In the midst of all the carrying on at Manly, I'm wandering if there's a precedent for the kind of actions attributed to the senior playing group. Can anyone recall a player faction of a club reacting this way to the non signing of a mate at the back end of his career? I'm sure that it happens at times, but the extent of this situation, the threats of breaking contracts and the flagrant carrying on to the media, I think is unprecedented.
The best comparable situation I can recall is when Newcastle let go Mathew Johns and kept his brother. Though i don't think this went down well, I can't recall Joey threatening to leave the club??
This is why the whole thing is hard to take. If some are unhappy and want to leave, that is fine, but to try to break contracts in order to leave and to dump on the club in public is not.
Players come and go at clubs all the time, the salary cap makes player retention a complex juggling act which requires hard headed decisions.
Take Menzies release in 2008. Few would argue that Hasler/cleals decision was one of the worst ever made at our club. Menzies was not only a club legend but a freak of a player who easily could have played on for another 3 years at the top level. And while the current bunch talk about 'sacrifices for the club', during his career Menzies turned down top notch offers from other clubs to remain at a club that, post 1998 was routinely getting flogged. Did Menzies complain when shafted like this in 2008?. Did any players threaten to revolt at the treachery/stupidity of Hasler and Cleal. No, he played 5 more years overseas cos he didn't want to play against Manly.
Menzies reward is that he will be remembered as one of the all time greats (in my estimation, the greatest Sea Eagle of all).
Its a pity that Watmough and Stewart in particular arent able to recognise what is at stake in regard to their current dummy spit. They've got at best a few more years of playing left and then the rest of their lives to live off the reputation that they've earned. Both are already Manly legends. If they leave now under the current circumstances, they'll jeopardise this, alienate the Manly fans that have worshipped them for the last decade, and end up in all likelihood on the end of floggings every second week at a club that they have no really identification or affinity with. They'll also be under enormous pressure to perform at clubs that are not likely to tolerate them under performing and/or injured.
I think a bit of perspective is needed at the moment. ITs understandable to be upset at Management decisions, but the club will go on without them and there's evidence to suggest that it will remain successful. Where will that leave them?
The best comparable situation I can recall is when Newcastle let go Mathew Johns and kept his brother. Though i don't think this went down well, I can't recall Joey threatening to leave the club??
This is why the whole thing is hard to take. If some are unhappy and want to leave, that is fine, but to try to break contracts in order to leave and to dump on the club in public is not.
Players come and go at clubs all the time, the salary cap makes player retention a complex juggling act which requires hard headed decisions.
Take Menzies release in 2008. Few would argue that Hasler/cleals decision was one of the worst ever made at our club. Menzies was not only a club legend but a freak of a player who easily could have played on for another 3 years at the top level. And while the current bunch talk about 'sacrifices for the club', during his career Menzies turned down top notch offers from other clubs to remain at a club that, post 1998 was routinely getting flogged. Did Menzies complain when shafted like this in 2008?. Did any players threaten to revolt at the treachery/stupidity of Hasler and Cleal. No, he played 5 more years overseas cos he didn't want to play against Manly.
Menzies reward is that he will be remembered as one of the all time greats (in my estimation, the greatest Sea Eagle of all).
Its a pity that Watmough and Stewart in particular arent able to recognise what is at stake in regard to their current dummy spit. They've got at best a few more years of playing left and then the rest of their lives to live off the reputation that they've earned. Both are already Manly legends. If they leave now under the current circumstances, they'll jeopardise this, alienate the Manly fans that have worshipped them for the last decade, and end up in all likelihood on the end of floggings every second week at a club that they have no really identification or affinity with. They'll also be under enormous pressure to perform at clubs that are not likely to tolerate them under performing and/or injured.
I think a bit of perspective is needed at the moment. ITs understandable to be upset at Management decisions, but the club will go on without them and there's evidence to suggest that it will remain successful. Where will that leave them?
Killer did it, so nothing revolutionary in breaking a contract to sign another outside of the NRL jurisdiction.
