board questioning the deal................ Just cause tinkler has the money does not mean he is in the right in this situation.

[stephenj]

our uncle nick is so low key in comparison!

[Billy Gunn]

Singo no longer owns Magic Millions...

But don't let facts get in the way of your story..

The Jo-E line was so predictable too...The man bleeds for Newcastle..So does Newton..

Small minds..

I know I wouldn't like a guy like Tinkler owning my team, he will be more hands on than Rusty, he is already buying players for a team he has no financial interest

[Vasco]

I know I wouldn't like a guy like Tinkler owning my team, he will be more hands on than Rusty, he is already buying players for a team he has no financial interest

Yes mate, agreed. However, the point is Newcastle are in financial ruin. This man can save them.

[Guest]

Singo no longer owns Magic Millions...

But don't let facts get in the way of your story..

The Jo-E line was so predictable too...The man bleeds for Newcastle..So does Newton..
Small minds..

doesn't mean they're necessarily right

[Vasco]

Would you want the Roosters board to hand the club to a rich benefactor for virtually nothing, with no guarantees in place?

We are not in financial ruin.

We are technically privatised however.

The structure is:

Easts Group (board of directors includes Politis who is chairman, Bouris and David Gyngell).

Easts Group has 4 entities under it's umbrella - Narellan Sports Club, Kingswood Sports Club, Waverley Sports Club, Easts Leagues Club.

I would assume the ESDRLFC is also under the umbrella but is a not for profit entity, so it doesn't pay tax.

Around the start of the super league war in 1995, the consitution of the ESDRLFC was changed and thus there are only about 500 members of the football club.

Those members are a small but elite group, unlike Souffs which technically is now like AFL clubs whereby members get a vote at the AGM each year and the direction of the club. So Souffs' 17,000 members have one vote each.

Easts Group is a private group.