Player Addin Fonua-Blake

[Defence]

Can 1 player being a baby really cause every other player to play like shit and get smashed by the team coming last?

Ive played in plenty of different sports teams and never have had the experience of something like that.

I think when it's the leader of your pack- that probably has a bigger influence than if it was anyone else in the squad (except maybe the captain).
Look there's only 3 months to go now and he'll be back in Australia so hopefully afb can see the light at the end of the tunnel and knuckle down for the rest of the season- his performance last week would suggest he can- I felt like that was the most aggressive he's played all season- he was scary.

 

[Noitall]

If there’s truth to this, which I’ve stated my case early believing there was, i really feel for SJ. Got snubbed last year when all could see he was the best player in the comp and this year needed everything to go right in his last years hoping to win a title at the club. Tohu too deserves better, but at least he has a premiership though with another club

 

[Beastmode]

It begs the obvious question. If AFB is really the problem here, why haven’t the coach or owner just cut him loose?

 

[Noitall]

One thing to look forward too is just the passed weekend JFH had 178 metres and 46 tackles with 1 miss, though in a losing side

 

[Blain]

Been away for a little bit but heard some AFB thoughts on my travels.

A good mate who is great mates with Ivan Cleary (next door neighbours when he coached here and their kids went same schools etc) caught up with him when Ivan came over to support the Mt Albert Lions fundraiser. Was a bye week for the Panthers and the Warriors had just been dicked by the Tits. My mate asked him what his thoughts were on what was happening at the club and Ivan said the only reason teams lose like that is because of a toxic environment which he said was most likely caused by the rift that AFB is creating by being held here despite desperately wanting to leave. His thoughts were that it would have been much better for the club to have released him and bought up the next player in line while searching the market for a replacement.

Another mate who has an ear very close to the top of the club told me the exact thing a couple days later independently. The club are well aware of how AFB is starting to poison the well in the changing rooms but are basically stuck with him till the seasons end.

Kind of reminds me of Feleti Mateo in 2012 or Manu Vatuvei in 2016.

Left unchecked it is sure to cause damage that remains long after the cancer has been cut out. I'd honestly fuck him off now and bite the bullet about paying his salary to play for someone else...

Thanks mate. It makes logical sense doesn't it, also missing a couple leaders out there with no Barney or Capewell to pull everyone in line.. It's past transfer deadline of June 30 now, so he can't play for another team in 2024. His performance has really gone downhill the past month, I would suspect he was trying for a early release and got told it's not happening. I really hope he can buy into the team now he can't move, and keep his head down and out of shit.

Does he have some good relationships with our players does anyone know?

 

[Beastmode]

Thanks mate. It makes logical sense doesn't it, also missing a couple leaders out there with no Barney or Capewell to pull everyone in line.. It's past transfer deadline of June 30 now, so he can't play for another team in 2024. His performance has really gone downhill the past month, I would suspect he was trying for a early release and got told it's not happening. I really hope he can buy into the team now he can't move, and keep his head down and out of shit.

Does he have some good relationships with our players does anyone know?

Why does it make logical sense? Is he responsible for RTS missing all those tackles, is he responsible for picking an aging Tohu and putting Ed Kosi on the wing? Is he to blame for DWZ not being able to read plays, and defend his man? for the injuries and the team not pulling their weight?

Seems like an easy excuse to pin everything on one guy. He made it clear last year he was dealing with personal issues and wanted out, but we wanted to keep him to squeeze out as much as we could. The owners and coach chose not to release him early, so now they have to live with that call.

Sure, AFB is part of the overall problem, but he's definitely not the only reason we have failed to live up to the hype.

 

[#robbiemears]

Been away for a little bit but heard some AFB thoughts on my travels.

A good mate who is great mates with Ivan Cleary (next door neighbours when he coached here and their kids went same schools etc) caught up with him when Ivan came over to support the Mt Albert Lions fundraiser. Was a bye week for the Panthers and the Warriors had just been dicked by the Tits. My mate asked him what his thoughts were on what was happening at the club and Ivan said the only reason teams lose like that is because of a toxic environment which he said was most likely caused by the rift that AFB is creating by being held here despite desperately wanting to leave. His thoughts were that it would have been much better for the club to have released him and bought up the next player in line while searching the market for a replacement.

Another mate who has an ear very close to the top of the club told me the exact thing a couple days later independently. The club are well aware of how AFB is starting to poison the well in the changing rooms but are basically stuck with him till the seasons end.

Kind of reminds me of Feleti Mateo in 2012 or Manu Vatuvei in 2016.

Left unchecked it is sure to cause damage that remains long after the cancer has been cut out. I'd honestly fuck him off now and bite the bullet about paying his salary to play for someone else...

This fits with what I've heard and seen too, hence I alluded to it in a post a few weeks back. Ivan would have been careful with what he revealed too. You'd think - given his relationship with the club and the coach - that he'd know the full story.

Anyone who disputes the crippling impact of having a miserable or problematic player in the ranks of a professional sporting team, especially an Alpha leader, is just wrong. It's why so many successful teams across a variety of sports have no dickhead policies when it comes to recruitment. The margin of error at the elite level is so small that it can only take the slightest distraction to cause a mass capitulation. It would be particularly testing for the Warriors who have to travel together every couple of weeks. An unhappy player rooming with teammates and hanging socially before the game could easily bring the energy level of the whole group down. And that's all it takes. It's no coincidence that the rout against the Titans happened on the road.

