Rumour Penrith Cap Troubles

[mt.wellington]

Penrith Panthers stars ordered to alter contract or find new club

by: David Riccio From: The Sunday Telegraph November 18, 2012 12:00AM


Source: The Daily Telegraph

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.

Michael Jennings - Panthers pre-season

Source: The Daily Telegraph


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.

Tim Grant - Panthers pre-season
Lewis Brown in the background
Source: The Daily Telegraph


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.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...or-find-new-club/story-e6frexnr-1226518793102

Is this mess something that ME created? Is this what League Freak has been harping on about? Hopefully with the way the Warriors are structured now (ME being answerable to Dean Bell and Wayne Scurrah) we can have a level head when it comes to negotiating contracts. Little scary though that article...

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

I think any player who expects a drama-free pre-season at the Panthers needs to wake up. Phil Gould is pure drama. There is never anything good that happens when Gould is involved. He has been installed to create dramas and make shit happen.

It makes me wonder a little about Ivan. Some of the things that have happened and are happening at the Panthers since Ivan arrived remind me of issues the Warriors have had. The Price demotion/Mannering promotion is so similar to the way Luke Lewis was handled this year. Jennings demotion to NSW Cup has got to seem so familiar to Krisnan Inu. Ivan appears to be more than happy to make the big decisions (or appear to be the one making them, while being someone elses puppet) over some players, while showing excessive favouratism to others.

 

[Xt1ncT]

Is this mess something that ME created? Is this what League Freak has been harping on about? Hopefully with the way the Warriors are structured now (ME being answerable to Dean Bell and Wayne Scurrah) we can have a level head when it comes to negotiating contracts. Little scary though that article...

it always makes me laugh when coaches are blamed for contracts - coaches don't control finances. Sure they'll tell the CEO/GM who they want, it's then down to management to implement the financial side of things.

They only have themselves to blame for this mess - the $600k or more Jennings is on is amazing! I'd never say he was worth that even at his very best.

 

[Inruin]

it always makes me laugh when coaches are blamed for contracts - coaches don't control finances. Sure they'll tell the CEO/GM who they want, it's then down to management to implement the financial side of things.

They only have themselves to blame for this mess - the $600k or more Jennings is on is amazing! I'd never say he was worth that even at his very best.

I agree, I would suggest the panthers have been a mess for quite a while and their management have been slowly killing the club for years, hence why gould and cleary have had to be bought in and pull it all down and try and start again. While Elliott was involved in some capacity i find it very diffucult that you can lay the entire blame for Penrith on him.

I think any player who expects a drama-free pre-season at the Panthers needs to wake up. Phil Gould is pure drama. There is never anything good that happens when Gould is involved. He has been installed to create dramas and make shit happen. agree

It makes me wonder a little about Ivan. Some of the things that have happened and are happening at the Panthers since Ivan arrived remind me of issues the Warriors have had. The Price demotion/Mannering promotion is so similar to the way Luke Lewis was handled this year. Jennings demotion to NSW Cup has got to seem so familiar to Krisnan Inu. Ivan appears to be more than happy to make the big decisions (or appear to be the one making them, while being someone elses puppet) over some players, while showing excessive favouratism to others.

the panthers needed a shake up and cleary has done that much like M.E. is doing (to a much lesser extent) here. not sure about your puppet comments though. maybe Bluey needed someone pulling the strings to be any good.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

I agree, I would suggest the panthers have been a mess for quite a while and their management have been slowly killing the club for years, hence why gould and cleary have had to be bought in and pull it all down and try and start again. While Elliott was involved in some capacity i find it very diffucult that you can lay the entire blame for Penrith on him.

the panthers needed a shake up and cleary has done that much like M.E. is doing (to a much lesser extent) here. not sure about your puppet comments though. maybe Bluey needed someone pulling the strings to be any good.

The way I see it (perhaps a bit one-eyed, as I was never a fan of Cleary's coaching), Gould picked Cleary because he saw him as an easily manipulated person who would do Gould's bidding, and allow PG to run the show and make the decisions, including player selection, game plan and whatever else Gould wanted to run.

