SeaEagleRock8 said:
A couple of years ago 'it appeared' that Brett Stewart had committed sexual assault.
Meaning 'it appeared' in the papers.
Who are those that are accusing Des? So far all I have read is that 'quite a number of people' told Arko about it. Anyone with a name?
The key missing factor for me from Des has been utter loyalty to the club.
No problem at all with him signing for the dogs and following the money. And he had to know that signing for the dogs in 2013 and coaching us in 2012 was potentially an extremely difficult and conflicted position to place the club, and players and staff and himself, into.
Des could have done some things significantly differently if loyalty was foremost in his mind e.g.:
1. Negotiate two options for the benefit of Manly - that he join the dogs in 2012 and that he stay in 2012 - and let Manly decide.
2. If he was staying then he needed to be proactive and overt about not wanting to influence people to leave Manly. This is very different to his denials of acting inappropriately. His silence about this in the media spoke volumes.
3. When he negotiated contracts with players like Foran, loyalty demanded that he immediately squash any thought of get out clauses based on whether Des stays or goes. This certainly made it look like Des was long planning a coup like has occurred.
4. When Manly indicated they wanted a changeover to Toovs, that he simply and gracefully step down without the divisive threats of legal action.
5. His dealings with the media could have been far more conciliatory towards others within the club. He has seemed dominated by divisiveness within.
The fact that Arko said what he said speaks volumes to me. Des seemed to be motivated by an us and them mentality. Which is very different when the enemy is external to when it is internal.
His decision to drop the dispute and threats of legal action are welcomed, and are the first steps in stopping the hemorrhaging of my high opinion of him.