SMH stating hiku close the re-signing

[Eagles2nv]

Article in SMH today about gift injury mentions that the club is about the announce Hiku re-signing on a 3 year deal.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/southsbound-manly-star-glenn-stewart-facing-up-to-three-months-on-the-sidelines-20140429-zr1c5.html

If that is true, then that is great news. Hiku is definitely going to be pivotal in the future in helping fill the hole that will be left from snake, killer and skivvy.

I can see him in a manly jersey long term.

 

[HappilyManly]

I hope that he shines in the Kiwi Team and gives those Roos a bit of Manly whatfor

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

I hope that he shines in the Kiwi Team and gives those Roos a bit of Manly whatfor

Any particular Roos spring to mind ?

 

[HappilyManly]

Any non Manly Players will do !

 

[tookey]

He is the only reason that I will be watching the test this weekend.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

hope he doesn't want his price to go up now

 

[MadMarcus]

I think his re-signing was a part of the Gift puzzle.

 

[The Who]

I think his re-signing was a part of the Gift puzzle.

I'm sure the club wanted to put some distance/time between the two. Not a good look had they announced Hiku signing close to Glen's departure.

 

[Eagles2nv]

I think his re-signing was a part of the Gift puzzle.

Yeah I agree. I think if we were able to fit gift in we would have definetly lost Hiku (and proabably a few others).

 

[Jerry1]

If manly had wanted to keep gift they would have. This is just the way things ate done here. They did the same with ox when his time had come. Pretend to be interested but no offers. Then suddenly have funds to sign up others.

 

[HappilyManly]

Its the same in every Club.
The Administrator has the delicate task of making a Fan Favourite redundant for the future of the Club

Penrith have cleared out every Club Hero/Junior, and the Fans are seeing the benefit by the results on the field.

 

[Jerry1]

Yep it is - but other clubs seem to have the balls to say your not required as of next season rather than string them along till they have no choice but to say fark this.
Now don't get me wrong - I'm sure the club has a plan an real financial restraints but a bit of forthright honesty goes a long way and would be respected if not killed by all.

 

[wedgetail eagle]

I hope that he shines in the Kiwi Team and gives those Roos a bit of Manly whatfor

Any particular Roos spring to mind ?

Paul Roos.

 

[RiverEagle]

I thought Peta had already agreed to terms.

Bit worrisome but all reports indicate he's happy at Manly, and I can also see him in the fold long-term ala Matai.

 

[Snake]

The thing about Glenn though, is that he is still a really good player. I know he is 30 and injury prone, but he is a big game player and I think he is still a match winner, something that Hiku is not. Wingers are a dime a dozen, but quality ball playing backrowers are not.

 

[RiverEagle]

I disagree with you a bit there @Snake.
Peta is already much more than a dime a dozen winger. He's an international fullback and his potential looms large as a long term quality utility like Killer and Skivvy.
Of course I'd love to keep Gift and Peta; but if it's a choice between Gift, or Peta and say a couple of others ( like Hasson, JSL or Lui) or even locking up Jake T, Gutherson, Chee Kam or various younger guys, the choice becomes tougher...

I can see why the club has gone this way, and admit it's hard to argue against.

 

[mave]

The thing about Glenn though, is that he is still a really good player. I know he is 30 and injury prone, but he is a big game player and I think he is still a match winner, something that Hiku is not. Wingers are a dime a dozen, but quality ball playing backrowers are not.

Wingers are most definitely not a "dime a dozen". A good winger can be the difference between competing in the GF or sucking stubbies in Bali on the October long weekend.

Hiku will not be a long term winger anyway.

 

[MadMarcus]

DCE and Foz and clearly the club's priorities, and rightly so. Hiku is probably in the second line of priorities and Gift would have been in the third because he is towards the end of his career.

Reading between the lines, it seems to me that the club was waiting to see what Hiku wanted to do before deciding what to do with Gift. When the club agreed terms with Hiku, it became a choice of (1) Sign Gift and accept that we will have to let either DCE or Foz go, or (2) Sign Hiku, let Gift go and keep some cash in the tank for DCE and Foz. The club went with option 2, which I think is the right call as difficult as it would have been. They won't announce the Hiku deal straight away out of respect for Gift, but it seems like it has been done.

If Hiku had decided to go elsewhere, the club would probably have made Gift an offer, which may or may not have been enough to keep him. Gift's decision would then have ripple on effects for players who are a lower priority than him.

At the same time the club would have been trying to get some salary cap relief from the NRL, which obviously proved unsuccessful because the NRL is run by a bunch of knobs.

It's a real shame that Gift is leaving, but I can't understand people saying the club should have told him that he was not in their plans earlier because I don't think that's entirely true. If the club straight out wanted to cut Gift it would have done so. The club wanted to keep Gift, but just not at the expense of some other higher priority players.

 

[Snake]

Wingers are most definitely not a "dime a dozen".

yeah they are...

 

[Ryan]

Have we "actually" put pen to paper for anyone? I know the media says we have signed XYZ, only to hear two months later, that we are about to sign that very same XYZ.

Jesus, I'm still waiting for the club to announce the Matt Orford signing in 2005/2006.