Hard decisions need to be made

[Slippery Morris]

Letting go of Lance and Timmo is no different to what the Tigers did with O'Neill and Dogs have done with Anasta. Every team needs to make these decisions and having Creagh, Young, Payne, Sims etc coming through the ranks quickly unfortunately the Dragons have had to make these decisions.

Looks like Dragons have taken a leaf out of the Tigers book and are going for youth rather than experience which is not a bad thing. I am more shattered losing Josh Lewis than these 2 as he would of been a good backup for Baz.

It all comes down to the Dragons horrific injury tolls the previous couple of seasons. Without those injuries guys like Sims, Payne, Young, Creagh would of still been in the lower grades earning less dough but unfortunately they were rushed into the squad and fortunately for the Dragons stepped up and proved to be more than capable of being long term 1st graders.

The selectors have done us no favours as well as picking them in rep sides has increased their value as well. I am glad Creagh made the Aussie side but we could of done without that for now. All this talk is after he was picked so there was probably a clause in his contract which upgraded his dough once selected. They should of picked Mossison.

One thing that suprises me is that isn't there a 10 year exemption of 50k per for these players?

Ennis did well for Baz when injured. Geez I hope head and Baz stay fit or we are screwed next season.

They should of let Greeny go. Morris will be awesome given the chance, just like his dad was.

 

[Collateral]

Too bad we will probably have to release Morris the same way we will with Greeny.

 

[The Preacher]

I mentioned that earlier that Ricketson had some sort of exemption for 10yr service, and Willow agreed there was some concession made, but I haven't heard it mentioned for either of our 2.

 

[Willow]

Letting go of Lance and Timmo is no different to what the Tigers did with O'Neill and Dogs have done with Anasta.

I find the Dogs losing Anasta to be on par with us losing Riddell.

Thompson is a bit more than that.

 

[Collateral]

Thompson was like the Dogs losing Price.

 

[God-King Dean]

I mentioned that earlier that Ricketson had some sort of exemption for 10yr service, and Willow agreed there was some concession made, but I haven't heard it mentioned for either of our 2.

Interesting

But I can imagine the NRL making some bullsh*t about ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA being 7 years olds, therefore they've only been here for 7 years :roll:

 

[TinghaInMotion]

we are screwed next season.

After all this, i think we are screwed for next season anyway. There must be a lot of ill feeling and disharmony in the team now. I don't know if that will settle down and resolve itself in time for next season. The tigers showed that you need a group of players that work together to win.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Maybe getting rid of these 2 will improve moral.

Browny played with Timmo and Lance. Once they go Baz will be the only old fella around from Brownies days which may make his job easier. Not sure if Rylsey started when Browny was around.

Idealy I would love to have both Timmo and Thommo but would hate to lose good up and coming talent for them. Letting go of Fitzy for Bartrim, Amos to keep Blacklock, etc have all backfired in the past.

Willow for once I disagree with you mate. Anasta is a rep player and has won a GF Thommo or Riddel haven't.

 

[Willow]

Thommo is a local junior, the Sponge and Piggy were not. Which is what I meant.

Its OK to disagreee with me Slippery. ;-)

 

[The Preacher]

I may be wrong, but it seems that due to the fact these players are contracted for next year, if they are released and paid out, that money will still count towards our 2006 salary cap.
Call me a "conspiracy theorist", but, there seems to be a hidden agenda here. There seems to be more to this than salary cap problems.
It's funny how Thommo is in the news, yet Timmo has stayed more or less "under the radar" during all of this.

 

[Willow]

If they are paid out and invited to look elsewhere I'm pretty sure it will not be part of the salary cap.

Thompson is in the news because of the left the awards function last Friday... and since then, he and Doust have been throwing rocks at each other through the press.

The media love that sort of stuff, very hollywood. Timmins has been in the news as well but not to the same extent. He simply said he want to play at Saints next year, both players have. The club said they want to sit down and talk about it. Not much of a story there. But add a player 'storming' out of a function and throw in a few choice adjectives delivered in the media, and all of a sudden we've got a story.

