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Player agent Isaac Moses a central player in Wests Tigers contract dramas
MATT LOGUE & CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI, The Daily Telegraph
April 7, 2017 4:50am
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THERE is a running joke at Concord that player agent Isaac Moses is the real CEO running the Wests Tigers.
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Only problem, it’s no laughing matter because the Tigers are in the biggest mess in the joint venture club’s history.
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As the manager of the Tigers’ supposed “Big Four” — James Tedesco, Luke Brooks, Mitch Moses and Aaron Woods — Moses holds massive sway.
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In fact, people connected with the Tigers say he has the future of the club in the palm of his chequebook.
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The Saturday Telegraph understands Moses has persuaded the Tigers’ board to revolve the club’s recruitment around his four clients.
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This approach has resulted in members of the Tigers’ Big Four refusing to sign long-term deals.
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Much deeper, though, insiders say Moses has used his big-name quartet to convince the club to sign one of his contracted coaches in Andrew Webster and Todd Payten.
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These murmurs started last season when the Tigers, on player recommendation, rehired Webster from the Warriors. Webster had previously coached Brooks and Moses in the SG Ball and under-20s ranks and was largely brought back as an incentive to retain the young off-contract halves.
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Then there is the story surrounding respected mind specialist Joe Wehbe — a long-term mentor of Moses, Woods and Tedesco.
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Again in a bid to satisfy his off-contract stars, Isaac Moses pushed for Wehbe to join the club in a consultancy role.
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However, the negotiations stalled when then-head coach Jason Taylor wasn’t comfortable with how the situation was being managed.
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Wehbe then stopped seeing the players, which frustrated and annoyed the Tigers’ star quartet.
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Well-placed Tigers sources believe Moses wanted to hire Wehbe to work with one of his contracted coaches in Webster or Payten.
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These plans fell flat when Ivan Cleary, who is managed by George Mimis, was named to replace Taylor as head coach.
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Now it appears Mitchell Moses, Tedesco and Woods are all close to walking away from the Tigers to join rival NRL teams.
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Wests legend Tommy Raudonikis made his feelings on the current contract mess at the Tigers crystal clear on Thursday’s Footy Show.
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“That one manager has got those four blokes on contract and what he is virtually doing is running the show,” Raudonikis said.
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“That’s what he is doing and I think that shouldn’t be allowed.”
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James Tedesco is close to walking away from the Tigers. Picture: Gregg Porteous
Former Tigers winger Beau Ryan agreed with Raudonikis, calling for the Tigers’ board to stand up and control Moses’ influence at the club.
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“Tommy is 100 per cent right,” Ryan said.
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“I feel sorry for the fans. They’ve got a good team and they should be in the top four.
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“But the players don’t want to be there, they want more money.
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“How can they all be off-contract — their four best players at the same time?
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“The club have agreed to that because of their manager.’’
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Asked if Moses was running the Tigers, CEO Justin Pascoe said: “Absolutely not. We make decisions at the Wests Tigers that are in the best interests of the club first and foremost.
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“Our intent has always been to retain these four boys.
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“Under no circumstances has Isaac put any undue influence on the Wests Tigers, and as an organisation we wouldn’t allow that to happen anyway.’’
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The Saturday Telegraph understood Moses met with Cleary after lunch on Friday in Townsville.
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Tedesco was the last to join the Moses stable after cutting ties with Sam Ayoub.
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One high-ranking former Tigers official believes the current contract mess would never have happened if the club’s leadership at the top was strong.
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“Isaac Moses only has the power because the club have bowed to his demands,” the former official said.
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“It comes down to the management of the club being strong so you don’t have player agents getting to the board of directors.
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“That’s just poor management. As a board member, you shouldn’t be playing fantasy league just because a mate of yours is one of the player agents and you’ve wined and dined him.
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“You don’t go and have lunch with a player agent if you are on the board of directors. You don’t do that.
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“That’s not happening with the good clubs in the competition. The clubs that have been consistently at the top over the years, that type of thing just doesn’t happen.
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“There is a reason why the Tigers haven’t done well since 2005 — it’s the management and it’s showing on the scoreboard.”
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Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks during a Wests Tigers training session. Picture: Gregg Porteous
Serious question marks have now been raised over Isaac Moses’ future influence at the Tigers.
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How will new coach Cleary stamp his authority on a club that has let a player manager dictate terms?
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The ex-Panthers and Warriors mentor is already well aware of the issue.
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“I think it’s fair to say that four players with the same manager coming off-contract all at the same time, yeah you could call that a problem,” Cleary told the Triple M Grill Team.
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“It has been going for five months, so that probably gives a good indication.
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“It’s pretty simple for me and the club. We want good players and players that are committed to the club and committed to building a future here … as simple as that.”
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Moses was unavailable for comment.
