matiunz
This year yet?
Contributor
So is it a F U or does he genuinely want the club to succeed?
snake77
During their bid last year we heard of the ARL's plan to have semi professional competition. Some details of their thinking is outlined in this article.
Cameron McGregor removed from Warriors board, clubs vote to sell
David Long 05:00, Sep 22 2019
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT
Cameron McGregor lost his place on the Warriors' board on Friday.
Cameron McGregor has been removed from the Warriors' board, while the Auckland clubs have turned down his proposal for a semi-professional competition, bank-rolled by the Warriors.
McGregor was put onto the Warriors board when the Carlaw Heritage Trust bought two-thirds of the club from Eric Watson last year, with Autex Industries purchasing the other third.
He was recently removed as chair of the Trust by Auckland Rugby League, who want it to sell its share of the NRL club.
McGregor is battling to be put back onto the board of the Trust, believing his removal by Auckland Rugby League was unlawful and has said he is prepared to take this fight to the high court.
However, McGregor suffered a blow on Friday when he was officially removed from the Warriors board.
According to the New Zealand Companies Office website, McGregor's removal was presented by Warriors CEO Cameron George.
McGregor, who was one of the three Carlaw Heritage Trust representatives on the board, hasn't been replaced.
Given that the ownership of the Warriors could change sooner rather than later, it's unknown whether another board member will be appointed.
There was further drama on Friday night at a heated special general meeting involving the Auckland clubs, the ARL and McGregor.
At that meeting an offer was put to the clubs by McGregor to turn the Fox Memorial competition into a semi-professional league, with each club paid $3,000 per game to pay players.
There would also be a $2000 payment from the Warriors for each local player signed by the NRL club.
Clubs would also get two per cent of the annual contract for each Warriors player. So if a player was getting $600,000 a season, the local club he came from would receive $12,000.
Each Sharman Club would be given a $15,000 grant to spend on whatever it liked.
To pay for all this, the Warriors' reserve grade team would be scrapped and players not selected for the NRL first grade team each week would run out in the Fox Memorial.
But all of this could happen only if the clubs supported McGregor's move for the Warriors to be bought outright, rather than sold.
The clubs were told at the meeting that the Warriors will lose around $1m this year and it could be more in 2020.
Also, interest is being paid on the loan taken out to buy the Warriors and there hasn't been money going back to the clubs, which had been promised during the initial purchase.
After a lengthy discussion, five clubs voted to keep the Warriors, a similar number abstained and the rest voted to sell. There are 30 clubs in Auckland.
There was one further bombshell after the vote. McGregor produced a document which said he had a letter of intent from an overseas investor who wants to buy the Trust's shares for the same price as was paid for them. If it sold the shares to Autex, the Trust would lose around $3m.
But it was pointed out that no-one would want to buy these shares the agreement for boardroom voting rights.
Autex has equal rights with the Trust, despite only owning a third of the club, so any potential new owner wouldn't be able to make decisions unilaterally, despite being the major stakeholder.
Given this, along with McGregor losing his boardroom positions, it seems inevitable that Autex will become the sole owner of the club.
www.stuff.co.nz
Cameron McGregor removed from Warriors board, clubs vote to sell
David Long 05:00, Sep 22 2019
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT
Cameron McGregor lost his place on the Warriors' board on Friday.
Cameron McGregor has been removed from the Warriors' board, while the Auckland clubs have turned down his proposal for a semi-professional competition, bank-rolled by the Warriors.
McGregor was put onto the Warriors board when the Carlaw Heritage Trust bought two-thirds of the club from Eric Watson last year, with Autex Industries purchasing the other third.
He was recently removed as chair of the Trust by Auckland Rugby League, who want it to sell its share of the NRL club.
McGregor is battling to be put back onto the board of the Trust, believing his removal by Auckland Rugby League was unlawful and has said he is prepared to take this fight to the high court.
However, McGregor suffered a blow on Friday when he was officially removed from the Warriors board.
According to the New Zealand Companies Office website, McGregor's removal was presented by Warriors CEO Cameron George.
McGregor, who was one of the three Carlaw Heritage Trust representatives on the board, hasn't been replaced.
Given that the ownership of the Warriors could change sooner rather than later, it's unknown whether another board member will be appointed.
There was further drama on Friday night at a heated special general meeting involving the Auckland clubs, the ARL and McGregor.
At that meeting an offer was put to the clubs by McGregor to turn the Fox Memorial competition into a semi-professional league, with each club paid $3,000 per game to pay players.
There would also be a $2000 payment from the Warriors for each local player signed by the NRL club.
Clubs would also get two per cent of the annual contract for each Warriors player. So if a player was getting $600,000 a season, the local club he came from would receive $12,000.
Each Sharman Club would be given a $15,000 grant to spend on whatever it liked.
To pay for all this, the Warriors' reserve grade team would be scrapped and players not selected for the NRL first grade team each week would run out in the Fox Memorial.
But all of this could happen only if the clubs supported McGregor's move for the Warriors to be bought outright, rather than sold.
The clubs were told at the meeting that the Warriors will lose around $1m this year and it could be more in 2020.
