Generic thread title.

[KaZa]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

Let this be a lesson to the other senior players who may want to bluff about leaving. The club continues to go forward without you and you end up at some **** club without all your friends.. or at Parra with the legendary coach Brad Arthur.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

I think he wanted out because of the Glenn Stewart drama. He blamed Phil Sidney for that. Once Quantum (and Sidney) were bought out by the Penns, he then wanted to stay, but Manly had already moved on and signed replacements.
At the golden Wings members cocktail party earlier this year, we were chatting with a player when Phil Sidney walked in. Choc came up to the player we were chatting to and nodded towards Sidney and said 'He'd better not come near me'.

C'mon mate, now is not the time to be applying that sort of common sense and reasonable explanation towards this topic

 

[niccipops]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

How can a man who openly asked for a release from the final year of his contract and has 'allegedly' already signed with Parra for 2016 and beyond have been forced out by the club?

What a load of it. I feel sorry for Choc's outcome because someone older/wiser and less reactive could have possibly advised him. Perhaps though, Choc wouldn't have listened.

Choc didn't play the right cards.

 

[Lord Eagleton]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

True words niccipops. This outcome is almost comical. It's certainly a lesson for applying integrity in oneself and just focusing on what is on your own plate.

 

[mozgrame]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

I think he wanted out because of the Glenn Stewart drama. He blamed Phil Sidney for that. Once Quantum (and Sidney) were bought out by the Penns, he then wanted to stay, but Manly had already moved on and signed replacements.
At the golden Wings members cocktail party earlier this year, we were chatting with a player when Phil Sidney walked in. Choc came up to the player we were chatting to and nodded towards Sidney and said 'He'd better not come near me'.

Ahhh, so it was all Sidney's fault. Not Sidknee at all. One thing's for sure, Sydney was at the centre of all this. Choc is a sad case.

Moving forward.

 

[mjb136]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

If Choc actually had a brain, he would still be at manly.
It's clear he lacks intelligent decision making skills.
If he/his family are gutted, then perhaps said family should have given him some advice on biting the hand that feeds you.

 

[mozgrame]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

Parra fans must be over the moon to hear how gutted Choc and his family are that he's going to be playing for the eels next year. It must have finally sunken in. LOL!!

 

[Mavin]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

I think he wanted out because of the Glenn Stewart drama. He blamed Phil Sidney for that. Once Quantum (and Sidney) were bought out by the Penns, he then wanted to stay, but Manly had already moved on and signed replacements.
At the golden Wings members cocktail party earlier this year, we were chatting with a player when Phil Sidney walked in. Choc came up to the player we were chatting to and nodded towards Sidney and said 'He'd better not come near me'.

Ahhh, so it was all Sidney's fault. Not Sidknee at all. One thing's for sure, Sydney was at the centre of all this. Choc is a sad case.

Moving forward.

I love how it's always somebody else's fault with footballers. He didn't need to love Sidney or even like him all he had to do was play football which he is and was well paid for. I can't believe his Dad is he being serious didn't see it coming he and his son must be the only people in Australia who didn't see it coming.

 

[Ramrod]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

I think he wanted out because of the Glenn Stewart drama. He blamed Phil Sidney for that. Once Quantum (and Sidney) were bought out by the Penns, he then wanted to stay, but Manly had already moved on and signed replacements.
At the golden Wings members cocktail party earlier this year, we were chatting with a player when Phil Sidney walked in. Choc came up to the player we were chatting to and nodded towards Sidney and said 'He'd better not come near me'.

Even though Sidney and Quantum brought money to our club, I'm thinking that their involvement had done a lot of damage and instability to our club. Maybe they were secretly Eels supporters trying to ruin us. :dodgy:

 

[tookey]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

Another Watmough ironstine.

Can't wait for a Weidler exclusive with his cousin Larna. Maybe they could do the interview on the 190 bus as it passes brookie oval and she can yell abuse at toovey and assault him?

Classy family. He will fit in well at Parramatta.

He may have one good year then he will be a Jason King clone for the next 2 or 3 years.

 

[The Who]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

Father knows best?
May I suggest in this case it's Father Knows Least.
Onto Phil Sidney: I've never met him nor have I any inside information. But I'm sure he's as passionate a Manly fan as we all are so I will give him the benefit of believing that any opinion he has or decision he made was done in what he believed to be the club's best interests.
His opposition to the Penn faction must have been for a reason. I think he is being painted as the bad guy because he didn't have the media contacts like Zorba and lost the PR war.

 

[cherry_poppins]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

Another Watmough ironstine.