Webby has made a few mistakes this season, not the least of which is his dogged determination to always select his best available team on paper - irrespective of form or injury. You get the feeling that his management of the AFB situation will ultimately be seen as another one.

 

[Inruin]

Let's see how the next few weeks pan out. Dogs game should be a horrible loss based on comments around AFB.

 

[Beastmode]

This fits with what I've heard and seen too, hence I alluded to it in a post a few weeks back. Ivan would have been careful with what he revealed too. You'd think - given his relationship with the club and the coach - that he'd know the full story.

Anyone who disputes the crippling impact of having a miserable or problematic player in the ranks of a professional sporting team, especially an Alpha leader, is just wrong. It's why so many successful teams across a variety of sports have no dickhead policies when it comes to recruitment. The margin of error at the elite level is so small that it can only take the slightest distraction to cause a mass capitulation. It would be particularly testing for the Warriors who have to travel together every couple of weeks. An unhappy player rooming with teammates and hanging socially before the game could easily bring the energy level of the whole group down. And that's all it takes. It's no coincidence that the rout against the Titans happened on the road.

Webby has made a few mistakes this season, not the least of which is his dogged determination to always select his best available team on paper - irrespective of form or injury. You get the feeling that his management of the AFB situation will ultimately be seen as another one.

Again begs the question why? He went to the owner last year asking for a release to go home. Out of goodwill, he agreed to stay another season. It wasn’t working out, and I assume he approached Robbo/CG before the deadline for an early release, to which they said no.

Maybe AFB is selfish, thinking of himself and family first but so is CG/Robbo/Webby in not letting him go… cause and effect…

 

[Noitall]

Let's see how the next few weeks pan out. Dogs game should be a horrible loss based on comments around AFB.

If he’s been watching Nicho Hynes form, he’ll be thinking he’s got a better shot at a title here judging by Hynes capitulation

 

[Noitall]

Again begs the question why? He went to the owner last year asking for a release to go home. Out of goodwill, he agreed to stay another season. It wasn’t working out, and I assume he approached Robbo/CG before the deadline for an early release, to which they said no.

Maybe AFB is selfish, thinking of himself and family first but so is CG/Robbo/Webby in not letting him go… cause and effect…

Sharks likely had the opportunity to acquire him early but weren’t interested in releasing players we were interested in. Thank goodness they didn’t with us looking at BHU at one point but he chose to stay, and has managed about 2-3 games since

 

[Beastmode]

Sharks likely had the opportunity to acquire him early but weren’t interested in releasing players we were interested in. Thank goodness they didn’t with us looking at BHU at one point but he chose to stay, and has managed about 2-3 games since

Yes. But that’s again on the Robbo/CG/Webby making the decisions. If not already obvious these are management decisions.. they hold the power.

 

[Noitall]

Yes. But that’s again on the Robbo/CG/Webby making the decisions. If not already obvious these are management decisions.. they hold the power.

With most players recognising it’s a business, I wouldn’t be releasing my marquee forward without someone in return of quality. If his family issues are legitimate, it should have been between the Warriors and sharks to come to an equal understanding where it works for both teams and players. I don’t think we should have been the losers on whatever arrangement that could have eventuated. At the end of the day, if he’s not onboard it’s his teammates that he’s letting down that you’d hope after the time he’s been with the club actually means something to him

 

[MrFrankWhite]

It begs the obvious question. If AFB is really the problem here, why haven’t the coach or owner just cut him loose?

Weakness.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

With most players recognising it’s a business, I wouldn’t be releasing my marquee forward without someone in return of quality. If his family issues are legitimate, it should have been between the Warriors and sharks to come to an equal understanding where it works for both teams and players. I don’t think we should have been the losers on whatever arrangement that could have eventuated. At the end of the day, if he’s not onboard it’s his teammates that he’s letting down that you’d hope after the time he’s been with the club actually means something to him

And now your marquee forward is destabilising your entire team because you chose ego over winning.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

If they pay him to stay away, alright, just don't want to see him run out in a sharks jumper!

 

[Noitall]

And now your marquee forward is destabilising your entire team because you chose ego over winning.

So you just kiss his salary goodbye and bon voyage? Not sure choosing ego is the same as expecting a player to honour the contract he’s been paid as the highest front rower in the game when he had the chance at the start of the season to say I’m not onboard and want out

 

[Beastmode]

So you just kiss his salary goodbye and bon voyage?

#Matt Lodge

 

[Inruin]

So you just kiss his salary goodbye and bon voyage? Not sure choosing ego is the same as expecting a player to honour the contract he’s been paid as the highest front rower in the game when he had the chance at the start of the season to say I’m not onboard and want out

His onfield performance has been good. I assume hus training has been good. Have we made any allowance for him to be able to spend more time with his family? It is also not hard to make things work with someone who may not want to be a part of everything socially. I just don't buy this destabilizing piece. I mean we had a star halfback who couldn't train with the team and snapped at players on the field, a captain who is busted and can't get up quickly from making a tackle, a coach with baffling selections and bench use.... But it's all AFB.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

So you just kiss his salary goodbye and bon voyage? Not sure choosing ego is the same as expecting a player to honour the contract he’s been paid as the highest front rower in the game when he had the chance at the start of the season to say I’m not onboard and want out

Winning is all that matters. So many forget this.