DCE has said that he finds the Sharks a more attractive club than Manly. The fact that we have so many young guns, and now a rather young squad he feels he has the assets around him to continue his growth and development as a player and for the players around him.
The opportunity to play with Barba, Holmes and Graham are the driving forces behind our chance at him, and the fact he has taken in what the board had to say about the longevity of the club and the way Flanno will run the team around him.
However, despite his glaring issues with Manly, he has loyalty to them. Although I said Manly have given up on him, they still hold hope he will take their final offer. His concern over the Eagles is their aging roster.
Financially, we have been the front runner all along, and our offer plus third party was just greater than the Titans. I am told that he was originally wanting to go to the Gold Coast so he didn't cop the crap from jumping ship to a Sydney team, but I am told that they made a horrible pitch to him.
They spent more time convincing his wife how glamorous the GC was and how much opportunity there was for the family that they forgot to talk football and prospects, which have now sadly gone in the hands of the NRL.
The opportunity for DCE at the Sharks is huge. The corporate opportunity and marketing of the new development would be endless, as well as up coming sponsors, membership campaigns ect ect, plus a lot of Shire businesses are putting their hand up to help out providing they get a kick back.
Wear a hat here, wear a shirt their ect ect.
Plus, the opportunity to be the first halfback leading the Sharks to a premiership is on his mind, and doing it with his best mate is the attraction.
No one is fooling themselves here, if he signs, we are a premiership shot.
I have been told that the only hick up at the moment is the T&C's on a few third party agreements before he will put pen to paper, but in the mean time he has gone back to Manly and kept them in the loop.
My main mail feeling is he will be a Shark, but it won't be a decision he has made easily.
