Three of National Rugby League side Manly’s major backers "have thrown their financial and emotional support behind the club as it wades its way through ugly match-fixing allegations and a bitter courtroom battle with its major sponsor," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. The Sea Eagles "are due to head to court next month over legal dramas with jersey sponsor Coco Joy" in the eye of the match-fixing storm. ISC CEO Brett Corrick insisted that his organization "had no plans to desert the club in its hour of need and endorsed CEO Joe Kelly as the man to lead the club out of its current difficulties." Corrick said, "We have been with Manly just touching a decade. We are as committed today as we were yesterday, last year or the year before that." Stephen Firth, from Firth the Compensation Lawyers, said, "We’re rock solid in standing right behind the club. In what we have seen so far, we don’t have any issues." Execs from both Daikin and UMR "mirrored those responses, a timely fillip for the club given its current dramas." The show of support from some of the club’s most influential financial supporters "also eases concerns it would suffer significant monetary punishment as a result of the match-fixing allegations" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/9). In Sydney, Adrian Proszenko wrote Manly is confident that it has the proof that Coco Joy "entered into a binding sponsorship contract" to become its major sponsor, to the tune of A$3.6M ($2.6M). The Sea Eagles said that a document proves their "steadfast belief that they have a binding three-year deal, contradicting Coco Joy's claim in a dispute that is heading for a NSW Supreme Court hearing on July 27." A spokesperson for FAL Food and Beverage, the firm that owns the coconut water brand, claims they have "no relationship with Manly RLFC" because the signatory allegedly acted beyond his authority. The contract is signed by Kelly, Sea Eagles Corporate GM Luke Byrne and FAL's Tim Xenos. FAL claims that Xenos "acted without the permission of the company in executing several sporting deals, including the one with the NRL club." However, Manly's statutory demand for payment claims that A$302,500 ($226,000) "is due and was payable on February 20." The creditor provided a sworn affidavit demanding the money on March 30, warning that failure to do so could result in a demand "for the winding up" of FAL Healthy Food and Beverages (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/8). In Melbourne, Dean Ritchie wrote Xenos "completed the deal with Manly before leaving the company earlier this year." Xenos denied FAL claims that "he had no authority to strike the deal." Xenos said, "It’s incorrect. One, I was CEO, and, two, it was ratified by the board. The authority was there. Obviously they want to get out for a reason" (HERALD SUN, 6/8).
