The No-Look News (Schuster Chronicles)

[Cameron]

If I was Schuster and was serious about turning it around I would be hiring Don singe to get him fit and then see what pops up. Can't help but think the young fella passing away at training has played on Josh

 

[frank stokes]

If I was Schuster and was serious about turning it around I would be hiring Don singe to get him fit and then see what pops up. Can't help but think the young fella passing away at training has played on Josh

I am sure it has and I feel for the kid (not just because of Keith but generally)

Thing is, I lost a ****-tonne of people close to me during my younger years (including my brother) and I still had to get up the next day and go to work… as hard as it is, and as much as it sux, the clock does not stop because your world just did…

Manly is a business and at some point they were obligated to their members and their fans to make the call that this contract was poor return on investment…

Josh will be fine because he has the talent… if he wants to succeed elsewhere he will… or he may choose to do something else…

 

[Ryan]

I feel like the club have already poured a lot of resources into the Schu and showed they were “all-in” on him by offering the massive 3 year contract (“massive” being relative to his (lack of) form at that time)…

JMO (and I am not privy to what has gone on behind-the-scenes) but it appears this may have been a case of being able to bring a horse to water but not being able to make it drink…

Personally I am stoked that the club is setting standards and is prepared to say “enough” when players do not meet them - it has been clear to anyone watching that the Schu’s level of fitness and effort was not NRL-level (and has not been for a long time)…

we have had a soft underbelly at Manly for waaaaay too long and perhaps Mestrov and Seibs are the men to change all that…

If he ends up at a club like Melbourne and Penrith (who now have a warchest), lookout in my opinion. He'll end up being an absolute world beater.

Remember Sulis weight problems here before heading off to the Dragons.

 

[frank stokes]

If he ends up at a club like Melbourne and Penrith (who now have a warchest), lookout in my opinion. He'll end up being an absolute world beater.

Remember Sulis weight problems here before heading off to the Dragons.

I hope he does but imo (if he does) that will be because his safety blanket has been ripped away and he has been made to face the reality that hard-work is the only way he will succeed…

It is easy to get comfortable and just do what you need to do and this “reset” may just be the best thing that could have happened to Josh… it is up to him, everybody in NRL knows he has great hands but he needs to do a lot of “extras” if he is going to be effective at NRL-level…

 

[Disco]

I wonder if we pay him $200,000 for 3 years if he signs with another club.

I imagine we do.

 

[Disco]

Hey mate, I'm well, hope the same is said for you !

The minimum salary for a player in the top 30 is $120k (in 23 btw). So by my way of thinking, removing 200k is like 1.5 minimum earning contracted players.

I'm just gutted we are giving up on Schuster. He was so exciting, and has so much potential. He was really someone to look forward to seeing grow and develop.

I Just feel this situation is helping nobody. Can't the club give him individual care and focus? They invested so much into him, and his development asa youth. Now though, we let him go, and then pay for the privilege, and that $200k per year? The other players have to carry that loss now.

Well I guess it is like anything in life, it is how you frame it.

You can red frame it and say, gee we are hamstrung 200k a year the next three years.

Or alternatively through a green frame you can say, okay we have an extra $425k a year to spend on a contributing player.

Now ideally we could go back in time and no re-sign him but we arent no Marty Mcflys so this is our situation. The other ideal would have been that Josh turn it around here but obviously that ship has well and truely sailed.

So it all comes down to this. Do with think we are better served over the next 3 years with a 625k Schuster in his current state stuggling in reserve grade or a $425k player in the squad giving their absolute best.

Give me a Tre Mooney who I think we'd easily get under 425k the next three years any day of the week.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

We have all lost people close to us in different circumstances. The best thing you can do is to try and make those people proud of you.... Do it for them. I can't see how anyone can be proud of Schu's efforts. He is typical of a lot of young people nowadays... It's all me me me. He has to be the centre of attention. Someone needs to be hard with him and remind him that a footballers career is over in the blink of an eye. By the time he comes to terms with it it's too late. I hate to see him wasting his talent and I guess his best mate Keith wouldn't be best pleased too. It may sound harsh but so what, someone needs to give him a real good shake

True, but you can’t determine any effect on people

Penrith looked set for a dynasty in the early 90s, Ben Alexander died and the place fell to bits, and look what happened with big MG after that

Sonny Fai drowned and the Warriors went from near the top of the table to the bottom instantly

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I had hoped it would be zero $$$

But I imagine the NRL & RLPA stepped in, anyway it’s better than the $800k

 

[Frogz]

True, but you can’t determine any effect on people

Penrith looked set for a dynasty in the early 90s, Ben Alexander died and the place fell to bits, and look what happened with big MG after that

Sonny Fai drowned and the Warriors went from near the top of the table to the bottom instantly

They won the minor prem and premiership the year Ben died.

