Battle of Hastings 1066 Thread

[manly al]

Whether always accurate or not , reports of Hastings continuing to have or on a regular basis having an attitude problem have never gone away since he joined Manly . More then likely he was given and afforded quite a tolerance level especially with his previous background connection with Barrett and for whatever reason just recently the tipping point must have arrived where Hastings overall participation and influence in the club just became untenable and just not worth it . Bit dubious about indications with the players having the main influence or say in any final call or decision to move him on but probably was a case of balancing up the situation of retaining him with what he could still offer playing wise and any disruptive and destablizing factors from him . Anyway the reality is that it seems he will be moved on from another club once again now , i am sure that most people will wish him well and Manly will just have to adjust their playing selection options accordingly .

 

[lurker]

Players get it too easy nowadays. No wonder they get soft when everybody panders to their every whim. I don't want to play with him he doesn't respect me and I'm one of the senior playing group. I'm not playing with him because he is annoying and so it goes on. The suggestion of not fitting into the Manly Culture is pure bull****. Looks like we have another rat pack in the squad. It ruined us last time and it will this time unless it is immediately eradicated. Our response so far has the club bowing to the players demands. How embarrassing. Even more embarrassing when the players dish up what they have dished up over the last fortnight and against the Rabbits. Our playing group are behaving like prima donnas off the field and when the going gets tough on the field they turn it up. Barrett needs to stop being everybody's best friend and start kicking arse and make hard calls because that what coaches are suppose to do!

i think there is a bit more to it than this. And to be honest I think cherry played it down when asked the question. It’s only the media saying people are refusing to play with him. We don’t know. It could be a Barrett decision. At the end of the day he was most likely given some instructions about behavior given that he was on to his third club. From what I’ve heard it’s not the first thing. When he was at the roosters he used to show a lack of respect to staff. Do you think that’s a good example for other young players in the team or squad?

 

[manly al]

Don't know him personally but no doubt having his name and reputation dragged threw the mud (pretty much life destroyed by media) may have changed him. Some people who come off as arrogant are just being guarded and after what happened to him who could blame him.

Just so pleased that Brett was able to have an official and public send off at Brookie last year , a great sight and regardless of his final stages at the club , a great way to highlight and reflect on a wonderful and very successful career at Manly .

 

[Frogz]

Rumor has it that he has had an altercation with more than DCE during his time at manly. Telecrap really hitting us hard and have an agenda on DCE also at the moment. Doesnt help when we play like cr@p just adds more fuel for the leaches to feed off.

 

[Fluffy]

Hi Mr TB, WAKE UP MATE
do you want to wait another season to blood players and see if they cut the grade???? you already tried this with Walker at No.6 and wasted a season .

mate look at BELLAMY, croft didn't cut it and he cut croft . Croft is no different to Croker, they are young and need experience. Manly does not have senior players with leadership to teach Croker the way.... Foran had many senior & rep players , not to mention Hasler and Johns as the halves coach....

your wind loss ratio should be a major alarm ringing by now,
WAKE UP MATE , make some MAN-LY decisions . take control via some hard decisions in the backs & halves ....and not by throwing your arms in the air to no avail.

Croft is in his 3rd season of first grade at the storm, are you suggesting baz waits until Croker is in his 3rd season for Manly?

 

[Woodsie]

Okay ... I am a bit slow ... so let's see if I got this right.

On one side we have a talented young man with a history of, what can only be "severe" personality traits that have seen him booted from 2 previous clubs ... despite that talent.

On the other side we have, what 10-15 players in a close knit group that says enough! we can't cop the bloke! This despite Baz being the one that threw him a lifeline, worked with him for 18months, and even arranged special counselling ...

And the conclusion by the white-ant numbnut brigade is .... It is all Baz's fault.... Hastings is wonderful.

 

[Class of 96]

Nice one. Cronk has been at the Roosters for 5 minutes, isn't exactly lighting the joint up, and now he is a self appointed joint forensic expert and defence barrister for Hastings.

Didn't take him long to line up a kick to the guts of DCE as well.

