News George Williams quits Raiders

 

[Perth Red]

He is saying he mentally unwell. Has been for a long time, he needs to return home.
That situation escalated to the point where his mental health has deteriorated to the point where he couldnt even show up to train or play... the man needs to go home, be with his family and his support network

His mental health issues arent going to be resolved by keeping him in this country any longer than necessary. What makes you think a week off from footy is suddenly going to make him not miss his family back home? This has been an ongoing issue all year long, the club has tried to manage it, and failed. Time to let the man go home

maybe his stress is due to the club refusing to release him at end of year? Maybe if they worked that out he would be feeling ok and happy to play and get through this season knowing his future is sorted? Maybe!

 

[Pete Cash]

I honestly dont know what the club even wants now. Williams can dig his heels in and make this really ugly if he wants to. I mean uglier than it already is. We could end up having to pay him out while not even using him. Brilliant.

Also the players are all clearly seething angry at the club. Great move.

All in all well done Ricky Stuart.

 

[nick87]

I think that is where the players are mad tbh.

The inference of your post is that he essentially withdrew his labour to send a message. So he was striking. This is the clubs view and the view of many of our fans.

The players view it as George is putting in but is suffering mentally and genuinely needed the week off. When he asked for a week off the club said "oh we will give you the week off alright, take forever off instead" and this has clearly PISSED the player group off.

This cannot be denied at this point.

My inference is that if he's so unwell mentally that he cant face work, i dont see how that changes in a week or even a month off work. He's not coping, i have no doubts about that. He would like to go home and i fully support him in that desire

I agree the club thinks he withdrew his labour to send a message, which is why they reacted so rashly. I agree that players see it as you describe it, which is why they're rightly pissed off.

Im talking specifically of George. He has made it clear he needs to go home for his own well being. I dont see how that situation changes with a week off... this will be an issue we have to manage week to week, and in a lost season, why bother putting the poor guy through that? Let him go home now and he and his partner can get on with their lives surrounded by a loving and supportive family and hopefully the helps him return to full health, mentally.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Ricky Stuart managed to get a dressing room offside? Surely not. The surprise is that this time he did not need an overhead projector to do so.

 

[SBD82]

My inference is that if he's so unwell mentally that he cant face work, i dont see how that changes in a week or even a month off work. He's not coping, i have no doubts about that. He would like to go home and i fully support him in that desire

I agree the club thinks he withdrew his labour to send a message, which is why they reacted so rashly. I agree that players see it as you describe it, which is why they're rightly pissed off.

Im talking specifically of George. He has made it clear he needs to go home for his own well being. I dont see how that situation changes with a week off... this will be an issue we have to manage week to week, and in a lost season, why bother putting the poor guy through that? Let him go home now and he and his partner can get on with their lives surrounded by a loving and supportive family and hopefully the helps him return to full health, mentally.

Legit question - are footy players entitled to stress leave?

 

[myrrh ken]

A possible scenario is that he probably wanted to get out of canberra in the off season. Didn't like the non-beach lifestyle.

But after getting the baby news, (and probably moreso his partner) his plans changed and he wanted to go back home before the baby is born. Therein lies the "homesickness" and the need to get back by season's end.

The existing contract issue is sticky. Both parties will have to compromise. The only thing certain is that he won't stay - the only time I can think of a club enforcing a contract with an unhappy player at this level was St George with Gordy.

 

[nick87]

Legit question - are footy players entitled to stress leave?

Im sure they are, and if not they should be.
The club has given that to players before. And their handling of Seb Kris during his 12 months off from the game was a show of how seriously they take mental health if they believe it

the problem is the club has handled it poor because they believe he's withdrawing services to send a message
A competent club who didn't act emotionally and rashly would have offered him an immediate release pending negotiations of financial settlement, where he'd have received whatever they negotiated for what is left on his deal this year, and he would be allowed to leave and get home, and both parties could move on to their next step

Unfortunately the Raiders arent a competently run club on any level and so a shit show has ensued.

 

[age.s]

Fans who know SFA about the situation can draw whatever inferences they like. The players are among the closest to the situation and appear staunchly behind him. Such a strong, coordinated reaction seems unlikely if he was looking at manipulating the club into giving him an undeserved payout.

The other people close to the situation (Ricky, Furner) appear to have the pr and man management ability of a turnip and their take on the situation seems a lot less likely to be in line with reality.

