Steve Matai warns Sea Eagles could fly coup if Glenn Stewart leaves

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Jethro

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SEA Eagles stalwart Steve Matai has warned that other players will reconsider their futures at the club if backrower Glenn Stewart leaves at the end of this season.

The powerhouse centre spoke passionately yesterday about the special bond that exists between his good mate Stewart and the rest of team.

“Glenn is a big part of the club and he is a big part of what we have built here,” Matai said.

“I’m sure if Glenn goes there will be a few boys reconsidering resigning here.”

Matai said there was a core group of players made up of himself, Glenn and Brett Stewart, Jamie Lyon, Jason King, Matt Ballin and Anthony Watmough who have been together at the Sea Eagles for a long time.

“We have built a culture where everybody who comes here feels comfortable and Glenn is a big part of that,” Matai said.

Manly's Steve Matai is tackled during the round four NRL match against the Sydney Roosters

“He and his brother are like the glue that holds us all together and if we lose either one of them players will review their contracts.

“We definitely want Glenn to stay.”

Manly is renowned for its unique culture that has seen them rise above the odds as was the case in last Friday’s gutsy win over the Roosters.

And Matai doesn’t want to see that eroded.

“It’s disappointing the club is taking this long to sort it out,” he said.

“I hope it gets sorted in the next few days and Glenn is here for a long time.”

Matai said the uncertainty about Stewart’s future was being felt by other players.

“It has definitely affected me, not knowing whether Glenn is going to be here or not next year or the year after,” Matai said.

“It sort of makes you think about your contract and what you are going to do.”

Matai’s current contract expires at the end of next year.

King, the Sea Eagles co-captain, also wants Stewart to remain at Manly.

“He is a close friend of mine and has been a teammate now for over a decade and you don’t like seeing your friends leave,” King said.

“But it is beyond my control and that is something for his management to look at and also the club so hopefully they can find a resolution soon.”


Jon Geddes
Manly Daily

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/steve-matai-warns-sea-eagles-could-fly-coup-if-glenn-stewart-leaves/story-fngr8iii-1226871092293
 
SEA Eagles stalwart Steve Matai has warned that other players will reconsider their futures at the club if backrower Glenn Stewart leaves at the end of this season.

The powerhouse centre spoke passionately yesterday about the special bond that exists between his good mate Stewart and the rest of team.

Read More
 
Mitch said:
It's tough to get excited about the great start of the season we've had when you read stuff like this. While I take what Dean Ritchie says with a grain of salt, the things both Choc and now Matai have come out said, in effect saying players will leave if Glenn is not re signed, make me feel like the club has little choice but to re sign Glenn or else there will be big drama within the playing squad.
I agree,it makes it harder to get excited knowing,that the team could get torn apart because of this
 
So, what do the players expect the club to do if we can't fit Gifty under the cap?

Would like to hear some of their solutions. It seems that, every year there is always something. It would be nice, for a change, if we could just enjoy our team doing what they do best and playing great footy.
 
Dangerous game, the club won't let itself be held to ransom by players, never has (fatty, shearer etc). Tooves should tell them to zip it.
 
The NRL have done a cap review but aren't interested in promoting club loyalty.

Incremental salary cap adjustment an NRL joke

Brent Read
The Australian
April 01, 2014 3:18PM

The NRL needs to take its share of blame for the Glenn Stewart fiasco. For years, the game has been crying out for greater rewards for long-serving players.

Clubs want it, fans want it, the media supports it. Yet their pleas continue to go unanswered.

As it stands, NRL clubs are given a paltry $200,000 dispensation for players who have spent eight or more years at the one club.

That’s not $200,000 per player. That’s $200,000 across the entire club.

Continue http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/incremental-salary-cap-adjustment-an-nrl-joke/story-e6frg7t6-1226871131246
 
this is all getting ridiculous now, players players are paid to play, not make comments like this.
They know all about the salary cap and what it does, it forced Menzies out, so no one is immune.
Perhaps at this point in time the club does not want to make Stewart an unacceptable offer which may insult him,
 
Darren said:
maybe DCE won't take a million a year to slightly help?

Can't see DCE taking that much less to stay if you go on his previous negotiations are anything to go on.

It's almost becoming a keep the older guard together or blow the club but keep Foz and DCE and build for the future. But saying that this is Dean Ritchie and the DT reporting so why do we even bother reading and worrying when on past experience we know almost everything that paper predicts will happen doesn't happen.

