Aloiai

[Holden]

It's sort of funny how we are screaming for Aloiai to honour his 2021 contract and rightly so with the right hand while secretly fist pumping the air should Laurie be able to obtain a release and join us for 2021 with the left..

Big difference, one is a starting player, the other a kid who might play a handful of games as a backup...

I dunno man . Daine Laurie was very very good the last 2 years in lower grades . He looks to have the IT factor for mine . I can easily see him beating out everyone for the 1 jersey come round 1 .
And the Panfers have an embarrassment of riches there . I’m not too sure this isn’t one of those Papenhuyzen type steals , people write articles about in 2 years .

I think he meant back up at Panthers, as they have what 3 fullbacks right now if I’m not mistaken.

Oh ok . I see now . If status is an issue , which is what we’re talking about really when you mention someone being established or a reserve grader , well that’s really an ego thing at that point .

It’s not really status is it, they just have players with more 1st grade experience above him, pretty sure they are actually not too fazed to let him go and what we are probably doing is negotiating recomp for Penrith. With all their other rookies this year (Burton, Crichton and Lieu), you can see bits and pieces of kick back from them while they are all trying to be poached.

 

[Alex Seyfarth's #1 Fan]

Something interesting in all this, the CEO of Manly is Stephen Humpreys - yes, that same clown who was the CEO here.

 

[Bob]

If it's true he said he will never wear our jersey again, when he is contracted to us, that is a dog act.

I'd enjoy making him wear it. Order him to attend a WT promotional event, as he is under contract and obliged to do so, in our team colours. If he refuses, suspend him without pay, but retaining his contract so he can't go elsewhere.

It's probably not possible, probably not how things work, but it's what he deserves after this rubbish.

It is possible, he would be in breach of his contract and we can stop paying him and prevent him from playing elsewhere

That's the problem with the NRL. Contracts are worth the paper they're written on. They're a joke.

That is not true. He can not play anywhere else without a release from the Wests Tigers.

That is true that the player has to be released. But if they are not released, they then don't put any effort in for the team at training, bringing a bad attitude to the playing group. Paul Kent has even admitted that their agents tell them to kick stones around at training if they don't get their way.

I don’t get this at all. If he wants to kick stones at training he is running laps solo. Anyone with an attitude should just be isolated from the playing group. So that if they want to have a whinge after hours everyone knows it’s because of his bad attitude. If you move them on they take there attitude and spread there club negativity around. Do you think Moses and matterson talk highly of the club to others thinking of joining even when they were given everything they wanted.

If you put on parade what happens when you kick stones it becomes a lesson for others thinking of doing the same. Honestly ruin the guys career if he is going to sulk about it. If he plays and doesn’t kick stones reward him and tell him he is always welcome back.

 

[Roar_Power]

Something interesting in all this, the CEO of Manly is Stephen Humpreys - yes, that same clown who was the CEO here.

Watched over the start of the wreck way back when.

 

[the_third]

Does this mean we have finally got no more prayer circles? They did my head in

 

[balmain boy]

It's sort of funny how we are screaming for Aloiai to honour his 2021 contract and rightly so with the right hand while secretly fist pumping the air should Laurie be able to obtain a release and join us for 2021 with the left..

Big difference, one is a starting player, the other a kid who might play a handful of games as a backup...

I dunno man . Daine Laurie was very very good the last 2 years in lower grades . He looks to have the IT factor for mine . I can easily see him beating out everyone for the 1 jersey come round 1 .
And the Panfers have an embarrassment of riches there . I’m not too sure this isn’t one of those Papenhuyzen type steals , people write articles about in 2 years .

If he's already signed for us in 2022, they may prioritise another youngster from their endless production line instead of him. He's what 21-22 and played a couple of NRL games. He won't be replacing Edwards or Luai anytime soon given they took the Panthers to a GF.
But yes of course they're entitled to keep him as cheap backup if they want.

 

[HowDugWT]

If Aloiai goes to Manly, Hagipantelis has said they need something in return. I want a player. Who do we go for? Outside-back? Front-rower? Halves?

For players who are still contracted that I would want are:
Keppie
Schuster
Garrick (Two birds one stone)

 

[Another Pom]

33 pages in the last 10 hours 😳

Any chance of a brief update on what i have a missed before I get to catch up later on after work?

 

[bathursttiger1]

Can see Billy Walters asking to be released soon to join his father at Brisbane too.

I’ll drive him to the border

Keep going to Gladstone.

 

[Tigercrb]

This was badly planned by Aloai.
Tigers won’t budge here they have been burnt badly by Cleary and Matterson and we also have front row depth Tamou, Musgrove, Mikalele, Utoikamanu, Twal.

