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BRAITH ANASTA has spoken of his heartbreak at being squeezed out of Bondi Junction after Roosters officials all but conceded there was no place for him beyond 2011.
It is understood Anasta was secretly shopped to Parramatta just days ago on an immediate transfer after negotiations with the Roosters broke down this week.
‘‘Ask me not long ago and I would have told you I couldn’t see myself anywhere else, but to be honest with you they haven’t offered me an extension of my contract,’’ Anasta said.
Advertisement: Story continues below ‘‘And I’ve been told I won’t be offered an extension any time soon. I am off-contract and … it’s tough, mate. Ideally, I’d like to sign my life away with the Roosters. I’m the captain of the club, it’s my home and I love it. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed about it all because I am.’’
An intermediary acting for Anasta approached Parramatta, who have more than $500,000 still available under the salary cap for this season. However, it’s understood the Eels passed on the offer to the lock forward for either 2011 or 2012 and beyond.
The latest developments are a slap in the face for the Dally M captain of the year, who led the Roosters from the wooden spoon to an improbable grand final appearance last season. Anasta played some of his best football after shifting from five-eighth to lock and, at the age of just 29, is still a contender for representative honours.
‘‘Now I guess I’m just going to have to reassess everything, my future,’’ Anasta said. ''I’m not sure what’s going to happen now. I suppose that will take care of itself in the next couple of months. It becomes difficult because if you wait, wait and wait until mid-year and then all of a sudden they don’t offer you that extension or it’s pretty poor compared to elsewhere, it leaves you with your hands tied.
‘‘As hard as it is and as painful as it is and as disappointing as it is, you’ve really got to look after yourself. And playing the game for as long as I have - this is my 12th season - you see it happening to to other players and it’s just part of the game. It’s sad but it’s just the way it is.’’
Anasta’s long-term future has been a source of constant speculation. North Queensland attempted to poach the premiership-winning playmaker during last year’s finals. Roosters CEO Steve Noyce confirmed the club had refused to guarantee anything beyond this year.
‘‘We talked about where the club is up to in terms of recruitment and retention and we agreed we’ll wait until the start of the season before we look to do anything,’’ Noyce said. ''As I understand, Smithy had a really good chat about his future plans for the club. There certainly was no discussion that he wouldn’t be considered to be part of the plans, but in today’s environment, the salary cap is only what it is. You have 25 players to fit in and you have to continually look to the future.
''It’s an important decision for Braith as well, I understand and respect that. We’re all aware of what a great ambassador for the game Braith is.
‘‘He’s right up there with the way he handles himself on and off the field and he’s a great attribute for a club with young players.’’
Anasta’s preference is to finish his career with the Roosters and has even contemplated taking a pay cut to alleviate salary cap pressures. The former Kangaroo and State of Origin representative has previously shunned big-money offers to switch codes.
‘‘At the end of the day you’ll take pay cuts to stay where you want and be happy at a place where you want to be,’’ Anasta said.
''It’s just a matter of what extent.
‘‘Players should be rewarded for staying loyal to the code.’’
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Hmm maybe we should sign him up for next year and play him at lock. Heighington and Ellis second row. Fulton to the interchange who can cover lots of positions. Anasta only turns 30 next year. Actually I like that idea.
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Defintely worth a look for a year or two, a much better player than people give him credit for (mainly because they don’t like him for whatever reason).
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Defintely worth a look for a year or two, a much better player than people give him credit for (mainly because they don’t like him for whatever reason).
Why don’t some people like him? He doesn’t get into trouble does he?
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That club at Bondi really is a scum bag of a place. Seriously, no loyalty there to any player what so ever. The excuse they can’t keep him for salary cap reasons is pretty weak considering the amount of times they have passed brown paper bags under the table. Geez I despise that place with a passion.
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That club at Bondi really is a scum bag of a place. Seriously, no loyalty there to any player what so ever. The excuse they can’t keep him for salary cap reasons is pretty weak considering the amount of times they have passed brown paper bags under the table. Geez I despise that place with a passion.
It was like some people said we couldn’t have kept Hodgson because of salary cap reasons. It isn’t true. The clubs know when their players are off contract and they can plan ahead to keep them if they want to. I’m very surprised Roosters didn’t want to keep Anasta.
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could it be simply the roosters are going to build their team around the good halves combo they have, in Carney & Pearce, and Anasta just does not fit.
don’t be suprised if more key players are moved on from roosters.
Brian Smith is quite happy at making hard decisions like this.
he has done it before e.g when players were moved on from knights,.
As for wests-tigers being interested in him, well who knows.
don’t be suprised if he has a very good season because he is off contract, most players do this.
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That club at Bondi really is a scum bag of a place. Seriously, no loyalty there to any player what so ever. The excuse they can’t keep him for salary cap reasons is pretty weak considering the amount of times they have passed brown paper bags under the table. Geez I despise that place with a passion.
Yep.
I like Anasta as a player and as a person. You would think that the rorters would be happy with him but as you state scum will be scum.
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Hmm maybe we should sign him up for next year and play him at lock. Heighington and Ellis second row. Fulton to the interchange who can cover lots of positions. Anasta only turns 30 next year. Actually I like that idea.
Tigers cannot afford him and don’t need him with the forward depth they have at the moment. Better to put the money towards James Graham if they are adamant on going for a big name player.
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That club at Bondi really is a scum bag of a place. Seriously, no loyalty there to any player what so ever. The excuse they can’t keep him for salary cap reasons is pretty weak considering the amount of times they have passed brown paper bags under the table. Geez I despise that place with a passion.
Yep.
Without him they go no further than week I of last years semis.
I also dunno why he’s disliked, but Ive always liked him as a player…maybe him & pup clarke should go into business together -
What a dog of a club.
Their Captain no less…
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Anasta seems passionate and all but wouldn’t have him at the club simply because we have too much talent ready to be unleashed. If it was an experienced second-rower (I consider Anasta a half still), then it would be OK as he could teach our younger players and provide them with some knowledge but Anasta isn’t experienced in that way.
He reads defence real nice but has troubles tackling.
Anyways, no loyalty shown by the Roosters towards their captain who hung on with them even though they won the wooden spoon. The same happened when Fitler got kicked out. And this is what I love bout our club. Good or bad, we hang on with our players and especially our staff :sign:
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The simple reality is that Anasta is on playmakers salary and with Carneys value greatly increasing after his initial contract (due to his reduction in value for off field behaviour) one of them was always going to be squeezed out I believe. Add to that the fact they will probably be looking for a big money fullback to replace Mini and that plaers like JWH & SKD are only to go up in value it seems this was always on the cards.
It isn’t pleasant, it isn’t fair to Anasta in many ways but these are the simple business decisions clubs have to make in order to stay competetive into the future.
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That’s all well and good Smeg but what stinks about the whole situation is that after everything Anasta has done for them, the club stopped him from negotiating a contract with the cowboys a month or two ago, wont slip him a brown paper bag under the table to keep him like they allegedly have done with other players then say they dont have room in the cap for him. If they dont want him now they should have allowed him to negotiate with the cowboys.
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My recollection was that Anasta was the one who pulled out of negotiations because he couldn’t see himself anywhere but the Roosters.
The talk of brown papers bags is a fair one I suppose but honestly in a post 2010 Cap Scandal game I don’t think even Uncle Nick would be willing to push that boundary.
It is never an ideal situation but that is football. I do not for one second regret letting Hodgo go when we did as it allowed Benji to improve as a on field leader and start becoming what he needs to be as a playe. With the extra senior playmaker at fullback that would not have happened.
