Roosters bid for O'Meley

[Spike]

Roosters bid for O'Meley

By David Riccio
February 25, 2007
MARK O'Meley has been offered $450,000 a season to join the Roosters and $280,000 to stay with the Bulldogs.
This equation - and the $170,000 shortfall - is currently turning over in his head as the Test prop weighs up his future.
O'Meley and his manager Wayne Beavis met Roosters supremo Nick Politis last Saturday morning.
Although no formal offer was extended, it is believed Politis said he is prepared to hand O'Meley $1.35million over three years.
The Bulldogs hardman is understood to have left the meeting impressed by not only Politis but his plans for the Roosters.
Beavis admitted the meeting took place.
"I had a lovely breakfast meeting. Mark wasn't the only topic of discussion," Beavis said.
"The Roosters is one of many options for Mark. But it's not only about money either. It's about the style of football, playing strength, the long-term situation of the club and so many more other facets aside from just signing off on cheques."
It's understood Politis has the backing of new Roosters coach Chris Anderson to lure O'Meley to Bondi.
Anderson's pre-season signing of veteran forwards Danny Nutley (whose contract expires at the end of the 2008 season) and Chris Beattie (2007) were always stop-gap solutions for a pack devoid of hardened experience.
After rejecting the Bulldogs' first contract proposal of $280,000 several weeks ago, O'Meley spoke of his latest dilemma.
"It's hard. I'm turning 26 in May and I think I've still got some fairly good footy in me and I've got to look at where I think I can play my best footy," O'Meley said.
"I've also got to consider if Canterbury can help me out and keep me. I haven't sat down with my wife and really looked ahead at where I'm going to be.
"I'd like to think I'm a loyal person. That's why I've only been focused on getting fit and preparing myself for the season ahead with the Bulldogs. As far as I'm concerned I'm in the blue and white of Canterbury and that's what matters right now.
"There's a lot of stuff to weigh up so I just want to let my footy do all the talking."
The Sharks and St George-Illawarra also remain in the hunt for O'Meley.
O'Meley missed last night's trial against the Dragons with a quadriceps tear.
He will also miss next week's trial against the Warriors in an effort to be fit for the opening round clash with Newcastle.
<A class=image href="http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/?from=ni_story"">

 

[jimmy_the_greek]

after reading the pay difference, im not to confident he will stay, i really hope he does

he mentioned some great things in the article such as "I'd like to think I'm a loyal person. That's why I've only been focused on getting fit and preparing myself for the season ahead with the Bulldogs. As far as I'm concerned I'm in the blue and white of Canterbury and that's what matters right now.

 

[Spike]

If O'Meley's loyalty to the Bulldogs is as strong as he suggests in the article, why would he have already rejected the Bulldogs offer which was presented to him recently? Do you think it was just a case of working out the finer aspects of the contract before he puts pen to paper, or he is just deluding the Bulldogs fans with a false sense of loyalty to the club?

 

[jimmy_the_greek]

If O'Meley's loyalty to the Bulldogs is as strong as he suggests in the article, why would he have already rejected the Bulldogs offer which was presented to him recently? Do you think it was just a case of working out the finer aspects of the contract before he puts pen to paper, or he is just deluding the Bulldogs fans with a false sense of loyalty to the club?

i remember hearing that the first offer was referred to been unacceptable, O'Meley said "it's not only about money either. It's about the style of football, playing strength, the long-term situation of the club and so many more other facets aside from just signing off on cheques."

to be honest i dont think he is deluding the bulldogs fans with a false sense of loyalty, he has been a great player for us for the amount of time that he has been at our club, i think its been a hard choice for him, and he has a family to think about also

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

450K for O'Meley! LMAO, whose paying overs now?

 

[Moffo]

f**k off goosters

stop stealing our players because you can't produce your own. go get some of the queer boys from edgecliff off the rugby field and get em into a real game

 

[The Business]

f**k off goosters

stop stealing our players because you can't produce your own. go get some of the queer boys from edgecliff off the rugby field and get em into a real game

So you produced O'Meley?

