conanu said:
captainskin said:
Apart from Geoff Toovey not having a working microphone and also not being able to hear the questions, I thought Scott Penn was a humble, focused, and fair with his answers.
I have no idea on what really happened behind the scenes and who didn't come to the party with whom, but I do think Penn and Tooves handle themselves very well and presented the club in the best possible light in a very dark situation. Penn is a businessman, his head seemed clear, and he was articulate in trying to be as empathetic and real as possible.
As shocking as it is to lose Des, Manly is incredibly fortunate to have Geoff Toovey to already be at the helm to 'captain this ship'. Scott Penn was right, this will make the the transition as seamless as possible.
Personally, I feel reassured and confident of the future.
Couldnt agree with you more mate, They were both so cool and calm and it seems to me from Penns answers to the tough questions that the board may not be as fractured and as stupid as we have been led to believe and they were entitled wait and see how the season panned out if Des was really worth it. They just got unlucky that he won the comp and the dogs offered him twice the figure he was already on. Im glad we didnt pay overs for him because it would have sent the club broke. I get the feeling that Des isnt as loyal as people would like to believe and when it come to the crunch he suited himself. Cant wait for the Toovey era now I reckon he is a clone of Des but with better board/political skills. Plus he was a one club man cant ever beat that just like Beaver.
Des is his own man. As Peter Peters said in his column, his 'never give an inch attitude' was his strength and his weakness. (Something like that).
I think Des is loyal and he breeds loyalty without asking for it. But, he is also human, and humans can be hurt and let down. We can feel unappreciated and taken for granted. We have egos that need to be stroked and strengthened.
Des wasn't liking the way certain people were handling his situation or how his loyal followers were being treated. He had had enough and he made the hardest decision of his life. It would have been like ending a strong marriage after many years of united service and love together.
Des would be feeling shattered and lonely right now. I think he would have hated even talking to the Dogs a few months ago in those initial meetings. But something happened that pushed this man over the edge to do the unthinkable (to us Manly fans).
Des is human; for a man to walk away alone with no one beside you... that is tough. There will always be some that blindly follow the new Messiah. There will be always some that are upset with the current system and law-givers. Des's loyalty had a breaking point. I for one have no idea what intent or reality has been going on behind the scenes; even those behind the scenes really only know their point of view and bias.
We loyal supporters have been heavily influenced by inferences and innuendoes from the media; and pot-shots made by other famous Manly people with their own bias - for they too are only human - and feel very let down. It is perfectly natural and real to want to blame someone and shift the responsibility elsewhere. Many have done that, either knowing nothing, or at best, something.
In the end, my guess is, this was not a complex matter, but quite a simple one. It became complex because the news was so horrible and shocking everyone wants to blame someone - which is only human.