I think most fans would reluctantly accept him going to a club that offers a much better deal for him. Either in terms of length or $.He's 24 years old and had 2 serious knee injuries already. He has to look out for whats best for him, thats all good.
All we've ever heard him say on the topic is he's leaving it to his manager. All we've ever heard from his manager is he wants more money.
Gutho has to realise he's been given the honor of leading our club. Not only that, he's stated he prefers to play fullback, well we've given him the fullback job. On top of all that we signed him when Manly tapped him on the shoulder and told him he wasn't wanted. Its a terrible perception for him and his management to openly flirt with Manly both as a means to get us to feel public pressure and to estabish what hw might do going forward. All of this info is being leaked to the media by his management. Keep in mind he has had the right to negotiate with Manly since November 2018. If he wants to go there to receive better income or income security literally all he has to do is come out and say I want to be at Parramatta and hoped they'd meet me closer, but unfortunately the offer from Manly was too good for me to pass up. We'd all accept it. What they're doing has the media on our back playing us off as being disrespectful to him and now publicly flirting with his ex. His perception is copping a battering and his management have let him down. He's played 74 first grade games, 0 finals matches and 0 origin matches. If he can get more elswehere so be it but I don't think any offer over 500k is insulting..let alone the now reported 650k.He's not going to play fullback at many other clubs. He's certainly not going to play there at Manly. He's also not going to be the leader of any other club. So to realistically get that close to that kind of money he is more important to us than any other club. I would argue if he wasn't the person we'd pinned our leadership to going forward and he was just assessed on his play alone over the last 3 seasons, 500k would be a realistic offer. Throw in the fact that he's our leader and all the extras that come with it and 650k for a non origin player is more than fair. Its that far from 'disrespectful', his manager should value his client more appropiately.
I think it was all well and good to stay quiet on the issue whilst ever he played well for us, but coming off what he dished up on Sunday, which was a halfed ass effort, even more pressure is being felt by everyone involved. If he signs with another team, so be it, i'd cut ties with him on the spot.. and start rebulding the club leadership let again. I think sending us into another rebuild could also spell the end of BA who once again has put all his eggs in one basket and just like with the dud quick fix solutions like Watmough, Foran, Scott .. etc .. the leadership will again have to be reestablished.
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First of all, this notion that he put in a half arsed effort against the Knights is just emotional revisionist nonsense to justify the vitriol that is being spewed at the guy. It wasn't his best game I'll concede, but a lot of that was dictated by how well the Knights played and how slowly we started the game.
Secondly, many will point to the first try by the Knights, but he did the exact same thing against the Tigers that led directly to Mitch Moses' historic first try at BankWest Stadium just 6 days previous. It wasn't laziness, it wasn't half arsed, it was a misjudgement, nothing more. He was never out of position, he was defending exactly where every fullback would've been under the circumstance.
People will also point out that he wasn't as involved in attack as he normally is, again that was largely dictated by the circumstances of the game. We weren't throwing as many offloads as we had previously because we were stuck on our own line for large portions of that game.
Thirdly, the club has not "given" him anything. He's earnt everything that he has, the captaincy, playing fullback, everything, and he's earnt it through sheer hard work. He came back earlier than he probably should've from his second ACL to help get the team back on track. He has proven himself in every aspect that he is a first class person & player, and a geniune leader of men. You listen to the players when they talk about Gutho, there is geniune respect for the way he carries himself, and I guarantee none of them begrudge him trying to negotiate the very best possible deal for himself, because they would do the same thing in his shoes.
Now, if he leaves I'll be bitterly dissappointed, but I'll still have nothing but respect for him because he has given everything for this club since his arrival, he hasn't shirked anything, not one bit. These negotiations don't change that one iota.
As for BA, he'll be fine. If Gutho leaves it's not on him, it's on Mark O'Neill, he's the GM and presumably the Chairman of the retention committee. Yes BA is on that committee, but he is just one voice in five now. If the other four overrule him that's out of his control, which is the way it should be.
This is business, nothing more, nothing less.
The only part I disagree with Brett is the way he is playing this out in the media. Yes he has earn’t what he has received, but he is fast losing that right to be captain.
He doesn't have a right to be captain, but he has been appointed by BA because he sees how Gutho carries himself and the undoubted respect that he has earnt from his peers. They won't have lost any respect for him, because they too know what it's like to go through contract negotiations, and BA has openly told him to look after himself.
No one inside the club has given him any grief about the negotiations, certainly nothing they've made the public aware of, and no one begrudges him trying to get the best deal for himself.
Except for fans who are on the one hand bitching about Sam Ayoub's negotiating tactics, but then lapping it up and feeding the frenzy even more on the other.
Does my head in.
Brett i disagree.
Gutho is an effort player. I'm not even talking about solely on the ball its the way he constantly pushes up in support, the way he gets on the ball in attack. If his effort isn't to his usuaul standards these things drop off. His positional play at fullback, which isn't yet anywhere near that of the elite fullbacks was off because his effort didn't make up for it. He was a half yard slower in everything he did. Nothing he does is elite other than his fitness , intensity and effort. They make up for most things in his game and are what his game is based on.