 

[ByRd]

lol I know we didn't produce O'Meley but yeh hands off chooks lol O'Meley is not worth more then $300k a season if that even. If he was loyal he would of taken the offer the club put to him a week or two ago but he has already stated he is after money as it may be his last chance at earning some big money so imo O'Meley is leaving the dogs (but i dotn think its a major loss cause i do believe he is Overrated). Yes he does some big runs and tackles but consistently drops the ball and does dumb offloads, is lazy in defence and just has no consistency. But yeh well see what happens.

 

[Lowdown]

Loyalty only takes you so far. But when you way up a contract paying $1.35m v $840k - the difference being half a million bucks - I'm sorry but thats taking loyalty too far.

Anyone who is dissapointed that O'Meley might just accept this offer needs to put themselves in that situation - half a million dollars for your family when he only has approx 5 years left in this game.

 

[Deleted member 10972]

lol I know we didn't produce O'Meley but yeh hands off chooks lol O'Meley is not worth more then $300k a season if that even. If he was loyal he would of taken the offer the club put to him a week or two ago but he has already stated he is after money as it may be his last chance at earning some big money so imo O'Meley is leaving the dogs (but i dotn think its a major loss cause i do believe he is Overrated). Yes he does some big runs and tackles but consistently drops the ball and does dumb offloads, is lazy in defence and just has no consistency. But yeh well see what happens.

Roosters are offering 450K because they need him more than most other clubs do. Beattie will leave, Nutley will become a benchie in his last season, Myles & Tupou are backrowers. We need a genuine frontrower to partner Shillington up front, we've lacked a real metre eater pack leader since Cayless left.

 

[Choppies]

I don't think we are after him. Just pushing the price up for the Dogs.
I do reckon we are after Williams. I have had mail over the last 6-10 months about it and today in the Herald there is a bit with Williams getting a 3rd party agreement with Wizard and which club has a board member involved with Wizard?

 

[Deleted member 10972]

Stupid management. We don't need Williams. We are already up to our necks in locks, like Anasta, Flannery, Harrison, Plum, Sa, Aubusson, Schubert. I would only chase SBW AFTER we re-sign our priority players, & only if Fitzgibbon leaves.

 

[Stagger eel]

Loyalty only takes you so far. But when you way up a contract paying $1.35m v $840k - the difference being half a million bucks - I'm sorry but thats taking loyalty too far.

Anyone who is dissapointed that O'Meley might just accept this offer needs to put themselves in that situation - half a million dollars for your family when he only has approx 5 years left in this game.

I agree..goodluck to him.

 

[Evergreen]

he mentioned some great things in the article such as "I'd like to think I'm a loyal person. That's why I've only been focused on getting fit and preparing myself for the season ahead with the Bulldogs. As far as I'm concerned I'm in the blue and white of Canterbury and that's what matters right now.

Stop the speculation and give him a tricolours guernsey now.

With quotes like that it sounds like he's already made up his mind.

 

[TITAN1]

If he was a single bloke he would have probably signed with the dogs already...bring a family into the equation and money definately becomes an issue.
But how like the roosters to be throwing cash around!:?

 

[nqboy]

Loyalty only takes you so far. But when you way up a contract paying $1.35m v $840k - the difference being half a million bucks - I'm sorry but thats taking loyalty too far.

Anyone who is dissapointed that O'Meley might just accept this offer needs to put themselves in that situation - half a million dollars for your family when he only has approx 5 years left in this game.

Spot on. If I was Shrek and those are the deals on offer, it's a no-brainer.

 

[kooriguy]

ah let him go doggies if the roosters are stupid enough to pay that amount of money to a an ogre that just runs the ball up.. if he played 80 minutes maybe, but you dont pay someone that much to sit on the bench half of the game.

 

[nqboy]

And if I'm a Doggies fan, I thank him for his service and wish him well. No way he's worth more than 300K to the Dogs.

 

[Rutager]

I agree, if he can get $450000 per year then all the best to him.

 

[Stagger eel]

O'Meley's worth as much as he can get.