Wounded Bears Form United Front
By DAVID ROWLANDS
NORTH SHORE TIMES - 29/10/2004


It may have come five years late, but a public push to resuscitate North Sydney Rugby League Club has finally begun.

At 8pm on Tuesday night, former Bears utility player Mark Cannon left his seat at the back of North Sydney Oval’s Duncan Thompson Stand and thrust $50 into the hand of his former team mate and current general manager, Greg Florimo.

Cannon’s contribution was the first public donation in the embattled club’s quest for survival, following a disastrous three months in which they’ve been denied their chance to re-enter the NRL as the Central Coast Bears, had $300 000 cut from their budget by North Sydney Leagues Club, and had pleas for funding assistance rejected by the NRL, ARL and NSWRL.

Cannon’s impromptu gesture came at the end of a two-hour meeting that saw former greats like Frank Hyde, Jason Taylor, Gavin Jones and Gary Larson among a crowd of about 200 concerned diehards.

While donations were not actively sought, many of the crowd later signed up as members of the football club, which is aiming to boost its bank balance by tripling its ranks from about 300 to 1000,

The fans were given a chance to have their say and they didn’t hold back.

Surprisingly, there was little negativity aimed at the code’s ruling bodies.

Instead, their anger was aimed at the Leagues club, which was accused of betraying their primary charter of financially support a football team.

One supporter, who did not wish to be named, told the North Shore Times after the meeting: “Our enemies have been from within”.

Another fan roared: “(The Leagues club) has killed the football team.”

Several speakers suggested the Leagues Club should change its name to something like “Cammeray Social Club”, due to its irrelevance to rugby league.

Long-time follower Michael Reardon feels the Leagues Club “is piggy-backing off the name” “They’re no longer supporting what it was formed for,” he said.

Much of the ire was aimed at Tony Salier, one of two football club representatives on the seven-man Leagues club board. To most of the attendees, he was defending the indefensible, especially when it came to sensitive issues like the club’s interest in the Seagulls club at Tweed Heads and the North Sydney bowling club.

The words of Frank Hyde were far better received.

The oldest living captain in North Sydney’s history said:

“You have a tremendous tradition upon which to build your hopes.”

“The odds are against you, but you won’t get anywhere unless you fight for it.”

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