I'm tired of the DCE whine, his contract and how his demands wrecked a good thing. Please feel shot me down with better facts then I have.
When DCE started with us back in 2011 as our starting half back he was on $50,000. At sometime during the year he demanded an upgrade.
This upset the tight knit group of stewarts, Watmough and Foran. Des had been pushing contract monies back and such an increase to one player added to issues with salary cap.
Glenn was not allowed by NRL to sign a new contract of $300,000 with us!!
Watmough was to receive $960,000 a year in his last year (2015... moved to Eels 2014)
The Penns tried to sign both DCE and Foran. In the end I feel that the club could not come to an agreement and decided Foran was the long term option. The offer to DCE was withdrawn and he shopped around (Titans & Sharks). Titans offered $1.1m for 4 yrs (?). In early march 2015 he accepted offer.
10 days later Foran advised he had signed with Eels.
Manly go back to DCE and submit an offer that is now worth $1.3m per year over 8 years. Bobby Fulton got direct involved in the negotiations.
If there is blame to be levelled it covers a few people (in my opinion) Penns, Des, Foran and maybe Watmough (disruptive force?).
What if in late 2014 the Penns had come up with an offer to DCE of $1m a year for 4 years?