Stacey Jones' future at the Warriors

[playdaball]

There are a lot of rumours at the moment circulating about Stacey...
Will he go to SL?
Does the club have to get vrid of him to accomodate Choc Mundine?

Remember that he was very close to signing with Hull last year.

10/04/2005XtraMSN
Warriors halfback Stacey Jones and CEO Mick Watson today responded to speculation about the veteran player's future with the NRL club.

After reading weekend media reports that he might be leaving the club at the end of the season, 28-year-old Jones said his only focus right now was on the Warriors.

"My total commitment is to our 2005 campaign," he said after playing his 220th NRL match in his side's loss to Wests Tigers in Christchurch last night.

"I've just been made the club's first life member and have a huge respect for the Warriors. I owe them so much.

"As one of the senior players I regularly talk to Mick about my role at the club and I've always had the chance to look at other options.

"What happens in the future is something I'll talk about with Mick when the time is right. I'm fully aware of the club's plans but right now it's all about winning football games for me."

Watson echoed Jones' thoughts.

"Stacey Jones is playing good football this season and is driving this club on the field," he said.

"Stacey and I will talk about his future nearer to June 30 (when the NRL's anti-tampering ban expires).

"We will decide what is right for the future and what is the best pathway for Stacey, his family and the club.

"Right now he and I alike are focused on just one thing - on-field performance and the Warriors finishing in the play-offs."

 

[Martli]

I remember this same thing happening last year.....

 

[shaneh]

he is goone

 

[playdaball]

I remember this same thing happening last year.....[/quot

About Vinnie Anderson and Ali ???

No commitment from either party (Jones or Watson) beyond 2005.

 

[Auckland4ever]

I've only read a bit about this & havent mulled it over too much, but it seems to me like Cullen are chasing Mundine the Boxer as much as they are Mundine the Footballer. He plans on fighting once a year as well as playing football.

If Stacey wants to go, its one thing, if he's being pushed I'll be p*ssed off beyond belief. The decision to sacrifice Jones for Mundine would be about Cullen sports best interests first & foremost, the Warriors second. We'd be losing a team player & gaining a player who has talent, but who's ego could easily see him amount to little more than an expensive showpony. Its been a long time since he played, theres no guarantee he'll be able to direct the Warriors around the park.

Still all rumour & speculation, though. I'd be open to Mundine joining the Warriors, but not at the expense of Jones. Even though its not always as evident as it used to be, Stacey still has the magic, IMO.

 

[ozbash]

stacey goes - daniel anderson returns ???

 

[Hulk Hogan]

I wonder how many fans the Warriors will lose if Stacey is pushed out?

Mundine would'nt give a shit about the Warriors..........everything is for him.

 

[AliN]

yes a bit of deja vu going on here...and the bitter taste in the mouth has returned...

 

[bayrep]

It does sound like Stace is leaving at the end of this season. Big player to lose and I will be pissed if its Management again doing the pushing. BUT Stace has been with the Warriors since 1995 and he may see that he has only a few years left in the game. Speculation has it that he will be playing in the new French side to play int he ESL next year.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

It would be sad to see him go but as long as he isn't pushed I wouldn't mind too much given the fact that he's nearing the end of his career and a retirement package in France would seem attractive. Lets not get the knives out yet...

 

[playdaball]

Instead of Stacey why not look at other areas:

Awen - we have a stack of second rowers
Villa - we have a stack of props
Lance
Toopi
Martin
plus a number of youngsters

Or does the word succession planning come into it?

 

[Dr Crane]

Or does the word succession planning come into it?

Please, this is the Warriors. Don't expect common sense.

 

[Lego_Man]

Well seriously....if Warriors management push out Stacey to make way for The Man, the club is in serious strife.

No amount of leadership from Pricey or Ruben will be enough to win the club a premiership (or even make the 8) with Mundine leading us around and combining with deadwood like Toopi. The guy is a wanker. He's 30 years old, he hasn't played in 5 years. Stacey is an absolute great guy, committed to the club, and a bloody good halfback.

Christ they're idiots....they get rid of half of our great young halfbacks, do their best to f*ck with guys like Ropati, now they want Mundine?!.They've got NZ's greatest ever halfback on the books!. If they wanted to look at life after Stacey:

Where's Perenara?
Where's Leulaui?

F*ck Mundine if it means Stacey goes. Even if Stacey stays, im still not that keen on him.

F*ck the Watsons if they push Stacey. Think Lauititi scandal except 10 times worse. Stacey IS the Warriors.

Bloody hell

 

[NZ Warrior]

Oh God, it's happening all over again :shock:

:roll:

Seriously, you guys. Just take some Prozac and chill. Nothing is happening YET.

 

[ozbash]

Nothing is happening YET

yes, thats very true nzwazza, but, bad vibes abound.

you wanna share some of thaT prozac ?

 

[NZ Warrior]

Nothing is happening YET

yes, thats very true nzwazza, but, bad vibes abound.

you wanna share some of thaT prozac ?

No you can't, I have a feeling I'm gonna need it :lol:

Reading all the articles (not paying too much attention to the Sunday ones) and the press releases, I have a sinking feeling this will be Stacey Jones' last season in Warriors colours. Start gathering up the fond memories boys & girls.

 

[Resident Warrior]

I'm not going to get worked up over this rumour but I will say this losing Stacey for Choc would be a very bad move, first off Stacey is a clubman not an individual like Choc, Stacey plays for the team while Choc plays for himself, secondly what if we do dump Jones for Choc and the club goes through a rough patch? need I remind you what he did to the Dragons? walked out mid season on a $600,000 a year contract, cause "he needed time off" and he never came back! Who's to say he won't do it again? and I definitely think he has changed very little over the years since he left the NRL.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

If Stacey leaves i wish him au voir mate. I love the Warriors and i love Jones but if he leaves i want us to win football games. If he isnt in the picture to do that then im fine with that. Ill support the Warriors till the day they lower my casket and i want us to be successful and if that means letting go players we all love then im cool with it. Jones is the Warriors but there will be life after Jones we all know he wont be playing after 2006 so its come a year earlier. ANyone who knows me knows im a dedicated supporter of the club and will always remain one even if someone else is running around in the 7 jersey trying to win games for the team. I dont like Mundine. But if he signs wioth us then hes got my backing. Im hoping that if this is his last year then all the players should put on their shoulders to send him off a winner

 

[Art Vanderlay]

Stacey Jones is (was) the Warriors, He is a Franchise player which the last how many coaches have tried to build a team around.
If he wasn’t in the Managements future plans then why didn’t they get rid of there longest severing player at the end of last season?
Why drag this out during the season??
Why again and again putting the team under so much pressure in front of a demanding New Zealand public????????

It seems that they the Warriors Management start planning one thing for the new season and then a few months into a new campaign they change there way of thinking and start thinking of buying someone who has no loyalty with any club he has ever played for……….O hang on that sounds like you sort of “Man” Mick!!!....... Yip the Warriors will sign “The Man”

Over the last two seasons we have had to sit back and watched this Management let go players because of what every reason they can think of Ali, Vinnie, Tommy, Marcus, and others (most of these players are let go during the season) why? I still don’t understand why Vinnie was shown the door, because he wants to play for the national side??

Mick Watson is a man who I can never trust! Mick Watson is a man who has no idea of what Loyalty is! Mick Watson will be shown up again this year! Mick Watson you need to be shown the door not at the end of the season but now!!!!!!!

I fear for the rest of the season and where only 5 rounds into the footy year!!

 

[Skinner]

Folks, this is just scuttlebutt at the moment. The good old Rugby League
rumour mill grinding on.

After saying that though, generally, where there is smoke, there is fire,
and frankly nothing that happens at the Warriors would surprise me, under
the current management structure.

I'll wait and see.

Cheers
Skinner