Porkies - Nick Pappas

[On being offered a compromise Board by George Piggins prior to the 2003 SSDRLFC Board election]: "He effectively wants me to be a stooge chairman with a board that he controls from the outside. I'm not prepared to be a stooge chairman. If I'm going to be a director of the company I want to be able to carry out my duties, not have it controlled by five people who are appointed by George. If that's the alternative, and a split board like that won't work, I'd prefer that George wins the election and carries on." --- AAP, 7 April 2003 (The next day Pappas compromised exactly that way; five Piggins appointed directors and four appointed by Pappas including himself. From that day on Pappas spun the line that the Board was united and all decisions were 9-0)

"South Sydney's board has voted 9 - 0 to commit the club to Aussie Stadium at Moore Park till 2010." ---Sun Herald, 15 February 2004 (This was a common comment from Pappas regarding the unity of his board. The reality was there was a bitter division between Pappas and the Piggins aligned board members. The board was never unified)

[On his role as SSDRLFC Chairman and accountability]: "Of course, as I should be. As should the whole board, and maybe senior management as well. We are there to do something. If we don't do it, we've got to go. It's as simple as that. I don't plan to stay in the position for a very long time. I plan to get this done fairly quickly. I'm not someone who plans to be chairman of Souths for 10 years. I want to be there, get the job done and hand over to someone who will make a good successor. Replenishment, refreshment, renewal is very important on boards." --- Rugby League Week interview, 7 April 2004

[On the potential signing of Braith Anasta]: "Watch this space" --- AAP, 2 June 2004 (It was well known well before June 30 in NRL circles that Anasta had signed with the Roosters)

[Blaming George Piggins for the SSDRLFC's poor financial position]: "The source of our financial problems is the inability of our own leagues club to give us a grant each year. Their club, because of its poor trading, has been unable to provide a grant for the football club." --- AAP, 16 December 2005

[On the health of Boards of Directors]: "Change is a good thing, it's something I've always advocated. New blood on the board, replenishing boards, is something I believe in." --- AAP, 16 December 2005 (Pappas had said almost exactly the same thing in an RLW interview in April 2004 - see above)

"This is the mandate Members gave my Board and we have delivered on all our promises." --- 19/3/06, South Sydney Media Release (No Nick, your mandate was not to drive the club to financial ruin and then sell it cheaply to an actor and a phoney)

[On Shane Richardson's resignation as SSFC CEO to take on the Passionate Group CEO's role]: "With tenacity and determination, he took to the task of re-building the Rabbitohs and over the next two years successfully laid the platform for the Club's momentous transition to its new corporate structure. Since then, he has brought football credibility back to our Club and many of the results of his hard work are still only just becoming apparent." --- Souths Official Press Release, 31 October 2007 (In fact Richardson and Pappas had no such strategy and had overseen massive financial losses which resulted in the club being privatised, and the club continuously languishing at the bottom of the NRL table both actually and statistically)

"Shane Richardson has done an unbelievable job in his role as CEO since he joined the Club in 2004... Shane has brought football credibility back to our club and many of the results of his hard work are only just becoming apparent...Rabbitoh Members and supporters everywhere owe Shane Richardson a huge debt of gratitude." --- South Sydney Media Release, 1 November 2007 (That one defies belief - Shane Richardson brings credibility???)

[The 2010 Member Co AGM]: AFTER losing $7 million in the previous two years, South Sydney chairman Nicholas Pappas yesterday announced the Rabbitohs had turned a profit for the first time in recent memory last season --- Sydney Morning Herald, 8 March 2010 (Pappas had told Souths Members and the media that the SSFC had made a $260,000 profit. The reality was that in the Annual Report it stated - "The Company operating profit before financing costs of South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Limited for the year was $234,815 (2008: loss of $2,554,919), and the Company operating loss after financing costs was $258,527 (2008: $2,828,925). After taking in to account exceptional items, the Consolidated operating loss of South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Limited for the year was $258,527 (2008: $4,135,036)"

SOUTH SYDNEY chairman Nicholas Pappas, the lawyer who took on the might of News Ltd and won after the Rabbitohs were booted out of the NRL in 1999, is set to again challenge the media giant through the courts on behalf of star recruit Greg Inglis. --- Brad Walter, SMH, 8 November 2010. (The reality is that Souths lost the case to News Ltd on appeal)

"After losing $7 million in the previous two years, South Sydney chairman Nicholas Pappas yesterday announced the Rabbitohs had turned a profit for the first time in recent memory last season - making them the only Sydney club to do so in 2009. Pappas made the announcement to Souths members at the club's annual general meeting at Redfern Town Hall" 2008 
--- Brad Walter, SMH, 8 March 

Rebel Rabbitohs had been telling readers since March of 2010 that the 'profit' was actually a loss of $258,527.00. Many people wanted to rubbish this. But on 10 February 2011, on the club's official website, the Financial Report for 2010 was published for members. In it there was this quote - "2009: loss of $258,527.00." Rebel Rabbitohs had the facts exactly right. Down to the exact figure. Nick Pappas was found out again.