Salary cap pressures set to force Manu from Storm
Salary cap pressures set to force Manu from Storm
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-league/l ... z1tnjay3mg
AS ONE quality forward dropped out of the player market, another's search for a contract intensified. South Sydney won the race to sign Brisbane's Ben Te'o - now the next stop for Sydney clubs appears to be Sika Manu.
Manu, the Test-class Melbourne forward, conceded yesterday he might be forced to leave the Storm, due to salary-cap pressures, even though his priority is to stay there.
It's believed six Sydney clubs - Parramatta, Canterbury, Wests Tigers, Penrith, Manly and Cronulla - have expressed an interest in the second-rower. The fact that Te'o's future is with the Rabbitohs may ensure interest is stepped up from the Bulldogs, who had also pursued Te'o. Manly's interest will likely continue if they are unable to secure Tony Williams, although he appears set to stay with the Sea Eagles.
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''I'm well aware that there is a possibility of me moving on,'' Manu said yesterday. ''I've been there since I was 18. If I do leave, it's going to be disappointing. I'd love to stay here at Melbourne, but they're like every club, they've got salary-cap issues. I'm not too sure what the plan is for the future.''
Manu said he would have to consider his young family; the New Zealand international, 25, and his partner have an eight-month-old son, Jordan.
''My family is going to play a big role in it,'' Manu said. ''The last couple of contracts, it's just been me and my partner. Now there's three of us. I need to think a lot more about my family now and do what's best for them.''
Manu and his manager Chris Orr are likely to hold talks with several Sydney clubs next week.
''We've got a number of clubs interested,'' Orr said. ''I believe he's the No. 1 line-breaking edge back-rower available at the moment. He's been playing first grade for eight years, but he's only 25. His best years are ahead of him.''
Manu is sidelined with an ankle injury, but he said he could return sooner than his initial target of round 14. Manu has had a torrid time over the past few seasons with injuries, his worst being a broken leg he suffered in 2009. But Manu said he hoped those issues were confined to the past.
''I think I've only played one full season since I started playing,'' he said. ''But it's a contact sport. You get injured. Every week we put our body on the line.
''You can't really stop things like that from happening. Hopefully this is the last of them.''
This season has been a significant one for off-contract impact forwards. The decision by Te'o to sign with Souths has given the club a strong replacement for their departing second-rower David Taylor. ''I've met with Ben, and he's a highly motivated young man who wants to achieve great heights in rugby league,'' Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire said yesterday.
''It's this drive and work ethic that led us to approaching him about joining the Rabbitohs for the next three years and beyond.''
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-league/l ... z1tnjay3mg
AS ONE quality forward dropped out of the player market, another's search for a contract intensified. South Sydney won the race to sign Brisbane's Ben Te'o - now the next stop for Sydney clubs appears to be Sika Manu.
Manu, the Test-class Melbourne forward, conceded yesterday he might be forced to leave the Storm, due to salary-cap pressures, even though his priority is to stay there.
It's believed six Sydney clubs - Parramatta, Canterbury, Wests Tigers, Penrith, Manly and Cronulla - have expressed an interest in the second-rower. The fact that Te'o's future is with the Rabbitohs may ensure interest is stepped up from the Bulldogs, who had also pursued Te'o. Manly's interest will likely continue if they are unable to secure Tony Williams, although he appears set to stay with the Sea Eagles.
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''I'm well aware that there is a possibility of me moving on,'' Manu said yesterday. ''I've been there since I was 18. If I do leave, it's going to be disappointing. I'd love to stay here at Melbourne, but they're like every club, they've got salary-cap issues. I'm not too sure what the plan is for the future.''
Manu said he would have to consider his young family; the New Zealand international, 25, and his partner have an eight-month-old son, Jordan.
''My family is going to play a big role in it,'' Manu said. ''The last couple of contracts, it's just been me and my partner. Now there's three of us. I need to think a lot more about my family now and do what's best for them.''
Manu and his manager Chris Orr are likely to hold talks with several Sydney clubs next week.
''We've got a number of clubs interested,'' Orr said. ''I believe he's the No. 1 line-breaking edge back-rower available at the moment. He's been playing first grade for eight years, but he's only 25. His best years are ahead of him.''
