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Heighington speaks out
September 23, 2012
Daniel Lane
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CHRIS HEIGHINGTON admitted he had so far resisted the temptation to feel bitter towards Wests Tigers for the way in which he was pushed out the door by the club's besieged officials.
Heighington revealed he signed his three-year deal with Cronulla on Friday, but the 29-year-old told The Sun-Herald he was angry and confused about his demise with the joint-venture club.
''It hasn't sunk in,'' said the veteran of 201 first-grade games for the Tigers.
''I don't know what to say except I'm a bit disappointed. But, the club has given me so much, so many opportunities and great memories … [but] obviously after playing 10 years for the Wests Tigers I thought I'd be a one-club man. I'm trying not to be bitter about it right now.
''The Wests Tigers are a great club. I've played with 115 different teammates through the years and I've met so many great people through the sponsors and the fans so, yeah like I said, while I'm very disappointed I'm trying not to be bitter about the way it all ended.''
Last year, when the club wanted to cull Heighington from its playing roster, along with fellow forwards Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita - who both joined Cronulla to make room in the Tigers' salary cap for Melbourne recruit Adam Blair - there was such an outpouring of anger from players, fans and sponsors, the club backflipped and extended his deal by one season.
''I thought I would be a one-team player but, at the end of the day, if the coach doesn't want you, he doesn't want you,'' Heighington said.
''In my mind, I've shut the book on the Wests Tigers and I'm off to the Cronulla Sharks.''
It is understood Heighington, who played in the 2005 premiership-winning Tigers squad, had a handshake agreement with the club's management that meant at the end of this season he would receive a two-year contract to ''see him off''.
Insiders revealed the club's bosses had not replied to Heighington's agent's repeated calls for the deal to be put in writing before he was told to look elsewhere after the Tim Sheens-coached team failed to make the top eight.
It is believed the decision by the Tigers to not honour their word to one of the club's most loyal servants has incensed senior players, including their two biggest stars, Benji Marshall and captain Robbie Farah.
The about-face on Heighington's ''farewell deal'' has been cited among the players as an unacceptable example of the decay in their club's old values and ''forever brothers'' culture.
Heighington - who last year made his Test debut in the back row for England in the Four Nations tournament - refused to comment on the ''handshake'' deal but he admitted his friends, including Marshall, had been rattled by the treatment he had received.
''Benji is one of my best mates,'' Heighington said. ''We've played footy together for 10 years and have grown really close. He's disappointed for me and for him, in his mind, he likes to play with his best mates.''
Heighington said his first impression of the Sharks was positive and he wanted Cronulla's supporter base to know he had pledged to offer the season's big improvers his 100 per cent commitment whenever he runs out in the black, white and blue.
''Cronulla struck me as a very professional outfit,'' he said. ''The deal was done within a couple of hours and I'm grateful the Sharks have given me an opportunity to show what I'm worth to the club. I plan to build on what I did at the Tigers for the Sharks. I want to give it a real go.''
September 23, 2012
Daniel Lane
\
\
CHRIS HEIGHINGTON admitted he had so far resisted the temptation to feel bitter towards Wests Tigers for the way in which he was pushed out the door by the club's besieged officials.
Heighington revealed he signed his three-year deal with Cronulla on Friday, but the 29-year-old told The Sun-Herald he was angry and confused about his demise with the joint-venture club.
''It hasn't sunk in,'' said the veteran of 201 first-grade games for the Tigers.
''I don't know what to say except I'm a bit disappointed. But, the club has given me so much, so many opportunities and great memories … [but] obviously after playing 10 years for the Wests Tigers I thought I'd be a one-club man. I'm trying not to be bitter about it right now.
''The Wests Tigers are a great club. I've played with 115 different teammates through the years and I've met so many great people through the sponsors and the fans so, yeah like I said, while I'm very disappointed I'm trying not to be bitter about the way it all ended.''
Last year, when the club wanted to cull Heighington from its playing roster, along with fellow forwards Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita - who both joined Cronulla to make room in the Tigers' salary cap for Melbourne recruit Adam Blair - there was such an outpouring of anger from players, fans and sponsors, the club backflipped and extended his deal by one season.
''I thought I would be a one-team player but, at the end of the day, if the coach doesn't want you, he doesn't want you,'' Heighington said.
''In my mind, I've shut the book on the Wests Tigers and I'm off to the Cronulla Sharks.''
It is understood Heighington, who played in the 2005 premiership-winning Tigers squad, had a handshake agreement with the club's management that meant at the end of this season he would receive a two-year contract to ''see him off''.
Insiders revealed the club's bosses had not replied to Heighington's agent's repeated calls for the deal to be put in writing before he was told to look elsewhere after the Tim Sheens-coached team failed to make the top eight.
It is believed the decision by the Tigers to not honour their word to one of the club's most loyal servants has incensed senior players, including their two biggest stars, Benji Marshall and captain Robbie Farah.
The about-face on Heighington's ''farewell deal'' has been cited among the players as an unacceptable example of the decay in their club's old values and ''forever brothers'' culture.
Heighington - who last year made his Test debut in the back row for England in the Four Nations tournament - refused to comment on the ''handshake'' deal but he admitted his friends, including Marshall, had been rattled by the treatment he had received.
''Benji is one of my best mates,'' Heighington said. ''We've played footy together for 10 years and have grown really close. He's disappointed for me and for him, in his mind, he likes to play with his best mates.''
Heighington said his first impression of the Sharks was positive and he wanted Cronulla's supporter base to know he had pledged to offer the season's big improvers his 100 per cent commitment whenever he runs out in the black, white and blue.
''Cronulla struck me as a very professional outfit,'' he said. ''The deal was done within a couple of hours and I'm grateful the Sharks have given me an opportunity to show what I'm worth to the club. I plan to build on what I did at the Tigers for the Sharks. I want to give it a real go.''
