Watmough to The Eels

[Masked Eagle]

I can imagine choc being upset by Gifts departure but when its put to him to actually make a call I doubt he'd be able to do it. He is as Manly as any player we've ever had. I will never forget how much of a rock he was when Des tried to rip the club apart.

 

[eagles2win]

His market value might be more than that, but so was Beaver's in his last few years. Did you see Beaver getting in a bidding war with Manly and a rival club to get as much money as he could???
Cooper Cronk signed his last contract for about $500k, so he could stay with a group of mates and be a genuine chance at winning a premiership and being competitive every year.

1) There is no bidding war, just speculation on what DCE is worth by the Media.
2) Beaver was Manly's highest paid Player after the SL. He also networked himself into businesses that were a direct result of his being Manly's favourite Son. So financially he was better off staying.
3) Cronk signed prior to the inflated market values eventuated. Tedesco just signed for 800k FFS, he ain't no Cronk.
4) According to all Media reports, DCE is hated by the Stewarts and now Choc, so mateship can not be a factor in his negotiations then, can it ?

I am at a loss as to why this brilliant and talented Manly Player is constantly besmirched by Manly Fans for being a realist :huh:

I think the main reasons are as follows:-
1. He is a Queenslander
2. The negotiation dramas of a few years ago & the threat to walk out on his contract (albeit orchestrated by his grub manager)
3. His father's links with the Broncos
4. His already big contract which may double in size.

Manly fans don't want to see us become the next NQ Cowboys and be weighed under by 1 massive deal for 1 player.

Father's links with the Broncos??? If anything Troy would be filthy with them.

If it were my kid and I was told that my son that he was to slow and skinny to play NRL guess what I'd be doing telling my son to avoid the place like the plague.

 

[Shaka1eye]

Father's links with the Broncos??? If anything Troy would be filthy with them.

If it were my kid and I was told that my son that he was to slow and skinny to play NRL guess what I'd be doing telling my son to avoid the place like the plague.

i have heard that DCE's mum hates the broncos with a passion

 

[Masked Eagle]

Isn't DCE's old man good mates with someone in the Broncos organisation? Possibly the CEO???? I'm pretty sure that the connection which helps the media link possible scenarios where he ends up there.

 

[HoldenV8]

Unless he actually goes back home to play DCE will forever be linked with a move back to Brisbane simply because he's from there. Name one Queenslander who played his football in Sydney who hasn't been linked with a move north of the border at some point, especially now that there are 3 NRL teams up there (though it always seems to be the Donkeys who they are supposed to be moving to.....).

As for Choc supposedly going to Parramatta, I'd love him to finish his career with Manly, I think we all would. And I see no reason why he wouldn't given that only a few weeks ago he basically said he never wants to leave. But if he does end up going then good luck to him.

In one of his articles about a month back Phil Gould said it right. Some of his fellow league writers have an obligation to come up with a story no matter how wrong their 'sources' may be or how damaging the article can be to the game, a player or a club. Most of them hear half a story and use their imagination for the rest. Its called sensationalism and News Ltd are the masters at it. In other words don't believe everything you hear in the media, especially the crap that comes out of News Ltd. That lot have built an empire on half truths and personal agendas.

 

[silvertail]

A load of crap, I reckon.

For all his faults, he has only ever spoken positively about Manly.

He is a blabber mouth, so I suspect he may have aired some doubts about his future contract, wondering how his body will hold up and still sad that Glenn had to go.

The DCE bashing has got to stop. We can't control what the media print, but for goodness sakes, he doesn't need to get bashed by his own fans.

 

[HoldenV8]

Agreed silvertail. I can't see why DCE has been made out to be the bad guy in all of this.

The club is looking to the future which is why the younger talents are starting to be given bigger contracts. No one is forever and no player is irreplaceable. Time never stops moving unfortunately and players like the Stewarts, Choc, Killer, Skivy and Kingy probably aren't going to be around in about 5 years, while the likes of DCE, Foz, Peta and Jorge will be.

Unfortunately with the salary cap it makes it very difficult for a club to keep a core group of players together for a long period, especially if the club has a successful run like Manly has in the past 10 or so years. Club success often brings representative selection which will always see players rise in value. We've done a damn good job in keeping this team together for as long as we have considering we've played in 4 of the last 7 Grand Finals and have and continue to produce numerous rep players. But at some point those players are going to get to the end of their careers. I can't blame the club for starting to look to the younger generation, but with the cap the way it is it was never going to be an easy ride.

 

[silvertail]

We should be celebrating our 10th straight semi final series.