If there is another agenda, it'll surface later on. And you have to ask the question, is there more than one agenda from sides? Needless to say, this wouldn't happen in Frank Facer's day - a quick punch up followed by a beer would have been the sum total of it all. In fairness, it was a different time of less scrutiny and the media weren't watching the players/coach/officials every move.

 

[The Preacher]

Especially when you have fools and dunces masquerading as journo's such as Thommo's new bestest buddy, Danny WEIRDLER !!!!!!

 

[Objective One]

This from the SMH today has to be about the most illogical statement in the whole saga yet:

"St George Illawarra officials may attempt to use Lance Thompson's reaction to his proposed axing next season as grounds to cut the long-serving Dragons stalwart from the club."

I'd like to see an employment lawyer sign off on that as a strategy:

"we told you Lance that we were going to cut you for next year and because you got annoyed about that now we are really going to do it"

What is it with RL clubs and their handling of this stuff? I'm not pointing fingers at you guys here, Sharks have been just as bad. But, the lack of professionalism from these bozos at times that are running big $ businesses these days jusy amazes me. It's not like the Doust's and Sludges of the world do this for small $ salaries either. They are pretty highly paid executives by general market standards. How come they seemingly don't get the PR/sponsorship thing and let these spats get so out of hand?

 

[Wobbygong]

Objective One,

Agreed it's starting to smell a bit like the Anderson v Sharks debacle, looking for excuses to get rid of a contracted person, I certainly hope we don't end up paying $1m plus in an out of court settlement.

 

[Wobbygong]

Interesting in the SMH that we've signed Bickerstaff (old news), Damon Alley Tovio (Raiders), Goodwin and Blayney (Sharks) and Lagi Setu, when we are trying to REDUCE our NRL tier cap. Of these 5 players, Bickerstaff, Tovio & Setu - are all included in the top 25 cap players according to the article.

 

[Willow]

Would that have been the same SMH that Jacquelin Magnay wrote?

She has an anti-RL agenda. Her style of reporting isn't shy of employing the odd bit embellishment here and there. Not saying she always gets it wrong but but I tend to take what she writes with a grain of salt.

 

[koslecki]

""After all this, i think we are screwed for next season anyway. There must be a lot of ill feeling and disharmony in the team now. I don't know if that will settle down and resolve itself in time for next season. The tigers showed that you need a group of players that work together to win.""

I dont think there will be any disharmony within the players, only if timmo goes. Thommo doesnt have any close mates within the team. He is a strange character. After all these years he still doesnt have any close contact with anyone except for choc and now obviously danny weidler!

hes' done his dash with alot of players...this was coing for a while!

 

[Objective One]

Not your girlfriend it seems Willow. Don't know if this guy has an axe to grind. It's in the online version.

Thompson may be shown the door after walkout
By Brad Walter
October 13, 2005

 

[Objective One]

""After all this, i think we are screwed for next season anyway. There must be a lot of ill feeling and disharmony in the team now. I don't know if that will settle down and resolve itself in time for next season. The tigers showed that you need a group of players that work together to win.""

I dont think there will be any disharmony within the players, only if timmo goes. Thommo doesnt have any close mates within the team. He is a strange character. After all these years he still doesnt have any close contact with anyone except for choc and now obviously danny weidler!

hes' done his dash with alot of players...this was coing for a while!

gets to my point though on execution by the clubs/CEOs

if everyone knows Lance is a bit out there, then doesn't that say you need a careful strategy to get this done with minimal negative PR. telling him via an emissary at the awards night after only trying to get him on the day of the preso before that is asking for trouble

kind of like getting to a state of war with your cranky underperfroming coach and then sacking his son without telling him first. gee, do you think he might be mad enough to sue us if we sack him then? do we look a bit disorganised and unprofessional from a major sponsor's view? uh doh

 

[Wobbygong]

A player has to go, no matter who it is it will be painful - but that's business. If it isn't to be Thommo or Timmo, it will be someone else who will also be pissed off. I'm glad Ennis did what he did, he saved saved us around 120k straight off the bat.

With the exceptional squad we have, all will be forgotten come kick off next season.