But the players been quoted all the time in the media about this issue is a worry,
 
The Players loyalty to a friend is commendable, holding their employer and supporters to ransom is not :mad:

They can not have it all, time for them to mature as men and focus on the job at hand :idea:

There is nothing stopping them from pooling their monies and distributing it how they want :idea:
 
Time some of the players came back to reality.
Nobody is signed in perpetuity.
Personally I'd like to see Bozo and Wombat still there but realistically players retire, players go to other clubs and new blood comes through. It's the nature of the game.
 
HappilyManly said:
The Players loyalty to a friend is commendable, holding their employer and supporters to ransom is not :mad:

They can not have it all, time for them to mature as men and focus on the job at hand :idea:

There is nothing stopping them from pooling their monies and distributing it how they want :idea:

Exactly but don't be surprised if this is " Managers talk"
 
Moondog said:
It's the nature of the game.

It's the nature of the NRL and its inflexible cap.

If Manly lose the Stewarts, DCE &/or Foran to the Dogs good luck trying to sign up members for Manly in 2015.

The NRL can't expect loyalty from fans when it has a cap system that works directly opposite and seeks to deliberately rip clubs apart.

The NRL can easily choose to have a cap system that encourages players to remain at one club which as a result helps fans decide to become club members, or the NRL can have a system that encourages players to chop and change which also causes fans to lose interest in their team and the code.
 
dowdz said:
So, what do the players expect the club to do if we can't fit Gifty under the cap?

Would like to hear some of their solutions. It seems that, every year there is always something. It would be nice, for a change, if we could just enjoy our team doing what they do best and playing great footy.

Maybe Matai could have a word to Foran and Cherry about being greedy pricks when a lot of the other players have taken pay cuts to stay there.
 
So what would these snr players think if Choc, t red, Jesse, Buhrer, Chee Kam all were playing in unbelievable form- killing it week in week out. Would they all threaten to leave if gift was dropped due to form? Would they all go to NSW cup with him or would they demand that a player having a Daly M worthy year be dropped because they want to play with Gift?
 
Mitch said:
The club is basically at ransom, they have to resign gift. I generally shoot these type of articles down but it's obvious now that the playing group have huge issues with this. It shows the impact Glenn has on the team.

Mitch take a couple of scotches and relax.

No manly fan wants to see gifty go! he has been a wonderful servant for Manly and would probably be for another year, MAYBE two years? But a reality check is he is a 30yo whose injuries are accumulating. Would you sign him for reasonable money for two years ... yes easy. Would you sign him on big money for two years ... hard question for some.

And the most vocal: I love Matai but he is also 30 this year ... what is his future? Also King is 33 and watmough is 31. We will have exactly the same problem. Sshould we also resign all of them for a further two years on big money.

Be prepared to Say goodbye to some of our young talent if we do.

We have foran for a couple of years and will be in a battle to resign him regardless of whether gifty is there or not because he will be in demand.
 
And as another season starts well for The Mighty eagles, the cr@p starts on our team...next it will be the boardroom...then the cleaners...Delmege will get another run and the Penns will sleep with Zorba again.

Just keep on with the footy boys and stop listening to the media
 
What a tool of a thing to say, by any player. If I had employees hit me with that sort of a remark (taking into consideration that the club MADE some of these guys what they are today through patience, nurturing, training and providing the opportunity to develop their skills and display their talent on a regular basis), I would simply march them out the door, and start rebuilding again.

I would hold a meeting to explain the facts to these surprisingly simple minded people on why we can't keep everyone forever, and if that can't seep through their thick skulls, then it is time to part company. These guys also need to understand exactly how hard it would be to maintain their status as top players at another club other than Manly. We are not successful because we have somehow managed to throw a team together, and they've all turned out to be great players by chance. It's taken years of hard work and dedication to become this successful. Some of our players have forgotten this and are acting like spoilt brats instead of men.

In your own mind, take the player from Manly that you regard as our best. Now place him into any other team you'd like. He may shine like he does now, or he may in fact struggle to the point of blending and fading into his new surrounds. If any of our players are willing to take the chance to walk away from this great club, I am more than willing to see them go. Holding the club to ransom is not on and should be dealt with swiftly and decisively by the club. The club gets my full support, regardless of who the player is making the threats.
 

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