Also, interest is being paid on the loan taken out to buy the Warriors and there hasn't been money going back to the clubs, which had been promised during the initial purchase.
After a lengthy discussion, five clubs voted to keep the Warriors, a similar number abstained and the rest voted to sell. There are 30 clubs in Auckland.
There was one further bombshell after the vote. McGregor produced a document which said he had a letter of intent from an overseas investor who wants to buy the Trust's shares for the same price as was paid for them. If it sold the shares to Autex, the Trust would lose around $3m.
But it was pointed out that no-one would want to buy these shares the agreement for boardroom voting rights.
Autex has equal rights with the Trust, despite only owning a third of the club, so any potential new owner wouldn't be able to make decisions unilaterally, despite being the major stakeholder.
Given this, along with McGregor losing his boardroom positions, it seems inevitable that Autex will become the sole owner of the club.
Cameron McGregor removed from Warriors board, clubs vote to sell
Auckland clubs were offered cash for a semi-pro comp if they agreed to buy out the Warriors.
www.stuff.co.nz Last edited by a moderator:
snake77
Player payments of $3,000 per game is pretty ambitious. That would take a lot of funding. Big sponsors, probably funding from the NRL which would take some convincing. Also need to generate crowds and TV ratings. Not sure what NPC players got, had a mate playing in one of the fringe first division provinces about 200-2003. Heard second hand what he was getting per season and this would end up more than that.
Not sure if NRL clubs pay fees to clubs now. I suspect they don't if it's part of their plans for the Warriors to pay the clubs for signing players.
Then the % of the players contract being paid to their local clubs seems like more of a drain of the clubs funds. I suspect their plans were for that to come out of the NRL grant or somewhere else in their budget for the club. The clubs money should be going into its own facilities and junior systems.
Proffessional sport is an expensive business. The club needs to concentrate on its own business. Sure we need it to have a good relationship with the local game and for the local game to thrive giving junior players good coaching etc. But this seems like using the club to fund the local game.
Not sure if NRL clubs pay fees to clubs now. I suspect they don't if it's part of their plans for the Warriors to pay the clubs for signing players.
Then the % of the players contract being paid to their local clubs seems like more of a drain of the clubs funds. I suspect their plans were for that to come out of the NRL grant or somewhere else in their budget for the club. The clubs money should be going into its own facilities and junior systems.
Proffessional sport is an expensive business. The club needs to concentrate on its own business. Sure we need it to have a good relationship with the local game and for the local game to thrive giving junior players good coaching etc. But this seems like using the club to fund the local game.
mt.wellington
Warriors Orange Peeler
Cameron McGregor is a complete retard and its good to see the useless prick kicked out once and for all. He only ever looked after the clubs that voted to keep him in yearly and only time he would venture to southside clubs was if he felt he needed another vote to keep his ass safe. Dumb fuck just blew a huge chunk of change that clubs around Auckland could have really done with. Most these clubs can only afford to turn the floodlights on for top side training they are that broke. Good riddance to the idiot. Cant remember him doing anything that ever actually benefited the local game. Local footy has regressed yearly under his watch...
brightman
I'd add Selwyn Pearson to that description. Can you imagine the code in NZ without (unmentionable) and then Jim Doyle
WellingtonOrca
Fearmuss
I don’t know if it is feasible immediately but creating our own QLD cup is actually a good idea for RL in this country.
It’s an interesting argument whether reserve grade etc is actually worth the money. There is no replacement for getting blooded in first grade.
It’s an interesting argument whether reserve grade etc is actually worth the money. There is no replacement for getting blooded in first grade.
mrblonde
No, the jump between Fox and NRL is way, way, waaaayyy too big.
Nice romantic idea - Fox Memorial player clicks immediately in the NRL - but the reality (as seen partially in 2000) ain't so rosy.
It might be doable one day but as for the forseeable future, it's up to the NZRL/ARL to create and fund a semi-pro tournament and only then should the Warriors consider having their reserves team playing in it.
Nice romantic idea - Fox Memorial player clicks immediately in the NRL - but the reality (as seen partially in 2000) ain't so rosy.
It might be doable one day but as for the forseeable future, it's up to the NZRL/ARL to create and fund a semi-pro tournament and only then should the Warriors consider having their reserves team playing in it.
brightman
It's not an argument it's a matter of funding, NZ doesn't have it Australia already does suit and has for many decades..
bruce
Contributor
It was a regular thing back in the day.
You are a recent introduction the game and know very little about the history and culture outside what is the latest jersey on offer. So to people who do know something about the game you come across as a bit of a flake, sorry. You were even honoured to meet Richard Fale, who was a convenient red herring in the amount of money the CPHT parted with to get the club.
Cameron McGregor is human but he is not a retard. His aim has always been to keep the clubs hands off the Carlaw Park money and when you look at how some of the clubs have handled their finances that is a reasonable concern. If he did lose CPHT money in the transaction with Eric Watson, he wasn't the only one in on the deal.
As for the South Auckland area, back in the day it didn't exist. I am not saying it doesn't matter now, because it does, but if rugby league in NZ has to rely on the talent coming out of South Auckland I think the game is in trouble.