“Something must have happened that we don’t know about,” Cronk told the Big League Wrap.

“He’s someone that would fill Cherry-Evans, five-eighth, hooker, play a bit of lock if required.

“It’s a big call from Cherry-Evans and the leadership group to do that if that’s true.

 

[Woodsie]

Players get it too easy nowadays. No wonder they get soft when everybody panders to their every whim. I don't want to play with him he doesn't respect me and I'm one of the senior playing group. I'm not playing with him because he is annoying and so it goes on. The suggestion of not fitting into the Manly Culture is pure bull****. Looks like we have another rat pack in the squad. It ruined us last time and it will this time unless it is immediately eradicated. Our response so far has the club bowing to the players demands. How embarrassing. Even more embarrassing when the players dish up what they have dished up over the last fortnight and against the Rabbits. Our playing group are behaving like prima donnas off the field and when the going gets tough on the field they turn it up. Barrett needs to stop being everybody's best friend and start kicking arse and make hard calls because that what coaches are suppose to do!

Players do get it easy nowadays .... but one of the major differences is they are full time employees.

Back in the day every team had players who were dickheads, mugs and ratbags .... the difference is that then you only had to put up with their **** for a couple of hours on tues/Thur night and game day.

Now you have to put up with their **** up to 5 hours a day 6 days a week, at training, rehab, video sessions. recovery sessions gym etc etc.

Happy teams tend to play better .... if 1 player is such a congenital goose that 18 months of counselling and effort by the coach have been unsuccessful ..... then the 1 player has to be euthanized ....

 

[hozza]

Okay ... I am a bit slow ... so let's see if I got this right.

On one side we have a talented young man with a history of, what can only be "severe" personality traits that have seen him booted from 2 previous clubs ... despite that talent.

On the other side we have, what 10-15 players in a close knit group that says enough! we can't cop the bloke! This despite Baz being the one that threw him a lifeline, worked with him for 18months, and even arranged special counselling ...

And the conclusion by the white-ant numbnut brigade is .... It is all Baz's fault.... Hastings is wonderful.

Come on Woodsie, no one has said he is wonderful. The problem everyone is having is that it sounds like the players run the team. Should he be moved on? Probably yes. Should he be moved on right now? Fuc$ no, we need him. We are short on players as it is....

The club, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles comes first. Ahead of any player or players.

 

[StuBoot]

DCE is now running the club what a leader he is a leader would pull hastings into a room with other senior players and sort it out but old mate don't give a **** he has a 10 year contract not a captains boot lace. As for Barrett well this just confirms he is out of his depth.

Maybe DCE was being a leader and trying to sort it and that's what "the lovers tiff" was about......who knows?

Hastings came here last year after being cut by the chooks, Barrett's known him all his life and it still seems like he just doesn't get it.
Whatever is going on behind the scenes must've been going on for a while I reckon - Jacko had the door unlocked for him by Green leaving but all the preseason talk was regarding Croker so obviously something was stopping him from opening it and we all know it's not from lack of talent.

 

[Woodsie]

Come on Woodsie, no one has said he is wonderful. The problem everyone is having is that it sounds like the players run the team. Should he be moved on? Probably yes. Should he be moved on right now? Fuc$ no, we need him. We are short on players as it is....

The club, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles comes first. Ahead of any player or players.

I take your point ... and yes the club comes first, and last year when these issues were first being raised I said exactly the same thing .... pull your heads in and get on with it ...

But if it is still going on ... and it has got to the point of the players making a united front .... then it is well past redeemable ....

PSS All players from the u/6's onward are used to playing with dopes .... for it to get to this point means Hastings must be a very special character ...

 

[Karin]

If this refusing to play rubbish is true my concern is how are these men going to function in the real world/workforce once their Footy careers are over?

DCE gave an interview a few weeks ago talking about the old group and how they set differences aside as soon as they got on the field. Why can't this apply now?

As for @Woodsie close knit group comment- that was not apparent on Saturday.... there was no enthusiasm and no geeing each other up.

At least the times I have seen Hastings on the field I could see him trying to motivate others.

