JOEL THOMPSON TO MANLY?

[gitano]

FMD. Alright listen here you muppets.
7 pages of garbage later I thought it was time to bring some common sense to the table.

If he has a bigger contract on the table, good on him. He's a person with a family. You guys placing these guys on a god like pedestal isn't healthy.
Players don't talk about that stuff. If he leaves good on him.

 

[2010]

Situations like this is going to be common from now on. Players will come and go. Joel us going to be missed and other players who will leave in the future will also be missed.
Its all about the money for players and why not.
They have a relatively short life span so they need to get as much as they can.

 

[SEAT 1A]

On of the finest players to wear the RED V. Would love to see him finish up with the Dragons however, If Thommo can secure a better deal good luck to him.

 

[dragonreddy]

FMD. Alright listen here you muppets.
7 pages of garbage later I thought it was time to bring some common sense to the table.

If he has a bigger contract on the table, good on him. He's a person with a family. You guys placing these guys on a god like pedestal isn't healthy.
Players don't talk about that stuff. If he leaves good on him.

He is trying to sort out his future as you say ,can't begrudge him that, most players will try to get a new contract in place as they commence the last year of their current contract.

Obviously Manly are dangling a big carrot and it will be one that Saints can't match ,(or don't want to), and the deal Manly are offering probably has the proviso that he plays with them 2018, hence Thommo's logic in his comments on twitter,as being forced out ,meaning that Saints wont match the deal ,so in his eyes he is being "forced out", there is just the slight detail that he has a year to run with us, that's why he is saying things are never straightforward . That's him rationalizing on getting out a year early.

The club may as well let him go ,if his head is somewhere else ,its pointless making him stay, he has been guilty of fading in and out of games at times ,and that would be exacerbated if he didn't wan't to be here. He has been a good toiler and is obviously a good bloke to have around, but hardly the superstar that some on here portray him to be , I'm sure the club will survive ,we are going nowhere while McMuppet is in charge ,Thommo is a good solid player but hardly irreplacable.

 

[getsmarty]

FMD. Alright listen here you muppets.
7 pages of garbage later I thought it was time to bring some common sense to the table.

If he has a bigger contract on the table, good on him. He's a person with a family. You guys placing these guys on a god like pedestal isn't healthy.
Players don't talk about that stuff. If he leaves good on him.

Correct...its a business and Thommo has to look out for his family. Good luck to him if Manly are offering another 4 years. Be sad to see him go but that's the nature of the game.

 

[Emu01]

There has to be more to this story and I suspect it has something to do with a new coach wanting to bring a player with him. Only my opinion but this action by Millward does not make sense unless there is a significant recruitment in the pipe line.

Could that coach be Hasler and the player Brett Morris? We have a plethora of back rowers and desperately need a winger.

 

[getsmarty]

There has to be more to this story and I suspect it has something to do with a new coach wanting to bring a player with him. Only my opinion but this action by Millward does not make sense unless there is a significant recruitment in the pipe line.

No No NO....Simple...Player offered overs and a 4 year deal which we would be silly to match. We have plenty of young guys coming through the ranks. You cannot keep them all and if they get offered a better deal then the player needs to look after their family and future prospects. More than likely his final contract or close to. Millward has been very good in his evaluation of players .

If Thommo leaves then it will be sad but I would like to thank him for all his time in the mighty Red V.

 

[dragonssamy61]

No No NO....Simple...Player offered overs and a 4 year deal which we would be silly to match. We have plenty of young guys coming through the ranks. You cannot keep them all and if they get offered a better deal then the player needs to look after their family and future prospects. More than likely his final contract or close to. Millward has been very good in his evaluation of players .

If Thommo leaves then it will be sad but I would like to thank him for all his time in the mighty Red V.

Well said getsmarty
I have been told the same.

 

[Dragon Revival]

Millward has done a fair job in retaining Under 20's players but does not put plans in to place to fast track their development through the NSW Cup to NRL level.

 

[possm]

We should have never let Brett Morris and his 20 tries a season go a year early to be replaced by one season Nabuli. We should retain Thompson for one more year to maintain stability and give him a slight pay increase I can not see us making an impact in 2018 without both Packer and Thompson and retaining pedestrian wingers and erratic centres.

Nightingale doen't cost a lot because he and De Belin are eligible for the long service payment; 150k each per season. So if Macdonald and Thompson are moving on, I'd say we are after Rona because he, like Man can play as a centre, winger or fullback. With Rona at right centre and Mann on the right wing, our backline is looking much better. We have plenty of young bucks who will play off the bench in place of Sims who will replace Thompson.

I think there is a good chance that the new coach is making his wishes felt. In my opinion Mary will be replaced by Hasler or Mage prior to the start of the off-season. What the Club does with Horby and Young is another matter.

 

[Sheridan Stand]

Wow. I read with great sadness. Our fans are becoming clones of the leadership ineptitude.

I hate to bring up old war wounds but Illawarra culture and StGeorge dinosaur management have together all but destroyed our once proud club.

Do you think Storm, Roosters and Brisbane lose players they need to keep and then there fans come out to post - "cant keep them all" or "we have juniors coming through" or "he has to look after his family".

We limped into mid table this year and now we lose a player who has always been above avegare with no replacement in sight and people are happy with the decision.

Wake up people. We should have merged with Easts and had the money and power to be a super club. We picked the yokels from down the farm on the expectation of juniors And heck we can't even keep our juniors with some now not even playing firsts before they move to stardom.

We have no TP nor any brown bag capability to keep the necessary range of cattle to threaten for the title again. Not without a coach that can bring out the best in a collective team of okay players.

Don't settle fans and please Don't make rubbish rationale.

Fact is we can't even keep someone at Thommo's level at this club.

Accept the truth.

