Inside the Braith Anasta henfight

[Guest]

THE relationship between the Roosters and captain Braith Anasta is at breaking point amid claims that he was never told he was unwanted beyond this season - and that an offer was planned for April.

All-powerful Roosters chairman Nick Politis is furious at his club being branded "disloyal" by fans and former players over the continuing saga concerning their skipper.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Politis, coach Brian Smith, chief executive Steve Noyce and recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan discussed extending Anasta's contract at a breakfast meeting late last week.

While no clear-cut decision was made, there was no discussion about offloading him and the favoured option was to offer him a contract extension at the end of April.

The Roosters do not want to rush in because they have several off-contract players they want to shore up at the same time.

Smith met Anasta on Saturday morning but somewhere the message has been lost in translation and it has caused mass confusion between the captain and club officials.

"We've got to make a whole heap of decisions for our club for 2012 and onwards," Smith said last night.

Added Noyce: "We met last week to discuss the best course of action, and we relayed to Braith and Greg [Willett, Anasta's manager] that we wanted him at the club and we would keep them informed."

Insiders said the festering situation was at "breaking point" as the saga is played out in the media.


**Error in title, was meant to say "Anasta hasn't been told he was unwanted by Roosters". Rushed it :P

[Guest]

Sorry forgot link:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225993868635

[Guest]

I signed the fan petition but this is all very convoluted. Whatever happens, happens, I guess.

[Guest]

THE relationship between the Roosters and captain Braith Anasta is at breaking point amid claims that he was never told he was unwanted beyond this season - and that an offer was planned for April.

All-powerful Roosters chairman Nick Politis is furious at his club being branded "disloyal" by fans and former players over the continuing saga concerning their skipper.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Politis, coach Brian Smith, chief executive Steve Noyce and recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan discussed extending Anasta's contract at a breakfast meeting late last week.

While no clear-cut decision was made, there was no discussion about offloading him and the favoured option was to offer him a contract extension at the end of April.

The Roosters do not want to rush in because they have several off-contract players they want to shore up at the same time.

Smith met Anasta on Saturday morning but somewhere the message has been lost in translation and it has caused mass confusion between the captain and club officials.

"We've got to make a whole heap of decisions for our club for 2012 and onwards," Smith said last night.

Added Noyce: "We met last week to discuss the best course of action, and we relayed to Braith and Greg [Willett, Anasta's manager] that we wanted him at the club and we would keep them informed."

Insiders said the festering situation was at "breaking point" as the saga is played out in the media.


**Error in title, was meant to say "Anasta hasn't been told he was unwanted by Roosters". Rushed it :P

AAAAH THE MEDIA! I Said before don't beleive anything you read! and only believe half of what you see!!!!!!!!!!

[supermario]

See, this is what happens when conclusions are jumped to.

before this article, all we got was the story from Anasta's manager.

Now we have it that the Roosters board members were actually considering an extention.

Now i would like to bring up a point, the last time someone tried to play the game in negotiating with the Roosters was Ryan Cross, he pushed the issue with union and politis told him to get lost.

braiths manager will need to really tread carefully, because 1) braith can be made to look bad in this and 2) the roosters may change their mind on the extention.

[Rooster_6]

The way I see it looking past all the beat ups;

Nick, Smith & Noyce meet. Agree to re-sign some players who will be getting an upgrade (Kennedy & SKD most likely). After those two agree on a figure they can re-asses the cap and make Braith an offer.

Smithy goes up to Braith and says we probably wont be able to offer you an extension for a few months as we've got a few deals pending.

Braith wants to re-sign now doesn't want negotiations to drag on and be left no deal on the table from the Roosters mid-season.

Manager is just looking after his client and has taken it to the media as he has consistently done through out Braith's career.

Just the way I see it, at least I hope so. No one is really in the wrong just looking after what's best for themselves.

No hint of Anasta ever leaving a season early either.

[supermario]

The way I see it looking past all the beat ups;

Nick, Smith & Noyce meet. Agree to re-sign some players who will be getting an upgrade (Kennedy & SKD most likely). After those two agree on a figure they can re-asses the cap and make Braith an offer.

Smithy goes up to Braith and says we probably wont be able to offer you an extension for a few months as we've got a few deals pending.

Braith wants to re-sign now doesn't want negotiations to drag on and be left no deal on the table from the Roosters mid-season.

Manager is just looking after his client and has taken it to the media as he has consistently done through out Braith's career.

Just the way I see it, at least I hope so. No one is really in the wrong just looking after what's best for themselves.

Summed it up perfectly, but the question has to be asked, has Willett screwed up by going public??? politis does not like playing games.

[Guest]

See, this is what happens when conclusions are jumped to.

before this article, all we got was the story from Anasta's manager.

Now we have it that the Roosters board members were actually considering an extention.

Now i would like to bring up a point, the last time someone tried to play the game in negotiating with the Roosters was Ryan Cross, he pushed the issue with union and politis told him to get lost.

braiths manager will need to really tread carefully, because 1) braith can be made to look bad in this and 2) the roosters may change their mind on the extention.

Braith has a history of playing out his contract negotiations in the media. So this is no surprise.

Dunno, good footballer but I'm thinking he's one of those guys that you let go a year too early. If you know what I mean.

[supermario]

i'm happy for him to stay, as long as he continues his form from the back end of last season.

The club is smart to wait until april.

[Guest]

see perfectly reasonable - club just prioritising the youngsters like SKD and Kennedy who have proven at the top level they are the real deal then once the youngsters are all secured and sorted we will offer braith the best contract we possibly can and its up to him to either take it or leave it. no player is bigger than the club so prioritising the clubs future success ahead of players on their way out in the next few years is in everyones best interests. all the other roosters old heads have been dealt similar fates - freddy, ricko, fitzy, mini all took pay cuts towards the end of their careers to ensure the club still had funds to bring the next brood through.

