I received Johnathan Thurston's autobiography for Christmas. As far as athlete autobiographies go it's great to get an insight into how JT's career started given he didn't really follow your regular pathway. Hell, he grew up near Brisbane and the Broncos wanted nothing to do with him.
Canterbury offered him his shot and the rest is history.
But, interestingly, in 2013 he was coming off contract at the Cowboys. His original intention was to stay put in Townsville until Gus Gould invited him to tour the brand new Penrith Centre of Excellence. That, combined with a multi-million dollar deal and Indigenous education program that JT would lead had the halfback telling his agent to agree to the deal.
JT also mentioned that he'd receive work with Channel 9 if he moved to Sydney. Now, that seems like a not at arm's length third party agreement. The football manager of a club, with clear influence at a television network, offering a player a contract with an understanding that the player would then receive work at the television network.
I can imagine that an offer like this isn't available to every player Gus approaches. It's something he'd reserve for a player like JT. Regardless of the fact JT ended up staying in Townsville, the sweetener of a career with Channel Nine after football seems like a flagrant violation of NRL Salary Cap policy. And if he's tried it once he'd likely try it again, or already has, when it comes to attracting marquee players.
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Nothing would surprise me with Gus Gould! He would use his grandmother to attract marquee players.
Is she a good sort?
Probably a spitting image of dear Gus!
That sound like what Gus would do to try get players to come n stay
At a stage of life, a point where many never actually get to, the penny drops and you realise that bullshit makes the world turn. Money and bullshit more precisely. Those smarter will find way to circumvent, those like Parra will eat dirt.
Super, as the late Kerry Packer said when asked by a numbnut journo why he had just purchased his latest business, a business Packer had no experience in (paraphrasing) you are right, I do not know a lot about this business, or my other businesses,which is why I employ those who do.
Roosters etc do, we do not. Super, try not to be that journo!!
Gus is only copying what has been done before. I bet Lockyer , fitler and Joey had something guaranteed during there careers the three off them are hopeless commentators certainly weren't pick cause they had a talent for broadcasting sport.
I won't be surprised when slater in a year or two winds up on fox sports or writing articles for news ltd somewhere.
The most annoying thing is everyone is cheating in broad daylight and we are the most useless club off the field which translates to the quality of players we can then put on the field.