Manly have handled this as badly as Canterbury handled their salary cap a few years ago. This is the longest running saga I can recall since Brisbane botched Justin Hodges joining Easts.
If Monaghan is happy at Manly, he'd be happy in any situation. Manly have paraded Orford in front of him for about 3 months now. For a club that used to be renown for professionalism in player negotiations, they are handling this one abysmally.
As Monaghan's manager said - Orford will make a great hooker.
This can be doing Manly no service in its race to sign Orford. Luckily for them, Souths are imploding over the racism remark from Fletcher - something that, amid their most crucial player negotiations in 20 years - could have the same effect as the Dan Tilse' rampage through Bathurst had on Newcastle 6 months ago.
For mine, the best result for League would be to see Orford, Anasta and Bell at Souths. It may not happen.
I'm wondering whether the odds of Orford staying in Melbourne are shortening?
