Wiedler actually got it right.

[fLIP]

Wiedler might be a dick but Gower sure has made himself look the fool after comment earlier this week.


Panthers let Gower go Gallic


June 26, 2007

PENRITH has agreed to release star halfback Craig Gower from the final two years of his NRL contract to join French rugby union club Bayonne from 2008.

Gower met with Panthers coach Matthew Elliott yesterday and told him he wanted an early release.

A formal request was made by his manager, Greg Willett, this morning, with the Panthers agreeing in principle to release the former Australia and New Sotuh Wales halfback from his current deal.

The request will be put to the Penrith board at its regular meeting tomorrow.

Gower will play out the rest of this season for the Panthers.

"We have reluctantly agreed in principle to Craig's request, because we believe that under the circumstances it is in his best interests to have a change," Panthers general manager Michael Leary said today.

"Our decision was based on the great service that Craig has given our club.

"He has been with us since he was 14 years old and is now ranked third in the highest number of first-grade games for Penrith (with 228 caps).

"In making this decision, the club wishes Craig and (wife) Amanda the very best for the future.

"We look forward to Craig finishing the year on a high note, and he is determined to do so.

"The club not only values Craig's contribution on the field and in the community, we also want to maintain a friendship with one of our greatest-ever players."

Division one side Bayonne finished eighth in the just completed French rugby season. The next season begins later this year.

Gower had unsuccessfully sought a release to play club rugby in Europe last year, but was given permission to train with a French team at the end of the 2006 NRL season.

The 29 year old denied wanting a release at the weekend after reports surfaced last Friday he wanted to leave the club.

Manager Willett, however, admitted Gower was exploring his options in Europe.

Because of his heritage, Gower can represent Italy in union.

A spot in the Rugby World Cup this September-October appears unlikely, though, given the timing of the move - he would relocate in September at the earliest - and the fact Gower would have to be selected over two established players in halfback Alessandro Troncon, the most capped Italy player, and experienced five-eighth Ramiro Pez.

Gower's last two years in the NRL have been blighted by off-field controversies.

In late 2005, he was fined $100,000 ($70,000 suspended) by the club and lost the Penrith captaincy after an alcohol-fuelled incident at a charity golf tournament on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

He was also involved in another drink-related incident at Sydney's Kings Cross in February 2007.

Despite the controversy, Gower was reappointed Penrith's captain this season.

He made 14 appearances for Australia, and captained the Kangaroos in a Test against France in 2005.

He also played six State of Origin games for New South Wales, as well as two games in the 1997 Super League Tri-Series against Queensland and New Zealand.

Gower, who initially took over the Panthers captaincy in 2002, also led the club to the NRL Premiership in 2003.

 

[byso]

The blokes a loser, the panthers should of sacked the liar Now.

 

[ManlyBacker]

Another name for Gould to add to his loser list of overseas players. phhhtt!

 

[Guest]

Gower is a dead**** and his father is now blaming the media for making him leave Australia. What a crock of ****.

It is not Gowers fault that he groped Pearce's daughter and held a knife to his son or exposed his old fella to an irish tourist was it.

Gower sick of the garbage

ABOUT 10 days ago, Penrith halfback Craig Gower walked into his coach Matthew Elliott's office and told him he'd had enough.

Gower reiterated his desire to head to Europe to escape the public glare, and Elliott knew then his captain was gone.

Yesterday, just days after denying he wanted out of Penrith, Gower asked for a get-out clause to be activated, allowing him to be released from the final two years of his contract to join French rugby union club Bayonne.

The request will be ratified at a Panthers board meeting tonight, freeing Gower to take a lucrative three-year deal from next season.

Elliott said yesterday "this decision hasn't mugged us", and he detailed his conversation with Gower - who has been the subject of intense pressure over a number of off-field incidents - to prove it.

"He's not hiding from mistakes he may have made," Elliott said. "He just wants to be able to get on with his life now. We discussed a lot of things - footy and other associated issues at length. I actually relayed a story to him. I spoke to Brian Noble, the Wigan coach, and he passed on a conversation he had with Trent Barrett.

"Trent said he could … have a beer with his mates and not read about it in the paper, and that's why he's loving it so much."

Gower yesterday denied he had been dishonest, telling Channel Seven: "I've been up-front about it. I haven't lied about it. The club's been fully aware of the situation, and they've been very supportive."

And his manager, Greg Willett, said Bayonne had only faxed through their offer on Sunday night. "Up until Sunday, he wasn't going anywhere," Willett said.

Gower has a verbal agreement with Penrith that he could ask for a release from the final two years of his five-year deal if his form was not up to standard - but only to play rugby union in Europe.

He unsuccessfully sought a release to play club rugby in Europe last year, but was given permission to train with a French side for 10 days in December.

Gower also requested a release in early 2006 when the club stripped him of the captaincy following a drunken incident at the Jack Newton Celebrity Golf Classic, where he allegedly groped the daughter of former international Wayne Pearce.

Gower's father, Mal, said the adverse publicity surrounding that incident, and allegations early this year that he kissed and bit a man at a Kings Cross nightclub, had pushed him out of the game.

"He's had enough," Mal Gower said. "The media has run him out of the country. There's too much garbage that goes on here.

"It's been extremely hard for him. Every five minutes, he looks in the newspaper and they're having another crack at him. He's never been charged with anything. It gets to him. It would get to anybody."

Panthers board member and former premiership-winning halfback Greg Alexander said the adverse publicity had taken a toll.

