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http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/anastas-off-to-the-roosters/2005/07/11/1120934188750.html
Anasta's off to the Roosters
By Greg Prichard
July 12, 2005
South Sydney patriarch George Piggins last night got the news he was dreading - that his nephew, Braith Anasta, would join Sydney Roosters next season.
Anasta's manager, Greg Willett, met with Piggins at his home to give him the word. Despite his enormous disappointment, the first thing Piggins did was ring Anasta to wish him good luck.
Souths chief executive Shane Richardson was also at the meeting and the confirmation of Anasta's move was a second harsh blow for the Rabbitohs yesterday after their captain Ashley Harrison announced that he, too, was joining the Roosters.
Despite the talk in recent days that Anasta would go to the Roosters, Piggins had held out hope that the NSW five-eighth would return to the club for which he played as a junior.
But it wasn't to be and Piggins said Souths now had to concentrate on trying to sign the player who has been their other main priority all along, Melbourne halfback Matt Orford.
"Braith's going to the Roosters," Piggins said last night. "Greg Willett came over to tell me and Richo was here as well. It's very disappointing, because I would've loved to have seen him back at Souths, but I wish him all the best.
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"Football careers only last so long and at the end of the day Braith and I are family. We'll always be family and as long as we're mates that's the most important thing.
"I rang Braith's place, but he wasn't around at the time, so I told his brother, Damon, to wish him all the best for me. Braith will get back to me when he can."
Anasta's deal with the Roosters will run for three years and the club is expected to announce it once the details have been confirmed - probably by today.
Orford's manager, George Mimis, yesterday said that Melbourne, Souths and Manly were all still in the running in the race to sign the Storm star.
"There has been no major development since the end of last week," Mimis said. "But I'm very hopeful of bringing this matter to a conclusion later in the week. I think it will be Wednesday, Thursday or Friday before it is done and dusted." Manly remain the favourites to sign Orford and add him to their acquisition late last week from Melbourne - centre Steve Bell - but the longer he remains available, the more optimistic Souths will become about their chances. Staying with the Storm seems the least likely scenario for Orford.
Rabbitohs lock and captain Harrison signed with the Roosters on a three-year deal and said he had accepted less money to go there than he could have earned by accepting an offer to re-sign with Souths.
Harrison said the fact that the Rabbitohs had not been able to sign any of their primary targets - Orford, Anasta or Bell - by the time he came to make up his mind was a key factor in his choice.
"It was definitely a hard decision," Harrison said yesterday. "I was still up in the air when I went to see Chris [Orr, his manager] today, but we went through all of the pluses and minuses one last time and I came up with the Roosters.
"I was up front with Souths all along about wanting to see the club sign some good players and I waited for that to happen, but I didn't feel I could wait any longer.
"Souths gave me an opportunity and my football has improved since I've been there and I would've been captain there next year as well. Those things have been pretty hard for me to turn my back on."
Harrison said he had spoken with family members before making his decision and that they had told him to do what he thought was best for him. He said he felt comfortable when he made up his mind and that he had rung Richardson to inform him of his decision.
Richardson could not be contacted last night when the Herald tried to reach him after the Anasta development, but earlier in the day he said that following Harrison's decision all he could do was get on with trying to sign other players.
"I'm disappointed, but I knew it was coming," Richardson said. "At least Ashley rang me himself to tell me. All I can do now is wish him the best of luck for the future and get on with the job."
Anasta's off to the Roosters
By Greg Prichard
July 12, 2005
South Sydney patriarch George Piggins last night got the news he was dreading - that his nephew, Braith Anasta, would join Sydney Roosters next season.
Anasta's manager, Greg Willett, met with Piggins at his home to give him the word. Despite his enormous disappointment, the first thing Piggins did was ring Anasta to wish him good luck.
Souths chief executive Shane Richardson was also at the meeting and the confirmation of Anasta's move was a second harsh blow for the Rabbitohs yesterday after their captain Ashley Harrison announced that he, too, was joining the Roosters.
Despite the talk in recent days that Anasta would go to the Roosters, Piggins had held out hope that the NSW five-eighth would return to the club for which he played as a junior.
But it wasn't to be and Piggins said Souths now had to concentrate on trying to sign the player who has been their other main priority all along, Melbourne halfback Matt Orford.
"Braith's going to the Roosters," Piggins said last night. "Greg Willett came over to tell me and Richo was here as well. It's very disappointing, because I would've loved to have seen him back at Souths, but I wish him all the best.
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"Football careers only last so long and at the end of the day Braith and I are family. We'll always be family and as long as we're mates that's the most important thing.
"I rang Braith's place, but he wasn't around at the time, so I told his brother, Damon, to wish him all the best for me. Braith will get back to me when he can."
Anasta's deal with the Roosters will run for three years and the club is expected to announce it once the details have been confirmed - probably by today.
Orford's manager, George Mimis, yesterday said that Melbourne, Souths and Manly were all still in the running in the race to sign the Storm star.
"There has been no major development since the end of last week," Mimis said. "But I'm very hopeful of bringing this matter to a conclusion later in the week. I think it will be Wednesday, Thursday or Friday before it is done and dusted." Manly remain the favourites to sign Orford and add him to their acquisition late last week from Melbourne - centre Steve Bell - but the longer he remains available, the more optimistic Souths will become about their chances. Staying with the Storm seems the least likely scenario for Orford.
Rabbitohs lock and captain Harrison signed with the Roosters on a three-year deal and said he had accepted less money to go there than he could have earned by accepting an offer to re-sign with Souths.
Harrison said the fact that the Rabbitohs had not been able to sign any of their primary targets - Orford, Anasta or Bell - by the time he came to make up his mind was a key factor in his choice.
"It was definitely a hard decision," Harrison said yesterday. "I was still up in the air when I went to see Chris [Orr, his manager] today, but we went through all of the pluses and minuses one last time and I came up with the Roosters.
"I was up front with Souths all along about wanting to see the club sign some good players and I waited for that to happen, but I didn't feel I could wait any longer.
"Souths gave me an opportunity and my football has improved since I've been there and I would've been captain there next year as well. Those things have been pretty hard for me to turn my back on."
Harrison said he had spoken with family members before making his decision and that they had told him to do what he thought was best for him. He said he felt comfortable when he made up his mind and that he had rung Richardson to inform him of his decision.
Richardson could not be contacted last night when the Herald tried to reach him after the Anasta development, but earlier in the day he said that following Harrison's decision all he could do was get on with trying to sign other players.
"I'm disappointed, but I knew it was coming," Richardson said. "At least Ashley rang me himself to tell me. All I can do now is wish him the best of luck for the future and get on with the job."
