Gus redefines the meaning of 'Contract'

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HappilyManly

Journey Man
Penrith Panthers stars ordered to alter contract or find new club
David Riccio
The Sunday Telegraph
November 18, 2012 12:00AM
FOUR of the biggest names at the Penrith Panthers have been told they could be forced out of the club if they don't take a pay cut.

The future of representative stars Michael Jennings, Tim Grant, Lachlan Coote and Sam McKendry is under fresh scrutiny after they were called to a meeting with Penrith's general manager Phil Gould on October 30 - just two days before the club's first day of pre-season training.

All four players were asked via text message from Gould to attend the meeting.

But instead of a pre-season pep-talk, The Sunday Telegraph has learned that Gould told the club's four biggest names that if they weren't prepared to remove a clause in their contract, which relates to each player earning a percentage of any increase in the NRL's $5 million salary cap, then one of the them may have to leave.

More than two weeks after the meeting, all four players are refusing to have the clause removed from their contract and it threatens to spark a stand-off between the players and Gould.

The bombshell was delivered to the players as a result of the huge pressure on Penrith's salary cap, which is underpinned by the size of the salaries and length of the deals they signed under the previous management.

For example, Jennings, who is contracted until the end of 2015, is reportedly on more than $600,000 for the next three years.

The increase that each player would receive under the new salary cap is yet to be determined as the ARL commission continue to dither over a set figure.

But it's considered that the figure will be way above what Penrith can afford under the revised cap.

Grant, Jennings, Coote and McKendry emerged from the meeting feeling stunned, confused and it dampened any excitement about a drama-free 2013 season at the club.

One of the players was so upset because he realised that the turmoil that has gripped the club for the past two seasons, following the departure of Petero Civoniceva, Luke Lewis and Michael Gordon, was far from over.

The players had hoped that day one of pre-season training would mark a new beginning for a Penrith side that has made the finals just once in the past eight years.

But four of their biggest names now have a cloud of uncertainty hanging over their head four months before the start of the new season.

The players rightfully believe the club should honour the full terms of their contract which was agreed to by the previous administration and they refuse to budge.
At least one of the four players - and it is not Jennings, who has been continually linked to the Wests Tigers and Parramatta - has started to receive feelers from rival clubs.

The issue is now in the hands of each of the four players' management companies which have been willing to work with the Panthers to resolve the issue.

However, given the calibre of talent, it won't take long for rival clubs to circle.

Forwards like Grant and McKendry and tryscorers such as Jennings and Coote are always in demand. Jennings continues to rule out leaving Penrith despite the Test centre's tumultuous past 12 months, which saw him dropped to NSW Cup last season.

Why the Panthers would place pressure on Grant, who is seen as a future captain of the club and was commanding in his State of Origin debut this year, is hard to fathom.

Coote and McKendry are considered future stars of the game, with McKendry representing New Zealand on seven occasions while Coote was selected for the Australian train-on squad this year.

The Sunday Telegraph attempted to contact Gould, but he failed to return our calls.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/penrith-panthers-stars-ordered-to-alter-contract-or-find-new-club/story-e6frexnr-1226518793102

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Amazing that in the 21st Century, contracts no longer are a binding agreement:mad:
 
really?...the players thought that it was going to be a new beginning and an end to the turmoil...with Gus at the helm!...yeah right. lol
 
I wouldn't mind either or both Mckendry or Grant at Manly next year.

Gould must have really lost the plot thinking that any player would agree to accept less money when they will all be expecting to be paid more from the Tv rights.

How to kill a season in one meeting. Bet Whare is glad now he went to the panfers.
 
I don't see the problem. If they are entitled to a %age increase in the cap then it shouldn't be a drama. Cap goes up and their salary increases accordingly. Unless some moron has contracted out more than 100% worth of the cap increase , now that would be stupid.

Grant or mckendry would be good buys
 
Chip and Chase said:
I don't see the problem. If they are entitled to a %age increase in the cap then it shouldn't be a drama. Cap goes up and their salary increases accordingly. Unless some moron has contracted out more than 100% worth of the cap increase , now that would be stupid.

