Steve Smith and David Warner clearly haven’t known for some time what “the spirit of the game” means if an illuminating email penned by former Test umpire Daryl Harper that’s landed on this column’s desk is any indication. It reveals that Harper warned both Smith and Warner about “being involved in a ball-tampering incident” when they were playing for NSW against Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match in November 2016. Harper, who was the match referee, fired off the cranky email to Simon Taufel, Cricket Australia’s Match Referee and Umpire Selection Manager. He claims Smith had unfairly whinged about the state of the SCG pitch following the 198-run loss. Then he went much further, saying alleged ball tampering didn't stop until he spoke to NSW coach Trent Johnston. Happier times: Steve Smith playing for NSW. Credit:AAP

“To be honest, I was not surprised by Steve’s assessment,” Harper wrote. “It was in keeping with his demeanour throughout the week. He gave the impression that he wasn’t happy to be playing the Sheffield Shield match and failed early in both innings with expansive strokes. “When David Warner repeatedly bounced his returns in to [NSW wicketkeeper] Peter Nevill on the first day, the umpires appealed to Smith to support their calls for fair play. They weren’t encouraged by his response. I assisted the umpires on the second morning by suggesting to Trent Johnston that CA didn’t need an issue with the national captain being involved in a ball-tampering incident. This was at the same time that the South African captain [Faf du Plessis] was under scrutiny and before he had been charged. As it transpired, there were no further errant throws for the final three days of the game from either team. Steve’s participation in the post-match meeting was quite limp, and not as I would expect from our national captain.” Loading Now, bouncing the ball into the keeper is hardly the worst crime committed on a cricket field. The South Africans have been warned about it during this current series against Australia. And it’s certainly not the equivalent of taking a Ryobi orbital sander to the rough side of the ball, or even a small yellow piece of sandpaper as Cameron Bancroft did at the behest of Smith and Warner in the third Test in Cape Town.

But it doesn’t make it right. And if we’re talking about the ugly-Aussies-win-at-all-costs culture, it’s interesting to learn that Smith and Warner had such a low regard for the “spirit of the game” back then. If Smith found it a burden playing for NSW, we wonder how he will feel now that he and Warner have been banned from playing domestic or international cricket, as well as the Indian Premier League, for the next year. Harper, incidentally, did not return calls. Money running out

Meanwhile, you could excuse CA chief executive James Sutherland if he forgot about the “spirit of the game” and simply got on the highest proof spirit he can get his hands on. (Not that alcohol is ever the answer, young readers.) Magellan on Thursday jumped out of its three-year, $20 million sponsorship of the national men’s team after just one year. Loading Trickier for Sutherland - who is already on shaky ground with his board after his weak media conference on Sunday - is the damage the ball-tampering scandal will have on TV negotiations with Channel Nine, Ten and Fox Sports. It’s been suggested to me it could cost CA as much as $500 million. Given that’s what the current five-year deal is worth, and CA was pushing for as much as $850 million this time around, that would be some sort of haircut.

How much will Nine have left in the kitty after spending $300 million to secure the rights to major tennis, including the Australian Open? Todd Greenberg and Peter Beattie apparently have a "vision" for rugby league. Credit:AAP Blurred NRL vision Not to be outdone this week, the greatest game of all — that’s rugby league, by the way — chimed in with some melodrama of its own. Manly was caught out rorting the salary cap by $1.5 million over five years in illegal deals with 15 players, including captain Daly Cherry-Evans who sensationally backflipped on a massive deal with the Titans to stay on the northern beaches.

The rest of the game was left with its collective jaw on the ground when NRL boss Todd Greenberg announced the Sea Eagles would not lose any competition points and the smallest fish in the scandal — former chief executive Joe Kelly and chief operating officer Neil Bare — were going to be rubbed out for a year while others, including club co-owner Scott Penn, received warnings. A day later, the NRL held another media conference to reveal its long-awaited “strategic plan”, five years after former chairman John Grant revealed a “strategic plan” in which almost none of the key performance indicators were met. Perhaps with that in mind, this new strategic plan trumpeted “key elements” that have already been announced. There’s the new four-team women’s competition ... which was actually announced in December, with six teams and not just four, which has left South Sydney and Cronulla feeling absolutely duped There are new stadiums ... which includes Parramatta Stadium; which is being paid for by the NSW taxpayer; which includes ANZ and Allianz, which are yet to be finalised and signed off on; which includes stadiums that the NRL can barely fill every weekend as it stands right this bloody minute!

