Michael Potter Article explains this mess

[barra]

Good on Mick for having a say, IMO he's a straight shooter who just tells it like it is, and Benji and Robbie didn't like that.

He is still the only bloke who could get the team up mentally in the last few years without them having to play Benji-ball.

 

[2041]

"Asked who made the decision, Potter said: “The then board and the CEO (Grant Mayer) at the time"

Problem I have with this is that Farah's contract was announced in March of 2013, Mayer didn't become CEO of the club till July 26th 2013, So how on earth did he apparently make this decision on Farah's contract ? It was Humphreys not Mayer !!

This looks to me to be bad journalism (probably just lazy rather than deliberately misleading). Potter said "the CEO at the time" and the journo added who he assumes that was in brackets without bothering to check. Neither did his editors. Typical Telegraph.

 

[Geo]

**Captain Robbie Farah re-signs**

**Thu 21st March, 2013 10:33AM**
A A
00064425-leadimage
Wests Tigers have received a massive boost on the eve of their first home game at Leichhardt Oval tomorrow night with news today proud Captain Robbie Farah has agreed to a new four-year deal.
\
\
One of the most respected players in the NRL, Farah was off contract at the end of this season but his new deal will see the local junior remain at Wests Tigers until the end of 2017.

**Wests Tigers CEO Stephen Humphreys said the Club is delighted to have reached a new agreement with Farah, making him a Tiger for Life.**
\
\
**Robbie has cemented his position as one of the games most elite and inspirational players, Humphreys said.\
\
\
His new contract reflects this fact and is a great reward for not only his superb skills but also his professionalism and dedication.**
\
\
Farah said the Club means everything to him.
\
\
I couldnt be happier to have my future at Wests Tigers secured through this new deal, Farah said.
\
\
I have total confidence in the future of the Club. We have entered an exciting new phase and I can only see plenty of positives and success ahead for us.
\
\
With my future settled, I cant wait to the lead the team out tomorrow night at Leichhardt Oval in front of the best and most passionate Members in the game.
\
\
Coach Mick Potter said the re-signing was great news for Farah and the Club.
\
\
Robbie is a winner and provides great leadership on and off the field, not only to the playing group but to the Club generally, Potter said.
\
\
Im really looking forward to working with him to deliver the kind of success we are all striving for.

http://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2013/03/21/captain-robbie-farah-re-signs.html

 

[Doc_Tiger]

It's pretty hard for a coach to say at the time that it;s not for the best. His hands were tied.

 

[NT_Tiger]

"What a funny old fellow is Humphrey he gets in all manner of strife…........."

 

[jirskyr]

Oh Geo, well done. Facts can amaze.

Why do so many people fire up based on comments from one person, an aggrieved person no less. Potter handled the interview well but who of us can say how truthful or accurate his comments were?

This whole situation is certainly so very grey, so truly muddled and so many conflicting reports, conflicting parties. It's just not as black and white as people are trying to make it - JT is to blame, or Potter was shafted and had no control, or it's all Mayer's fault, wait Mayer didn't even oversee the Farah contract etc. etc.

Why am I even surprised?

 

[sheer64]

Oh Geo, well done. Facts can amaze.

Why do so many people fire up based on comments from one person, an aggrieved person no less. Potter handled the interview well but who of us can say how truthful or accurate his comments were?

This whole situation is certainly so very grey, so truly muddled and so many conflicting reports, conflicting parties. It's just not as black and white as people are trying to make it - JT is to blame, or Potter was shafted and had no control, or it's all Mayer's fault, wait Mayer didn't even oversee the Farah contract etc. etc.

Why am I even surprised?

If I was going to believe anyone in this basket case it would be Mick Potter, the only person who has nothing to gain.

 

[Doc_Tiger]

Potter said nothing at the time but had he done so, he would have looked like Ricky Stuart or Craig Bellamy - whinging and bitching.
Now there's an opportunity to let people know his thoughts and apparently that's not cool to some. Well, he's not blowing up. It's great he has the balls to tell what I believe to be a more truthful account of what really was going on and how it ended for him. No doubt he would have been shattered at the time but after a few weeks I reckon he would have been very much at ease of having the basket case of a club in his rear view mirror.

 

[magpiecol]

Water under the bridge. I said, he said. Enough already.

We have a new board and a new coach and coaching staff. Let's get behind them and see how the club goes over the next couple of years.

If there has been no improvement, then we can all start reaching for the baseball bats. But, let's give the some time please.

 

[batboy]

Funny how I have read that the "Farah" Situation is all Mayers fault… About 100 times and counting. All the while I'd remembered that Humpty was still the boss at that time, And even after that Mayer was stand in CEO for a time.
As with the Sheens debacle.... And a few others.
The time between Mayer making decisions and Farah signing a contract would have been 12 months or there abouts.
Thanks for going in and finding the press release Geo, As I couldn't be bothered....

 

[TrueTiger]

Water under the bridge. I said, he said. Enough already.

We have a new board and a new coach and coaching staff. Let's get behind them and see how the club goes over the next couple of years.

