Ricky goes nuclear as he lashes Bateman’s ‘manipulating, agitating’ manager over star Raider’s exit
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has urged the NRL to crack down on player managers, publicly lashing Isaac Moses after he was able to force John Bateman out of the Raiders.
On Tuesday Canberra confirmed that they had agreed to let Bateman walk out on the last year of his contract to seek better offers.
It comes after Bateman linked with Moses in the build-up to last year’s grand final.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/match-centre/NRL20200806
Since then the Englishman has asked for four releases, something he has continued to deny after foxsports.com.au revealed he had been seeking to leave the Green Machine.
“We knew what was going to happen and to (CEO Don Furner) Don’s credit he put a timeline on his manager and we got what we knew was coming. It’s really disappointing.”
Stuart continued, saying that the game needed to do more to protect clubs.
The likes of Ryan Matterson have downed tools in recent months, and Stuart says that the Bateman departure was another example of the game needing to do more.
“John is a big part of the squad and he’s a world class player so to lose him really disappoints me because we here at the club have worked so hard to build a strong roster,” he said.
“And then you have players getting pulled out of it the way John has, [it’s] really disappointed me.
“It disappoints me the way the game allows it. I feel as though the game really needs to help clubs in regards to how we have to deal with certain managers over the way they agitate clubs and how they manipulate communications and negotiations to suit them and them only.
“It’s not always in the best interest of the player and it disappoints me because its so hard to build a strong roster.”
Stuart also said he was glad that Canberra had fronted up, rather than allowing their club to be overrun by the control of powerful agents.
Moses, who is appealing to keep his NRL registration, is known to have a large number of clients at the Warriors and Brisbane.
“I’m proud that the club has taken a strong stance,” Stuart added.
The last thing that we are going to be is a club such as the Warriors or the Broncos where they’ve been ruined by manipulation and agitation of roster.”
