St George Illawarra have distanced themselves from chairman Craig Young’s personal reference for Brett Finch, as the long-time official conceded he should not have used a Dragons letterhead.
Young came under fire this week after it emerged he had offered support to Finch, as the former NRL star awaits sentencing for a child abuse charge.
In a letter to the presiding judge in Finch’s case dated October 6, Young claimed Finch was “a decent young man who has made a genuine mistake”.
Young signed off on the letter in his official capacity as chairman of St George Illawarra, while also having the club’s logo and famous Red V atop the page.
But the NRL club moved to distance itself from the personal reference on Friday, making clear it was not supported or approved by them.
“It was an error in judgement to put this statement on a club letterhead,” Young said in a Dragons statement.
“I was asked to provide a letter of support to a family friend who I believe made a serious mistake but is a fundamentally decent person.
“I should not have connected the club to this matter and would like to apologise to members, fans, sponsors and all other stakeholders for any distress caused.”
The semi-apology comes after Finch pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child abuse in August.
In the letter, Young said he was “very close friends” with Finch’s parents and that he had known the 41-year-old for most of his life.
In doing so, he pointed to Finch’s mental health battles and claimed he was confident the former playmaker would not appear before the courts again.
“I was Brett’s team manager when he represented New South Wales in a State of Origin series,” the St George legend and NRL Hall of Fame member wrote.
“He demonstrated to me at that point in his life strong leadership skills within the team environment and always showed great sportsmanship towards his teammates and opposition players as a whole.
“I am also aware of Brett’s long battle with mental health issues, and I have seen firsthand the ‘dark places’ he has been to.
“I am also aware that this has devastated him, and he is extremely embarrassed and disappointed in himself.
“To put it simply he is highly remorseful for what has happened, and I believe he has learnt the strongest of lesson from this matter.”
