Willie Mason's manager Greg Keenan reveals Japan hit list

[Danish]

Mate as an engineer i make reasonable coin and I would take a pay cut to be able to do what these guys do. You can never put a value on doing something u love.

The question still stands, do any of the players actually love what they do? and would be willing to so say, I wouldnt trade it for "anything in the world".

You are kidding yourself.


Its just a game. We may all love it dearly, but in the end we would all drop it like a sack of dirt to set up our families for the rest of their lives.

 

[_Johnsy]

but in the end we would all drop it like a sack of dirt to set up our families for the rest of their lives.

Maybe engineers are different, for the love of the engneering firm/company/employer I guess. Does his boss post on this forum ?

 

[OVP]

1. he doesnt have much of a high opinion round here...showed a few people. where do you think i work? eh? and how do you think i can spend time doing this when i want? oh i slack off? like you? get real.


2. yeah, over a few drinks, whatever man. I got more nouse than you will ever have, and i deliver off handed comments, and they are nearer the mark than you could ever get with a rifle and scope.

Its either Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch or a Murdoch lackie.

 

[Dragonwest]

So Dragonwest, if another employer offered you more than twice your current salary, however you only have to do 1/2 the workload of your current job, you'd refuse the offer ? Bearing in mind your career could be over at any time during your employment, and the your new prospective employer would have to pay you your new salary.

I have actually doubled my income in the last 2 yrs via changing jobs and gaining more experience. I am honestly contemplating going back to my previous job as I really enjoyed the work i was doing there and Im no where near as happy now. Again this talking about a job that i 'enjoy' and is nothing like playing a game i 'love'. I understand its a players career, but u cant compare playing league to an office job.

I dont care how professional a game becomes, there needs to be an underlying love of the game by both players, supporters and officals running the game. Otherwise what makes it so special?

 

[_Johnsy]

I have actually doubled my income in the last 2 yrs via changing jobs and gaining more experience. I am honestly contemplating going back to my previous job as I really enjoyed the work i was doing there and Im no where near as happy now. Again this talking about a job that i 'enjoy' and is nothing like playing a game i 'love'. I understand its a players career, but u cant compare playing league to an office job.

I dont care how professional a game becomes, there needs to be an underlying love of the game by both players, supporters and officals running the game. Otherwise what makes it so special?

Yes you can, it is that persons main source of income.

 

[ozenzud]

I'm with Dragonwest. When I was 22, NOTHING was more important than footy. Everybody carries on as if when you finish playing footy you will not earn anything. I know blokes who spent 10 years in Sydeny footy and went home to the bush, bought a farm and live happily ever after! Or a pub, or a real estate business! I played footy for nothing, lost money cause I was more focussed on footy than on work. I'm 40 something now and earn good coin, but didn't earn a cent playing footy! If you get paid, thats a bonus. In the 70's and 80's, even the NSWRL players played footy and still had to work. Cement Gillispie, he was a garbo wasn't he. Siro was a copper, Wayne Bennett was a copper too.

Thats what makes me angry at this gen Y mob of footballers. I reckon don't pay anybody and only have blokes who want to play. All the rest can rack off to rugby and we can have the true passion back.

 

[Non Terminator]

You are kidding yourself.


Its just a game. We may all love it dearly, but in the end we would all drop it like a sack of dirt to set up our families for the rest of their lives.

Spot on.
When money is put in front of you, it's not only GREED that runs through the players' mind, although thats what many fans think.

It's a chance to help the family, afford things for the kids etc. If a league lover was given a hypothetical question of if they played the game and was offered a million a season to play union they would reject it for the love of the game.

I love it plenty - but family must come first.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Yes Rugby League is a career to these guys, I understand that. But also, it is alot more to other people and I'm waiting for someone to stand up for that. Alot more to life than making ALOT of money.

Also, anyone who's making +200g for 5-10 yrs should be able with a bit of smarts set themselves up for a long time.

Yes you're right...

They have the option of setting themselves up to retire at the age of 32 or 33 and never have to work another day in their life if they invest their money properly... OR take a pay cut, enjoy their work for which is a short career anyway, then potentially have to work after their career is over in a low paying job...

Perfectly intelligent logic there... :roll:

Their careers are short, you take the most money while you can. Anyone who says they wouldn't isn't making an intelligent decision for their quality of life beyond football.

 

[Non Terminator]

I know blokes who spent 10 years in Sydeny footy and went home to the bush, bought a farm and live happily ever after! Or a pub, or a real estate business! I played footy for nothing, lost money cause I was more focussed on footy than on work. I'm 40 something now and earn good coin, but didn't earn a cent playing footy!