 

[coast_dragons]

Millward has done a fair job in retaining Under 20's players but does not put plans in to place to fast track their development through the NSW Cup to NRL level.

I am not even sure you know what Millwards roll actually is.

He can not control what the coaches do he can only advise them. Players have been promoted through the NSW Cup this year at certain stages Garrick, Johns, Robson, Uele and Purcell have had a couple of oppurtunties at that level this year.

Lawrie, Herbert and Field all three could have played under 20's this year but the decision was made to leave them in the NSW Cup to better their development.

Mary is the stumbling block and it would be difficult to sway a guy with such a stubborn attitude.

 

[coast_dragons]

Wow. I read with great sadness. Our fans are becoming clones of the leadership ineptitude.

I hate to bring up old war wounds but Illawarra culture and StGeorge dinosaur management have together all but destroyed our once proud club.

Do you think Storm, Roosters and Brisbane lose players they need to keep and then there fans come out to post - "cant keep them all" or "we have juniors coming through" or "he has to look after his family".

We limped into mid table this year and now we lose a player who has always been above avegare with no replacement in sight and people are happy with the decision.

Wake up people. We should have merged with Easts and had the money and power to be a super club. We picked the yokels from down the farm on the expectation of juniors And heck we can't even keep our juniors with some now not even playing firsts before they move to stardom.

We have no TP nor any brown bag capability to keep the necessary range of cattle to threaten for the title again. Not without a coach that can bring out the best in a collective team of okay players.

Don't settle fans and please Don't make rubbish rationale.

Fact is we can't even keep someone at Thommo's level at this club.

Accept the truth.

Host imo will be just as good if not better then Thompson in the near future.

The under 20's backrow is also a good solid unit no real standouts but guys with potential for improvement.

 

[Life's Good]

Millward has done a fair job in retaining Under 20's players but does not put plans in to place to fast track their development through the NSW Cup to NRL level.

Mate, Millward is responsible for the paperwork. Development and opportunities to play are the responsibility of the coach. There is distinct separation of responsibilities. Unfortunately this isn't supported by accountability when it comes to the output of our coaching staff.

 

[dragonssamy61]

Millward has done a fair job in retaining Under 20's players but does not put plans in to place to fast track their development through the NSW Cup to NRL level.

Dragons Revival.
Unfortunately mary has the final say on who's is in the team.
In other words the final 17.
Millward has no say in who's playing in wich grade

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

I would prefer to looking at it as building to a very good first grade squad and one that can be a genuine premiership contender over the next few years or so.

No problem with that 'FF' but the problem l have is that the time it takes to build a decent team, we keep losing good players ( Melbourne etc don't lose good players ) .......... but we do, why?

Could it be that we lack a decent coach ............ l seriously think this is part of the reason.
A good coach will sit down with a player and tell him to stay cause we are going to be up there at the pointy end of the season. ( how many players say no to Bellyache and walk off ? ).

Players know that McGregor is lame, the fans know McGregor is lame, the only ones who are preapred to accommodate him is the board.

Decent coach, decent players stay........... for less.
End of story.

Anyway, just my tow bobs worth.

 

[BrissyRedV]

Interesting conundrum this one. Thompson is a good player, has a ton of experience and is an inspiration with his work off the field. We do have some good looking prospects coming through at the moment, but that is what they are at this point. We have some excellent players coming next year in Graham and Hunt, and if it wasn't for the McWrecker influence, you would probably say a genuine premiership threat with what is a pretty good squad (although some more speed on the flanks would always be welcome).

So here is the conundrum, with the squad that has been put together, why do you release a player with experience that has been in good form and arguably decrease our premiership credentials by going with largely untested talent? Unless there is another recruit of equal or greater talent coming it didn't quite add up?

 

[coast_dragons]

Interesting conundrum this one. Thompson is a good player, has a ton of experience and is an inspiration with his work off the field. We do have some good looking prospects coming through at the moment, but that is what they are at this point. We have some excellent players coming next year in Graham and Hunt, and if it wasn't for the McWrecker influence, you would probably say a genuine premiership threat with what is a pretty good squad (although some more speed on the flanks would always be welcome).

So here is the conundrum, with the squad that has been put together, why do you release a player with experience that has been in good form and arguably decrease our premiership credentials by going with largely untested talent? Unless there is another recruit of equal or greater talent coming it didn't quite add up?

That is a very good question Brissy why would they release him if they don't intend to replace him with some one of equal experience and Value.

Something doesn't quite add up in all this I don't see the club under any cap pressure as they have let a stack load of players go.

Grham is getting paid half his value from the Dogs and Hunt isn't on as much as being reported.

Latimore would be on bugger all and the other two guys the club is looking at may not even be starting first graders.

Maybe something is in play we don't know about.

 

[Drag Queen]

I would prefer to looking at it as building to a very good first grade squad and one that can be a genuine premiership contender over the next few years or so.

"Over the next few years" Geez Frank I might be dead by then. Bar 3-4 players whom I rate, we have a coach that is inept, clueless. Our roster is pretty bloody ordinary. Hoping the NYC come through today but we do not have any Clearys, Croft or Mitchell's coming through atm. None of our youngsters are shining, but I'd put that simply down to the coaching/ or lack of, that they are receiving.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

Here is the brutal truth to all of this in my eyes...

As far as i'm concerned, Host will be a much better player on that left edge. In fact, Sims is already better than Thompson on that left side but McGregor insists on playing him in the middle.
The biggest issue I have with Thompson leaving is his leadership and his role-model stature. The players seem to love him and his loss would certainly leave a hole in the soul/morale of the club. But as far as player quality is concerned, i'm comfortable with Host/Sims/Leilua covering that position. If he wants more money, good luck to him and thank you for your service.