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2009
2008
Sharks circle around Cronulla chief as new allegations surface over punch
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday June 8, 2009
CRONULLA SUTHERLAND€™S chief executive, Tony Zappia, will be forced to resign this morning after damning new evidence emerged of pornography in the Sharks€™ office and serious question marks about management of the accidental punch to the face of former employee Jenny Hall.Mr Zappia came under enormous pressure from the National Rugby League chief executive, David Gallop, and other senior officials last night to stand down immediately after a tape recording that was shown on Channel Seven News last night. The Cronulla Sutherland club board, with a host of newly-elected members, were horrified that the report painted the club in a shocking light and underscored the poor attitude towards women that was revealed last month in theHerald.€˜€˜He has got to go,€™€™ one senior official said last night. Mr Gallop was also scathing of Mr Zappia and urged the Cronulla Sutherland board to take swift and severe action, noting that it would be difficult to see how the club could not take the strongest action possible.The NRL is in an embarrassing position after it gave a glowing report about the club on May 25 following investigations stemming from the Herald article.TheHerald published a photo of Ms Hall with a severely bruised face and revealed how she had been paid out $20,000 and had left her employment with the club.It is understood that some of the denials given to the NRL investigators conflicted with the evidence heard on the tape recording.Channel Seven played the tape between MsHall and Mr Zappia that was recorded just days after the accidental punch whereMs Hall questioned how the punch could have been accidental since she had suffered such a severe injury. In the recording, Mr Zappia is heard to ask Ms Hall if she had been drinking, and then suggested the injury to her face occurred because she bounced against a wall. That was immediately rejected by Ms Hall, who said €˜€˜it was his fist that did it€™€™.The news report was the last straw for the NRL, but last night the newlyelected Cronulla Sutherland board was celebrating the club€™s third win of the season and did not want to interrupt that to meet over the issue. Late last night a club spokesman said there would be an extraordinary board meeting this morning.€˜€˜The emergence of new and damaging information that was not available to the NRL, nor it is understood the Cronulla board at the time the matter was last reviewed, necessitates a swift response from the club,€™€™ Mr Gallop said. €˜€˜The NRL is on record as saying that it would review any new information that came to light.€™€™Mr Zappia did not return messages last night.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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