 

[double hoops]

Paying Schu $400K for 2024 and $200K/season for 2025-27 (= $1M) seems like a very good outcome for us. Worst case scenario could've been we had to pay $800k + $2.4M for 4 years (= $3.2M). Hopefully Schu has a very good outcome at the end of all this too.

I just can't bring myself to accept paying $1mil. For someone not to show up is a win.

 

[Disco]

I had hoped it would be zero $$$

But I imagine the NRL & RLPA stepped in, anyway it’s better than the $800k

Zero $$$ means we go down the contract clauses/termination route, which means we go to court.

Which means we may end up on the hook for more or all and we will have dirty laundry aired and a posdible negative image throughout.

This is much cleaner IMO.

Cost of doing business.

 

[Disco]

I just can't bring myself to accept paying $1mil. For someone not to show up is a win.

400k of that is already paid.

So the question is

600k for someone not to show up the next 3.5 years.

Or 2.275mil for this version of Schu to show up.

 

[Disco]

They won the minor prem and premiership the year Ben died.

They won the Premiership in 1991. Ben Alexander died June 1992.

Broncos won in 1992

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Zero $$$ means we go down the contract clauses/termination route, which means we go to court.

Which means we may end up on the hook for more or all and we will have dirty laundry aired and a posdible negative image throughout.

This is much cleaner IMO.

Cost of doing business.

Yep

I’d say they had the clauses in there but I imagine in some respects there would have been some compassion shown by the club for a player that had been there for so long.

I hope he turns himself around , he has the talent , but he just may not have the mental capacity for the slog of too line footy.

One of my good mates had a son who was exceptionally talented , fabulous goal kicker , a very good ball playing lock / second row. Got signed into the junior system at the Rorters but then discovered , girls , the party life , Sydney nightclubs etc etc ( he was a country boy ) and despite the potential of first grade / big money life got in the way.

He’s about 45 now , knows he ****ed up but when you’re 17 you have a lot of growing up to do .

 

[Will on the hill]

We were always on the hook for this years $ prior to his re-signing so effectively we are only $200k-400k out of pocket in total (depending on the value of his original contract).

 

[Pete W]

He’s still earning more than me for the next 3 years. And I meet all my targets, and rarely eat fast food.

I’m sorry he couldn’t respond to cherry’s wake up call last year. It was pretty clear manly was on board if Josh could knuckle down.

$1MIL for a month of pre-season training and playing 3 reserve grade games?!
($400k + $200k + $200k + $200k)

Also, 2021 was the season he was fit and focused in the backrow all year - the year after Keith died. He wasn't Keith's only friend in the team, nor is he the only big body. Not trying to sound insensitive, but it wasn't until Tartak started agitating for the 6 jersey, that we all started seeing attitude problems.

The club made a horrible move with his last contract extension. To lose $600k is a big loss for us, we don't have an Uncle Nick any more. As others have pointed out, by the time Lodge, Brown, and Waddell get their upgrades/extensions, there will be nothing left. In reality, all we have is a potential like-for-like with Lawton's contract. I reckon a huge culprit in all of this is that weasel Tartak

 

[cc eagle]

400k of that is already paid.

So the question is

600k for someone not to show up the next 3.5 years.

Or 2.275mil for this version of Schu to show up.

I'm not sure how the 400k for this year so far (6months) comes from, the reports were 800k/yr for the next 3 years, lets not forget its just a report in the paper and the final details will be kept in house, even the 800k was said to be overstated.

 

[jbb/james]

We just have to pick up another unwanted player where another club is paying freight to offset the loss. There is plenty of this stuff floating about

 

[Eagle 1]

Here you go Josh, here's 200k/yr for the next three years to do absolutely nothing.
My boy will be 150kg in no time, that'll be the end of his NRL "dream".

Yeah, it's a good goodbye present alright. Hope we've learnt a good lesson out of this fiasco. We rushed in to sign Schuster on crazy money because other clubs were circling. I'm not sure, but didn't we sign Brooks before we offered Schuster that crazy mega deal.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

They won the minor prem and premiership the year Ben died.

He died 1992, they went from Premiers in 1991 to 9th in 1992 then 12th the following year, and MG went from being one of the most feared forwards in the game to playing for the Umina Bunnies