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News George Williams quits Raiders

some11

Referee
Messages
23,675
I love this line after repeatedly shitting on him

“These things never go down well. It’s not pleasant for anybody. No one wins. Unfortunately we have to deal with it.”

Just shut the f**k up.
 
Messages
8,480

Interesting read. I'm with Furner on this. The transcript..



It’s the story that’s been doing the rounds most frequently in the past few days, but now Canberra CEO Don Furner has launched a staunch defence of his decision to cut short George Williams’ contract immediately.


Halfback Williams has asked numerous times to be released from his contract as he wants to return home – the last request of which came through on Monday night. The following day, Williams told the club that he would neither be training nor playing in Saturday’s game against Sydney.

That left Furner and head coach Ricky Stuart to discuss the situation and agree that the England international should no longer be contracted to Canberra.

Reported initially by thegh.com.au, Furner said: “He’s asked a number of times (to be released). Unfortunately we have to make decisions on the best interests of the club, not the individual.

“I can’t leave the club exposed at the end of the year with a guy who might get on a plane and not come back… and we have a position to fill.

“If he is genuinely homesick, and we offered him the support for that, he should get home.”

When asked if the club had rallied round the halfback, Furner retorted: “We have unbelievable welfare officers. We’ve offered him counselling. We offered him to go home at the end of the year. He could go home for the three months, that’s full pay.

“But again it was repeated requests… on the Monday night and then doesn’t show up the next day, nor playing the game. So that was a bit disappointing.

“I’m sure he’s homesick. But we have a lot of people in this organisation. There’s 120 people in this organisation facing a lot more difficulties than homesickness and they turn up to work.
“These things never go down well. It’s not pleasant for anybody. No one wins. Unfortunately we have to deal with it.”

There was one stumbling block, however, and that was the fact that Williams has not yet signed the release papers.

“The process is a legal stand off for a while and we have to work through it and that’s what we’re doing at the moment.”

Furner took the decision to release Williams now rather than at the end of the season in order to rebuild the Raiders side immediately.

“We needed to know where we’re going now. That’s what we have to do as a club is plan our future. There are other options now. We didn’t want to look at them. George was our preference.”
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
Can’t agree.

They have paid him so he can’t complain. They have released him as requested by him.
His form has been average at best. No loss.
Why keep a player around that doesn’t want to be there.He will whiteant the place.

He didn’t request to be released last week. He requested to be released at the end of the season, which was the reasonable request in the circumstances.
 

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
Interesting read. I'm with Furner on this. The transcript..



It’s the story that’s been doing the rounds most frequently in the past few days, but now Canberra CEO Don Furner has launched a staunch defence of his decision to cut short George Williams’ contract immediately.


Halfback Williams has asked numerous times to be released from his contract as he wants to return home – the last request of which came through on Monday night. The following day, Williams told the club that he would neither be training nor playing in Saturday’s game against Sydney.

That left Furner and head coach Ricky Stuart to discuss the situation and agree that the England international should no longer be contracted to Canberra.

Reported initially by thegh.com.au, Furner said: “He’s asked a number of times (to be released). Unfortunately we have to make decisions on the best interests of the club, not the individual.

“I can’t leave the club exposed at the end of the year with a guy who might get on a plane and not come back… and we have a position to fill.

“If he is genuinely homesick, and we offered him the support for that, he should get home.”

When asked if the club had rallied round the halfback, Furner retorted: “We have unbelievable welfare officers. We’ve offered him counselling. We offered him to go home at the end of the year. He could go home for the three months, that’s full pay.

“But again it was repeated requests… on the Monday night and then doesn’t show up the next day, nor playing the game. So that was a bit disappointing.

“I’m sure he’s homesick. But we have a lot of people in this organisation. There’s 120 people in this organisation facing a lot more difficulties than homesickness and they turn up to work.
“These things never go down well. It’s not pleasant for anybody. No one wins. Unfortunately we have to deal with it.”

There was one stumbling block, however, and that was the fact that Williams has not yet signed the release papers.

“The process is a legal stand off for a while and we have to work through it and that’s what we’re doing at the moment.”

Furner took the decision to release Williams now rather than at the end of the season in order to rebuild the Raiders side immediately.

“We needed to know where we’re going now. That’s what we have to do as a club is plan our future. There are other options now. We didn’t want to look at them. George was our preference.”

Wow that’s embarrassing for Furner. I’m surprised he came out and admitted all that.
 