If a cent was never earned, how could a farm be bought?
FFS the economy has changed.
Many of these people have families, are you saying put them beside and concentrate on football, putting their lifestyle at risk?

 

[adamkungl]

Its either Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch or a Murdoch lackie.

I seriously have no idea what "he doesnt have much of a high opinion round here...showed a few people. where do you think i work? eh? and how do you think i can spend time doing this when i want? oh i slack off? like you? get real." is supposed to mean. Why do I give two sh*ts where he works or whether he's a slacker.

 

[El Diablo]

i find it quite amusing they don't want to recruit any Australian Union players

 

[coolumsharkie]

LOL Good point

 

[Non Terminator]

i find it quite amusing they don't want to recruit any Australian Union players

:lol: Well they do want some talent in their game after all.
Can you blame them?

 

[Lego_Man]

1. he doesnt have much of a high opinion round here...showed a few people. where do you think i work? eh? and how do you think i can spend time doing this when i want? oh i slack off? like you? get real.

1. As Adam said, ever heard of tongue in cheek?

2. Who are you, and why do you think you know me?

3. That was a weird message, stop being so cryptic.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

Last year it was the French and English RU about to pillage Australian rugby league players
Now it is a Mickey Mouse comp in Japan that is about to pillage Australia rugby league players
I suppose next year it will be a new Dubai hotel rugby comp (sort of like the Simpsons episode where Mr Burns brought in all the ring ins for his power plant baseball team) that will pose the new threat.

It is a bunch of utter crap fueled by greedy agents and melodramatic journalists.

 

[ozenzud]

Non terminator, you miss the point that I think Dragonwest was making.

How much money is enough? I earn enough money in my 40's now to say, you ask me to work harder for more money, I say no. I've got kids and a family? If somebody offered double my money would I take it? Maybe but not guarateed. Whats the price of that money when your OK now! Footy players now earn plenty and enough to set themselves up for life. But we are better off without the money in the game and the players who take the money. What value does your community have, your mates, the traditions and experiences gained in playing football. That has value, not the money you earn. Get a job if you want money. Yes its a career for these blokes, but not the end of their lives like they carry on. Less money, more passion. Thats when the game was great.

 

[Thomas]

i find it quite amusing they don't want to recruit any Australian Union players

You do realise that to be eligible to play for the Wallabies, you have to have a S14 contract?

And besides, why go to Japan to earn money when you can earn the same here in Australia? Anderson is getting more, isn't he?

Toutai Kefu has been playing in Japan for years. Illie Tabua went before him. There are a bunch of young guys over there playing who can't get S14 contract here too.

 

[Non Terminator]

How much is enough? Well how could you answer that? Football careers can take fifteen years if you're lucky, after that for 90% of players, money after football is unpredictable. As I've said the economy has changed, just because you played football won't guarantee you future employment. What if you get injured and can't do anything for years? What is something horrid happens?

It's too unpredictable for any person these days to say that you are set for life.

What if they want to set their kids up too though? Anything that can help is a bonus. What about charity?

The traditions in this game, alot have been lost. Remember that, and it's a horrid thing to see, I know.

 

[Dragonwest]

Non terminator, you miss the point that I think Dragonwest was making.

How much money is enough? I earn enough money in my 40's now to say, you ask me to work harder for more money, I say no. I've got kids and a family? If somebody offered double my money would I take it? Maybe but not guarateed. Whats the price of that money when your OK now! Footy players now earn plenty and enough to set themselves up for life. But we are better off without the money in the game and the players who take the money. What value does your community have, your mates, the traditions and experiences gained in playing football. That has value, not the money you earn. Get a job if you want money. Yes its a career for these blokes, but not the end of their lives like they carry on. Less money, more passion. Thats when the game was great.

Thats the exact point I was trying to making.

I look forward to the day that a player comes out n makes that stance. I'm not trying to have a go the players that chase the money, I understand why they do. I just feel that as a society we put to put much focus on the 'bottom line' and dont think about all the other things valuable in life, ike as u said friendship, loyalty, passion and tradition.

 

[Non Terminator]

Ok now I see what you mean mate.
When you put the values beside.

Loyalty isn't what it used to be, as we all know.
Tradition died when Super League came.

But friendship and passion is still strong in the eyes of some players.
With friendship - look at the league community during the horror of Sonny Fai's tragedy.
With passion - well - look at some of the blokes going around these days. New Zealand in the final for instance.