Unless a player becomes available that improves our team this will backfire. It’s also a straight breach of contract publicly blasting your employer. Big time to recoup contract money and sitting in the sidelines is what should happen here. If you don’t want to play sit out and sacrifice the salary.

It’s a big call I like the young bloke but this is straight disrespectful no matter how insulted you are over a contract.

And as for his "I will never wear the jersey again" line, guess what? You don't have to. But you sure as hell won't be wearing a rival clubs, until your current contract ends. Rest up for 12 months.

Although we should expect the follow up "player welfare", "mental health" and "club forced me to play through injury" etc to ramp up in the next 24hrs.

 

[hobbo1]

Can see Billy Walters asking to be released soon to join his father at Brisbane too.

I’ll drive him to the border

Keep going to Gladstone.

Drove through Gladstone once ...
Didn’t rate it ?

 

[JC99]

Chammas reporting Tigers offered him an upgrade to $450k a season. He rejected it wanting over $600k. After a month of negotiations they gave him a one day deadline after hearing he’d gone to manly and he chucked a fit

It’s the right decision from the club in the end. Madge and co are certainly making sure they don’t overpay for ANYONE, same thing happened with JAC. It will cost us some players but it’s needed as we’ve been in salary cap strife for too long

 

[TYGA]

Chammas just wrote an article which explains things. Tigers offered 450k per year he wanted 600k. Tigers placed a 24 hour deadline on the decision. Given we can only increase next year whoever posted the contract with Manly is 700k is spot on.

 

[Guest]

Can see Billy Walters asking to be released soon to join his father at Brisbane too.

No loss there IMO.

 

[851]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/i-ll-never-wear-the-jersey-again-tigers-rocked-by-perplexing-release-request-20201117-p56fbj.html

How much the Tigers were willing to pay Aloiai and how much he wanted
You have
Michael Chammas
By Michael Chammas
November 17, 2020 — 1.20pm

Fed-up Wests Tigers officials have called a meeting with the NRL to discuss the role of managers in the sport after prop Josh Aloiai dropped a bombshell on the club, vowing to "never wear the jersey again".

Tigers officials were left gobsmacked after one of their most committed players turned on the club in the hope of securing an immediate release from the final year of his $350,000 contract to join Manly in 2021.

Sources with knowledge of negotiations told The Herald that Aloiai's manager Tyran Smith had asked for more than $600,000 a season, well above the $450,000-a-season extension the Tigers offered for 2022 and 2023. Aloiai averages almost the same metres per game as recruit James Tamou, who was brought to the club on a two-year deal worth $350,000 a season.

After weeks of discussions, the Tigers recently put a one-day deadline on Aloiai to make a decision after learning he had all but struck a deal to join Manly. The Tigers will meet Smith on Wednesday.


Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis is ropeable with the situation and implored the NRL to take a stance against players and agents who agitate for a release to gain a financial advantage at another club.

"If there is indeed a genuine welfare concern that warrants our intervention in the current contractual relations, then the player should not be permitted to seek a commercial gain elsewhere," Hagipantelis said.


"If you are contracted to play for a certain salary for a club, then released on compassionate grounds, if that is indeed what they are, then you should be bound to the terms of the original contract. I am so concerned by such behaviour that I have instructed my CEO Justin Pascoe to raise our concerns with Andrew Abdo."

Aloiai's fierce tirade against the Tigers comes six weeks after his manager approached the club for an extension, and two weeks after Smith emailed the club to tell them how well Aloiai had developed under coach Michael Maguire.

The sudden change of heart has caught the Tigers by surprise, especially considering how vocal Aloiai had been in support of the besieged Maguire throughout a turbulent season for the club.

"I find it very perplexing that only some four weeks ago, the player sat opposite to me and professed his love of the club and commitment," Hagipantelis told The Herald.

The days of players, or others, thinking that they can use the Wests Tigers as a stepping stone are over

Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis
"Now we have a situation where a form of release has been sought, with a view to taking up a contract elsewhere obviously for more money. It is curious as to how that seems to generate welfare concerns."

Aloiai's manager also looks after Addin Fonua-Blake, who was granted a release from Manly to join the Warriors on one of the most lucrative deals for a prop in the history of the sport.

Sources within the game were shocked Manly were willing to release Fonua-Blake, the best prop in the game as voted by the players in a Sydney Morning Herald poll earlier in the year, for personal reasons without a replacement. However the recent events involving Aloiai could explain why.

"It is my understanding that he has agreed to terms with Manly for 2022 and 2023, but that is contingent upon a release in 2021," Hagipantelis said of the New Zealander who has played 90 games for the club since debuting in 2016.


"In my view he has a contract with the Wests Tigers which he will fulfil in 2021 unless I can leverage a commercial advantage for the club. The days of players, or others, thinking that they can use the Wests Tigers as a stepping stone are over."