Chimp

Bench
Messages
2,869
Firstly, I think Williams is an arrogant, self-entitled little prick - that’s not just from his time at the Raiders, he comes from the prick factory at Wigan, where plenty are created.

However, I think Furner has shot his load early here and caused himself a problem. If Williams hasn’t signed the release, his contract is still in place and I suspect the Raiders will now have to pay him until the end of the year anyway, unless they can find grounds to sack him. They’d have been much better doing it friendly, granting him the release if they get either a suitable replacement or a fee.
 
Messages
3,224
Firstly, I think Williams is an arrogant, self-entitled little prick - that’s not just from his time at the Raiders, he comes from the prick factory at Wigan, where plenty are created.

However, I think Furner has shot his load early here and caused himself a problem. If Williams hasn’t signed the release, his contract is still in place and I suspect the Raiders will now have to pay him until the end of the year anyway, unless they can find grounds to sack him. They’d have been much better doing it friendly, granting him the release if they get either a suitable replacement or a fee.

apparently all millenials are like that & we need to stroke their egos & encourage their self entitled attitude to keep the peace.
 

Pete Cash

Post Whore
Messages
62,165
Furner is the bludger who needs the chop.

I would like a good sweepout of the leadership at the club tbh. He has been CEO what 12 years and we have done nothing.

Unfortunately we are the family farm and not a professionally run sporting team

Maybe I can quit the raiders for my own mental health
 

Frailty

First Grade
Messages
9,456
I would like a good sweepout of the leadership at the club tbh. He has been CEO what 12 years and we have done nothing.

Unfortunately we are the family farm and not a professionally run sporting team

Maybe I can quit the raiders for my own mental health

Don't worry, upon hearing this Furner has banned you from the club. You know, to allow the club to plan for the future.
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,459
I would like a good sweepout of the leadership at the club tbh. He has been CEO what 12 years and we have done nothing.

Unfortunately we are the family farm and not a professionally run sporting team

Maybe I can quit the raiders for my own mental health

I've never felt a post more deeply in my bones. At least your club has won one.
 
Messages
8,480
I would like a good sweepout of the leadership at the club tbh. He has been CEO what 12 years and we have done nothing.

Unfortunately we are the family farm and not a professionally run sporting team

Maybe I can quit the raiders for my own mental health

Dunno about nothing - Made the Grand Final 2 seasons ago (which you could have easily won), and the Prelim last year and in 2016. With Furner CEO / Stuart Coach. Before this, The Raiders hadn't reached the prelim final stages since way back in 1994.. (aside from Super League).

In 2019 - the Raiders had their highest average home crowd in their history..

Canberra Raiders - Seasons - Rugby League Project

From an outsiders perspective, I don't think that's achieving "nothing" under Furner.

Going back a few season before that - the club had indeed some lean years - fits and starts with horrible seasons and the odd finals appearance under Elliott, Henry, and David Furner. They also had enormous trouble attracting any players. I also I recall hearing/reading stories supposedly from high level NRL sources as to why the Raiders were even in the comp....

This season has imploded for reasons whatever.

But your coach and ceo are the same guys who got you to a GF and 2 x prelim finals. What's different about the Raiders now from then is some of your playing roster. I couldn't see how a CEO/Coach would drastically change their approach that achieved such results in the last two years.....
 
Last edited:
Messages
25
Firstly, I think Williams is an arrogant, self-entitled little prick - that’s not just from his time at the Raiders, he comes from the prick factory at Wigan, where plenty are created.

However, I think Furner has shot his load early here and caused himself a problem. If Williams hasn’t signed the release, his contract is still in place and I suspect the Raiders will now have to pay him until the end of the year anyway, unless they can find grounds to sack him. They’d have been much better doing it friendly, granting him the release if they get either a suitable replacement or a fee.

There’s sod all evidence of this. Lads like that tend to stay in Wigan, get free drinks for life, and win medals. This lad had the bollocks to move to the other side of the world, on an under-valued contract (let’s be honest that’s Canberra’s recruit/reward strategy here), and test himself.

His bird has got pregnant, in a once-a-century global pandemic nobody could foresee. Imagine the conversations in that house? Come on people, I’ll be ya $1,000 the boy himself would rather stay but is manning up for his missus (quite rightly) and the club - despite all its good words in the press - isn’t giving the family a realistic out

...and now the mucho macho twosome of Sticky and Furner are burning him in the compliant media. A lad in his twenties, from a small town in northern England. Nice :rolling_eyes:
 

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