Its sad that journalism has slipped so much that these days you have to read all the news and then interperate what the real story is. Its just so lucky that I’m here, standing as the last bastion of journalistic integrity!
Over the last couple of months we have seen a few stories published stating that Manly is worried is will be losing this player or that player, every single article of course has quotes from these players managers.
See, players managers are an easy story waiting to be written. If you have no scoops, if you have nothing to write about, you call up a player manager and ask if they have any players they need to pump up in the press, and hey presto, you have a story about a player having to leave his club to go to a rival NRL team or French Rugby Union!
The funny thing about the Manly Sea Eagles players that this has been done with over the off season is that Manly aren’t to fussed about losing them.
Wingers Michael Robinson and David Williams were the first to be talked about.
Manly know how important and irreplaceable wingers are, just ask Scott Donald and Chris Hicks. As soon and they wanted a bit more cash Manly replaced them with cheaper players, a bloke named Robinson and some Parramatta reserve grader called Williams.
Manly has already marked their papers too when they signed giant Parramatta youngster Tony Williams. Sure Manly see his future in the forwards, but for now he will be playing on the winger for them, which means someones position at the club is all but over.
Then we have the Matt Orford saga.
Orford is a very average player who has never played good in a game of any importance. Manly won the Grand Final last year in spite of Matt Orford.
We have seen in the past that Orford and his management love a long, boring, drawn out contract negotiation, all done in public of course.
The problem Orford has is that no Australian club see’s him as an option because of his well renowned ability to choke in the big games. In fact Manly offered huge money for former Canberra Raider Todd Carney to join the Sea Eagles for this season, the 2009 season, but at the time Carney chose to stay in Canberra.
Well Canberra sacked Carney not long after for his off field behavior, and the chances of Carney getting a visa to be able to play over in England are getting longer by the day.
There has been talk that Carney will look to get his 2009 NRL ban over turned on compassionate ground, but that’s a long shot too.
Carney however can play for an NRL club in 2010, and if Manly have to chose between Carney and Orford, well, they showed last year they would rather Carney despite his off field baggage.
So expect Orford to be over in England in 2010 and he will likely be followed by Michael Robinson.
Manly won’t be drawn into paying overs for players, hell, they even turned down more Beaver!
