Chrisaaar
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A PROMISE made over a boozy pre-season lunch has come back to bite Canterbury's major sponsor, who will hand to the club a $100,000 cheque he never thought he would have to write.
Gary Johnston, the managing director of Jaycar Electronics, was so convinced that the Bulldogs' first season under new coach Des Hasler would be a year of rebuilding that he agreed to a six-figure minor premiership bonus.
The Bulldogs, unfancied by many, went on to top the NRL ladder at the end of the premiership season, picking up $100,000 in prizemoney along with the J.J. Giltinan Shield. They stand to collect another $400,000 if they go on to win their first grand final since 2004 but must on Saturday night get past South Sydney in the preliminary final at ANZ Stadium.
Whatever the case there will be an additional $100,000 in the Belmore coffers thanks to Johnston's inadvertent pledge at a lunch with Canterbury chief executive Todd Greenberg, chairman Ray Dib and ex-chairman and premiership winning captain George Peponis.
''I was having lunch with Todd and George Peponis and Ray Dib at a very nice restaurant earlier in the year, before the competition started and everyone was trying to predict who was going to be in the final eight. I was made aware that [Bulldogs premiership winners and media personality] Darryl Brohman wasn't even picking the Doggies for the eight,'' Johnston said.
''We've had about three bottles of wine by this stage and it's getting late in the afternoon. Todd said to me, 'Hey, what if we become minor premiers? How about giving us a bonus?' I went, 'Why not?', thinking they're not even going to get in the eight … I never thought I'd ever have to pay out. But I'm very happy to give them the money … I'm very proud of them.''
Despite the arrival of Hasler from premiers Manly, Johnston made the cash incentive to the Bulldogs believing it unlikely they would challenge for top spot. Jaycar's deal is thought to be worth about $900,000 a season so the additional $100,000 is a significant extra dip into the pocket.
''I think Des realistically wouldn't have expected the side to go so well in his first year of coaching,'' Johnston said. ''He probably reasonably thought that it would take him 12 months to bed the whole thing down. The improvement in some of these players has been spectacular.''
The only bad news for the club is that while official prizemoney is exempt from the salary cap and therefore able to be distributed to players, a minor premiership bonus from their sponsor would be considered part of the cap if any made its way to players.
Johnston plans to pay tribute to Michael Ennis's team in another way, no matter what follows. ''I'll probably take all of the players and their wives out on the harbour before Christmas,'' he said.
Greenberg added last night: ''It's obviously pleasing to be in the position that we're in. If we have more people like Gary Johnston investing in rugby league the game will continue to prosper.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...to-top-spot-20120919-2674g.html#ixzz26y9wVPXj
Gary Johnston, the managing director of Jaycar Electronics, was so convinced that the Bulldogs' first season under new coach Des Hasler would be a year of rebuilding that he agreed to a six-figure minor premiership bonus.
The Bulldogs, unfancied by many, went on to top the NRL ladder at the end of the premiership season, picking up $100,000 in prizemoney along with the J.J. Giltinan Shield. They stand to collect another $400,000 if they go on to win their first grand final since 2004 but must on Saturday night get past South Sydney in the preliminary final at ANZ Stadium.
Whatever the case there will be an additional $100,000 in the Belmore coffers thanks to Johnston's inadvertent pledge at a lunch with Canterbury chief executive Todd Greenberg, chairman Ray Dib and ex-chairman and premiership winning captain George Peponis.
''I was having lunch with Todd and George Peponis and Ray Dib at a very nice restaurant earlier in the year, before the competition started and everyone was trying to predict who was going to be in the final eight. I was made aware that [Bulldogs premiership winners and media personality] Darryl Brohman wasn't even picking the Doggies for the eight,'' Johnston said.
''We've had about three bottles of wine by this stage and it's getting late in the afternoon. Todd said to me, 'Hey, what if we become minor premiers? How about giving us a bonus?' I went, 'Why not?', thinking they're not even going to get in the eight … I never thought I'd ever have to pay out. But I'm very happy to give them the money … I'm very proud of them.''
Despite the arrival of Hasler from premiers Manly, Johnston made the cash incentive to the Bulldogs believing it unlikely they would challenge for top spot. Jaycar's deal is thought to be worth about $900,000 a season so the additional $100,000 is a significant extra dip into the pocket.
''I think Des realistically wouldn't have expected the side to go so well in his first year of coaching,'' Johnston said. ''He probably reasonably thought that it would take him 12 months to bed the whole thing down. The improvement in some of these players has been spectacular.''
The only bad news for the club is that while official prizemoney is exempt from the salary cap and therefore able to be distributed to players, a minor premiership bonus from their sponsor would be considered part of the cap if any made its way to players.
Johnston plans to pay tribute to Michael Ennis's team in another way, no matter what follows. ''I'll probably take all of the players and their wives out on the harbour before Christmas,'' he said.
Greenberg added last night: ''It's obviously pleasing to be in the position that we're in. If we have more people like Gary Johnston investing in rugby league the game will continue to prosper.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...to-top-spot-20120919-2674g.html#ixzz26y9wVPXj
