I guess it all depends on the difference in money.
If Manly offer Jamie $200k and Parra offer him $300k, the decision is pretty easy but, if Manly offers him $250k compared to Para at $300k, the difference after tax and agent commission would be about $28k so the decision is much harder and loyalty will come into play.
I think we just have to face facts that with DCE and Foz on the books and their salary requirement, we are going to lose players that don't want to leave (like George Rose and Brent Kite) so we can fit under the salary cap.
With Foz and DCE, other players who want look for better opportunities to further their career, will want to play for Manly and you just have to look at a few examples...
Gower; no one had really heard of him until he came to Manly and he's on a much better deal at Parra had he not left St George to join us and is securing his families future (I never really rated him but good luck to him).
Brenton Lawrence; The guy rarely made first grade at the Titans and is now on the verge of Origin selection.
Horo; Parra saw him as a park player and after last year he would have been in serious consideration for the NZ squad.
Symonds; Sure he had an injury plagued run at the Roosters, but he would have been playing second fiddle to all the Roosters pack and then he made City selection playing with us.
All the media are now basically talking Manly up this year, which is quite strange considering last year... the culture, making heroes out of nobodys and the success of the club, even Ikin and Kent! Even though many of them hate Manly, there's immense respect and they've now realised that Manly has what other clubs aspire to.
So if any player wants to look good and further their career, which side do you think you would be better to play on, left or right? Outside or inside Foz; outside or inside DCE?
Providing we keep Foz and DCE, we'll have no problem attracting good players, if the need be, at lower cost than other clubs, because their managers will see the potential to increase their value.
Oh... and let's not forget Killer, Choc, Matai and Brett Stewart.. would you like to play in a team with them too?
Sure we could lose the likes of Jamie and dare I say it Glenn Stewart, just because we can no longer compete for the dollars they are being offered elsewhere, with our salary cap constraints.
I think even T-Rex would be thinking, "Damn, I could have played for Australia in the World Cup had I stayed at Manly". And you know what?...He probably could have, because he would have had Foz constantly in his ear saying, "Run it f..k ya'.
T-Rex was another that didn't want to leave and there will be lots more that do leave to secure their financial future for both them and their extended families, particularly Polynesians and Melanesian players, which is unfortunate for us as fans, but is their culture (to look after their family).
Manly, fortunately for us as fans, but unfortunately with the salary cap, has a history of turning good players into great players and with that comes an increase in their value to other clubs, but we have been very fortunate to be able to keep those we really want to keep to maintain the culture in the club and the success of the club.
I have been a fan since 1968 and while I know we have missed the finals on a couple of occasions since then (they say you remember failures more than success) but I seriously can't remember when it happened (except the year we sang ... ''We're going to win the spoon traala" in the Fulton Stand against Easts at Brooky one year...we didn't) and a couple of dire years for the Northern Eagles, which I didn't consider Manly anyway (just like the NRL officials!) but I did have unfortunately misplaced high hopes when it happened thinking that Taylor, Florimo, Fairleigh and the like would just add to our roster but unfortunately, the culture just wasn't there.