Manu is sidelined with an ankle injury, but he said he could return sooner than his initial target of round 14. Manu has had a torrid time over the past few seasons with injuries, his worst being a broken leg he suffered in 2009. But Manu said he hoped those issues were confined to the past.
''I think I've only played one full season since I started playing,'' he said. ''But it's a contact sport. You get injured. Every week we put our body on the line.
''You can't really stop things like that from happening. Hopefully this is the last of them.''
This season has been a significant one for off-contract impact forwards. The decision by Te'o to sign with Souths has given the club a strong replacement for their departing second-rower David Taylor. ''I've met with Ben, and he's a highly motivated young man who wants to achieve great heights in rugby league,'' Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire said yesterday.
''It's this drive and work ethic that led us to approaching him about joining the Rabbitohs for the next three years and beyond.''
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"Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak" Anon
"Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak" Anon
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mattstormy
- Thunderstorm
- Posts: 612
- Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:43 am
- Location: Next to the corner post
Let him go, we lose at least one quality player every year (except end of 1998) and this year will be no different. Manu has been a great player for us and it will be disappointing to see him go, but for the sake of the club we really can't offer him another contract due to his constant leg injuries. If we re-sign him, that means a young future star from the U20s won't get an opportunity to play for the Storm.
Here is a list of players who made a name for themselves that left the club/retired at the end of all the Storm's seasons in the NRL (this list doesn't include Storm rejects who made a name for themselves at other clubs):
End of 1999 - Tawera Nikau (Warrington), Glenn Lazarus (Retired)
End of 2000 - Brett Kimmorley (Northern Eagles), Paul Marquet (Newcastle), Tony Martin (London)
End of 2001 - Russell Bawden (London), Ben Roarty (Penrith)
End of 2002 - Richard Swain (Brisbane), Matt Rua (Retired then came back for a cameo appearance in 2007)
End of 2003 - Marcus Bai (Leeds), Aaron Moule (Widnes), Mitchell Sargent (North Queensland), Robbie Ross (Retired just before the start of 2004 season)
End of 2004 - Stephen Kearney (Hull FC), Kirk Reynoldson (Newcastle), Danny Williams (London - it was inevitable that he was going to leave), Rodney Howe (Retired)
End of 2005 - Steve Bell (Manly), Matt Orford (Manly), Robbie Kearns (Retired), Peter Robinson (Retired), Glen Turner (Was in the 2006 squad but didn't play a game that year and went to Canberra in '07)
End of 2006 - Nathan Friend (Gold Coast), Scott Hill (Harlequins), David Kidwell (Souths), Jake Webster (Gold Coast)
End of 2007 - Ben Cross (Newcastle), Garrett Crossman (Hull KR), Matt King (Warrington), Clint Newton (Hull KR)
End of 2008 - Michael Crocker (Souths), Israel Folau (Brisbane), Antonio Kafusi (North Queensland), Jeremy Smith (St. George Illawarra), Matt Geyer (Retired)
End of 2009 - Scott Anderson (Brisbane), Dallas Johnson (Catalans), Steve Turner (Canterbury), Will Chambers (QLD Reds - back with Storm 2012 onwards)
End of 2010 - Brett Finch (Wigan), Ryan Hoffman (Wigan - back with Storm 2012 onwards), Greg Inglis (Souths), Jeff Lima (Wigan), Aiden Tolman (Canterbury), Brett White (Canberra)
End of 2011 - Adam Blair (Wests Tigers)
These are all the players that are in the squad and are off contract that I think will leave at the end of the year:
Maurice Blair (prediction - not offered another contract)
Luke Kelly (prediction - ?)
Rory Kostjasyn (prediction - ?)
