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You make a good case, but could I suggest that for the most part - the ARU has been the architect who planned the payments to the Melb Rebels. In the first instance, when the Rebels were 'gifted' back to the VRU by Mitchell and co, the ARU, Bill Pulver, over rode the boards decision to appoint a CEO and instead, appointed Rob Clarke, (his old school mate), who he had 'run into at a school sports do on the Sunday'. Rob Clarke was given an open cheque book by the ARU to run things as he saw fit during his two seasons at the club. Then, Peter Leahy took over for one season, and had begun turning the ship around into almost 'even stevens' territory. This was when Rob Clarke sold the franchise to Andrew Cox for $1 and promises to continue to pay Cox about $6-7 million . These payments were secret and only came out when Wilson and Smith reported them end of March 2016 just before the annual report was published. Again, distressing for ARU, but not due to Tim North, and this is why I say they were the architects of this flawed model - because they rejected an offer to buy the Rebels in 2014 that was set to cauterise their payments to the Rebels as at December 2014. So my question is, and this is really to the ARU, please explain to the rugby community why you chose to make these absurd payments to a millionaire and then blame the Rebels because there is no money for grass roots rugby?