 

[Pete]

I think the Panthers board and senior member get way to involved. Stories of drunken senior figures yelling at the players postmatch dont make the club seem that professional. Nothing beats a drunken old Penriths persons input.... senior players would be seething being on the recieving end. Pretty cheeky to ask them for a pay cut though. Who in their right mind would agree to that. Maybe we should take note that even when we are desperate for some new blood we shouldnt overpay to get stuck longterm with someone....unless its Folou...hell lets break the the bank.

 

[Inruin]

The way I see it (perhaps a bit one-eyed, as I was never a fan of Cleary's coaching), Gould picked Cleary because he saw him as an easily manipulated person who would do Gould's bidding, and allow PG to run the show and make the decisions, including player selection, game plan and whatever else Gould wanted to run.

you were a fan of bluey's though so naybe your judgment isn't the best!
i think Gould saw that cleary was strong enough to pull the underachieving warriors together and good enough coach to put in place a structure that worked for us. i don't think ivan is the next supercoach but i also think he isnt as bad as just a puppet. he was smart enough to have a clause in his contract that if kemp failed then he would get a crack at coaching first grade*.

*from memory

 

[Pete]

you were a fan of bluey's though so naybe your judgment isn't the best!
i think Gould saw that cleary was strong enough to pull the underachieving warriors together and good enough coach to put in place a structure that worked for us. i don't think ivan is the next supercoach but i also think he isnt as bad as just a puppet. he was smart enough to have a clause in his contract that if kemp failed then he would get a crack at coaching first grade*.

*from memory

They have a clause in a contract that states that? Doesnt that bring Clearys support of Kemp into question. I think what pissed me off the most during Clearys years ws the way the commentator from Aus said sione faumuina name as Faunuinaaaaaaaa. God that was irritating. Also as much the way Cleary seemed to experiment so much in the actual first NRL games and then change everything around midseason. Couldnt he sort it out preseason...in at least a few of his seasons. Cause he took us to the final so maybe their was a little method in his madness.

 

[ajofbrisbane]

Apparently Penrith have told 4 of their biggest names to take a pay cut....would you like to see any of the 4 in a Warriors Jersey????

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...or-find-new-club/story-e6frexnr-1226518793102

 

[mt.wellington]

I think any player who expects a drama-free pre-season at the Panthers needs to wake up. Phil Gould is pure drama. There is never anything good that happens when Gould is involved. He has been installed to create dramas and make shit happen.

It makes me wonder a little about Ivan. Some of the things that have happened and are happening at the Panthers since Ivan arrived remind me of issues the Warriors have had. The Price demotion/Mannering promotion is so similar to the way Luke Lewis was handled this year. Jennings demotion to NSW Cup has got to seem so familiar to Krisnan Inu. Ivan appears to be more than happy to make the big decisions (or appear to be the one making them, while being someone elses puppet) over some players, while showing excessive favouratism to others.

Phil Gould was brought in not to so much cause drama but definately turn the place upside down inside out and ,as you say, make shit happen. I think Gould has done a good job of that club to date. The reality is that, financially, Penrith were going to hell in a handbasket with no handbrake! Its well known the financial mess the club was in losing almost $AU11 million in 2 consecutive year from 2010. 11 mill!!! Couple that with poor on field preformances, low crowd attendances and overpaid 'superstars' and you had a recipe for disaster.

I believe his first big move was letting go of crowd favourite Petero Civoniceva even though Petero had commented just months earlier how happy he was at Penrith and how he intended on playing out his career there. Of course the second move was ousting ME. Gus has been given a horrible job and it wouldnt have been easy for him to make the calls he's had to make with Luke Lewis and Michael Gordon and now the rest of the overpayed players mentioned in that article.

Question of captaincy?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/article.cfm?c_id=79&objectid=10848138

Player power in full effect. Hope it doesnt get out of hand like the player power at Penrith!

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

Question of captaincy?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/article.cfm?c_id=79&objectid=10848138

Player power in full effect. Hope it doesnt get out of hand like the player power at Penrith!