 

[HoldenV8]

Interesting facts about Choc.

Since first pulling on the Manly jumper in round 2 of 2003 after his debut for the Northern Eagles in 2002, only once between 2003 and 2013 did he play less than 20 games in a season. In those 11 years he averaged 23.4 games per year, not including rep games.

2003 - 24 games (Manly played 25)
2004 - 21 (26)
2005 - 19 (27)
2006 - 23 (28)
2007 - 26 (28)
2008 - 22 (29)
2009 - 23 (27)
2010 - 24 (27)
2011 - 24 (29)
2012 - 27 (29)
2013 - 25 (30)

Out of a possible 304 games since round 2, 2003 (up to last years GF), Choc played an incredible 258 games. He has missed 46 games through injury or rep duty (or just being rested). In that time we won 148, lost 109 and drew once when he played, with two premierships from 4 Grand Finals and 9 straight finals campaigns since 2005. To be able to play at the top for so long and until recently relatively injury free is an extreme effort (it also shows that he has been looked after very well by the club).

In that time he played 15 games from the bench (none since round 1, 2005), one at centre (Rd.20, 2003), one at 5/8 (Rd.25, 2008) and 241 games in the second row.

Name another second row forward who can match his record for being on the field almost every week. And he's also played in all 10 games so far this year in the second row.

I know its going to be hard seeing Gifty running out for Souffs next year which is something we never thought would happen. But as a Manly junior I can't see Choc walking out to join Parramatta, or any other NRL team.

 

[Central Coast Eagle]

Wasn't there an article not long ago saying that Parratta are already over the cap for next year? How can they afford him?

 

[HappilyManly]

The Broncos are keenly interested in Cherry-Evans but the thoroughness of the NRL’s investigation into recent allegations of salary cap rorting could impact on Brisbane’s ability to recruit him.

It leaves Cherry-Evans in a bind.

He is on the outs with his Manly teammates, who believe they have lost Glenn Stewart because salary cap money is being stockpiled to re-sign Cherry-Evans, who they believe is heading to Brisbane in 2016 anyway.

That venom flashed briefly during Origin on Wednesday night when Manly teammate Anthony Watmough chased Cherry-Evans across the park and made sure he put a little extra in his shot.

While it will be dismissed publicly as simply “Origin”, mate against mate and all that, have no doubt it will be recognised for what it is by teammates back at Manly. :s
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/kent-on-saturday-trent-hodkinson-uses-kicking-tees-dedicated-to-children-suffering-illness/story-fni3fh9n-1226937561257

At the time, I thought that Choc did put the boot into Sid :dodgy:

Lets hope that it was just another hot head decision by Choc, and that Manly is a happy camp once more

 

[Captain Moondog]

If Choc was to sign with Parra they'd have a two man team.

 

[globaleagle]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/kent-on-saturday-trent-hodkinson-uses-kicking-tees-dedicated-to-children-suffering-illness/story-fni3fh9n-1226937561257

At the time, I thought that Choc did put the boot into Sid :dodgy:

Lets hope that it was just another hot head decision by Choc, and that Manly is a happy camp once more

I feel dumber from reading that claptrap. I can ill afford that phenomenon.

 

[HappilyManly]

Relax its part of the theater of sport

 

[globaleagle]

Relax its part of the theater of sport

Just to clarify....I meant the article, not your comments! That would be a terrible thing for me to say!

 

[Masked Eagle]

Someone gave his club mate a bit extra In an origin game? That's unheard of!

 

[HappilyManly]

Relax its part of the theater of sport

Just to clarify....I meant the article, not your comments! That would be a terrible thing for me to say!

No, I know what you meant

The DCE is Hated by Manly Story is just a twist on the Everyone Hates Manly mantra

I just watched the last minute of play of SOO ( the longest one of my life thanks to The Echidna- 2:45 minutes to be exact :dodgy, Sid was tackled at 79:44 by Hodko from behind, but Jenko came at him with a raised knee - thats what did the hip damage

 

[Captain Moondog]

Someone gave his club mate a bit extra In an origin game? That's unheard of!

Big Artie must be turning in his grave.

 

[marga]

I do not believe for one second that there is any truth in this story.

 

[Captain Moondog]

This crap about Manly players being disgruntled and the club falling apart has been going on in the media since Des left. This is just the latest chapter in the on going saga.
Any journalist worth his salt is'nt going to be sitting at the sports desk, that's for the hacks and has beens. These sort of stories say more about the quality of rugby league journalism in this country than they do about the Manly club.