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Little gentlemanly restraint as Super League club makes grab for Finch
CHRIS BARRETT
May 13, 2010
Wanted man ... Brett Finch. Photo: Getty Images
THE Melbourne Storm fire sale could soon be under way, with Brett Finch wanted immediately by an English Super League club. The Storm five-eighth, who was resigned to leaving the club even before their salary cap breach was exposed last month, will discuss the offer with his manager, Steve Gillis, in the next two days.
While other NRL clubs have maintained a respectable, non-predatory distance from Storm players as the implications of that club's penalties for its salary cap breaches continue to sink in, overseas counterparts have gone in for the kill.
Gillis would not say which Super League club had lodged the interest in Finch but did say it made it clear it wanted him straight away.
''I haven't had a chance to really discuss it with Brett,'' Gillis told the Herald. ''He's very conscious of the fact the Melbourne guys want to stick together so he's not in any rush to make any rash decisions. We'll just see what eventuates in the next few days.''
Any mid-season release would have to be approved by Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy and acting chief executive officer Frank Stanton.
But given the Storm are playing for no points, and were not in a position to keep Finch even before their penalty was handed out on April 22, there is unlikely to be much opposition by the club if he chose to leave.
Storm football manager Frank Ponissi said last night he had not heard of the Super League offer but could not imagine Melbourne standing in Finch's way if the 28-year-old thought he could further his career in England. ''This is news to us,'' Ponissi said. ''If we did get an approach we'd need to meet with the coach and the CEO and take it from there.
''Finchy is off-contract this year anyway and at the end of the day we spoke to him a long time ago and told him we weren't in a position to offer him anything for next year.
''He's been here just over 12 months but he's been phenomenal for the football club in that time. If we had room to keep him for the future we would have but it's not possible now - it wasn't even possible before the salary cap scandal.''
Forecast to be $1.3 million over the cap already next season the club will have to shed at least one, maybe two, of its star quartet of Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk, as well as others.
No cuts have yet been planned. Stanton and Ponissi are awaiting the conclusion of the NRL investigation into the cap breach and a forensic examination of the Storm's accounts by Deloitte, the accounting firm hired by club owner's News Ltd.
CHRIS BARRETT
May 13, 2010
Wanted man ... Brett Finch. Photo: Getty Images
THE Melbourne Storm fire sale could soon be under way, with Brett Finch wanted immediately by an English Super League club. The Storm five-eighth, who was resigned to leaving the club even before their salary cap breach was exposed last month, will discuss the offer with his manager, Steve Gillis, in the next two days.
While other NRL clubs have maintained a respectable, non-predatory distance from Storm players as the implications of that club's penalties for its salary cap breaches continue to sink in, overseas counterparts have gone in for the kill.
Gillis would not say which Super League club had lodged the interest in Finch but did say it made it clear it wanted him straight away.
''I haven't had a chance to really discuss it with Brett,'' Gillis told the Herald. ''He's very conscious of the fact the Melbourne guys want to stick together so he's not in any rush to make any rash decisions. We'll just see what eventuates in the next few days.''
Any mid-season release would have to be approved by Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy and acting chief executive officer Frank Stanton.
But given the Storm are playing for no points, and were not in a position to keep Finch even before their penalty was handed out on April 22, there is unlikely to be much opposition by the club if he chose to leave.
Storm football manager Frank Ponissi said last night he had not heard of the Super League offer but could not imagine Melbourne standing in Finch's way if the 28-year-old thought he could further his career in England. ''This is news to us,'' Ponissi said. ''If we did get an approach we'd need to meet with the coach and the CEO and take it from there.
''Finchy is off-contract this year anyway and at the end of the day we spoke to him a long time ago and told him we weren't in a position to offer him anything for next year.
''He's been here just over 12 months but he's been phenomenal for the football club in that time. If we had room to keep him for the future we would have but it's not possible now - it wasn't even possible before the salary cap scandal.''
Forecast to be $1.3 million over the cap already next season the club will have to shed at least one, maybe two, of its star quartet of Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk, as well as others.
No cuts have yet been planned. Stanton and Ponissi are awaiting the conclusion of the NRL investigation into the cap breach and a forensic examination of the Storm's accounts by Deloitte, the accounting firm hired by club owner's News Ltd.
