Former players taking swipes

Jason Simmons said:
True, but I still agree with the original point. Not one of these blokes have a clue what is going on behind the scenes, as you are often quick to point out to others.

Wayne was the coach of the Dragons over the last few years as we all know so to suggest he was caught unawares by the sort of offers Hunt was clearly getting (Parra threw big money his way too) and couldn't keep someone he wanted to and is therefore 'losing his touch' is somewhat rich...

He has brought Roberts, Mead, Korbin Sims and Benji Marshall to the club on virtual pittances by NRL standards over the last couple of years and looks like he might with Matt lodge too. He has brought Blair and Boyd and seems set to retain Milford long term.

I personally think Wayne may not be quite as sorry to see the back of Hunt as 'dish head' clearly thinks he should be...

If we sign Taylor or Johnson or Brooks, watch everyone start saying immediately how the 'wily old fox' hasn't lost his aura, 0.0005 seconds later and this current batch of nonsense will not even be recalled...
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I am sure Dowling can easily find out what he wants to know. He's CEO of a ISC club, he's been involved in the game for 40 years. The football world isn't a big one. He's not some crazy old guy on a seat in the park.

I am not agreeing with them, but if you spend your career cultivating the image you don't lose players and you're pretty much able to maintain that for a long time. You say Hunt is your half for the next 10 years and then 18 months later he leaves it's not ridiculous for people to throw out a what the hell type of question is going on?

Bennett losing his half is a big story. Bennett missed out on Johns and Kimmorley but got Prince, Ikin, Walters, Alf and Wally. He's been able to get the half and keep them until he was finished with them- until now.
 
All these muppets were loving Bennett two years ago. Had plenty of aura back then. Geez, he's lost it quick.....
 
1910 said:
He's been able to get the half and keep them until he was finished with them- until now.
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Until now, none of his halves have been offered a ridiculous contract.
 
Foordy said:
Until now, none of his halves have been offered a ridiculous contract.
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Alf got big offers from Adelaide and the Coast and the Broncos had to pay $40,000 to the Jets to even get him. That was more than his salary!

Kevvie got offered $80,000 by the Dragons. More than double the Broncos' offer.

It's happened before and he's convinced them stay- that's why it's news now.
 
1910 said:
I am sure Dowling can easily find out what he wants to know. He's CEO of a ISC club, he's been involved in the game for 40 years. The football world isn't a big one. He's not some crazy old guy on a seat in the park.

I am not agreeing with them, but if you spend your career cultivating the image you don't lose players and you're pretty much able to maintain that for a long time. You say Hunt is your half for the next 10 years and then 18 months later he leaves it's not ridiculous for people to throw out a what the hell type of question is going on?

Bennett losing his half is a big story. Bennett missed out on Johns and Kimmorley but got Prince, Ikin, Walters, Alf and Wally. He's been able to get the half and keep them until he was finished with them- until now.
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So Bennett definitely wanted hunt ?
 
I doubt it pagey... hunt wanted out .. he has been playing like he wants out... i somtimes wonder how much that drop ball in the GF affected him...
 
1910 said:
Alf got big offers from Adelaide and the Coast and the Broncos had to pay $40,000 to the Jets to even get him. That was more than his salary!

Kevvie got offered $80,000 by the Dragons. More than double the Broncos' offer.

It's happened before and he's convinced them stay- that's why it's news now.
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Did any of them get 5+ 1 year contract offers at $1m per season? Because Hunt did...

That is the difference here and is what should be news. The almost unprecedented scale of the contract for someone who has yet to play to even play Origin.

Kevvie for instance may have got a 'similar' offer from Dragons (overly large in relative scale for the time compared to existing contracts) but he had already won a premiership with Canberra and had played Origin for Qld and test match football for Australia.

There is chalk and cheese between the two instances.
 
soup said:
Bennett wants it to look like he lost his boy. IMO, he got exactly what he wanted. Maybe he called St George in the first place...
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I would not put this past Bennett at all. May not be the exact story but not far off.

Hunts happy he will be a big fish in a little pond, with the dollars.
The days of losing a grand final to a supercoach in the most glamorous club in the NRL will be behind him.

Bennett can get down to business finding Milfs perfect match.
 
Jason Simmons said:
Did any of them get 5+ 1 year contract offers at $1m per season? Because Hunt did...

That is the difference here and is what should be news. The almost unprecedented scale of the contract for someone who has yet to play to even play Origin.

Kevvie for instance may have got a 'similar' offer from Dragons (overly large in relative scale for the time compared to existing contracts) but he had already won a premiership with Canberra and had played Origin for Qld and test match football for Australia.

There is chalk and cheese between the two instances.
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I don't think the gulf is too big; bottom line is a player rejecting Bennett will always make the news and be looked at from various angles. When it goes the other way too- how many I chose Brisbane for less stories have been written over the last 30 years?
 
In regards to Bennett losing his aura and players leaving, quite likely I am off the mark as I have only followed league in the last 10ish years, but was the quality of coaching as good / spread out back then? The league is very close these days partly due to the salary cap, but perhaps also due to the increased level of coaching across the board.

Perhaps Bennett was before his time in terms of coaching ability and therefore had this 'aura'. Seems to me that with Bellamy, Hasler, Macguire, Green and Robinson among others, all coaching teams to finals on a regular basis maybe it is just a case of other coaches finally catching up and developing their own 'aura'. Having lots of successful coaches and teams around, it would surely impact on the ability for one team/coach to have as much drawing power.

As others mentioned before, the ability of teams to throw money at players, the like of which has not been seen before means this will occur more and more when you have consistently struggling teams trying to buy a few good seasons if not a premiership (Knights - Ponga, Dragons - Hunt etc).

Not to mention that fact that clubs show very little loyalty in return, so players are more likely to show less loyalty in return and jump ship, also meaning there will be less and less one club players.

As an aside, I can't wait for the NRL to decide to get rid of this ridiculous scenario where players can sign for other clubs a yr or more in advance.
 
soup said:
Bennett wants it to look like he lost his boy. IMO, he got exactly what he wanted. Maybe he called St George in the first place...
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The rumours were that Bennett wanted him gone
 
Foordy said:
aren't you the one that said he offered Hunt a 850k 3 year deal ... sounds like he wanted him to me
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I did! But like have said its all media here say ! So maybe Bennett low balled him knowing somebody would beat it .
 
pagey said:
I did! But like have said its all media here say ! So maybe Bennett low balled him knowing somebody would beat it .
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Or maybe the dragons offered that deal first up and Bennett said that he couldn't beat it. You know we can be beat for deals these days if the money and the term length is ridiculous which in this case it was for Hunt.
 
pagey said:
I did! But like have said its all media here say ! So maybe Bennett low balled him knowing somebody would beat it .
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I certainly wouldn't consider 850k a low ball offer for someone that has never played Origin. It is actually slightly more than what he is worth IMO.
 
I can't help but think that the papers just want to space and someone to deliver more quotes than phone book so they just chase up former players like Tallis because they know what they are going to say and they will get people taking.
 
We got a 5/8 that has the potential to be the best in the world and we got him for less money than what Canberra offered and Milf said the reason why he stuck with the Broncos deal is because of Bennett.

Now he wants to stay and doesn't even want to talk to other clubs.

Bennett hasn't lost his aura.

I'm guessing other players stayed for less because the bonuses from premierships and Origin appearances etc would have made up or come closing to making up for the difference in contract worth, but with Hunt, it wouldn't have even come close.

Besides, didn't Bennett lose Alf?
 
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