[Guest]

Inside the Braith Anasta henfight

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/...-1225993866446


Andrew Webster From: The Daily Telegraph January 24, 2011 11:00PM


THERE is an eastern suburbs cafe, which shall remain nameless, where Nick Politis conducts the meetings that change lives. A table tucked up the back near the kitchen has a permanent sign: "Reserved for Nick."

Late last week, Politis met chief executive Steve Noyce, coach Brian Smith and recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan to discuss player retention at the Roosters.

Atop the agenda was captain Braith Anasta, who is off contract at the end of 2011.

Knowing how invaluable Anasta has been in rebuilding a broken club in the past 18 months, the coach offered his support for the captain.

While no clear-cut decision was made, there was no discussion to offload him.

The favoured option was to offer him a contract extension at the end of April.

So crucial is Anasta to the club's future success, he is seen by Politis as a Rooster for life.

That's a term that warms the cockles of the Politis heart. It's also a career path Anasta has repeatedly said he wants to tread. But that's a reality shrouded in uncertainty right now because, at some point since last week's breakfast meeting, the desire to retain Braith Anasta has been wildly lost in translation.

"He's mixed up about it - and fair enough," said one figure close to the situation.

On Saturday, Smith met with Anasta and it remains unclear what message was relayed to him. Anasta certainly feels unwanted.

Meanwhile, Politis had dealt directly with Anasta's manager, Greg Willett, and told him of their plans. It remains unclear what message he relayed to his client.

The fact is the Roosters want to wait until April because they have several players off contract, including boom centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall, emerging forward Martin Kennedy and veteran fullback Anthony Minichiello.

Given his importance to the club, you can understand why Anasta, 29, is miffed at not being at the head of the queue.

The Roosters have been hurt before. In the past two years they have had to pay out the contracts of Willie Mason and Mark O'Meley, and they were costly mistakes they don't intend to make again.

Anasta has publicly expressed his confusion and disappointment at the situation. He is feeling unloved. It is not about the money, it is a question of loyalty given his service to the club.

What is certain is that Politis is livid about the bad press his club is receiving. He and Anasta have barely communicated in the last few days.

A highly successful multi-millionaire who has bankrolled the club for 35 years, Politis abhors the cat-and-mouse tactics of contract negotiations.

When he's in Greece attending to his affairs, he speaks to Anasta on the phone after a match before the captain has hit the showers.

The melodrama of the last few days is likely to make Politis want to play hardball.

Anasta's public remarks that he's prepared to take a pay cut was news to the club. No terms have been discussed.

The Roosters want to offer Anasta a one-year contract extension for 2012 but it will be less than the $450,000 a year he is earning now. How much less - and how much interest there is from rival clubs - will determine if Anasta stays at the club he piloted to the premiership decider less than four months ago.

North Queensland nibbled at signing him last season but they have already ruled themselves out. There was a bitter fallout between Willett and Cowboys chief Peter Jourdain and it is irreconcilable.

The manager says he is bemused at reports that an "intermediary" had recently approached Parramatta on Anasta's behalf. He denies it happened. Eels sources insist that two approaches have been made through a third party. Yet they report they aren't interested in Anasta, either.
There was speculation yesterday that the Bulldogs are sniffing around. Anasta left them at the end of 2005 after winning a premiership the previous season. "He's not actively in our plans," Dogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said last night. But Anasta has been jittery about his future for months.

When Smith told him in mid-June last year that he was being shifted from five-eighth to lock to accommodate Todd Carney's switch to the halves, he became nervous about his long-term situation.

In grand final week, he told The Daily Telegraph: "I'd like to stay at the Roosters but I also understand the position the club is in. It's the salary cap. We've got so many good halves and back-rowers and young blokes coming through ready to burst into first grade.

"But I want to stay here. I extended my last contract in the off-season and I'd like to do it again."

Anasta would rather have the deal done sooner than later. The club wants to wait, and could wait as long as October to make a call.

The harsh reality is decisions made for the following season need to be lived with the season before.

Anasta was unavailable for comment yesterday, as was Willett. He was expected to meet with his client before boarding a 6pm flight for Hawaii. He is off to watch the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau surfing event at Waimea Bay, which is held in waves of 20 feet or more.

As it stands, there is more swell at the Bondi club right now over the future of the captain.

Let's see how well they ride them out.

[Guest]

I'd like to see Anasta stay. He form was sensational in 2010 and he stood up in the lead up to the GF. Although playing negotiations out through the media is unpalatable, management would be crazy to let him go.

Go you Roosters.

[Guest]

Braith has a history of playing out his contract negotiations in the media. So this is no surprise.

Dunno, good footballer but I'm thinking he's one of those guys that you let go a year too early. If you know what I mean.

Sadly, this is true. THose calling the club "disloyal" need to take a good look at themselves. I have yet to read a quote from Anasta's manager. All the quotes are directly from Anasta himself, which suggests to me that he is happy for it to be played in the media

Nick is clearly not pleased with how he has played it. Anasta should have picked up the phone and called NIck directly if he was confused. He now runs the risk of getting the same treatment as others before him and he'll only have himself to blame

[ism22]

Which cafe do they go to by the way?

[Johnny Tobin]

Summed it up perfectly, but the question has to be asked, has Willett screwed up by going public??? politis does not like playing games.

He almost fukced it by saying we had approached North Qld when we hadn't.

And that article by Webster is spot on.

One of the best I have seen for a long time.

Trying to pressure someone like Nick is not a good idea. They should remember what happened to Coach Fittler when he tried it. Silly, silly move.