http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/premiership-hooker-matt-ballin-admits-hes-been-told-by-manly-sea-eagles-hes-not-wanted/story-fnp0lyn3-1227463057508
Premiership hooker Matt Ballin admits he’s been told by Manly Sea Eagles he’s not wanted
- BEN GLOVER
- FOX SPORTS
- JULY 30, 2015 11:52AM
MATT Ballin has confirmed he is one of the 14 players reported to be out of favour at Manly, but says he’s not going anywhere.
Reports emerged last week that Ballin was one of five contracted players the Sea Eagles were keen to get off their books and the premiership hooker on Thursday told Fox Sports News he had been given the tap on the shoulder.
Asked if it had been communicated to him that he was not wanted, Ballin replied: “Yeah it has. I’m fully aware of that.
“I disagree with what their reasons are and I’m going to stand up for what I believe in and what I believe is best for the club and myself.”
Ballin played a key role in the Sea Eagles premiership teams of 2008 and 2011 and seemed to be a big part of the club’s vision for the future when he was re-signed until the end of the 2017 season back in May.
A lot’s changed since then, with club legend Bob Fulton taking a consultancy role to oversee Manly’s rebuild and Penrith assistant Trent Barrett signed to take over the coaching role next season.
Those major changes, with the Barrett signing unconfirmed until Geoff Toovey was formally sacked by the club on Monday, ignited speculation that a player clean out was on the cards, but only this week has it come home to roost.
With a two-year contract still to serve, the ball is in 31-year-old Ballin’s court if he wants to stick around, and that’s exactly what he intends to do, despite the arrivals of emerging young hookers Api Koroisau and Matt Parcell, who have both signed on for next season.
“I decided to stay at the club at the start of the year when things weren’t good and I wanted to make the club a better place,” Ballin said.
“I’m still of that same belief and nothing’s changed for me.”
Ballin’s fate was sealed by the unseating of one of his biggest supporters, Toovey, so the veteran rake was naturally disappointed with the way his coach had been discarded.
However, like Toovey, Ballin refused to take pot shots at the club or Barrett, saying he would continue to give his best while he was at the Sea Eagles.
“Tooves has handled himself with the utmost respect and the utmost credibility that anyone could ever handle themselves with I think,” Ballin said.
“He’s set a great example for the rest of the side on how to handle ourselves in this situation and we really see the qualities of a person when they’re faced with this sort of adversity.
“He’s handled himself in this way and said nothing about the club, he’s only supported them. “And for players, I respect him so much and I just think we can take his lead for how he’s treated the club and when he walks away from the club he knows he’s done everything he can and that’s all anyone can really do.
“He can be proud of himself about that.”
Ballin was cool on Barrett’s arrival at the club but said the former St George Illawarra star would have the benefit of a clean slate when he arrives.
“I haven’t seen him at the club, and I’m not sure if he’s contacted players,” Ballin said.
“In regards to myself, I know he hasn’t contacted me. I’m not sure about other players, I can’t speak on their behalf.
“I don’t really know Trent. I’ve met him a few times on the field and he seems like a really decent guy.
“His coaching record, I don’t know what that is. I know he’s been at Penrith for a little while but I can’t really judge him.
“He’ll start at Manly and then he can be judged on his performance there. We’ll see how the club goes next year under him.”