Vodafone Warriors owner CEO Cameron George during a media press conference at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on Tuesday 12 April 2022. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
Rugby league: Former New Zealand Warriors NRL star Elijah Taylor reveals full story after his manager misappropriated $400,000
The first emotion for Elijah Taylor was disbelief. That was swiftly followed by shock.
The former Warriors star — and 11-test Kiwi — was sitting in the Penrith branch of Westpac bank, when the cold, unbelievable reality began to dawn.
Accompanied by his wife, they stared again at the computer screen that displayed transactions from his personal account.
“I still didn’t believe it,” Taylor told the Herald. “How could it be possible? How could someone do this — someone who was like my father. I trusted him so much. I trusted him more than anyone else in my life.”
The banker presented printouts going back, year by year, with all kinds of strange transactions.
“When you see trips to Fiji on your bank statement you are like…. ‘what? I’ve never been to Fiji’,” said Taylor.
Last month a court found Taylor’s manager, Christchurch-based Ian Miles, had misappropriated almost $400,000 from the Warriors, Panthers and Tigers forward, over a four-year period, which Miles still denies.
Evidence showed the money was splurged on overseas holidays, gifts for his wife, motorcycles, flash hotels, restaurants, clothing and furniture.
