GEOFF Toovey should invoice the NRL, with interest. What's the bank interest on $10,000 these days, anyway?
Does it cover the cost of a phone call from NRL headquarters? Toovey's post-match press conference that cost him the fine is something the NRL has been crying out for, and instead of encouraging him they stomped on him.
Yet Channel 9 recognised the appeal of Toovey's candidness enough to make it part of their finals promotions package. Fox Sports also recognised it, and at Thursday's grand final lunch it got a run again.
The night before, Toovey and Roosters coach Trent Robinson came on NRL360 where it got a run again, backed up by support from these quarters that Toovey should never have been fined.
Geoff Toovey says he won't be masking any emotions in the coaches box on Grand Final day.
The need for honesty and transparency such as Toovey displayed — which didn't cross the line as the NRL claims — has never been more apparent than this week.
Toovey is as relaxed as any coach ever seen in his first grand final. He sat in the green room before Wednesday's appearance on NRL360, chatting with Robinson as if there wasn't a worry to consider.
His cool demeanour is reflected in the Sea Eagles who, after a dark period where the club was at war with the NRL and the media, has shifted significantly since he took over last year.
There is a sunlight in the Sea Eagles' camp that wasn't there before.
But the fine seemed to be in the back of his mind as the questions came at him in his last public press conference on Thursday. Why wouldn't it be, when honesty is discouraged?
The impact of Toovey's fine was seen elsewhere in grand final week, in the manner of a death by 1000 cuts. The Roosters have refused to allow Sonny Bill Williams to be interviewed at any point this week. One of the biggest name in Sunday's game, his voice silent.
Speaking on NRL 360, Manly coach Geoff Toovey says his team has been underestimated this season.
How many pages of newsprint a Williams interview would have generated is something we can only guess at now, but it was an opportunity to sell the game that the NRL missed.
The Roosters open media day on Tuesday provided just a few players, far from the entire squad, far from the biggest names, and again, when the NRL should have been out selling its biggest moment, the opportunity was let slip.
By comparison, Manly made everybody available.
The NRL can thank Toovey for that. He doesn't carry a grudge, as they might believe.
Outside the official press conference at Thursday's grand final lunch no Roosters players were allowed to be interviewed.
It is traditionally the last time the media interviews players before leaving them alone to prepare for Sunday's decider.
By contrast, the Sea Eagles, led by Toovey, had them all available. As you can see, the most talked about fine of the season is also the greatest injustice. As they walked off set of NRL360 Toovey held out his hand.
“Thanks Trent," he said.
"See you, mate. See you tomorrow," Robinson said. "We've got the lunch."
"That's right," Toovey said, following Robinson out.
It reminded me of Sam the Sheepdog and Ralph the Coyote from those old Looney Tunes cartoons — just moments before the work whistle goes off.
Paul Kent http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/kent-on-saturday-10000-reasons-why-the-nrl-owes-geoff-toovey/story-fni3fbgz-1226733147045