Grant or mckendry would be good buys

Bet that most Clubs will scrutinise their Player Contracts in light of this.

It is feasible that the clauses were writtent to be a percentage of the Cap increase amount - ie 5% of 2 million.
Rather than a share of the amount that the Cap increased by - ie 5% of 40%.
(Assuming that the current cap is 5 million, increasing to 7 million.)

The Love of Money is rooting the NRL from all sides :cool:

Tim Grant would suit Manly's new stable of young, tall, strong signings.
 
Gould inherited a shambles at that place, McKendry is apparently around the 400k mark which is ridiculous. If he didn't try and sort crap like this out, he wouldn't be doing his job properly
 
Earlier Gould requested salary cap exemptions because they were over for next year, they recruited a whole bunch of players as well as failing to offload Jennings, now they are asking players to take a pay cut..... Why did the nrl register the new recruits contracts if they knew they were over the cap, absolute farce.
 
Everyone cried about the way SBW just terminated his contract with the club mid way but NRL clubs have been doing the same thing themselves to contracted players for years, mostly the lower profile players.
 
Boo Hoo Gus, maybe u should take the pay cut......boots on the other foot and u dont like it.......Maybe Parra can fit Jennings in also....
 
The headline to this post sums it up. A contract in the NRL seems not to be binding any more. Both players, and clubs, seem to be able to get out of them when circumstances change.
I don't get it.
 
Boo BLOODY hoo Gus. If you're having cap pressure why are you signing all these players?

2013 Gains: Sam Anderson (Newcastle Knights, 2013), Lewis Brown (New Zealand Warriors, 2015), Ethan Cook (Newcastle Knights, 2014), Tom Humble (Wests Tigers, 2014), Maurice Kennedy (2013), Jeremy Latimore (St George Illawarra Dragons, 2014), Sika Manu (Melbourne Storm, 2015), Kane Morgan (2013), Wes Naiqama (Newcastle Knights, 2014), Kyle O'Donnell (Newcastle Knights, 2014), Moses Pangai (North Queensland Cowboys, 2014), James Roberts (2014), James Segeyaro (North Queensland Cowboys, 2015), Dean Whare (Manly Sea Eagles, 2014)
 
mozgrame said:
Good on him! That's why he is there.

To break contracts?
No, only dishonest people break contracts.
Gus may be stuck with some existing agreements he doesn't like but he'll have to wait until they expire. He can't change what has already been set in stone.
Only politicians can do that!
 
The Who said:
mozgrame said:
Good on him! That's why he is there.

To break contracts?
No, only dishonest people break contracts.
Gus may be stuck with some existing agreements he doesn't like but he'll have to wait until they expire. He can't change what has already been set in stone.
Only politicians can do that!

He hasn't asked them to break a contract, he has asked for an agreement from 1 or all of them to remove a clause. A player is also allowed to approach a club to ask for these sort of things as well

If he has 25 people on contracts, mostly signed by the previous administration, and all of those contracts are honoured as you are wanting, but those 25 put Penrith over the salary cap, what is your solution to that scenario

And are you calling Jamie Lyon dishonest ? ;)
 
Pretty sure there is a fair difference between asking and doing...also it was in the tele....
 
At least tele is printing penrith turmoil stories and not rubbishing the best football team in the world. Train hard Manly boys. Can't wait for kickoff.
 
The Who said:
mozgrame said:
Good on him! That's why he is there.

To break contracts?
No, only dishonest people break contracts.
Gus may be stuck with some existing agreements he doesn't like but he'll have to wait until they expire. He can't change what has already been set in stone.
Only politicians can do that!

What he is doing is illegal, plain and simple, and if true, I'd be surprised if legal counsel isn't sought by the various parties.
 
HappilyManly said:
The Tele headline:
"Penrith Panthers stars ordered to alter contract or find new club"

What Gould allegedly said:
"Gould told the club's four biggest names that if they weren't prepared to remove a clause in their contract then one of the them may have to leave"

LOL, those two bits dont gel now do they. Typical Tele rubbish.
 

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