OFFICIAL Terrell May #296

[mtd#2]

If that was the case than you would think the HBG board did what it did, when it did to kill the 2 deals or at least with knowledge that the deals would be killed. Does anyone know if any debenture holders have a nephew or grandson that is aspiring to be a 5/8 or fullback? that could explain it. Or perhaps they are so dumb that they saw the contracts and decided to punt the board so the HBG board could take all the credit. My tin foil hat is getting a workout.

I highly doubt that.

I assume they didn't know what was taking place - nor did they really need to know.

It does explain why the sudden rush to then sign benji long term, they probably realised the implications of what they had done. But that's just my speculation.

 

[liltiger]

Im just curious to know why no one has spoken to Terrell in private just to let him know he defi atly hasnt been forgotten, but negotiations will be put on hold for a little while just till we get the set up, up top sorted then he will be called in to resume negotiating. Just seems amaturish.

 

[king_sirro]

I would agree that it would be most likely.
Again, its not what we were talking about though

Oh dear

 

[gallagher]

Oh dear

Yes darling?

 

[Vicious]

That’s why you employ a GM of football. Thats why you employ a recruitment manager that isn’t the NRL Head Coach. Sorry but if Shaun is not involved in recruitment and retention, and Gallant has come up from only doing junior recruitment and Benji is still learning to be a head coach let alone doing recruitment - who here has experience balancing our salary cap? Who’s out scouting? How is Benji qualified to do both roles? Our football department is run on absolute crumbs, we refuse to employ anyone of note because we don’t have the funding to pay the wages their experience would demand. Richo could do all of this himself because he had the runs on the board and has built rosters from scratch.

I think you will find Benji wants it this way and it is all under control.
When players are requesting hefty pay rises, the process is not always straight forward.

 

[TigerNeddyK]

It feels like a few posters are waiting for someone to leave to get their 'told you so' moment.

So you decided to get ahead of it?

Shaun is wearing too many hats. The club has left him in a terrible position. He came over to support Richardson's vision in building the profile of the club not to carry the whole load, deal with a non existent board while contracts for our best players are left dangling.

How anyone still insists in giving this mob the benefit of the doubt is mind boggling - and must make other clubs sit back and laugh while they enquire about our players with their managers and compare their clubs records next to ours.

I am absolute filthy on them and what’s even worse is when you come to this forum for news and updates and you still see the troll supporters defending their rank incompetence …Richo was turning the place around and he was kneecapped… so futile and self destructive…

 

[hammertime]

Shaun Mielekamp himself has stated recruitment and retention sits with Benji and Shannon Gallant.
Obviously as CEO he can get involved if required and I would assume all recruitment and retention decisions are discussed with Shaun before being signed off, but it’s all up to Benji and Shannon at the moment.

I think that's a bad management structure from the board. This was our problem in the past, Pascoe was told he was supposed to be hands-off the football dept and not get involved. Most CEOs or other leaders in clubs would be involved in this stuff. People sign with the dogs because of Gus, with the roosters because of Nick, just as people would have signed with WT because of Richo.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Shaun here. He's had too much on his plate with the idiocy from HBG and trying to keep the club unified through their implosions. Poor bloke probably has no time to do his job.

 

[hammertime]

Shaun is wearing too many hats. The club has left him in a terrible position. He came over to support Richardson's vision in building the profile of the club not to carry the whole load, deal with a non existent board while contracts for our best players are left dangling.

How anyone still insists in giving this mob the benefit of the doubt is mind boggling - and must make other clubs sit back and laugh while they enquire about our players with their managers and compare their clubs records next to ours.

100%. Well said

 

[gregjm87]

I dont know about Terrell.

What i do know is 2 x credible sources have confirmed with me that Bula was a done deal and set to be signed the week of 1 December.

I was also just reminded me that Jarome was going to remove his clauses the same week of the 1 December.

So i say with confidence we would of had Bula and Jarome locked in if it wasnt for that series of events in december.

TBH I don't believe this at all (the info, not that you were told).
Why would Jerome remove his clauses, what is his motivation to do so? He had been repeatedly asked about them and always deflected and by saying he is committed and they are nothing to worry about. For him to then all of a sudden just remove the clauses doesn't make sense.
Additionally, we repeatedly see contract negotiations for high end players take a couple months (usually longer when Moses is involved). It was only really early November that we heard of any negotiations between Richo and Bula. I'd doubt that he was suddenly ready to sign so quickly into negotiations, particularly when he couldn't have other suitors until November (in accordance to the very poorly regulated anti-tampering rules). Finally there were journos at the time guessing that Bula was not going to re-sign whilst Richo was still here. It all adds up to he probably wasn't all set to sign prior to HBG.
I'm not saying this as a defence of HBG at all. They seem to be incompetent. But I believe their incompetence and Bula delays are not necessarily directly relate (though certainly doesn't help).

 

[Vicious]

TBH I don't believe this at all (the info, not that you were told).
Why would Jerome remove his clauses, what is his motivation to do so? He had been repeatedly asked about them and always deflected and by saying he is committed and they are nothing to worry about. For him to then all of a sudden just remove the clauses doesn't make sense.
Additionally, we repeatedly see contract negotiations for high end players take a couple months (usually longer when Moses is involved). It was only really early November that we heard of any negotiations between Richo and Bula. I'd doubt that he was suddenly ready to sign so quickly into negotiations, particularly when he couldn't have other suitors until November (in accordance to the very poorly regulated anti-tampering rules). Finally there were journos at the time guessing that Bula was not going to re-sign whilst Richo was still here. It all adds up to he probably wasn't all set to sign prior to HBG.
I'm not saying this as a defence of HBG at all. They seem to be incompetent. But I believe their incompetence and Bula delays are not necessarily directly relate (though certainly doesn't help).

