Tigerdave
Well-known member
@ said:Really dont think many players were re -signing contracts months ago on the advice of their managers because clubs didn't know what the new cap was going to be set at.
I don't really think that's the case with Woods and co though, they were offered good deals and deals that were on the table for months. Yeah their manager certainly would have asked them to test the waters, but then Woods has stated he wanted to be a 1 club player and Teddy has stated that it wasn't about the money.
@ said:And clubs were also reluctant to draw up anything till they knew how much cap space they could offer.
That didn't stop us from tabling deals last year and then according to Egan, making adjustments as new requests kept coming in
@ said:To suggest that it was wrong for either party(ie player and club) to not look after their own best interests during that period is ludicrous.
don't believe anyone is saying that, although some are upset about the club having to force the issue to look out for it's own interests…..........Woods certainly didn't like it. It's the dragging it out that's the problem in relation to Woods and co, not the looking out for their own best interests.
@ said:In the meantime more drama, drugs, betting, the coach gets sacked…. and Cleary comes in and oversees precedings with the information needed in regard to the new cap figure. You have got to ask when is enough enough.
What the players do outside of the club is not something that the club can monitor 24/7 or should they have to Big Brother players at all times? Simona made his own choices and brought the drama to the club, not the other way round.
In so far as the coach is concerned, well Woods can say "it had nothing to do with me" all he likes, but the fact is one of his concerns with signing was who the coach was going to be. JT needed the team to get in the finals last year to even have a shot at moving on beyond this year, given that didn't happen and that the club made it reasonably clear he needed to guide the team to the finals, it was apparent this would be his last year. Certainly after round 1 how the team performed things were well and truly derailed. The club made it's move thinking it had to secure a coach long term to get Woods and co to sign.
So, a few weeks of Cleary as coach, things have improved on the field, he's here for 3 years…........and no signing, perhaps because the decision was made some time ago for Woods?
Plus he signed on with a club with it's own coaching drama's, they were about ready to dump Des not long ago and he only has 2 years to go on his contract, Woods signs for 4 years...........guess he's only concerned about coaches here.
@ said:At the same time movement started also happening with players at other clubs too.
No doubt the club was in discussions with the manager but the official contract reportedly was tabled on the 31st of March. Obviously Woods was considering the Bulldogs interest during that time - when he made his final decision only he and his wife know.
Just think the club never considered that they would lose either of these players…history now.
That official contract was probably the last one with adjustments made. They've had a contract for months and Egan stated there were constant changes and requests that were made, according him, to accommodate the players requests.
I'd say the club was concerned that they could do nothing short of giving them well over a million each a year to stay. Those days of paying overs appears to have gone.