Just saying like.
Akkerz
Contributor
Perhaps retard was a little insulting to Mr McGregor but it doesn't alter the fact that he seems to be desperate to retain his hold on the Warriors & the CHPT Trust money.
It is also obvious that the Clubs that used to support him cannot support him any longer. That they have already lost out on the deal with the Warriors and no longer believe the bs of McGregor & his sidekicks it is no surprise they have kicked back. Very wise in the circumstances.
No one can deny Cameron McGregor has worked for the benefit of the game in NZ but also imo he has had too much power and not enough self control.
League has been his life and become his obsession. And there in lies the danger.
I don't know why you say South Auckland didn't exist back in the day.......... I well remember playing at Ngati Otara Park among others in the late 70's so how far back are we going here Bruce. & some of them did well in the NRL - Sean Hoppe is one that comes to mind
There are a lot of unanswered questions. How did Autex and CPHT miss a $4m liability? Was it masked somehow and if so, by who? What involvement did Sel have with the Warriors at the time of sale and what involvement did he have in the sale process? There seems to be a number of capable people who have got it wrong, that seems more than a coincidence.
Moral of the story is, Do not let anyone named Cameron near the club. George & McGregor can get to stepping.
Worried2Death
Unless their last name is Smith they can all fuck off, you can't trust any of them not to turn out to be a complete cu**
Bushman
Contributor
Pozza
There was a pretty average footballer I think his name was Olsen Filipania from my old club the Mangere East Hawks. Did he ever amount to much ?
bruce
Contributor
The post was absolutely stupid from a poster who showed himself to be out of his depth. His opinions don't amount to much IMO.
I don't know how much he had to do with the sale. Personally I have never had much time for Sel Pearson, although he has a lot of respect from others in the game. A very political type who played hard ball within the system.
Sean Hoppe came from Mount Wellington to Northcote. My point was in reply to that stupid post about what clubs want. If the clubs are from South Auckland who cares. The hard work to get Carlaw Park was done before most of them amounted to much.
You make the guy sound like a power obsessed dictator. The guy is very quietly spoken, and humble, and when he was a player he was as clean and even tempered as they came, unlike me.
Yes he might be obsessed about holding onto the money, but not for his personal use, he actually wanted to keep Carlaw Park for the game but many including that wanker Watson instead took the bribe from the ARC to go to Mount Smart.
When Cameron McGregor realised they had to do something with the ground he and many of his associates realised if it was left to the clubs it would soon be pissed against the wall. That would be unthinkable to anybody who knew the effort that the league went through to get that ground.
Ok, George Rainey bought the ground 45 years ago, and us guys are getting older now, but it still doesn't mean any loud mouthed flake who wouldn't know shite about the game can go sounding off that the clubs are being starved of their rightful money. Carlaw Park was never theirs in the first place, never, got it?
It was a hard earned legacy of honest guys who gave it to the game for something tangible, not to be frittered away.
Ok McGregor might have made the wrong call by buying the club, not so much for the purchase but because it seems they got hoodwinked. However if it hadn't been for Watson there would have been no massive fund, the league would still have owned Carlaw Park in conjunction with the Council and it would be a genuine asset to the city. The clubs would have got some profits from that.
IMO the real problem here is the NRL. Back in the day the ARL and the clubs made plenty from the Fox because all the good players were here. The Sydney comp has changed all of that and George Rainey could see that coming as well.
So what does the NRL put back into the game here, in return for all it gets from the code in NZ? Nothing.
Probably about the same minimal effort they are putting into the country leagues in Australia. The professional codes in the USA put millions into the development clubs. They know they have to. The NRL seems different.
However according to Mount Wellington it is all Cameron McGregor's fault. Why? I bet he doesn't know. Maybe he can ask his hero Richard Fale, and ask him how he conveniently turned up to squeeze the price up for Eric Watson.
Rant over.
Just WTF does that have to do with anything? The Mad Butcher put a lot into that club and they booted him.
Pozza
Just WTF does that have to do with anything? The Mad Butcher put a lot into that club and they booted him.
Mate just a little tongue in cheek. yes they did boot him but there were a lot of hard working people prior to that who worked there arses off to get
the club into a sound financial position who in those days (mid 70's} had the biggest junior league in the country. And I'm sure Otahuhu and Manukau had people of similar ilk all contributing. I'm a little biased as my Dad was one of those who worked there arses off, so to say The hard work to get Carlaw Park was done before most of them amounted to much is a little demeaning. My rant over
Mate just a little tongue in cheek. yes they did boot him but there were a lot of hard working people prior to that who worked there arses off to get
the club into a sound financial position who in those days (mid 70's} had the biggest junior league in the country. And I'm sure Otahuhu and Manukau had people of similar ilk all contributing. I'm a little biased as my Dad was one of those who worked there arses off, so to say The hard work to get Carlaw Park was done before most of them amounted to much is a little demeaning. My rant over
bruce
Contributor
Ok, what would you rather have, a legacy to the game or a pile of cash to be pissed agaisnt the wall? You tell me that wouldn't happen if there was open slather on that pile of cash.