Can't wait for a Weidler exclusive with his cousin Larna. Maybe they could do the interview on the 190 bus as it passes brookie oval and she can yell abuse at toovey and assault him?

Classy family. He will fit in well at Parramatta.

He may have one good year then he will be a Jason King clone for the next 2 or 3 years.

On the sideline? Retired?

 

[weev]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

How can a man who openly asked for a release from the final year of his contract and has 'allegedly' already signed with Parra for 2016 and beyond have been forced out by the club?

What a load of it. I feel sorry for Choc's outcome because someone older/wiser and less reactive could have possibly advised him. Perhaps though, Choc wouldn't have listened.

Choc didn't play the right cards.

We must also consider the elephant in the room. Namely, one eye-watering back-ended deal. What was it for 2015? Somewhere over 900k.

Who was the architect of such a deal? And are they still at the club?

 

[swoop]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

I wonder if he'll enjoy the daily trek from the North shore to Parramatta. I suppose Choc could car pool with Hoppa and Lussick.

 

[Supesy]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

How can a man who openly asked for a release from the final year of his contract and has 'allegedly' already signed with Parra for 2016 and beyond have been forced out by the club?

What a load of it. I feel sorry for Choc's outcome because someone older/wiser and less reactive could have possibly advised him. Perhaps though, Choc wouldn't have listened.

Choc didn't play the right cards.

We must also consider the elephant in the room. Namely, one eye-watering back-ended deal. What was it for 2015? Somewhere over 900k.

Who was the architect of such a deal? And are they still at the club?

I'll give you a hint - he's at Canterbury 😛

 

[Merdy33]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

How can a man who openly asked for a release from the final year of his contract and has 'allegedly' already signed with Parra for 2016 and beyond have been forced out by the club?

What a load of it. I feel sorry for Choc's outcome because someone older/wiser and less reactive could have possibly advised him. Perhaps though, Choc wouldn't have listened.

Choc didn't play the right cards.

And this is where player managers are a blight on the game. Very few, if any, care at all about the players welfare. A player manager who had any concerns for him personally would have firstly made sure he understood the implications of his tactics, ie, they could backfire and he would end up having to make good on his threats, and leave. A manager who cared would have made sure that Choc would not regret not being a one club player.
But my guess is his manager only looked at the dollars he could make out of getting Choc the highest paying deal possible. Not necessarily the best deal.
You've got to remember that while these players are not stupid, they are sheltered. In the main they have gone from school, straight into the NRL system, all the while being sheltered by their manager, with limited experience on how the world works.
What I'm trying to say I guess is that I agree with Niccipops. Someone should have told him to pull his head in, take a deep breath and make a rational decision, not a reactive one. And now look where its got him.

 

[globaleagle]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

Choc and his manager may just see this as 'Penn's spend 6 mill to get rid choc', then ask parra to top up his contract.

 

[Frank]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

I have had a dislike of Choc for many years now. My reasons are personal and I won't elaborate. Regardless of that I have still found him to be a constant disappointment, over the last few seasons, both on and off the field. I was hopeful he would leave.

To announce his departure on the same day that we confirm the signings of Mason and Mateo absolutely made my day.

He may be a Manly legend in the eyes of many Manly supporters, but not in mine. As far as I'm concerned he is gone and forgotten.

 

[cherry_poppins]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

I have had a dislike of Choc for many years now. My reasons are personal and I won't elaborate. In spite of that I have found him, over the last few seasons, to be a constant disappointment on (and off) the field. I was hopeful he would leave.

To announce his departure on the same day that we confirm the signings of Mason and Mateo absolutely made my day.

He may be a Manly legend in the eyes of many Manly supporters but not in mine. As far as I'm concerned he is gone and forgotten.

I'd love to know more about

So you hated choc before it was cool

 

[HoldenV8]

RE: Choc 'forced' out of Manly - family gutted

Rugby league fans, and in particular those of us who follow Manly, have seen this coming for weeks. Stevie Wonder could have seen that Choc was more than likely going to end up at Parramatta next year.

But his father, who is closer to Choc than any of us ever will be, didn't see it coming? Has he been adrift at sea with no internet or way of communicating with the world?

I think two things said here are pretty close to the mark. First, I doubt Choc's manager had any thoughts other than getting his client the biggest deal he could, no matter which club it happened to come from. And second, I think Choc was under the impression that at the very least he'd have Jarryd Hayne as a team mate. Hayne flying the coupe and heading off to try his hand in the NFL has probably seen Parramatta go from being a finals chance next year to being like they have been most years since 1986 - lucky to get close to the finals let alone play in them.

Good luck with your new club Choc, and I hope you enjoyed the 2008 and 2011 premierships because they'll be the last you play in.