Interesting that there is no mention of Mateo. I would have thought he would be considered an option before the likes of Lillyman, Ropati, Rapira, Taylor and Benry.

 

[Fazz]

Writer seems to be a bit of an idiot. He's also totally missed Matulino, who has apparently been cracking at the whip at training. I think it will end up as Matulino or Mannering tbh.

 

[Pete]

"I won't make the decision, the players will make the decision [towards] the back end of the pre-season," Elliott told the Herald on Sunday. "I won't be running out on the field with them, so it is important that they are involved in choosing their leader. [However], if I don't like who they choose, I am not going to allow that, because that is part of my job as well."

Um..that doesn't seem very decisive. Lets have a popularity contest. Lets involve twitter. Mannering might be feeling a bi unloved and unsure of what he is supposed to be doing. He might turn around and say he doesnt want to be skipper and he might be the one that ME actually likes. And then if ME doesnt like their choice he will change it anyways. I suddenly see us dropping down in my estimations from top 4 to top 6. Cue the infighting or hopefully the journos are just twisting words

 

[Miket12]

"I won't make the decision, the players will make the decision [towards] the back end of the pre-season," Elliott told the Herald on Sunday. "I won't be running out on the field with them, so it is important that they are involved in choosing their leader. [However], if I don't like who they choose, I am not going to allow that, because that is part of my job as well."

Um..that doesn't seem very decisive. Lets have a popularity contest. Lets involve twitter. Mannering might be feeling a bi unloved and unsure of what he is supposed to be doing. He might turn around and say he doesnt want to be skipper and he might be the one that ME actually likes. And then if ME doesnt like their choice he will change it anyways. I suddenly see us dropping down in my estimations from top 4 to top 6. Cue the infighting or hopefully the journos are just twisting words

Why would Mannering be feeling an unloved bi?

Sorry, early start and I dead tired.

 

[ramraider78]

I don't agree with this captain situation and the way it's being speculated. Mannering IMO has done a decent job and ok he went missing at times during the game on camera under the posts, but I like the way he communicates with the ref. He has a future at the club and I would stick with him; IMO you would question yourself if the media speculated so much about your performance IMO.

Taylor/Henry - To young , a few more seasons and they are good to go - both have high minutes on the field.
Ropati/Rapira - Both have the goods for captaincy but they are injury prone and need to focus on there individual game IMO
Lillyman - Not a bad option but under the posts and under the pump, I never saw him talking to the troops.
Mateo - should of been included in NZ Herald list today, I think he's got the goods and has a bright future with us if he resigns. He was a International test captain - He needs higher minutes on the field though.

 

[a.c.e]

McKendry please Elliot, thank you.

 

[Sup42]

Ah I posted the Mannering situation in the Matt Elliot coach thread since he's the dude coming up with this manipulative claytons election of a new Captain.

Don't like Elliot very much at all....already....because its just mind games and that's portraying him as a Politician more than a Pragmatist.

He could write speeches for Obama.

I'm concerned that this little doubt cloud he built over Mannering is not the kind of thing that blows off in Mannerings mind by a resounding yes vote from his peers....which is clearly why Elliot has played this game ( to boost Mannering)

The reality will be that Mannering will learn what he already knows from the result of the vote .....but he will feel insecure around his New Boss for a time.

Mannering is not a complex man , this kind of Bollocks is best served to a Player that has been taking his position as leader for granted.

 

[League Freak]

Anyone that thinks a coach isn't heavily involved in players retention is naive. This is all part of the Elliott legacy the Panthers are still dealing with.

Personally, I hope the players laughed in Goulds face. Change a contract...please. This is the same bloke that tore the guts out of Penrith in the mid 1990's and took our best players to the Roosters.

 

[Xt1ncT]

Anyone that thinks a coach isn't heavily involved in players retention is naive. This is all part of the Elliott legacy the Panthers are still dealing with.

Of course they are - the tell the owners/CEO Eric who they want and the owners/CEO negotiate the contracts.

Coaches/managers won't in involved in that side if things.

 

[Ranger]

Looks like they're going hard for Thurston