The Tigers are still reeling from missing out on Josh Addo-Carr's services last week after his manager, Mario Tartak, managed to use the club's four-year offer to extract an upgrade from the Storm, despite the winger requesting a release on compassionate grounds to be closer to family.

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It's likely the recent antics of Aloiai and his manager will make his position at the club untenable, but the Tigers will follow Melbourne's stance with Addo-Carr and refuse to release him until they get an outcome they are happy with.

The Tigers have no shortage of front-rowers with young Eels prop Stefano Utoikamanu and Penrith captain James Tamou set to join the team when they return to pre-season training, bolstering a pack that also includes props Zane Musgrove, Alex Twal, Thomas Mikaele and Russell Packer.

Despite justified criticism aimed at the club for the big money offer to previous players, the Tigers have since internally recognised their past errors and adjusted the way they do business.

 

[JC99]

Can see Billy Walters asking to be released soon to join his father at Brisbane too.

No loss there IMO.

Billy took a player option to stay here, before his injury. Funny that the boys from Melbourne don’t think Madge is too tough and seem to love him

 

[TYGA]

I actually applaud the Tigers here we can’t pay 600k for a prop we are in salary cap mess as it is. You would end up with Crichton subsidised bu the Roosters for that sort of coin and he’s an origin player and premiership winner.

Aloai is a good player he will be a loss but that sort of money is ridiculous.

 

[avocadoontoast]

Chammas reporting Tigers offered him an upgrade to $450k a season. He rejected it wanting over $600k. After a month of negotiations they gave him a one day deadline after hearing he’d gone to manly and he chucked a fit

It’s the right decision from the club in the end. Madge and co are certainly making sure they don’t overpay for ANYONE, same thing happened with JAC. It will cost us some players but it’s needed as we’ve been in salary cap strife for too long

$450k is about right I reckon. If Manly want to pay him $700k good luck to him. But he can serve the last year of his contract here first.

 

[coivtny]

And his "mate" spun the line that the deal with Manly was nothing like figures being currently talked about.

Who is his "mate?"

Tiga4eva - has become very quiet.


Suspiciously quiet IMO. Noticed something 2 days ago. @tiga4eva when asked by avocadoontoast if Aloiai is leaving, Tiga4eva's response was........"I’m not sure, but I seriously doubt he ***ever wants to pull our jersey on again***. He’s still contracted for 2021".

Curious turn of phrase, strangely prophetic? #ratintheranks?

EDIT: Just noticed @needaname had already made this observation. I was a bit late.

Here's a thought......Maybe @tiga4eva is Josh!!!! Da Na!!!!!!!!!!

Thought that myself. Streranger things have happened.

 

[jirskyr]

Hugely disappointed in how things have unfolded.

I don't know how bringing Matterson into the discussion while choosing to ignore the fact we are undergoing yet another retention blunder helps. I couldn't care less about player reputations once they leave our club but rather more how we can change ours re: our retention/recruitment.

I'm also pretty certain Twal is actually his best mate, so does that mean we'll lose him? Who cares if players wish to follow suit of other former players. The concern should be more focused on our most problematic issues. Prospects won't care about the reasons either however will more likely question our treatment of players.

No retention blunder from listening to Lee H on radio we made offers back and forth and then Josh A has said i am leaving as he has a bigger offer from club x
This is just like Matterson and listening to Lee H we will not be releasing players anymore
Josh you are out of luck

Look I get all that but it's not how it's gonna play out in the media. We all have a loyalty to the club and personal bias but this doesn't help the perception of the club's retention and recruitment one bit. Which is my whole point.

So you would what, have the club pay well more than they were prepared to just for the sake of keeping him for the optics of how it would play out in the media? That would just replace a perceived poor recruitment and retention strategy with an actual poor recruitment and retention policy...

No.
I think I've been pretty clear in stating I only care about our retention and recruitment reputation and image, and building the team to a stronger position. IDC about media perception but more what prospective targets think.

I'm sick of seeing the club get shafted. Stand firm on Aloiai and the jelly-spine tossers will give us a wide berth in future. Win-win.

Melbourne hung onto JAC because it didn't work for them for whatever reason to let him go. They had a contract and they enforced it. Granted they have the on field success to make it more palatable for JAC but there's no reason why on-field success should factor into a legally binding contract being enforced, it goes back to my previous comment that if you don't want to find yourself in this situation, then chance the risk and play year on year. They won't do that though because you're only ever one tackle away from a career ending injury.

Melbourne is a successful club, we aren't. Again, it's not a one off. I hate to bring this up but remember the Mosese Fotuaika and BMM incident? I'm definitely not blaming the club and we may have done everything in our power to support him but somewhere player welfare or player management is letting us down.

It's a two-off. Two is not a trend.

Please do not bring up Mosese that has nothing to do with this.