 

[The Who]

Let me try to understand this:
1. Players want Hastings out or else they will be unhappy, and we know when you are unhappy you don't play well.
2. Players win; Hastings is dropped, ergo players happy and will play well
3. Players, sans Hastings, put in the worst performance this season, getting thrashed at the 'Fortress' where they normally perform well
4. Where has my logic failed me?

 

[Briza]

We've got a half in fainu playing hooker in ISP ATM.
If lachlan goes down or need to be dropped , fainu would be my first choice.

 

[hozza]

I take your point ... and yes the club comes first, and last year when these issues were first being raised I said exactly the same thing .... pull your heads in and get on with it ...

But if it is still going on ... and it has got to the point of the players making a united front .... then it is well past redeemable ....

PSS All players from the u/6's onward are used to playing with dopes .... for it to get to this point means Hastings must be a very special character ...

Lol no doubt he’s special woodsie. Just think it’s best for the club he stays put for this season. We are in desperate need of a 5/8th and down to 25/26 players, some still learning there trade.
No doubt mate you played with some A grade coc$smokers, but I’m betting you never ran to the coach demanding they leave.
Just think it’s ludicrous the players are dictating what will happen with our playing roster..

 

[Woodsie]

If this refusing to play rubbish is true my concern is how are these men going to function in the real world/workforce once their Footy careers are over?

DCE gave an interview a few weeks ago talking about the old group and how they set differences aside as soon as they got on the field. Why can't this apply now?

As for @Woodsie close knit group comment- that was not apparent on Saturday.... there was no enthusiasm and no geeing each other up.

At least the times I have seen Hastings on the field I could see him trying to motivate others.

Hasting would not be the first member of any real workforce to be moved on for having a negative effect on the group .. happens all the time in sales forces and offices everywhere ...

And I agree that Hastings does bring energy and positives to the field ... but that just makes we think that whatever the issues are ... they must be pretty severe to garnish the response they are getting ...

This is not an over-night or knee jerk response .... it has been a while in the making ...

And Karin, I am disappointed, I believed Hastings had plenty to offer ...

 

[Woodsie]

Let me try to understand this:
1. Players want Hastings out or else they will be unhappy, and we know when you are unhappy you don't play well.
2. Players win; Hastings is dropped, ergo players happy and will play well
3. Players, sans Hastings, put in the worst performance this season, getting thrashed at the 'Fortress' where they normally perform well
4. Where has my logic failed me?

Answer .... If the only variable between winning and losing was whether or not Hastings was named on the bench ... then you are correct. However given that there exist other factors that can and do influence the outcome of a game .. then I would conclude that you have a) placed too much importance on one factor 2) not included all factors and 3) used too small a sample ..

 

[lurker]

Come on Woodsie, no one has said he is wonderful. The problem everyone is having is that it sounds like the players run the team. Should he be moved on? Probably yes. Should he be moved on right now? Fuc$ no, we need him. We are short on players as it is....

The club, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles comes first. Ahead of any player or players.

Why does it sound like the players run the team? Chez called it a lovers tiff and baz cit him off and shut him down like it was more serious? So you believe the telecrap over what you see with your own eyes now?

 

[MadMarcus]

Why does it sound like the players run the team? Chez called it a lovers tiff and baz cit him off and shut him down like it was more serious? So you believe the telecrap over what you see with your own eyes now?

Exactly what I was thinking. The media clearly wants to paint a certain picture. I'm no Barrett apologist, but who says it isn't Him who has had enough of Hastings and he has to go?

Barrett's reluctance to select Hastings over a long period of time despite good form suggests that Barrett himself is not happy with Hastings off the field.

 

[nightster]

ok ok if Hastings is so disruptive ... here is the immediate solution .... get Tent to fall on him at training and smash his leg .... actually both of them ... medical retirement and some $$ to find another 5/8 or half ..... in the meantime Fainu to half and DCE to 5/8 ... Fainu is a special, yes he has been playing hooker but he is a half .... or DCE to hooker and Api when he comes back from injury to 1/2 ....