"He has looked like a bloke who has had his spirit snuffed out," Alexander said. "Between losing the captaincy and the constant reminders in the press of what has happened in the past, it's taken its toll. He's lost a bit of himself."

While admitting it would be "the biggest challenge of my career", Gower added: "It'll be great just to be myself."

Elliott said he had "mixed emotions" about Gower's move, although he will leave with the coach's blessing. "I think it's the right decision, just with the stuff he's had to put up with off the field," he said.

Elliott said the club would only attempt to buy another halfback "if they're better than what we've got". And while he admitted the club may have been in a better position to retain Brisbane-bound Peter Wallace had Gower's move been finalised earlier, he added: "The truth is, there's no one out there to replace him. But we have the best young kids in the country playing in this area."

Gower spoke to Wallabies halfback George Gregan, who will join the second-division French club Toulon after the World Cup in France, about the move.

"Craig initially approached me about 12 months ago about the ins and outs of playing rugby," Gregan said. "He asked me about a month ago whether I think he would be able to make the switch. I said I thought he should give it a go."

BOOZING, BITING AND BACKFLIPS: THE CRAIG GOWER STORY

THE SHAME FILE
February 10, 2007: Interviewed by Kings Cross police over an alleged assault at a nightclub, where witnesses say Gower bit and kissed a man on the dance floor and tackled another.

December 19, 2005: Allegedly gropes the daughter of Balmain legend Wayne Pearce during a two-day drinking binge at the Jack Newton Celebrity Golf Classic on the Sunshine Coast. Later stripped of captaincy and fined $30,000 by the Panthers.

May 19, 2004: Fined $3000 along with five other players after breaking NSW Origin camp curfew, but later insisted: "I haven't done anything wrong. I can't see why this has happened to me."

April 19, 1999: Expelled from Test squad after exposing himself to a female Irish tourist at Coogee following a boozy team bonding session.

THE BACKFLIP

Gower's decision to play rugby union in France completes a stunning backflip. When asked on Friday about a report on the National Nine News that he was asking for a release, he called reporter Danny Weidler a "f---ing dribbler". Gower repeated his denial with 2GB's Ray Hadley the following day. Here's an edited transcript of the interview:

HADLEY: On the news last night, Danny Weidler came up with yet another exclusive … All hell has broken loose this morning …

GOWER: I got off the field and heard these rumours after a poor performance … I wasn't in a very good mood. It's disappointing to hear something like that which is not true.

HADLEY: You've not sought a release, you're not seeking a release, you're happy to play out your time at Penrith?

GOWER: I have not sought a release.

HADLEY: And you won't be?

GOWER: No, I won't be. I'm with the club. I've committed to the club. And until otherwise, it's up to me in the future to speak to the club about it.

HADLEY: The basis of it is that you could earn a pretty big quid in the UK and I think the club - not at this stage - might be pre-disposed to allowing you to take that option.

GOWER: Yeah, that's right. That was in my contract. We've got a verbal agreement there.

HADLEY: Did you have any inkling this was coming? I got a couple of phone calls from blokes and I started to chase it but I couldn't substantiate it … so I put it down to a rumour.

GOWER: No, well, that was last year, Ray. The club let me go to see if I could play overseas. All of a sudden now I want a release and I'm going to play in Italy, and it's all false.

HADLEY: Craig Gower there … All you Penrith supporters that think there was truth in that rumour can put it to bed. He's not going anywhere.

 

[Matabele]

Penrif are well rid of him I reckon.

 

[Crushercleal]

Did anyone watch the CH 9 sports report last night? That was the worst bit of reporting i have EVER seen. The whole segment Wiedler kep going on about "him" this and "him" that, how "he" broke the news and how "he" was called a dribbler. Whatever happened to objective reporting???!!! Why do the News Channels have to try and compete for who breaks which stories? It actually turns me off watching. I will no longer be watching Channel 9 Sports reports anymore simply because of this fact. The TV watcher doesn't give 2 hoots about whether Wiedler broke the story. It really pissed me off last night - unbelievably egotistical reporting. Even Sutcliffe got in on the act by telling of rival Stations.

 

[DVS Matt]

Did anyone watch the CH 9 sports report last night? That was the worst bit of reporting i have EVER seen. The whole segment Wiedler kep going on about \"him\" this and \"him\" that, how \"he\" broke the news and how \"he\" was called a dribbler. Whatever happened to objective reporting???!!! Why do the News Channels have to try and compete for who breaks which stories? It actually turns me off watching. I will no longer be watching Channel 9 Sports reports anymore simply because of this fact. The TV watcher doesn't give 2 hoots about whether Wiedler broke the story. It really pissed me off last night - unbelievably egotistical reporting. Even Sutcliffe got in on the act by telling of rival Stations.

 

[byso]

I reckon they should give credit to the bloke who snitched on Gower.

In my opinion anyone who would go to the papers or TV with such info is a tool.

 

[PEPSI]

Trent Barrett should have also mention that he could have a beer in Australia and not make the papers because he didnt go around groping girls and bighting people on the neck in Kings Cross nightclubs.

Quite frankly its not a crime to have a few beers with your footballing mates and the press would not be interested if he didnt carry on like a goose everytime he was pissed.

 

[fLIP]

Agree Pepsi, it's the lack of personal responsibility for his problems that stinks.

 

[Crushercleal]

What an intelligent comment DVS. You're analytical theories are unequivocally what is keeping this Forum going.