Uncertain futures for off contract players

[Rambo1987]

Uncertain futures for off contract players
SMH.com.au – June 20, 2012

Posted in: Canberra Raiders, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Newcastle Knights, News, Parramatta Eels, Penrith Panthers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Wests Tigers

Running for their lives from an uncertain future
More than 50 NRL stars will be playing for their futures in coming weeks as clubs finalise their rosters for next season, including some players under contract for next year and beyond.

As clubs juggle their salary caps to accommodate new recruits, the likes of Wests Tigers utility Tom Humble, South Sydney Rabbitohs back Fetuli Talanoa, Parramatta Eels props Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs second-rower David Stagg and Newcastle Knights forward Richie Fa’aoso are set to move on.

The Bulldogs have the most players off contract, with 11 still unsigned, while Newcastle and the Penrith Panthers also have a large number of players yet to resolve their futures.

After five consecutive losses, Knights chairman Paul Harragon said yesterday all players were ”on notice” and rival club officials have told the Herald that some Newcastle players were being shopped around – including backs Wes Naiqama and Junior Sa’u, who are both contracted for next season.

Canberra Raiders chief executive Don Furner said they had been offered the services of up to 20 players, including some available to join the club before the June 30 deadline for mid-season transfers.

Furner said the Raiders may be interested in Humble, who is off contract at the Tigers this season, along with fellow utility Tim Moltzen and wingers Lote Tuqiri and Matt Utai.

Shackleton, who is out of favour at the Eels, has been linked with a move to Penrith, who have already signed Melbourne forward Sika Manu, Cowboys hooker James Segeyaro, Warriors back-rower Lewis Brown and Manly centre Dean Whare.

The Knights are still trying to bolster their under-performing squad this year and have been linked to Poore, who is off contract this year but is being shopped around in the hope of a pre-June 30 release.

However, any chance of the Knights recruiting another player this season would hinge on them offloading the likes Fa’aoso or Evarn Tuimavave, or possibly both, due to the salary-cap implications.
.

Read more: http://www.zerotackle.com.au/uncertain-futures-contract-players-6267/#ixzz1yJihSRB7

 

[eagles2win]

Junior Sa'u from memory has signed with Catalan

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Tuimavave could be handy at the right price

 

[The Who]

Terrible shame that speculation about 2013 overshadows the NOW. We've lost four players, and so much crap has been written that it dims interest in what's import: 2012!

 

[mickqld]

Exactly right The Who. Fans are getting sick of this crap. You dont know who is staying or wants to stay. You dont know which players you are cheering for have any committment to your club or not. It stinks,it's ruining the game for the supporters and I for one an sick of hearing which one of our players is shopping themselves around to the highest bidder. This is not the way rugby league has built its culture around and if it continues it will alienate many more supporters. If someone like Brett Stewart moves on I will have no interest in our team this year until all the players who want to leave are gone from our club. My enthusiasm for the team this year has already diminished considerably with T Rex, Lussick, Whare, Oldfield going any more and I will give it away for this year. Especially T Rex, his record and contribution over the 4 seasons and particularly this year makes me vomit to know he's now taken the money and run I couldn't give a **** if he didn't play again this year for us.

 

[swoop]

Player movements and speculation is worse than ever. I've said it a few times that the excitement of supporting a rugby league team has diminished as half the players you are cheering on are moving to other clubs.

 

[Ryan]

Player movements and speculation is worse than ever. I've said it a few times that the excitement of supporting a rugby league team has diminished as half the players you are cheering on are moving to other clubs.

Thank you mate - I started thinking I was the only one.

 

[Haz88]

Also makes you appreciate guys like Matai n Choc etc even more as they openly say they want to stay at manly and Matai even takes a pay cut to stay and he is not the only one either just an example as I'm sure there are many. They are the people who il back til the end ! Money isn't everything to them , playing with their best mates and for manly is !

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Excitement no different for me because players are moving on

I support the Manly club, the players will always come and go, but the jersey will always stay and i support anybody in that jersey

Of the 17 running on this weekend, 2 players will be leaving next year, neither of them established in that Manly jersey

I don't care too much for the bull**** that goes on during the week tbh, just enjoy sitting down once a week for a couple of hours and watching the boys go around

 

[Elvis Presley]

now they are saying Oldfield is going over to the chooks earlier than expected due to Perret switching to the dogs.
enough is enough.

However, like Kiwieagle said above, its the manly brand that we support, not any individual or group of players or coaches for that matter.

However, it does P you off a bit though😡

 

[Dan]

We tried to get shackleton already this year and I'd make another play for him too of cheap

 

[Top End Eagle]

It is only because we are successful that we have to endure players leaving. When you support a team with no hope for the year then these signings are what you live for, not the two hours a week to sit down and watch your team.

We will get on a roll this week as combinations start to return and foran comes into a bit of fitness. Gift being out for another spell with injury isn't ideal but it might have the upside of straightening dce up a little bit and playing foran back into some form.

Look for king to come good in a week or two. Rose is about to dominate the advantage line as he gets fitter and settles into the knowledge that he has warded off bench spot challenges from mauro et al.

Rolling all the way to manly storm 3.

 

[King]

The most disappointing part for me is that we have lost Hopoate, Lussick and now Oldfield. All are local juniors who are young and have their best football ahead of them.
I guess we can't help that clubs like Parramatta are throwing ridiculous money around the place.

 

[globaleagle]

Furner said the Raiders may be interested in Humble, who is off contract at the Tigers this season.

This guy talks himself up too much.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

The most disappointing part for me is that we have lost Hopoate, Lussick and now Oldfield. All are local juniors who are young and have their best football ahead of them.
I guess we can't help that clubs like Parramatta are throwing ridiculous money around the place.

We just had too much young talent.

Hurts to wave goodbye, but I reckon we have probably retained the ones we mosted to keep - such as .DCE, Foran, Buhrer