General Heartbroken Gower may want out

[warriors_ballboy_CEO_old]

Heartbroken Gower may want out
By Dean Ritchie
February 6, 2006

CRAIG Gower's health has deteriorated badly and he is heartbroken at Penrith's decision to dump him as captain, his manager revealed last night.

And manager Greg Willett also said Gower felt "let down" by the Panthers.

Gower returns home on Wednesday from his honeymoon in Vietnam and will hold crisis talks with Penrith later in the week.

Indications are Gower will request a release and sign with Melbourne.

The Australian Tri-Nations halfback remains angry at losing the captaincy and being fined $100,000 ($70,000 suspended) after a drunken weekend at a Jack Newton charity golf day on the Sunshine Coast late last year.

"I've never seen him so white and sick," Willett told The Daily Telegraph.

"He was so disappointed how it [his sacking and fine] was done.

"He didn't look good.

"It affected him badly. His health was no good and he was heartbroken.


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"This isn't about football or any amount of money.
"It's about his health.

"If he stays [at Penrith] and it affects his health, he should get out. He's hurting."

Willett said the crux of his meeting last week with Penrith officials was to discuss Gower's health. The Penrith halfback ended up in hospital suffering from depression after his well-publicised sacking from the Test team in 1999 for exposing himself to an Irish backpacker at the Coogee Bay Hotel.

"I was worried about him." Willett said.

"There has been an emotional strain on him. That's why I went to Penrith.

"It has eaten away at him.

"I think he could have got more backing on the homefront [Penrith].

"That's what I said to them."

Willett would not speculate on whether Gower would formally request a release.

"We'll go and see Penrith when he gets back. He'll make up his own mind," he said.

Coach of English club Castleford, Terry Matterson, revealed yesterday that Gower's manager had been in touch when the issue first blew up at Christmas time.

Matterson said the club was interested in Gower if he is released. The newly-promoted Castleford Tigers are searching for a halfback following the club's failure to sign Cronulla's Adam Dykes.

* BARRY Harris, a Newtown, Souths and Penrith player of the 1950s and 1960s, has died aged 67 of a heart attack.

Harris played four matches for NSW between 1959 and 1962. He also coached Penrith and was president of the Canterbury Juniors.

His funeral will be at St Therese Catholic Church, Padstow, at 10.30am on Wednesday.

The Daily Telegraph

 

[MarkW_old]

I thought I heard a violin playing in the background while reading that.
Is Gower's manager playing the sympathy card or what?

I can appreciate that Gower may be a little upset with his current situation. But it dosn't appear as if he's particularly remorseful or fully comprehends the effects his actions have on others.
When the stories hit the news the first words out of the presenters mouth were 'Penrith Panthers star halfbalk Graig Gower... (insert shenanigans)'. That alone is horrible PR for the club.. and of course sponsors of the club. Look what happened to the Knights at the beggining of last year and the fiasco caused by a few drunken players... their main sponsor ditched them.
If Gower is feeling bad, it should be and perhaps is because he knows how badly he stuffed up by acting like a total yob. Surely his manager is doing him no favours by painting Gower as the victim in all this.

 

[warriors4life_old]

the panthers halves will be diminished if gower leaves and then campbell leaves to go to the gold coast

 

[Northern_Union]

Geez talk about sympathy for the devil....

He is the maker of his own destiny.....who in there right mind thinks they can grope a young girl then run around with a broken beer bottle threatening to bottle the girls brother. He's in lala land. And this isn't the first time he has done this either. Remember when he was kicked out of the NSW camp a few years ago for flashing a British tourist when he was drunk late one night.

 

[KeepingTheFaith_old]

I think Gowers pathetic. All he wants is the club to admit they handled his punishment poorly and that they could have done more to defend his character.

Give me a break. His character? Gets plastered, does something wrong, throws a temper tantrum when he gets punished and then threatens to walk out on his team a month out from the start of the season. What character?

Like RS said, this isn't the first time it's happened. Sad that 8 years on Gower still hasn't grown up and learnt from past mistakes. He comes across as just another spoilt brat that was given too much far too early and now he expects the star treatment everywhere he goes.

Having said all that, the punishment Penrith have given him went a long way to settling the issue down and pleasing the general public/media. Now watch as they play both sides and fold to Gower's requests. In 2 weeks they'll be talking up how he's been training the house down since returning from his honeymoon and how he has put the dramas behind him and how he's a proven leader even without the C blah blah blah.

 

[Swanley_old]

Players have to remember that the club is bigger than the players.

Penrith will be around a lot longer the Craig Gower.

He deserved everything he got.

Imagine how is new wife feels....

 

[Northern_Union]

or imagine feeling his new wife

haha she's lady luck from the footy show incase anyone doesn't know...Amanda i think her name is and a former Panthers cheer leader.

He and other NRL players must realise that everytime they do something dumbarse like they have been doing a mother or father somewhere says "theres no way my boy/girl is playing that sport" or "theres no way i'm going to go and watch my favorite team anymore and give those over payed pigs my money"

 

[Northern_Union]

hey Swanley when did you play for Mt Abert?

 

[Woop Woop_old]

Hahaha 'Choke Gowie Choke'. Penrith dont need him, ship him off to the ESL.

 

[Big Fobsta_old]

Bloody Sook!