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Twizzle

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
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153,808
Gronk said:

thecumberlandthrow.com

The Spotlight - January 23, 2024: Eels Immediate Needs Vs Future Investment

Imagine being involved in recruitment and retention at a development club. On the one hand you risk criticism for your club either not producing enough local first grade products or losing young talent to other clubs. On the other hand, supporters will haul you over the coals for not clinching big
thecumberlandthrow.com thecumberlandthrow.com
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article just discusses the dilemnas we have and decisions need to be made

all due respect to TCT, but thanks scoop

it should be about doing, not just deciding and it sounds like we are a long way from any doing
 
Tiger5150

Tiger5150

Bench
Messages
3,939
Twizzle said:
article is paywalled, but how can they just terminate a contracted player ?

payout ?
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He has received a series of warnings, Nofa has been asked to front the board Wednesday night to explain why he shouldnt be sacked.They have offered him a $300K payout....will be contested
 
King-Gutho94

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
15,922
Twizzle said:
article is paywalled, but how can they just terminate a contracted player ?

payout ?
Click to expand...
David Nofoaluma’s future at the Wests Tigers hangs in the balance with the out-of-favour winger summoned to front the club’s new-look board on Wednesday night after being served a termination letter.

The Herald can reveal the Tigers have offered Nofoaluma a termination payout of close to $300,000 to walk away from the final two years of his deal, which are worth just over $1 million. The offer, which comes after being issued his second breach notice in a month, is yet to be accepted.

It comes amid explosive accusations made by the Tigers’ greatest try-scorer to the Rugby League Players’ Association that rookie coach Benji Marshall told him that he would not play NRL again if he stayed at the Wests Tigers.
Almost eight years ago, a nasty feud erupted between club legend Robbie Farah and then-coach Jason Taylor, who tried to push the hooker out of the club by indicating his future would be in reserve grade if he stayed.

History now appears to be repeating itself. Nofoaluma has sought legal advice about the comments made to him and the perception of unfair treatment from the club’s coaching staff.
He is expected to be accompanied by the RLPA’s solicitor when he fronts the Tigers board to fight for his career later this week. New Tigers chief executive Shane Richardson declined to comment when contacted by this masthead.

Nofoaluma’s second sanction in a month came last week after he failed to adhere to club protocols when it comes to missing training due to illness.

The veteran winger notified a club official that he was not going to be able to attend training last Monday due to a bout of gastro, however did not respond to the club doctor’s attempts to contact him for the next 48 hours.

The club, after numerous attempts by several people to contact him, had to send a player to his house to check on Nofoaluma’s welfare.

This masthead first revealed in December that Nofoaluma refused to turn up to training over a perception of unfair treatment from the club, including the training methods adopted by the coaching staff.
Nofoaluma struggled physically and with his fitness levels upon returning to pre-season training and was one of the team’s least impressive performers in a time trial, struggling to keep up with the new standards at the club driven by Marshall.

After a series of meetings with the club and the RLPA, Nofoaluma returned to training almost two weeks later but was then sanctioned by the club for arriving late for a training session before the Christmas break.

Nofoaluma, who still has two seasons to run on his deal with the joint venture club worth about $525,000 a season, once again finds himself in hot water after being served another breach notice last week.

Nofoaluma has been handed at least three breach notices by the club in recent years.

This masthead reported back in 2021 that he was stood down from the club’s senior leadership group after turning up to training hungover the morning after the wedding of former chairman Lee Hagipantelis’ daughter.
Nofoaluma, who was at the wedding alongside then-coach Michael Maguire, was unable to finish the session the following morning and was sanctioned for his indiscretion.

The Tigers have been trying to offload the winger to a rival club for the past two years and even lent him to the Melbourne Storm at the end of 2022 as part of a loan deal for the final few games of the regular season and the finals.
Nofoaluma has scored 100 tries from 192 games for the Tigers since his debut for the joint venture club in 2013.
His services have been offered to rival clubs on numerous occasions over the past two years, but the Tigers haven’t been able to agree on the amount they would contribute as part of his release. Nofoaluma had also attracted interest from the Super League.

www.smh.com.au

Tigers part company with Nofoaluma after $300k payout

Wests Tigers’ all-time leading try-scorer has officially played his last game for the club and is now a free agent.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au
 
King-Gutho94

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
15,922
The Colonel said:
Too right it will be contested. There have been warnings but he is owed $1.1 million over the next two seasons. $300,000 is a long way short of that.
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If he is refusing to turn up to training claiming he is sick but not going to the doctors what are they supposed to do.

