‘Give the grog away’: Bulldogs backer calls last drinks for Elliott
Canterbury’s major sponsor, beer baron Arthur Laundy, believes Adam Elliott deserves one last chance at the club, but says he must swear off alcohol completely given it has been the common denominator in all of his off-field dramas.
Elliott’s future is again at the crossroads after he was ejected from a Gold Coast restaurant after a toilet tryst with NRLW player Millie Boyle.
The Bulldogs have stood down Elliott pending an NRL integrity unit probe into allegations he was asked to leave the White Rhino restaurant after being busted in the men’s bathroom with Boyle. The club will wait for the NRL’s verdict before proceeding, but several powerbrokers have run out of patience and are prepared to tear up his contract pending legal advice.
One influential figure at Belmore who believes Elliott should be spared is Laundy. The veteran hotelier has been active at the club since becoming its major sponsor in 2020 and helped convince Elliott to re-sign when there was a more lucrative offer from the Warriors.
During his six decades in the liquor trade, Laundy has seen plenty of lost causes due to alcohol, but he is adamant Elliott isn’t one of them.
“I hope they keep him in the fold,” Laundy told the
Herald. ”I’ve never kicked a person while they are down, I’m here to help and encourage and teach a person.
“I’ve had 60-odd years of experience in the liquor trade; I’ve seen them go down. If he was to go down as a result of this and lose his position, it would have an enormous psychological effect on that young lad.
“He was going to go to the Warriors, I took him and his manager to lunch … he knocked back bigger money in New Zealand to stay with us. As a result of that, he’s become like another son to me.
“Last night Adam called me and he was so down, he knew he’d done the wrong thing. He said, ‘I’m so sorry I let you down.’ I said, ‘You’ve let yourself down’. I told him, ‘I’m still here for you and will always be here for you.’”
During his six decades in the liquor trade, Arthur Laundy has seen plenty of lost causes due to alcohol. However, the Bulldogs sponsor is adamant Adam Elliott isn’t one of them.
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