League HQ

AS THE businessman Peter Holmes a Court scoured financial records of the beleaguered South Sydney Football club, he could not help but notice the salary of one of the club's assistant coaches "stood out", a court has heard.

Holmes a Court told the NSW Supreme Court yesterday that Jamie "Papa" (short for Papaconstuntinos) was paid 15 times more than other assistant coaches at the club. His $60,000 salary package for training and coaching the Rabbitohs' junior sides was three times more than his immediate boss.

"It immediately came to my attention because his [surname] was the same name as someone who sat on the board of the leagues club," Mr Holmes a Court said, referring to Tony Papaconstuntinos, a former official of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.

"It was considerably more … than the person he reported to and … other people doing a similar job," Mr Holmes a Court said.

Tony Papaconstuntinos is suing Mr Holmes a Court for defamation in the NSW Supreme Court over a letter Mr Holmes a Court sent to his boss. In it Mr Papaconstuntinos is accused of telling mistruths about the bid by Mr Holmes a Court and Russell Crowe to take over the ailing club. Mr Holmes a Court also alleged that Mr Papaconstuntinos and the CFMEU benefitted from club funds through overpayments to Jamie Papa.

As a lifetime fan of the South Sydney club, Mr Papaconstuntinos had been strongly opposed to the bid by Mr Holmes a Court and Mr Crowe to privatise the club.

Mr Holmes a Court told the court he could not understand why some people so strongly opposed his injecting cash into a club they loved.

"I thought they were trying to stop me getting in control so that I could [not] get to the bottom of this [the overpayments]."

Mr Holmes a Court learnt of Mr Papa's salary in the latter months of 2005.

By this stage Mr Papa had been sacked by the club after a negative performance review and the chief executive Shane Richardson discovered his high salary, Mr Holmes a Court said.

Mr Richardson had been told not to worry about Mr Papa's salary as it was being paid for by building and construction companies through sponsorships "delivered" by Tony Papaconstuntinos, Mr Holmes a Court said.

The hearing continues.