Willow and the Salary Cap

[fLIP]

I've got too say I'm a little annoyed over the talk that Willow will be leaving the club come season's end... and all because of the salary cap.

I'll get too the point quickly. The only reason he's being squeezed out of the club is some fool thinks that one J. Perry is some how going too be better value than who I think is one of our hardest workers. He's no genius and he won't win you a game on his own, but neither will Perry.

I just hope too god that Perry was as cheap as chips because if his signature has resulted in Willow's departure than a lot of fans have the right too be dirty. A little piece of the teams spirit will be missing next season without him and it can't be replaced with a Newcastle nuffie.

The decision to let Willow go = poor form.

Enough Said.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Front Rowers are vital imo, can never have enough, so i am happy with Perry, and we have pretty decent cover in the backrow

Effectively we have lost Rose from our squad next season, so Perry has replaced him.

Williamson is a good player, and i would love him to stay, but he is in a really competitive area at the moment, with guys like Afamasaga and Wells in PL developing fast

 

[CliffyIsGod]

Exactly Kiwi.

As committed as Willo is, we have about three backrowers that slot straight into his position, without losing anything.

 

[Noodler93]

KE nailed it there Flip, Willow is being forced out of the club due to the upgrade of Cuthbo's contract and the fact manly have 5 ready made backrowers in beaver, Stewart, watmough, Cuthbo and jack.

So no reason to be so annoyed or single minded. I think a change of clubs can work wonders with some players....let's hope Perry lifts by coming to manly and leaving his lazy comfort zone.

And what's with people not wanting to discuss anything anymore, instead, they tell us how it is and finish by saying "enough said"...considering it's all a matter of opinion.

 

[CliffyIsGod]

Willo is 29, he can go get a decent UK contract for a couple of years.

 

[Dan]

Not just Perry who squeezed him out, I would say the signature of Cuthbo probably cost us Willow

 

[Fro]

if we were worried about "loyal players" we would still have Tony Jensen and the like on the books.

Its not like he is a manly stalwart, he played in Adelaide and NQ, and maybe even Canberra from memory.

he has given great service to the club and i applaud him for that. but he is the very definition of "journeyman player". thanks for the good times Willo, good luck in the future.

 

[Dan]

I think it was South Queensland he actually played for Fro and yes he played for Canberra too

 

[Noodler93]

Don't recall Sth Qld...but could be wrong. Rams and raiders before manly from memory

 

[PEPSI]

rams and raiders, thats all,

he has been here since 2002 from memory and was it his 100th first grade game for manly we celebrated earlier this year ?

 

[Fro]

regardless of where he played, and I believe you, except I am sure he didnt play for SE QLD. The point remains that he is hardly a Steve Menzies in his contributions to Manly.

 

[jamesie]

Front Rowers are vital imo, can never have enough, so i am happy with Perry, and we have pretty decent cover in the backrow

Effectively we have lost Rose from our squad next season, so Perry has replaced him.

Williamson is a good player, and i would love him to stay, but he is in a really competitive area at the moment, with guys like Afamasaga and Wells in PL developing fast

Mayer, in his Q&A on MSE, says we have resigned Rose

 

[DSM5]

I'm sad to see Willo move on. I think we'll miss his defensive efforts next year and to sign a fat piece of useless lard like Perry in front of him is a joke. No one yet has given a reason for signing Perry instead of Willo other than Willo's played for a couple of other teams, so what? And Fro, of course he's not Beaver, but he's reliable, tough and more than willing to get in there and work his butt off week in, week out.

 

[Fro]

yeah for sure DSM, I am with you 100% on that, i'd be happy to see him stay, he does work his butt off, but I am not going to cry a river at him going.

 

[Corso_Pete]

Salary cap = **** happens. It is unfortunate but tough decisions have to be made.

[censored] = crap or similar

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

[quote author=Kiwi Eagle]
Front Rowers are vital imo, can never have enough, so i am happy with Perry, and we have pretty decent cover in the backrow

Effectively we have lost Rose from our squad next season, so Perry has replaced him.

Williamson is a good player, and i would love him to stay, but he is in a really competitive area at the moment, with guys like Afamasaga and Wells in PL developing fast

Mayer, in his Q&A on MSE, says we have resigned Rose

[/quote]

Yeah, but he won't be ready for action til at least 2/3 of the season i am guessing

Also DSM, Perry and Williamson play 2 entirely different positions so no point comparing the 2.

Basically, if we as a club can extend the contracts of Kite, King, Watmough, Cuthbertson, Stewart etc and Williamson is the sacrifice, i can live with that, but will always remember what he has done for the club

 

[DSM5]

I don't mind 'tough' decisions being made but where is the value in Perry? He's loafed his way through Newcastle and never put his hand up when the going got tough up there. If you rationally look at both their efforts over the past two years you'd have to say that Willo is better value. And don't get me started on why we'd want Le'Strange.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

That is true, but he has played Origin and has the potential.

We have a handy track record in recent years, with Robertson, Hall, Bryant, Rose, Hicks, Afamasaga who weren't big names, but we turn them into very handy players for us. L'Estrange could be a handy backup.

Perry has a lot of potential in him, can we tap into it ? Time will tell, but for future seasons he probably has a lot more improvement in him than blokes like Williamson and Bryant, and that is the gamble we take i guess

If we do end up losing Williamson, i hope we give him a decent sendoff, it is partly on the back of blokes like him who battled their way through the horror years that we still have a club round

 

[Canteen Worker]

Can't say that Manly have made too many mistakes re recruitment in the past few years. Apart from Dallas Rennie we haven't bought too many lemons and we have hardly let go of anyone that we have really missed.

All those doomsdayers from you know where who were devasted by the loss of stars such as Alby Torrens, Luke 'turnstile' Dorn, Jason Ferris, Scott Donald, Tony Jensen, Wade Forrester etc are hardly to be seen.

Hicks will be the biggest loss next year to me - though Willo would be missed.

 

[Chip and Chase]

I'm not concerned about losing Willo as a player. I am a little worried about the effect of losing him and Hicks will have on the general team morale. They both come across as the clown princes of the team, and they both are obviously quite popular with their teammates. They seem to be the glue that binds the players socially.

The importance of this can't be underestimated. A happy team off the field is reflected by the way they play for each other on the field. Hopefully there is someone waiting in the wings to grow the stupid moustaches, organise the bbq's, play the practical jokes , and generally take the pi$$ without taking themselves too seriously.