You could've kept all those guys surely? Didn't you shed those guys to help you squeeze in Sandow for 550k a year? Also signed Tonga.
Thats like saying you let Bob Fulton go to Easts so you could sign Craig Field 20 years later you clown.
Hayne, Mateo, Inu, Mortimer, Kris Keating and Kingston were all up for renegotiation. Hayne had the GWS offer that Folau eventually got. They had already re-signed Tahu - maxing out their salary cap, and then the dream run started. This inflated everyones value. They kept Hayne at 600k. Mortimer on $250k and let Keating and Kingston go. Salary cap pressure meant they couldnt retain Mateo and Inu after the Warriors threw gold by the tonne at them.
Then Tahu lost the plot, and left. Unexpectedly, Eric Grothe retired. Their combined wage made up the $600k they were suddenly under the cap by in the off season. There was no quality on the market at that stage, so they bought the likes of Webb and Walker on milk money.
I have never heard of a club dumping players to sign others years in advance. But I understand that you have no idea of that concept, seeing Manly's traditional answer is to throw more money around and sign entire teams.
But it looks like Karma is coming around in a massive way. Its funny to look at Manly struggling for $ in the player market - a bit like seeing Bill Gates at Centrelink. When DCE, Foran, Ballin and the Stewart brothers leave you can still have our rejects like you always bought. Manly in poverty and fighting to stay in the comp - what a delicious irony. :lol:
