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Warriors place restrictions on AFB's transfer.

Blair

Coach
Messages
11,204
I read a bunch of rumours about why he supposedly wants out on Reddit the other day and most of them involved his partner, so that’s quite possible. (None of them are particularly salacious or interesting claims, so won’t bother repeating the specifics).
In fairness to Addin if this is true then he should have some sympathy. Most men know that an unhappy mrs is a real drag.
 
Messages
10,056
Wasn't the partner the reason he wanted in? She wanted to come back to NZ?
Nope, he said he needed to get out of Sydney, heard he was in a bit of strife away from footy. A large offer to get out of his contract fr
Nathan Brown wasn’t bad either
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,453
Willie Mason said he is hearing some strong rumours that shit is going to go down this week, not a happy camp
I trust that Webster doesn't BS, and he keeps saying AFB has taken it very well responded in the right way and is committed for the rest of the season. His manager said the same, everyone is unequivocal about that...yes you could sell me some magic beans based on how gullible that sounds, but at the moment I believe he's still in. I also believe as a club we'll hold the line if we have to - no release to anyone.

However...if what Mason is hearing is right, as I said in another post, I'd say you're welcome to go to Sydney, we want 17 guys on game day who are truly invested. When fully fit, we can hold our own. But you ain't playing first grade.

I think deep down inside, all of us knew AFB wouldn't make it through the year unscathed in a commitment sense once we heard he'd asked for a release last year, and once he'd signed with Cronulla.
 
Messages
4,309
I'd say he's welcome to go to Sydney, but he can't play first grade. No way am I releasing him to the Sharks, to help their cause. So we get $300-400k or whatever it is for it, so what? What are we tangibly going to be getting for that? Is that going to be the difference with the ability to sign anyone, or do anything? I doubt it.

We can be good people by saying hey, we get it. You are a family guy, you want out to Sydney. Away you go. But none of that has jack shit to do with playing football. You're signed for Cronulla, we let you exit your contract early for that. You wanted out with three years to go, even though we made a major investment in you. We let you go with two more years to go. No f**king way are we letting you play at a rival club, midway through a year, after you basically gave up in a game where we had so many players out, then you f**ked off straight afterwards. No. Go to Sydney, that's fine. But we're standing up for ourselves that the Warriors will not be bent over by anyone.
I think the way that Fish, Penrith and the Warriors did it was dealt with the right way. Penrith respected the players wishes, but the Warriors and Fish accepted that it needed to be done at years end. And Fish has been putting in full effort.

I know Fish will be celebrated as a Penrith great, and am very confident he will be celebrated by Warriors fans in the same way.

AFB is a great player, but which set of fans will celebrate his career?
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,453
I think the way that Fish, Penrith and the Warriors did it was dealt with the right way. Penrith respected the players wishes, but the Warriors and Fish accepted that it needed to be done at years end. And Fish has been putting in full effort.

I know Fish will be celebrated as a Penrith great, and am very confident he will be celebrated by Warriors fans in the same way.

AFB is a great player, but which set of fans will celebrate his career?
JFH is a high, high quality person. I think AFB has shown that maybe he doesn't quite reach that mark. JFH will walk away from his career, I would imagine, and be as interested in the mark he made on the game, his clubs, his country, his fellow players as he will with how much $ he accumulated along the way. AFB, I think could walk away with a tonne of cash and be content with that. And that's OK, we're all different.

But yeah, that's the difference in those circumstances.
 
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10,056
I trust that Webster doesn't BS, and he keeps saying AFB has taken it very well responded in the right way and is committed for the rest of the season. His manager said the same, everyone is unequivocal about that...yes you could sell me some magic beans based on how gullible that sounds, but at the moment I believe he's still in. I also believe as a club we'll hold the line if we have to - no release to anyone.

However...if what Mason is hearing is right, as I said in another post, I'd say you're welcome to go to Sydney, we want 17 guys on game day who are truly invested. When fully fit, we can hold our own. But you ain't playing first grade.

I think deep down inside, all of us knew AFB wouldn't make it through the year unscathed in a commitment sense once we heard he'd asked for a release last year, and once he'd signed with Cronulla.
I think the last line of your first paragraph is the exact situation here

AFB wants out, has asked to be let go, they’ve refused and said this is how it is, and everyone is putting the same line forward that he is good for the rest of the season

Devlin seems to have a very good source in the inner sanctum and he said last week he’d heard a release was imminent, that hasn’t come to fruition though

All a bit of a murky situation that seemed inevitable since late last year
 

ozenzud

Juniors
Messages
695
Very poor form and extremely disappointing. Such an unprofessional thing to do. No ones bigger than the team. Win, lose or draw you don't just leave.
Unless of course you are Money Bill. He got away with it. Left in the middle of the night. Everybody thinks hes some kind of legend.
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
40,353
Unless of course you are Money Bill. He got away with it. Left in the middle of the night. Everybody thinks hes some kind of legend.
He was pretty young and impressionable at the time, and had a lot of people in his ear. After that he was professional and upfront in his contract dealings. AFB isn’t at the same stage of his career.
 
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Messages
788
In fairness to Addin if this is true then he should have some sympathy. Most men know that an unhappy mrs is a real drag.
Yea no doubt. And if that's the case, gotta wonder what would make his partner so unhappy (allegedly) she'd want him to break the commitment he made to the club at the start of the year?

I mean footy is his profession and I'm sure we've all had to do stuff for work that our partners didn't like, but nevertheless accepted, because its how we make our living and how we support our families.

Its not like he's considering a 3yr contract with Wigan... its a 3.5hr flight that he'll be making every couple of weeks anyway, and he's only got 5mths max with us. Less if we miss the finals.

I don't want to be too presumptuous, but that feels like something most people could see out.
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
40,353
Yea no doubt. And if that's the case, gotta wonder what would make his partner so unhappy (allegedly) she'd want him to break the commitment he made to the club at the start of the year?

I mean footy is his profession and I'm sure we've all had to do stuff for work that our partners didn't like, but nevertheless accepted, because its how we make our living and how we support our families.

Its not like he's considering a 3yr contract with Wigan... its a 3.5hr flight that he'll be making every couple of weeks anyway, and he's only got 5mths max with us. Less if we miss the finals.

I don't want to be too presumptuous, but that feels like something most people could see out.
Apparently she was having a public spit on social media about people not supporting her WAG side hustle business.
 
Messages
15,413
The following snippet was published in an article from James Hooper by Fox Sports today (source: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/68dcccdf623c334b00832991a8897854)

WAHS DENY AFB RUMOURS

Warriors boss Cameron George has shot down suggestions gun front rower Addin Fonua-Blake has asked for an immediate release.

The Warriors shocked many in the game when they opted to stand AFB down from the round 12 match against the Dolphins because he’d missed the team song and a post-game debrief from coach Andrew Webster after Magic Round.

Then the word went around about AFB asking for an immediate release.

Fonua-Blake has signed with Cronulla for next season and Sharks officials had been in contact after the front row forward was stood down.

But we’ve been told it was merely a welfare check.

Warriors boss George is also adamant there’s been no request and told us: “No one in any way shape or form has asked about Addin getting an early release.

“And Addin has been outstanding since Webby spoke to him about why we had to discipline him.”
 

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