GCBRONCO
International Captain
- Mar 4, 2008
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http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/cr ... ntentSwap1
UK-BOUND back-rower Michael Crocker has won 29 consecutive matches for Melbourne and was instrumental in the Storm's grand final win last year. But one of the game's best players may ultimately come up with one of his most valuable plays by leaving the club.
Melbourne officials have admitted Crocker's decision to depart a year ahead of schedule to take up a three-year deal with Super League club Hull may have an unexpected silver lining. The money freed by Crocker's departure may enable the club to keep New Zealand back-rower Jeremy Smith and highly rated youngsters Aiden Tolman and Sika Manu. It might even help them retain stars Cam Smith, Cooper Cronk, Ryan Hoffman and Anthony Quinn. "It's bitter-sweet," Storm football manager Frank Ponissi admitted yesterday.
Jeremy Smith, Tolman and Manu are all off contract at the end of this season, and the club would have faced losing all three had it not been for Crocker's UK switch. Now, the Storm will be in a position to make Smith an offer next week and may now retain all three.
"Prior to Michael going, the chances of Jeremy Smith staying were slim, for no other reason than we had no room under the cap," Ponissi said. "We're disappointed and reluctant to let Michael go … but it certainly opens the door for the possibility of Jeremy staying."
Jeremy Smith's agent, Sam Ayoub, is due to meet Melbourne officials early next week amid strong interest from St George Illawarra and Canberra. "[Before Crocker's decision] it would have been impossible for us to keep Jeremy, Aiden and Sika," Ponissi said. "Now there's a chance we can keep all three."
Smith, Hoffman, Cronk and Quinn are all off contract at the end of next season and will all be highly sought after. Ponissi said he hoped to start formal negotiations with all four after this year's State of Origin series, with a view to wrapping at least some of them up in Melbourne colours before the end of this season.
Crocker's decision is unlikely to have a significant impact financially for 2010, even with the potential to front-load contracts, but it will give the Storm greater clarity in terms of their salary-cap position - and a greater chance of securing their star players before other clubs are given a real opportunity to negotiate with them.
The next few months shape as crucial for the Storm's short-term future. The club has already lost centre Israel Folau to Brisbane next season and of their current star-studded roster, only Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Brett White, Dallas Johnson, Jeff Lima and Adam Blair are contracted beyond 2009.
"We just want to start putting a few blokes beyond '09," Ponissi said. "We know we can't keep everyone but we want to try to keep the core of the group."
Meanwhile, NRL chief executive David Gallop has defended the system which has allowed Luke Lewis to renege on a verbal agreement to sign with Souths - even maintaining his decision to re-sign with Penrith proved it worked. "It's a very good principle that a player's club is given an opportunity to re-sign their player," Gallop said. "Luke Lewis is a local junior, and many years were invested in him by the Panthers … it's a new rule and this week highlights its effectiveness."
The system gives clubs the right to cut a deal with their player up until after round 13, meaning several players may potentially be up for grabs until then even though they have agreed to play elsewhere - as in the case of Folau. Players can sign a watertight deal if given a clearance by their incumbent club.
Brisbane boss Bruno Cullen said he was not concerned that Folau had not officially signed a contract yet, but admitted he was not a fan of the arrangement. "We shouldn't be signing players until the season's over," Cullen maintained. "The AFL seem to do it OK that way. People seem to say they can't move in time, but everybody else does it. School teachers do it, public servants do it. But for some reason, rugby league players can't. It's a strange argument."
Of Folau, he said: "I couldn't say 101 per cent he's coming, but there's no indication he won't be. I can't absolutely guarantee it, but I expect him to be here."
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[icon_confu
I can only imagine what the backlash will be if he doesnt join and we lose the majority of our players offcontract in the process.
UK-BOUND back-rower Michael Crocker has won 29 consecutive matches for Melbourne and was instrumental in the Storm's grand final win last year. But one of the game's best players may ultimately come up with one of his most valuable plays by leaving the club.
Melbourne officials have admitted Crocker's decision to depart a year ahead of schedule to take up a three-year deal with Super League club Hull may have an unexpected silver lining. The money freed by Crocker's departure may enable the club to keep New Zealand back-rower Jeremy Smith and highly rated youngsters Aiden Tolman and Sika Manu. It might even help them retain stars Cam Smith, Cooper Cronk, Ryan Hoffman and Anthony Quinn. "It's bitter-sweet," Storm football manager Frank Ponissi admitted yesterday.
Jeremy Smith, Tolman and Manu are all off contract at the end of this season, and the club would have faced losing all three had it not been for Crocker's UK switch. Now, the Storm will be in a position to make Smith an offer next week and may now retain all three.
"Prior to Michael going, the chances of Jeremy Smith staying were slim, for no other reason than we had no room under the cap," Ponissi said. "We're disappointed and reluctant to let Michael go … but it certainly opens the door for the possibility of Jeremy staying."
Jeremy Smith's agent, Sam Ayoub, is due to meet Melbourne officials early next week amid strong interest from St George Illawarra and Canberra. "[Before Crocker's decision] it would have been impossible for us to keep Jeremy, Aiden and Sika," Ponissi said. "Now there's a chance we can keep all three."
Smith, Hoffman, Cronk and Quinn are all off contract at the end of next season and will all be highly sought after. Ponissi said he hoped to start formal negotiations with all four after this year's State of Origin series, with a view to wrapping at least some of them up in Melbourne colours before the end of this season.
Crocker's decision is unlikely to have a significant impact financially for 2010, even with the potential to front-load contracts, but it will give the Storm greater clarity in terms of their salary-cap position - and a greater chance of securing their star players before other clubs are given a real opportunity to negotiate with them.
The next few months shape as crucial for the Storm's short-term future. The club has already lost centre Israel Folau to Brisbane next season and of their current star-studded roster, only Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Brett White, Dallas Johnson, Jeff Lima and Adam Blair are contracted beyond 2009.
"We just want to start putting a few blokes beyond '09," Ponissi said. "We know we can't keep everyone but we want to try to keep the core of the group."
Meanwhile, NRL chief executive David Gallop has defended the system which has allowed Luke Lewis to renege on a verbal agreement to sign with Souths - even maintaining his decision to re-sign with Penrith proved it worked. "It's a very good principle that a player's club is given an opportunity to re-sign their player," Gallop said. "Luke Lewis is a local junior, and many years were invested in him by the Panthers … it's a new rule and this week highlights its effectiveness."
The system gives clubs the right to cut a deal with their player up until after round 13, meaning several players may potentially be up for grabs until then even though they have agreed to play elsewhere - as in the case of Folau. Players can sign a watertight deal if given a clearance by their incumbent club.
Brisbane boss Bruno Cullen said he was not concerned that Folau had not officially signed a contract yet, but admitted he was not a fan of the arrangement. "We shouldn't be signing players until the season's over," Cullen maintained. "The AFL seem to do it OK that way. People seem to say they can't move in time, but everybody else does it. School teachers do it, public servants do it. But for some reason, rugby league players can't. It's a strange argument."
Of Folau, he said: "I couldn't say 101 per cent he's coming, but there's no indication he won't be. I can't absolutely guarantee it, but I expect him to be here."
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[icon_confu
I can only imagine what the backlash will be if he doesnt join and we lose the majority of our players offcontract in the process.