He shouldnt be getting a cent if he wants to act like a porkchop
 
Tiger5150

Tiger5150

Bench
Messages
3,939
King-Gutho94 said:
I would imagine you have the popcorn ready to go.
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Im just happy the club is making the tough decisions they have to make and they will get rid of him. Interested if anyone picks him up but I suspect that if anyone was interested we wouldnt have gotten this far. Someone might jump in and pick him up after Tigers take the payout hit. If its you merkins, then I get the popcorn out.
 
Tiger5150

Tiger5150

Bench
Messages
3,939
The Colonel said:
Too right it will be contested. There have been warnings but he is owed $1.1 million over the next two seasons. $300,000 is a long way short of that.
Click to expand...

.....or he could turn up and train and do what he is paid to do. Thats always an option. The bloke literally complained tot he RLPA that he was being trained too hard.
 
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The Colonel

The Colonel

Immortal
Messages
41,992
King-Gutho94 said:
If he is refusing to turn up to training claiming he is sick but not going to the doctors what are they supposed to do.

He shouldnt be getting a cent if he wants to act like a porkchop
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I don't disagree.

However, this is as much Nofaluma acting up as it is the Tigers trying to move on an overpriced contracted player. They have been trying to move on his contract for two years. He has been told by the coach if he stays that he will not be considered for first grade regardless of how he trains. His reaction to this message is far from professional however he is a legitimately contracted player whom they are trying to move on and noone is willing to pick up the stupid contract he has signed.

It is unprofessional by the club as well IMO .

They did the same thing with Farah to try and force him out of the club before he went to Souths and he reacted the same way. Josh Reynolds, Ben Matulino, Russell Packer and Chris MacQueen were all treated the same way.

The Tigers, and in their defence the previous management, created the problem but this isn't the way you handle the situation. They should have learned from the past but its clear they haven't. This will continue to be an issue for the club whereby they sign players to long term contracts and change the coach on a regular basis.
 
Tiger5150

Tiger5150

Bench
Messages
3,939
The Colonel said:
I don't disagree.

However, this is as much Nofaluma acting up as it is the Tigers trying to move on an overpriced contracted player. They have been trying to move on his contract for two years.
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Because his attitude has sucked for two years. I agree he is overpriced and thats obviously a factor, but about 18months ago he turned up to training drunk. This year he literally cant keep up with props in time trials. Repeatedly not turning up at training without genuine excuse. Not sure how that is the clubs fault any of it.

The Colonel said:
He has been told by the coach if he stays that he will not be considered for first grade regardless of how he trains. His reaction to this message is far from professional however he is a legitimately contracted player whom they are trying to move on and noone is willing to pick up the stupid contract he has signed.
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So he should simply turn up to training and train, as well as he can if he has his hand out for $525K pa. He should at least do the minimum to keep getting the pay check. What he should do is bust his ass to prove Benji or other NRL clubs that he still has it and is worth top end NRL money. On his current trajectory he will get a negotiated payout and then go and get fat in the ESL.

The Colonel said:
It is unprofessional by the club as well IMO .
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I know its what the cool kids do to hang shit on the Tigers, but how is it the clubs fault that he turns up to training drunk or doesnt come to training at all?

The Colonel said:
They did the same thing with Farah to try and force him out of the club before he went to Souths and he reacted the same way. Josh Reynolds, Ben Matulino, Russell Packer and Chris MacQueen were all treated the same way.
Click to expand...

Treated the same way? How? Ben Matulino never played a game in reggies and was picked just about every game prior to being medically retired. Chris Macqueen broke his neck before coming to the Tigers and yet saw out his whole contract at the Tigers, in reserve grade where he belonged because he was no good after his injury. Packer played out his entire Contract at the Tigers and played some reserve grade because he was a spud and that was his level. Noone signed him afterwards.


The Colonel said:
The Tigers, and in their defence the previous management, created the problem but this isn't the way you handle the situation. They should have learned from the past but its clear they haven't. This will continue to be an issue for the club whereby they sign players to long term contracts and change the coach on a regular basis.
Click to expand...
Tigers did not create the problem at all. Yes they are overpaying him but that is not the problem. him not showing up to training and crying to the RLPA is the problem which is not related to his paycheck. He SHOULD be playing reggies because despite the fact that we have no depth in our outside backs, there are at least 4 players better than him at the moment and what message does it send to a 19yo kid in the squad that this lazy 30yo gets picked despite not putting yet you are expected to bust your arse?

Yeah yeah yeah Tigers suck blah blah blah.........this is all on Nofo.
 
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