0
Giteau affair overshadows Force preparations
9th December 2008, 8:00 WST
The thing that puzzles most about this Matt Giteau shermozzle is his rejection in Hong Kong of a deal apparently made in heaven, just like the game he plays.
When you knock back a guaranteed $1.6 million at a time the world economy is plummeting faster than Eddie the Eagle on cast-iron skis, you must have the sweetest of sweetheart deals waiting in the wings.
So let’s see it. Why keep the Western Force out of the loop, just two months before they kick off the new Super 14 season against the Auckland Blues at Subiaco Oval?
Pssst! This just in. The original monetary offer to Giteau from Firepower was $400k per year, supplemented by a last-minute sweetener of $350k of Firepower scrip from company chief Tim Johnston, who would have known at the time that, barring a miracle, the chance of Gits getting a buck per share ranged somewhere between zero and 30 below.
The replacement offer was also for $400k per year in the bank, compensating Giteau for the money he lost this year when Firepower fizzled, plus the next three seasons.
the rest from Dave Hughes at the West,....