Sika Manu (prediction - NSW Club)
Dane Nielsen (prediction - Cronulla)
Justin O'Neill (prediction - North Queensland)
Sisa Waqa (prediction - not offered another contract)
Here is a list of players who made a name for themselves that left the club/retired at the end of all the Storm's seasons in the NRL (this list doesn't include Storm rejects who made a name for themselves at other clubs):
End of 1999 - Tawera Nikau (Warrington), Glenn Lazarus (Retired)
End of 2000 - Brett Kimmorley (Northern Eagles), Paul Marquet (Newcastle), Tony Martin (London)
End of 2001 - Russell Bawden (London), Ben Roarty (Penrith)
End of 2002 - Richard Swain (Brisbane), Matt Rua (Retired then came back for a cameo appearance in 2007)
End of 2003 - Marcus Bai (Leeds), Aaron Moule (Widnes), Mitchell Sargent (North Queensland), Robbie Ross (Retired just before the start of 2004 season)
End of 2004 - Stephen Kearney (Hull FC), Kirk Reynoldson (Newcastle), Danny Williams (London - it was inevitable that he was going to leave), Rodney Howe (Retired)
End of 2005 - Steve Bell (Manly), Matt Orford (Manly), Robbie Kearns (Retired), Peter Robinson (Retired), Glen Turner (Was in the 2006 squad but didn't play a game that year and went to Canberra in '07)
End of 2006 - Nathan Friend (Gold Coast), Scott Hill (Harlequins), David Kidwell (Souths), Jake Webster (Gold Coast)
End of 2007 - Ben Cross (Newcastle), Garrett Crossman (Hull KR), Matt King (Warrington), Clint Newton (Hull KR)
End of 2008 - Michael Crocker (Souths), Israel Folau (Brisbane), Antonio Kafusi (North Queensland), Jeremy Smith (St. George Illawarra), Matt Geyer (Retired)
End of 2009 - Scott Anderson (Brisbane), Dallas Johnson (Catalans), Steve Turner (Canterbury), Will Chambers (QLD Reds - back with Storm 2012 onwards)
End of 2010 - Brett Finch (Wigan), Ryan Hoffman (Wigan - back with Storm 2012 onwards), Greg Inglis (Souths), Jeff Lima (Wigan), Aiden Tolman (Canterbury), Brett White (Canberra)
End of 2011 - Adam Blair (Wests Tigers)
These are all the players that are in the squad and are off contract that I think will leave at the end of the year:
Maurice Blair (prediction - not offered another contract)
Luke Kelly (prediction - ?)
Rory Kostjasyn (prediction - ?)
Sika Manu (prediction - NSW Club)
Dane Nielsen (prediction - Cronulla)
Justin O'Neill (prediction - North Queensland)
Sisa Waqa (prediction - not offered another contract)
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Cherry_Poppins
- Thunderstorm
- Posts: 509
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:26 pm
Shit article by a pack of knobs, dogs and manly want him? Maybe if we/duds miss out on Tony Williams
We don't really need the baker
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We don't really need the baker
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Super Cronk
- Site Manager
- Posts: 9191
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 10:15 am
- Location: NSW
Been a great player for us. Sadly though he is injury prone and spends more time off the field than on it. He will be missed.
Aren't we writing Sika off a bit soon? Just because some dumb knob who passes himself off as a journalist pretending to know something doesn't mean he actually does. Most of us ( me included) got Ashraf of ourselves with Coops
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Last time I post from a damn phone. What it should have said was most of us ( me included) wrote Coops of pretty quickly , and then he stayed. Lets wait and see how it pans out before we write Sika of too. For mine, I really hope he stays. He might get injured but he`s a lot of fun to watch when he runs at the line 
While i agree with what you're saying Woody and i haven't entirely written of Siks staying just yet (although i reckon there's a bit more of a chance of him going than staying) i can also understand why some think he'll leave given the talent we have on our roster. Yes, we have a fair few cut price cheapies but we also have the "big 3" who take up a huge slice of our cap so to sign another bloke on huge money which what other clubs will be offering will be very tough. Those other clubs don't have to pay 3 players the caliber of Bill, Cam and Coops so they have much more scope to pay a bloke with the talent of Sika much more coin than we can and you can rest assured there'll be a few club offering well overs just like the Tigpies did for Blair which is a luxury we can't afford.
Like i said i haven't entirely wrote him off staying, i've no doubt his first preference is to stay with us and i believe he would stay for less money, but it all comes down to how much less he's prepared to take and how close we can get to other clubs money wise.
Like i said i haven't entirely wrote him off staying, i've no doubt his first preference is to stay with us and i believe he would stay for less money, but it all comes down to how much less he's prepared to take and how close we can get to other clubs money wise.