The good, the bad and the ugly - Desgate

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cf2 is back

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Like everyone else I was ready to fire bullets at the still clearly dysfunctional board, but it's become clearer and clearer Des has more than a lot to answer for.

Whilst he's been a hero coach with 2 premierships, his extreme aggressive behaviour and utter contempt for anyone has always both baffled and worried me.

Far from causing a few ripples in recent times, Des has been at the heart of a 3 year storm resulting in a tsunami that has flattened the club and it's massively loyal supporters. All of this gut wrenchingly within hours after what should have been a much celebrated epic premiership title.

The bottom line is that Des' ego has grown to the monumental size of his utter disregard for anyone in his self proclaimed war against the world.

Many including Delmege, Krilich, Lowe, Perry and obviously now Penn, are staggered and disgusted by the fact Des was under the unshakenly arrogant belief his position was head coach, selector, executive recruitment officer and contract negotiator, CEO, chairman, and ultimately sole decision maker on every conceivable club matter with nil question, opinion or intervention acceptable from any other person. What time does the team bus leave? At the exact minute Des says so and don't ask again or another door will be off it's hinge and coming your way.

The once fun Silvertails moniker is now a symbol of hatred. I'm plain bored with having to explain to curiously confused outsiders why my beloved team is so hated, and it's far more serious than a case of so what who cares. What was once decades of harmless Silvertails bombs has delivered us an ugly scar in recent years, and in particular from the moment we won the 2008 title.

I was ashamed of the way our club handled the 2009 season launch debacle and the relentless futile war against Gallop and the world ever since. It's not only damaged the clubs reputation but turned the 'us against them' war into a childish and hopelessly pointless farce. The hugely loveable but somewhat outdated Zorba hasn't helped either.

Not for one minute does my belief change that Gallop made a very big mistake in the suspension of Brett Stewart for the simple fact that it was not a decision made on suspicion of alcohol abuse, but based solely on emotion of the embarrassment caused by a sexual assault allegation against the 2009 face of the NRL. Gallop will forever deny it, but had there been no sexual assault case Stewart would have received no more than a slap on the wrist. There is no question of that. Gallop's frozen moment when confronted by Brett on the Grand Final podium simply confirmed it.

But regardless of Gallops rash decision at a time when another NRL embarrassment just happened to be an untimely one too many, or his point blank refusal to apologise least of all admit any wrong doing, the club has nonetheless poured litre after litre of futile petrol on the fire against not only Gallop but the world.

Notwithstanding the dysfunctional board, it appears clearer than ever that Des was the chief fuel supplier and torch lighter, with the relentless war seeing a once loveable club stallion become a big headed warhorse.

Quotes in recent days from Max Krilich and Max Delmege are more than telling. Krilich coming straight to the point stating "as people are starting to find out Des is a very mercenary person and thinks about Des and Des only". Read that over a few times and it sinks deep.

Delmege for his part might have lost a few marbles over the years but he succinctly summarised "I think Des has maybe learnt a little bit of a lesson over what's happened at Manly over the last two weeks, and I think Des probably now realises too that a club is bigger than any other person in that club".

Prophetic words indeed, with those sentiments echoed loud and clear by Anthony Watmough "the great man Dessie is, he didn't make our club everything it is, it was a great club before him and we'll still have that great club culture that's been built up over the years when he's gone". Not only very wise words but even nicer to hear them come from a once erratic but now matured voice. We can only pray Watmough's wisdom rubs off on an impressionable youngster like Foran.

It's laughably inconceivable any staff including the hugely valued Cleal have found homes in the Dogs kennel all by themselves. God knows where this extends to players but time will tell. Obviously it's very possible we might lose one or two stars to the Dogs and obviously any of them, least of all Foran, would be a very bitter pill, but there's also a thing called the salary cap and Ian Schubert will be all over it. On top of that I like what I'm hearing from the likes of Watmough. Our team are mates and mates largely stick together. Who wants to drive to Homebush when the surfs up? Not too many I'm betting.

Ultimately this whole episode is a terrible shame, and there's no question there's many people who've contributed to the problem along the way. But make no mistake, to state that money has nothing to do with all of this is equally laughable. The 3 factors go hand in hand. Ego = power = money. It's as simple as that.

The most important fact is that the best decision has now been made and in the process we've avoided the utter disaster of a coach working for two clubs in the one season. A situation which saw the previous premiers St. George hopelessly capitulate directly due to the absolute known fact Bennett was on the phone to Newcastle every single day. Not just towards the end of the season but from the minute he signed.

In terms of a resolution Penn states he has conclusive email evidence to support his accusation of Des' contract breach. Would he gamble on that? I highly doubt it.

The decisions and actions that must follow are cleaning up our board with an end to the political infighting and critically redressing the balance of power to allow the majority owner Penn the greater power warranted. For mine I also hope Penn can buy out the badly ailing Delmege prop Qantum aka Surfside in the process to result in a one owner calmness.

The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are build like the iron that pumps through Geoff Toovey's veins. Let's close these unsavoury chapters and move onto 2012 to see that iron deliver a Toovs premiership.

I believe it can happen. Bring it on.
 
CF2 you've done it again.

Brilliant, accurate, to the point.

Best level headed post on this whole affair by a mile.
 
A pretty good summary. No man of the match awarded and I think that is far. All tried hard , but some were pulling in the wrong direction
 
cf2 is back said:
The most important fact is that the best decision has now been made and in the process we've avoided the utter disaster of a coach working for two clubs in the one season. A situation which saw the previous premiers St. George hopelessly capitulate directly due to the absolute known fact Bennett was on the phone to Newcastle every single day. Not just towards the end of the season but from the minute he signed.

That's what I think as well.

If Des did sign with the dogs mid season, in a way I'm glad he kept it to himself as the saints' season spiralled after bennet's announcement.
 
Well said cf2 -100% accurate. Roll on the Toovey Premiership Defence. The players will be out to show, quite rightly, that the Premiership was theirs, not that of some dogs' employee !! They have a massive point to prove - Watmough is onto this - that will be a huge motivating factor.
 
Such a well written piece, the best post I have read on this forum.

It's good to see some one post with the same clarity and foresight that I have been feeling.

I look forward to reading your future posts.
 
castle eagle totally agree - I think others said it all year with CF2's fantastic "the good, the bad" match reports as well - such well written pieces like this should be in the papers instead of the rubbish those idiots write - this is so spot on.
 
His game reports are always a great read, and so is this...nailed most of it I reckon. There will be more emerge in the weeks to come, although that will largely depend on the Hasler decision to "fight to the death"...or "get on with his life".

I for one hope he choses the latter....but in the interim Cf2.....you should be a journo!!
 
excellent work, agree with Mark about your reports during the season as well, loved them. Was confirmed by the CEO of the berries today that Des was in negotiation with them "for months before the grand final". Now Des is complaining that the board would not sign him - if they new he was having secret meetings behind their back, they may have done so with some urgency. It's business and Des is an employee, happens every day in the real world, lets get back to the football and the business of winning the WCC and the comp next year
 
Love reading your match reports, top quality and informative! This goes to another level!!! Well done and thanks for the read mate!
 

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