Doust won't play Gasnier blame game
The finger of blame is being pointed squarely in his direction, but St George Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust says he isn't interested in being part of a witch hunt in light of Mark Gasnier's defection to rugby union.
Doust has become public enemy No.1 in the eyes of the red and white faithful for his role in instigating a clause which has allowed Gasnier to walk out on the NRL club two years into a five-year deal.
The NRL and Gasnier's manager George Mimis and the unnamed third parties who failed to come to the party financially have also come under fire for their role in the affair.
But Doust said it would be pointless to try and lay blame.
"Everybody wants to point the finger, I'm not particularly interested in blaming anybody other then the fact that the contracts that the Dragons undertook to pay have been honoured," Doust told radio station 2KY.
"I stand by the fact we did our best to keep Mark Gasnier in the game and at the Dragons."
Central to the anger of Dragons fans is the controversial clause which gave Gasnier the power to explore his options each year of the five-year deal.
But Doust defended the clause, going as far as to claim it was not a one-off in the NRL.
"Everybody's trying to make this clause be a unique one, it's not unique," Doust said.
"It exists in other players contracts, not the Dragons, but in other places - which obviously I can't divulge - but I know that's the case."
Gasnier is just the latest in a high profile list of Dragons stars to walk out of the club before the end of their contract.
Prop Jason Ryles will see out only one season of a three-year deal before moving to Les Catalans next season while Trent Barrett had two years remaining on his contract when he left the Dragons for Wigan at the end of 2006.
Doust has been the man in charge throughout all three contracts, but he is unlikely to pay for latest walkout given his employers - the Dragons board - were fully aware of the clause in Gasnier's contract.
"A person like myself, a CEO is accountable to people and boards and they know the details of how these things are created and managed and I'll always be prepared to be accountable to them," he said.
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