If I recall correctly, the club (I guess Dave Perry and the Contract Manager) met with the NRL trying to broker a deal to provide some dispensation for Gift's value to the salary cap, similar to what the Roosters apparently got for Minichiello (which I know no details of but it was reported as such).
From a business perspective, Gift's manager would have said to Manly that he expected an offer no less than $XXXX. Manly management would then have looked at it, crunched the numbers and realised that to keep Gift, they would have to lose some of the promising juniors or other senior players to remain under the cap.
I have no doubt the club wanted to keep Gift but balancing the cap became untenable with him in it and no dispensation.
DCE appeared quite clear in his comments yesterday that he was not prepared to accept 'Unders' to remain at the club because he has only had two or so years on a decent salary. Good for him I say but if if it comes down to $50k no doubt he'll stay.
Choc, Gift, Brett, Killer et al have (apparently) only accepted 'Unders' in the last 3 or 4 years, so they have at least 4 years on DCE so they really have no right to complain but maybe Keiran does, as apparently the money he was offered elsewhere was substantially more.
In terms of Skivvy, apparently he has always accepted 'unders' to stay with his mates and hence the support the other players (who apparently know) for him to be granted a release to earn the big bucks.
I guess they all see it as fait accompli, that the departure of Brent Kite, who was the start (as it was quite stable after Beaver left), now Gift and then they look over their shoulders and see guys like the Turbojets, Gutherson, Chee-Kam (who Toovey has a huge wrap on but has been dogged by injury), Knight, Taylor and whoever else is on Dave Warwick's radar and think.... Okay, I could be next, I need to secure my future for my family.
A simple equation really when you have a Mr twenty-percenter in your ear thinking exactly the same.
