Gower: I'll talk peace with Penrith
By Greg Prichard
February 9, 2006
SACKED Panthers captain Craig Gower says he hopes to work out a solution with Penrith that will result in him staying at the club until the end of his career.
But the player's manager, Greg Willett, stressed that while Gower hoped to work something out, it would take a lot of discussion at club and family levels over the next two days before his future was clear.
Gower and his wife, Amanda, returned from their honeymoon in Vietnam yesterday and Willett drove them straight to a breakfast with Gower's parents, at which the situation was discussed.
Speculation has been rife that Gower wanted out of his five-year, $2.25 million contract since it was revealed Willett had last Friday met Penrith general manager Mick Leary and coach John Lang.
Gower is upset about issues related to the process that resulted in the club stripping him of the team captaincy and fining him $30,000 for being involved in an alcohol-fuelled incident on the Sunshine Coast in December.
Asked if he would seek a release, Gower told the Herald: "People are thinking I'm a whinger because of all the stuff that's been in the media this week, but I wasn't even here while any of that was going on.
"Every time I get splashed across the papers I'm supposed to want out, but I haven't come out and said that. I asked my manager to have a word to Penrith while I was away and somehow that got out and everyone seems to have made up their own minds about what I want without hearing anything from me.
"I do have a couple of issues that I want to discuss face-to-face with the club and it's true that some of it has got to do with the process the club went through in deciding my punishment. But it's a complex thing and I think I'm better off just discussing it with the club.
"The thing I would like to do is work out some sort of solution with the club over all of this that would see me stay. It's not the case that I've asked for a release or anything like that. I want to find common ground with the club. If I can't find common ground, I don't know what will happen, but I want to work it out with Penrith.
"I'll be back at training tomorrow and it will be business as usual as far as I'm concerned. I'll be meeting with the club some time after that."
Penrith chief executive Glenn Matthews said last night he would meet Gower today and that he believed the pair could find a solution so that Gower would stay.
"I've had a telephone conversation with Craig since he got back and we're going to meet and I'm not going to tell anyone when or where and we're going to talk about the personal issues that concern him," Matthews said. "I'm optimistic that we can work something out."
Willett said he expected to then meet Gower and club officials tomorrow.
"Craig does want to try to work something out at Penrith but at the end of the day he is the only one who can decide his future because he is the one who has to live or die by his decision," Willett said.
"There will be a lot of discussion between Craig and his family and Craig and the club before any decision is made."
Asked for his reaction to speculation linking Gower with Melbourne, Matthews said: "We haven't considered anything post-Craig Gower for this club. We're looking at Craig being here for the next five years."
Meanwhile, St George Illawarra utility Shaun Timmins is poised to sign a one-year extension of his contract that will still enable him to play in England next season.
The deal will ensure 30-year-old Timmins never plays against the club but includes a get-out clause should he decide before July 1 that he wants to finish his career in Super League.
Timmins last year knocked back an offer from Hull and has also been linked to Wigan, who have made an offer for Dragons captain Trent Barrett. Barrett's agent, Wayne Beavis, is due today to meet St George Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust and it is believed the Australia Test five-eighth is leaning towards exercising an option in his contract to move to England at the end of the season, despite having two more years to run with the Dragons.
In other news, the South Sydney board is expected to agree tonight to allow members to vote on the $3m offer by Peter Holmes a Court and Russell Crowe for a 75 per cent stake of the football club.
And Wests Tigers yesterday announced a three-year, $1.2 million sponsorship deal with home appliances manufacturer Haier that will see the value of the premiers, jersey double this season to $1.5m.