When he's on his game he's everywhere. He was hard to find on Sunday. I'm adament we didn't get a full effort from him. He may have been sick, he may have been injured, but he also may have been distracted.
Him and his manager know that he's more important to Parra than anyone else which is why they've held out. They also know his history of injuries and what the next will mean so are trying to get as many years as possible. It isn't a case of accepting 650k for 1 or 2 years and backing himself to be an origin player by then..they are entering this contract as though it will be the biggest one he ever does and this is his peak. Hence , why they desperately want the 4 years. At some stage though, people in Gutho and his managers situation have to realise the circumctances at Parra are what has maximised his value. The position of leadership. If Manly want to offer him 700k for 4 years thats cool..get the offer and decide what to do with it. Don't sit there feeding the media trying to eek out every cent from your current club, given the position they have helped put you in. Respect goes both ways in the negotiation. Of course the other players aren't angry at him..it's their job and a business. They just want to see him do the best for himself. I'd guarnantee those negotiating high up at Parra are a bit over it though , and at some stage concessions needs to be made or he can make the jump.
The negotiations have been mismanaged. Not by Parra though, by his representitives. How they havent been in commuincation with other teams like Manly earlier , got the best offer and put it to Parra.. is anyones guess. It's been a constant threat of testing the waters knowing his value to our club. Ayoub has put in his mind a figure he thinks hes worth and tried every trick in the book to bait Parra into getting there. As a result, the media pressure, constant line of questioning , and him being asked daily by fans and what not whilst playing every week without a contract for next year..its a basis for speculation as soon as he doesnt perform. It will get to him.. Its only natural. The longer it goes on , the more distracted all will be. Also the public perception of him goes from a guy who gave his best effort everyweek for his club and fans to a guy who held out to get more than he was worth, at the expense of the team. He's entitled to do that but it's been extremely mismanaged.
Spot on GWF. Brett your opinon is fine but not everyone would agree with it and I surely do no agree with it. Has he even played 50 1st grade games. I know he missed most of his debut played about a dozen for us before getting injured and missed 1/4 of last year. Effort alone is not the reason for a 50 % pay rise. Past and present experience equates to how many wins for Gutho in an EELS jersey as a player and a captain. How many has Gutho won for the club off his own back. At whatever price he thinks he is worth 5-10 great games with history and experience doesnt equate to a 50% pay rise. Brett ask your boss next time your pay review comes up and see if you can get 5% let alone 50% based on what you provide to your employer. Im pretty sure we all know the answer. But hey thats my opinion I am right you are wrong attitude.
Based on just facts
Gutho is mad not to take anything under 550k over 2-3 years. He has an employer giving him the number 1 when French failed. They have given him the captaincy when leadership failed. They have offered him a 40% pay rise off the back of 7-10 good games and yet he is going to market.
Some people never learn and he should be praying parra do not pull the offer as he will not get even close to those figures elsewhere. I hope parra signs him for 550k max but anything more then Gutho has won this battle and annoyed every parra supporter.
For success every player needs to take a little less for more depth and stronger roster.This is how the roosters and storm win comps. They all take a little less for success. There are many ways to make money and if this club takes off in the next 2 years which it should there could be other ways to earn the extra $$
We're still trying to sign another prop. Georgie Burgess was offered 600K to join us in June. From some reports I've read we're still trying to convince him to come. A mate I spoke to the other day heard a rumour that we're sniffing around Christian Welch from the Storm.
I don’t think you’re allowed to do that anymore. You can restructure an existing deal, but you can’t “prepay” a new contract.
Im open to being corrected on this. The NRL isn’t exactly forthcoming in these details anymore.
Brett, I'm not saying he has a right to be captain. You know the context in how I've used that word. Leading a team is a priveledge and one that is earnt. He earnt that last year with his attitude and trust his coach and team built up in him, as well as the obvious adoration the fans were build in in him.
If he'd been carrying on like this - through the media leakings via his manager - he would not have earnt this trust in my opinion. You, like me, don't know how his team mates are feeling about this. But I can't say I've seen too many captains that wanted to stay with a club openly share in the press he is meeting with a rival coach. If that was in my team, and I was also unsigned for the following year, I'd be less than impressed.
This has nothing to do with looking after himself. Good luck to him in that. I am saying, as captain of our club he has a responsibility to do so in a way that is respectful to said club, other players, coaches and the fans, whether you agree with their disappointment or not.
bang on Goyoueels. Brett lives in fantasy land. I am not having a go but Gutho and his management have had a lend of the entire club and its supporters. Its been 1 long month of rubbish in the media when he knows nothing will get sorted until june. How can the club captain not be distracted by all the media reports and show his face to his teamates knowing the money he wants. They all know what he is worth its disrespectfull to them the club and its supporters who cheer for him. Not ON in anyones world when you can put a stop to it in 1 interview.
The club did give him something they signed him whilst injured becuase manly didn’t want him. Singing a player recovering from an acl at that age with minimal experience if risky yeah it paid of but where’s the loyalty for the club that through a life line.
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