HERE is the full content of the lawyer's letter supplied to The Sunday Telegraph following James Hooper's approach for comment after viewing CCTV footage at Forrester's.

Re: Jason Taylor - CCTV footage of incident at Forrester's Hotel 6 September 2009

We refer to converstations I have had with Mr James Hooper (I believe) of your newspaper this afternoon. Mr Hooper called me to notify me that the Telegraph is intending to publish still images from the CCTV footage in tomorrow's edition. I confirm Mr Hooper invited Mr Taylor to respond on the record.

Mr Taylor's public position in relation to the CCTV footage is as follows:

Mr Taylor does not wish to fuel or perpetuate media coverage of an indicent between player David Fa'alogo and Mr Taylor which culminated in Mr Fa'alogo allegedly punching Mr Taylor (Alleged Incident) because Mr Taylor is concerned about any adverse impact this may have on the South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club (South Sydney). However, Mr Taylor is aware that the Telegraph intends of its own accord to publish still images of the CCTV footage and has been invited to respond.

Still images of CCTV footage are unlikely to present the Alleged Incident and surrounding circumstances in a full, fair and truthful contex.

In Mr Taylor's opinion, a reasonable person viewing all of the CCTV footage of the function at Forrester's Hotel would conclude that, at the Forrester's function generally, and specifically at the time of the Alleged Incident:

* Mr Taylor was not `intoxicated' or `drunk' as those terms are understood in general parlance or by employees responsible for serving alcohol in licensed premises;
* Mr Taylor engaged in some light-hearted, well-meaning, friendly horseplay with some players present, including David Fa'alogo, and that all participants in the horseplay participated consensually. The nature of the horseplay was pretend, light-weight kung-fu play;
* any contact that Mr Taylor made with Mr Fa'alogo was in the context of, and with a physical force consistent with, that pretend, light-weight kung-fu play; and
* Mr Fa'alogo's participation in the pretent, light-weight kung-fu play that led directly to the Alleged Incident was at least as willing as Mr Taylor's, indeed more so.

Mr Taylor's position is that none of the above matters, including Mr Taylor's mere attendance at the function and mere consumption of alcoholic beverages, consistutes any breach of his contract of employment with South Sydney or any other ground for the termination of his contract of employment with South Sydney.

To the extent, and only to the extent, that this letter replicates the content of the first letter from me to Mr Crawley today, then we withdraw the cover of confidentiality etc in relation to that content.

Mr Taylor's public position is provided to you on the following conditions:
* any publication of his position will ensure that the first 2 points of the public position are at least referred to or mentioned;
* a verbatim copy of the public position will be generally accessible online on The Daily Telegraph wesite from the time of hardcopy publication; and
* Mr Taylor waives none of his rights

Yours faithfully,
Sydney Birchall
Lawyer
Optim Legal