There’s expansion ... which includes State Cup competitions former NRL head of development Shane Richardson put to the league as far back as December 2015. And then there’s the Immortals concept ... which started in 1981. How’s that for “vision”? Jets go live on Nine If you’re feeling jaded about the game, you can always dose up on what rugby league is really about by taking in a match at Henson Park, the home of the great Newtown Jets.

Channel Nine will broadcast live its first ever match from Henson when it covers the round nine Intrust Super Premiership match between the Jets and North Sydney Bears on May 6. Former Jets backrower, Nine expert and Panthers general manager Phil Gould will join Joel Caine and Jamie Soward in commentary. Said Nine head of footy Simon Fordham: “The state cups are a crucial part of our broadcast agreement with the NRL and it’s great we can connect the history of the game with the community through identities like Gus.” Johnathan Thurston's boots for auction. Meanwhile, props to Nine and Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston, who raised no less than $35,515 at auction for the boots he wore in his 300th match in round one.

The funds will go to the Tathra Mayoral Appeal Fund and Rural Fire Service. Q&A: Kieren Jack We speak to the Sydney Swans veteran ahead of Sunday's first home game of the season, against Port Adelaide, at the SCG. As a lover of sport, how have you watched the events of the past week with our cricket team? The coverage of it has been incredible. It highlights how severe the issue is based on how serious we take it as a nation. We're all naturally invested in cricket so everyone has had a say. But it's now time to let the players have their say and then let it go. The suspensions are tough but, in all codes, integrity is something you have to keep intact. You lose that, you lose everything.

Swans player Kieran Jack. Credit:Janie Barrett You guys had a great first-up win over West Coast. There was such a huge build up to round one as always, but especially for us heading to Perth, with West Coast playing in a brand new stadium. That added a lot of hype. There were a lot of positives for us out of that win, especially after our poor start last year. What's it like watching Buddy (who kicked eight goals) winding up from close range? You just marvel at the things he can do, and how dominant he is in a one-on-one contest. And even at times when they have two people on him. It's rare to see that in today's game. You just have to get him the ball and he'll kick it. And it can be within 60 metres. His range is so big.

I've noticed via your Instagram that you enjoy the races. [Laughs] Neil Breen from Channel Nine has tipped us in on a share in a horse, so I'm following it a bit closer than usual. It's yet to run and trained by Richard Freedman. You might as well get me to train it. Tell him I'm expecting big things. Sam Burgess and a few others from Nine are involved. Make it very clear that I am only involved in one horse! Another tough game this week, although the match is also going to raise funds for the Tathra bushfire victims.

A friend of mine who was on the Swans' list, Ed Barlow, his parents' house was burnt down in the fires. The Swans would've got involved anyway but it adds a personal touch. So we're trying to raise some money to help out all the families involved. For anyone at the game, we'd love you to give some sort of donation. THE QUOTE “If Mitchell ever wanted advice on how to play, I would be more than happy to catch up.” — Roosters halfback Cooper Cronk is here for you, Mitchell Pearce. If I was Mitchell Pearce, I know what I’d be telling Cooper Cronk to do. THUMBS UP Sydney Swans superstaaaaar Lance "Buddy" Franklin kicked eight goals against West Coast last weekend, prompting dual premiership-winning coach Malcolm Blight to forecast that Franklin could bag a hundred this season. Said Blight: “Going to sleep on Sunday night made for the most beautiful recurring dream: more than one player genuinely chasing 100 goals this season".

THUMBS DOWN One of the biggest issues confronting our world is the heinous affliction RDS: Relevancy Deprivation Syndrome. Australian Sports Commission boss John Wylie was struck down with it within hours of the ball-tampering scandal coming to light, calling for everyone to be sacked. Then former captain Michael Clarke put his hand up, saying he’d consider coming out of retirement… It’s a big weekend for … David Pocock, who makes his long-awaited return to Super Rah-Rah and the Brumbies after his year-long sabbatical in Saturday’s match against the Waratahs. Keen to see how he goes under the game’s new ruck laws. It’s an even bigger weekend for …