Correct.
Whatever happened in late 2025 has absolutely no bearing on current contract negotiations with Bula or Terrell May.
If we agree to pay Bula 1 million per season until the end of the 2029 or 2030 season he will sign no questions asked.
It’s not even a secret and makes perfect sense that we are wanting to see how he performs early this season before deciding if we are happy to put him on a huge long term deal.
Similar story with Terrell May, I’m guessing he’s after around 900k per season based on Kalomatangi getting 1 million per season.
We are currently paying him 675k until the end of 2027, so do we just upgrade and extend him now, or do we wait to see how he goes in the early stages of this season before committing to a big money long term deal ?
The sensible option is making both players earn their big money long term deals based on their form early this season.

 

[crazycat]

Selective thinking right here at its finest.

First player was predicted to cause trouble even before he made his debut. Well known for chasing easier teams to play with.

Second player wanted to stay but wanted and NRL spot he wasnt ready for or worthy of the price tag.

May on the other hand wants to stay, yet we are sitting on our hands, coincidence? I think not

Yep

LG was flying out. The Eyebrows wanted to be our fulltime Hooker, and he left us for a team where I believe he is the NR2 hooker.

 

[gallagher]

Yep

LG was flying out. The Eyebrows wanted to be our fulltime Hooker, and he left us for a team where I believe he is the NR2 hooker.

I think we'll see later this year that we shouldn't have extended Api.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I think we'll see later this year that we shouldn't have extended Api.

He was really slowing down towards the end of last year. And we signed him for 3 more. Sheesh.

 

[gallagher]

He was really slowing down towards the end of last year. And we signed him for 3 more. Sheesh.

3 after this one is it? That can't be right....

 

[GNR4LIFE]

3 after this one is it? That can't be right....

Including this year. End of 28.

 

[gallagher]

Including this year. End of 28.

Yeah, we had him under contract for this year didn't we? We extended too early

 

[crazycat]

That’s why you employ a GM of football. Thats why you employ a recruitment manager that isn’t the NRL Head Coach. Sorry but if Shaun is not involved in recruitment and retention, and Gallant has come up from only doing junior recruitment and Benji is still learning to be a head coach let alone doing recruitment - who here has experience balancing our salary cap? Who’s out scouting? How is Benji qualified to do both roles? Our football department is run on absolute crumbs, we refuse to employ anyone of note because we don’t have the funding to pay the wages their experience would demand. Richo could do all of this himself because he had the runs on the board and has built rosters from scratch.

Well said... and:

Benji is a new coach. We really don't want the coach making contracts that basically keep them in a job for the next year or two (even with Benji's insane 5 year contract...).

Yes, we are going to miss Richo's experience a little. Worse we are going to have HBG and Barry duke it out, although maybe Benji/Shawn/Gallant are better with a board that does not care about football.

 

[Jolls]

And a lot of assumptions on your part aswell. There's lots of reasons players leave clubs, if anyone leaves and we put it all down to HBG then we're just pushing a narrative to suit an agenda. Of course, if they re sign, it will have nothing to do with HBG....

No one knows if HBG played a part in the argument Moses and Gould put forward for Galvin - but it was pretty clear that he didn't want to be here. TDS is a different story - I doubt HBG had anything to do with his retention - he was offered what we thought he was worth with a pathway to a full time FG gig. He chose to look elsewhere and we didn't get in his way because someone in our system prioritised Haywood over TDS (and from the limited exposure I have had to Haywood it appears to have been a good decision).

We need to let the HBG bullshit go and focus on each individual as it is clear that Benji relates to the players on an individual level and he is the one making the big decisions on retention and recruitment, in concert with the CEO and his inner sanctum. HBG may have veto powers but I trust that they have no invovement in recruiting and retention decisions except for potentially rubber stamping expenditure over a certain threshold.

 

[mtd#2]

TBH I don't believe this at all (the info, not that you were told).
Why would Jerome remove his clauses, what is his motivation to do so? He had been repeatedly asked about them and always deflected and by saying he is committed and they are nothing to worry about. For him to then all of a sudden just remove the clauses doesn't make sense.
Additionally, we repeatedly see contract negotiations for high end players take a couple months (usually longer when Moses is involved). It was only really early November that we heard of any negotiations between Richo and Bula. I'd doubt that he was suddenly ready to sign so quickly into negotiations, particularly when he couldn't have other suitors until November (in accordance to the very poorly regulated anti-tampering rules). Finally there were journos at the time guessing that Bula was not going to re-sign whilst Richo was still here. It all adds up to he probably wasn't all set to sign prior to HBG.
I'm not saying this as a defence of HBG at all. They seem to be incompetent. But I believe their incompetence and Bula delays are not necessarily directly relate (though certainly doesn't help).

Neither of these scenarios were spur of the moment, Luai had been in talks for months.

Go and watch this presser again

Benji is a bloke who is incredibly careful with his words, yet at 3:30, he was asked about the clauses not going anywhere because of what happened and his response was "probably", before referring it back to Jarome. Its a minor slip, but a slip all the same. He doesnt say that if it wasnt on the cards.

 

[gregjm87]

Neither of these scenarios were spur of the moment, Luai had been in talks for months.

Go and watch this presser again

Benji is a bloke who is incredibly careful with his words, yet at 3:30, he was asked about the clauses not going anywhere because of what happened and his response was "probably", before referring it back to Jarome. Its a minor slip, but a slip all the same. He doesnt say that if it wasnt on the cards.

Sorry mate I think you are reading something that isn't there. He spent the previous 30 seconds talking about how Luai has repeatedly shown his commitment despite the clauses.