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Blair signing should end our rough patch, says Humphreys
Glenn Jackson - SMH
July 14, 2011
AT 3.10PM yesterday, as an email months in the making was dropping into inboxes to announce the signing of Adam Blair, Wests Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys sat with the Herald and wondered how it had come to this. The club had just announced, finally, the signature of one of the best forwards in the world. But at what cost?
Four Tigers players had already been shed - Bryce Gibbs, Andrew Fifita, Tim Moltzen and Wade McKinnon - with many seeing those incumbents as collateral damage for the money that finally nabbed Blair from Melbourne. The Tigers are losing and seemingly losing faith as they watch their mates disappearing out the door.
''I think the way it's been played out, and the way that it's been misinterpreted, is unfortunate,'' Humphreys said. ''Having said that, I'm very confident that when he [Blair] arrives here, he'll be greeted with open arms and embraced by everyone as the marquee professional that he is.
''Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita have a fresh start with upgraded long-term contracts, so has Tim Moltzen. They've all got three-year deals, all on improved terms.
''Those guys, hopefully, will go on to the next phase of their careers and do really well, and we'll all feel great for them if that happens. We'll get on with life here.''
Blair, 25, will probably remain the biggest signing of the season, yet because it has been the subject of speculation that then degenerated into something closer to hysteria, the Tigers have taken some collateral damage of their own on the way to trumpeting it yesterday.
Worth considering, too, is the prospect of Blair being seen among the Tigers' playing and supporter groups as the man who broke up the team.
But Humphreys was at pains to say that was not the case.
''Adam is a marquee signing, world-class, international, vice-captain of his country, played in three grand finals, done things that the vast majority of our squad have not done, and I think he'll add a whole lot to our club,'' Humphreys said. ''I think we're very fortunate to have him, and the fans and the playing group here will embrace him as they should.''
Blair will at least be joined by some other outsiders - Parramatta centre Joel Reddy and Penrith prop Matthew Bell being additions to the roster for next season.
Humphreys maintained the talk of disharmony in the playing group over the departures of players - as well as the continuing speculation around Penrith's possible signing of Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan - had been blown out of proportion.
''When you're not winning football games, everything's exaggerated,'' Humphreys said. ''The fact that we have underperformed to people's expectations to this point of the year means that if there is a bit of disappointment around the place, that has been amplified.
''That's certainly the case now. I wouldn't put it as unrest. I'd say the players are disappointed with their performances this year, but are quite committed to trying to turn that around.''
When it was put to him that the players were also disappointed that their friends and teammates were leaving, Humphreys said: ''You have to ask them that. That's more a private issue than a public thing. The players are contracted here to do a job and to play to their best. They're not contracted to play with their mates. They end up forming friendships, which has always been part of sport generally, and certainly in rugby league the friendships you make in this game are a great feature of the game. But at the end of the day they're a byproduct of it, not a reason for doing it. I think everyone will reconcile themselves with that.''
He admitted, though, he had raised the issue with some players, but was confident, having ended speculation surrounding Blair, that the club could move on.
''I've had my conversations with a number of the players,'' Humphreys said. ''On the one hand, they are all very well-paid professional athletes who need to not get drawn into speculation, and not be distracted … there's lots of opportunity to be distracted as a professional athlete but they need to rise above that.
''On the other hand, they're not robots. I understand why it would have been an unsettling time. I think with the announcement we can hopefully draw a line under that and move forward.''
Glenn Jackson - SMH
July 14, 2011
AT 3.10PM yesterday, as an email months in the making was dropping into inboxes to announce the signing of Adam Blair, Wests Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys sat with the Herald and wondered how it had come to this. The club had just announced, finally, the signature of one of the best forwards in the world. But at what cost?
Four Tigers players had already been shed - Bryce Gibbs, Andrew Fifita, Tim Moltzen and Wade McKinnon - with many seeing those incumbents as collateral damage for the money that finally nabbed Blair from Melbourne. The Tigers are losing and seemingly losing faith as they watch their mates disappearing out the door.
''I think the way it's been played out, and the way that it's been misinterpreted, is unfortunate,'' Humphreys said. ''Having said that, I'm very confident that when he [Blair] arrives here, he'll be greeted with open arms and embraced by everyone as the marquee professional that he is.
''Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita have a fresh start with upgraded long-term contracts, so has Tim Moltzen. They've all got three-year deals, all on improved terms.
''Those guys, hopefully, will go on to the next phase of their careers and do really well, and we'll all feel great for them if that happens. We'll get on with life here.''
Blair, 25, will probably remain the biggest signing of the season, yet because it has been the subject of speculation that then degenerated into something closer to hysteria, the Tigers have taken some collateral damage of their own on the way to trumpeting it yesterday.
Worth considering, too, is the prospect of Blair being seen among the Tigers' playing and supporter groups as the man who broke up the team.
But Humphreys was at pains to say that was not the case.
''Adam is a marquee signing, world-class, international, vice-captain of his country, played in three grand finals, done things that the vast majority of our squad have not done, and I think he'll add a whole lot to our club,'' Humphreys said. ''I think we're very fortunate to have him, and the fans and the playing group here will embrace him as they should.''
Blair will at least be joined by some other outsiders - Parramatta centre Joel Reddy and Penrith prop Matthew Bell being additions to the roster for next season.
Humphreys maintained the talk of disharmony in the playing group over the departures of players - as well as the continuing speculation around Penrith's possible signing of Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan - had been blown out of proportion.
''When you're not winning football games, everything's exaggerated,'' Humphreys said. ''The fact that we have underperformed to people's expectations to this point of the year means that if there is a bit of disappointment around the place, that has been amplified.
''That's certainly the case now. I wouldn't put it as unrest. I'd say the players are disappointed with their performances this year, but are quite committed to trying to turn that around.''
When it was put to him that the players were also disappointed that their friends and teammates were leaving, Humphreys said: ''You have to ask them that. That's more a private issue than a public thing. The players are contracted here to do a job and to play to their best. They're not contracted to play with their mates. They end up forming friendships, which has always been part of sport generally, and certainly in rugby league the friendships you make in this game are a great feature of the game. But at the end of the day they're a byproduct of it, not a reason for doing it. I think everyone will reconcile themselves with that.''
He admitted, though, he had raised the issue with some players, but was confident, having ended speculation surrounding Blair, that the club could move on.
''I've had my conversations with a number of the players,'' Humphreys said. ''On the one hand, they are all very well-paid professional athletes who need to not get drawn into speculation, and not be distracted … there's lots of opportunity to be distracted as a professional athlete but they need to rise above that.
''On the other hand, they're not robots. I understand why it would have been an unsettling time. I think with the announcement we can hopefully draw a line under that and move forward.''