 

[nick87]

A possible scenario is that he probably wanted to get out of canberra in the off season. Didn't like the non-beach lifestyle.

But after getting the baby news, (and probably moreso his partner) his plans changed and he wanted to go back home before the baby is born. Therein lies the "homesickness" and the need to get back by season's end.

The existing contract issue is sticky. Both parties will have to compromise. The only thing certain is that he won't stay - the only time I can think of a club enforcing a contract with an unhappy player at this level was St George with Gordy.

I 100% agree with this post
The bolded part in particular. Compromise on both sides and maturity on both sides. Unfortunately there doesnt appear to be a lot of either going on with this situation, with speaks volumes of the state of the Raiders club right now

 

[davi]

The difference between this case and Widdop as I see it is that Widdop had spent a long time in Australia,

Its not the only difference Widdop has now done it twice LOL. Spare me the Widdop did it mutually and respectfully. He was in the middle of a contract and really screwed up the Dragons asking for a release when they were travelling well. The team really went south when he requested it and they tried to rush a replacement in Corey Norman which messed up the teams chemistry. If I was a NRL team I wouldn't go near Widdop.

 

[Danish]

He is saying he mentally unwell. Has been for a long time, he needs to return home.
That situation escalated to the point where his mental health has deteriorated to the point where he couldnt even show up to train or play... the man needs to go home, be with his family and his support network

His mental health issues arent going to be resolved by keeping him in this country any longer than necessary. What makes you think a week off from footy is suddenly going to make him not miss his family back home? This has been an ongoing issue all year long, the club has tried to manage it, and failed. Time to let the man go home

Had the raiders agreed to his release at seasons end I’ve no doubt he’d have been able to give them a good showing this season. Knowing there was an end date to when he could be home, along with giving his wife plenty of time to plan the move, would have made a world of difference.

as it stands now looks like they’ve chosen instead to guarantee the f**king of this and probably the next few years as there is no way known a decent player with options would choose to work with raiders management after this.

 

[mongoose]

A possible scenario is that he probably wanted to get out of canberra in the off season. Didn't like the non-beach lifestyle.

But after getting the baby news, (and probably moreso his partner) his plans changed and he wanted to go back home before the baby is born. Therein lies the "homesickness" and the need to get back by season's end.

The existing contract issue is sticky. Both parties will have to compromise. The only thing certain is that he won't stay - the only time I can think of a club enforcing a contract with an unhappy player at this level was St George with Gordy.

Canberra really needs its own South Bank lagoon like Brisbane, then players will be lining up to sign.

 

[Fufu Andronez]

as there is no way known a decent player with options would choose to work with raiders management after this.

You'd think so but money talks and half the players in the NRL don't read the news so probably don't even know anything about this

 

[myrrh ken]

Canberra really needs its own South Bank lagoon like Brisbane, then players will be lining up to sign.

Kambah Pool has its attractions

 

[Chief_Chujo]

Knowing how incompetent the club is we will end up having to pay him out anyway

Lol this exactly what will happen

 

[skeepe]

I’m actually more pissed at Hodgson to be honest. Calls up a Sydney paper, gives the club both barrels and then declares he needs to move on because “he’s not a bench player.”

Jog on, son

 

[Bazal]

Canberra really needs its own South Bank lagoon like Brisbane, then players will be lining up to sign.

Mate Nursery Bay is absolutely stunning this time of year...just the right shade of mysterious brown

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he have a clause that he could renegotiate every year, then asked for a release when the Raiders baulked at the figure, which the Raiders then agreed?

Unsure of the exact terms and I did hear about the clause - however his manager had been shopping around in the background with other clubs / which either simultaneously or subsequently arrived at an enormous salary increase "demand" to stay at the raiders.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Its not the only difference Widdop has now done it twice LOL. Spare me the Widdop did it mutually and respectfully. He was in the middle of a contract and really screwed up the Dragons asking for a release when they were travelling well. The team really went south when he requested it and they tried to rush a replacement in Corey Norman which messed up the teams chemistry. If I was a NRL team I wouldn't go near Widdop.

I would respond with further info but you asked to be spared, and so I shall..

 

[myrrh ken]

Unsure of the exact terms and I did hear about the clause - however his manager had been shopping around in the background with other clubs / which either simultaneously or subsequently arrived at an enormous salary increase "demand" to stay at the raiders.

But that's sorta consistent with the clause. It would've been dumb for Bateman not to exercise it. It's a dumb clause that the raiders shouldn't be agreed to.