If there has been no improvement, then we can all start reaching for the baseball bats. But, let's give the some time please.

would be the way to go Col,however,Taylors not good enough,Potter wasnt good enough,Sheens fell out of favour with the players,the board are a rabble and everyone wants a finals appearance yesterday….

Taylor has another two years to get things right,however he needs time,he has been afforded a lot more than Potter ever was and if he doesnt get results by mid next year then he needs to be re evaluated by the board regarding his coaching....the financial mess the previous management have left us with will take some hard decisions to overcome the problems....but lets shoot the coach before he has had a chance to clean the mess....getting rid of Taylor will only cause more financial grief in the interim..

 

[Sabre]

"Asked who made the decision, Potter said: “The then board and the CEO (Grant Mayer) at the time"

Problem I have with this is that Farah's contract was announced in March of 2013, Mayer didn't become CEO of the club till July 26th 2013, So how on earth did he apparently make this decision on Farah's contract ? It was Humphreys not Mayer !!

If that's true
Maybe Potter isn't as honest as he tries to make out he is.
It sounds like a prequel to a job application elsewhere

Potter hasn't atually blamed Mayer, he only said "The then CEO". The editor has put Mayer in there, hence why his name is in brackets.

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

"Asked who made the decision, Potter said: “The then board and the CEO (Grant Mayer) at the time"

Problem I have with this is that Farah's contract was announced in March of 2013, Mayer didn't become CEO of the club till July 26th 2013, So how on earth did he apparently make this decision on Farah's contract ? It was Humphreys not Mayer !!

If that's true
Maybe Potter isn't as honest as he tries to make out he is.
It sounds like a prequel to a job application elsewhere

Potter hasn't atually blamed Mayer, he only said "The then CEO". The editor has put Mayer in there, hence why his name is in brackets.

Then obviously the editor knew who the CEO was at the time

 

[larrycorowa]

Most of these poor decisions can be traced back to the old dysfunctional board and weak CEO. I have heard that board members themselves were talking to player managers about contracts etc. (what chance do you have of running a tight ship).

Farah was aligned to the Balmain side of the board and other players would have been aligned to the Wests side which would of caused some disharmony. Robbie obviously carries some baggage from a previous era of the club which many of the younger players would be unfamiliar with.

Getting rid of Farah is another plank of Taylor's strategy to change the culture of the club.

 

[Geo]

"Asked who made the decision, Potter said: “The then board and the CEO (Grant Mayer) at the time"

Problem I have with this is that Farah's contract was announced in March of 2013, Mayer didn't become CEO of the club till July 26th 2013, So how on earth did he apparently make this decision on Farah's contract ? It was Humphreys not Mayer !!

If that's true
Maybe Potter isn't as honest as he tries to make out he is.
It sounds like a prequel to a job application elsewhere

Potter hasn't atually blamed Mayer, he only said "The then CEO". The editor has put Mayer in there, hence why his name is in brackets.

Then obviously the editor knew who the CEO was at the time

Humphreys…

 

[fergiefurr]

I find this article strange. It contradicts himself a little, he says he had no control over the signings of the team but then he says he was questioned about signing Marty.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

Pat Richards and Keith Luila - also I thought were Potter signings.

Lulia was.

Richards was signed by Farah and Mayer. Potter literally had no idea about the signing until a day or two before it was announced.

Ava was going to sign with Melbourne until potter intervened and begged that he be resigned.

This was told to me by the ex Tigers media manager.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

 

[Basil_Tiger]

Also,unless i'm going senile,didn't the actual signing of Robbies contract happen about 6 Months after it was announced he had accepted the Tige's offer.Reason being i had a few beers with a fellow long term Balmain tragic in Sydney Aug. 2013(early Sept.) and he was venting on Mayer because Robbie still hadn't signed the new contract.

 

[jirskyr]

If I was going to believe anyone in this basket case it would be Mick Potter, the only person who has nothing to gain.

Of course he has something to gain - revenge, save face, get publicity - all possible. Anyone who goes on record with the media is trying to gain something; there's no point talking to them otherwise.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

If I was going to believe anyone in this basket case it would be Mick Potter, the only person who has nothing to gain.

Of course he has something to gain - revenge, save face, get publicity - all possible. Anyone who goes on record with the media is trying to gain something; there's no point talking to them otherwise.

I can't see what Potter said as anything other than frank without being belligerent. Just about everyone in the footy world supported him after his being moved on. He has the public support and if he wanted revenge he would have done it long ago, say when he got rissoled in the first place?

And if anything, the story is more of an indictment of his opinions on the club than Farah (kind of a give away in the title of the column.)

 

[sheer64]

If I was going to believe anyone in this basket case it would be Mick Potter, the only person who has nothing to gain.

Of course he has something to gain - revenge, save face, get publicity - all possible. Anyone who goes on record with the media is trying to gain something; there's no point talking to them otherwise.

Just dont buy it jiskyr. Potter could have done this long ago if he wanted to. He has never bad mouthed us for his own gain. In fact now that we know what his feelings were towards Farah's contract length, I applaud him for keeping a unified face even though it must have quite hostile for him at the time. Again shows his professionalism that is sorely lacking in others in our club past and present.