Force battles to keep Giteau

[travelling_gerry]

Force battles to keep Giteau

By Bret Harris
September 29, 2008 WESTERN Force admits it will have a fight on its hands retaining key players such as Wallabies five-eighth Matt Giteau, but rejected any suggestion of a revolt against coach John Mitchell.

There has been media speculation about a falling-out between Mitchell and players, but the Force has denied knowledge of it.

The Force has some big-name players coming off contract at the end of next year, including Giteau and fellow Wallabies Drew Mitchell, David Pocock and James O'Connor.

It is understood Giteau is considering a return to the Brumbies after he did not receive money owed to him by the failed fuel technology company Firepower, which sponsored him.

Giteau's management is believed to be exploring other third-party sponsorship deals which would keep him in Perth.

Force chief executive Greg Harris said the state of the global economy made it a challenge for all sporting teams to recruit and retain players.

"We have a significant number of players coming off contract," Harris said.

"That's an important factor. We also have a coach who is a well-proven coach.
"There are a number of issues. The biggest is the dollar value. I don't think John Mitchell is a factor, I really don't."

If Force players did have serious issues with Mitchell, it would potentially be a major problem because he has been re-signed for another three years.

Harris said he had not received any "official" complaints about Mitchell from the Force players.

"If there was an issue, it would be up to me to take it up (with the Rugby WA board)," Harris said.

"I've had no official report or dossier on anything. End of section."

But the fact Harris used the word "official" leaves open the possibility he has had unofficial communication with players in relation to Mitchell.

Mitchell has returned to Perth after trekking the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea after the Force's UK tour.

His manager, John Fordham, has denied a newspaper report claiming Force players had compiled a dossier of emails outlining their frustrations with the coach.

Fordham discussed the report with John Welborn, the Force's player representative on the Rugby WA board.

"John Welborn took the time to call me to say the report of a recent player meeting was distorted and very disappointing," Fordham said in a statement.

"He categorically denied that a dossier existed. Because of this, there is obviously no substance to the newspaper article's claim that a so-called dossier will be tabled at the next Rugby WA board meeting. John's assurances are in line with the advice John Mitchell received from two of the Force's senior players, vice-captain Matt Giteau and captain Nathan Sharpe."

Meanwhile, Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri has confirmed he will tour Hong Kong and Europe after recovering from minor knee surgery. Tuqiri was in doubt for the six-match tour and is still to be assessed by medical staff, but he feels the knee is coming good.





http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

[benny]

Yeah just saw this myself, but something that is puzzling me, they (the media) say that JO and Pocock come out of contract at the end of the 2009 season, I thought they just resigned, was it only for a year extension ?

[travelling_gerry]

+ 1 year option.

[benny]

I know i'm going to upset alot of our TWF family with these comments, but in recent times (past 48 hours) giteau has said some stuff that doesn't sit well with me.

1) - Outside payment to pay him as Firepower has failed, so he / manager wants someone to make up the payments for his contract

and

2) - When Mitch walked out on the last game this year against the brumbies Giteau was heard saying "lock the door behind him"... my point on this is how S**T we were playing in that last game he deserved to say nothing, all coaches snap and we've all been in it that the coach "DOESN'T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING to get thru to his players".

Now if these comments are true (we all know what the media is like)

For Giteau to say rubbish like the past to comments, (my comment to him) is there's the door go back to where you came from to the brumbies, where not only are you going to a losing team that isn't developing for the future but the force have an extra $3m for 5 seasons, or what ever he's on for his contract, and then the force can sign Carter or another international star.

GITS we want 15 on the park not 1 player who thinks he can be 15 players.

**As I said in the beginning, it may upset people for my comments, but its just where I stand on this issue.**

[slomo]

benny you wont upset people around here, with those comments, at the end of the days no one wants to see him leave but if he goes, the team moves on without him.......

[lara93]

i say..all those players should resign

[tragic]

Not all people are going to get on with everyone. In a professional situation, however, there is a job to do and you get on and do it.

If you don't agree with the boss, you should be allowed to put that view forward, and have it heard and respectfully considered. If you can't agree, you suck it up and play/work on. When the opportunity comes to "change bosses", you weigh up all the pros and cons of your current situation, the boss being a significant factor, but still only one among many. Career, experience, advancement, location, family, money, friends, etc... all these others come into it.

If there is a systematic and deeply ingrained problem at the Force between players and coaches, then it's a sad indictment on the management that it was allowed to get this far.
If it is only a few personalities which are clashing, then this should be addressed quickly and decisively, even if it means that some people who can't HTFU don't like it.
There are ways to deal with situations like this in any professional environment, and they're not rocket science.

If there is no really big problem at the Force and this is some media or player-management beat-up, then everyone should get busy ignoring it and refuse to feed it any further.

[Flamethrower]

Giteau's management is believed to be exploring other third-party sponsorship deals which would keep him in Perth.

Why would this be worded as such if Gits wanted to leave??

Giteau was heard saying "lock the door behind him"...

I wonder what the full sentence was, or what he really said.
It could have been "Lock the door behind them, we got into this mess by not playing to the game plan now we are going to get ourselves out of it."

The reporters wouldn't know the full story as the door was shut and then locked.

[gotheforce]

Unless any of us are current western force players, and i doubt any of us are, we shld avoid putting the blame on anyone yet. We dont know the real story on who is at fault or who is being unreasonable. Until we do, ill continue to support the club and hope that every single player and coach stays on, esp the likes to Gits, Bam and Rabbit.

We don't know if Giteau really said that, and if he did, maybe he was misinterpreted. But if Gits did get cheated of some of his money, I respect his decision to leave if he chooses to. Imagine if we signed a contract for a job, but then they failed to pay us for working extra hours and such. We'd leave as well. But i hope Gits stay. We may not be a 1 man team, but Gits has sure served us well and is a huge asset to the club.

It would be a terrible loss to the club if we lose any of these players, and the coach as well.

[laura]

I think its just speculation.
Pocock & J'OC have only just re-signed at the end of the season, if they hated it that much why bother?
As for Gits, there's more than just rugby to keep him in the state, I'm sure he is big enough and mature enough to sort out any problems that he might have with the coaching staff.
Drew, not sure, but I am certain that he loves it over here and same as Gits if he did have problems I'm sure he is big enough and old enough to sort them out.

I find it...coincidental..that the 4 players mentioned are pretty much the biggest thing in the team at the moment (no offence to the other players, I'm refering to current Wallabies duties) and I'm quite surprised they haven't chucked Crossy, Sharpie and Brownie in there.
Even more to add to my theory is that Mitchell & Giteau have spent barely any time (if any at all) around Coach Mitch since May. They have both been in full Wallabies training camp, so what has changed since then for all these rumours to come out now? Why not just say all the current Wallabies players in the Force want to leave and be done with it instead of re-hatching the same story with different players names?! Geez!

[Jehna]

That's a good point about the time spent with Mitch Laura.

Whatever these players choose to do i'm sure they have good reason for it. It has been said before but all players get frustrated with their coaches in the same way that coaches get frustrated with their players. It is a fact of life when you're playing highly competitive sport. Even if Gits did say in a negative way "lock the door behind him" i'm just as inclined to be that he was frankly p*ssed off with the way the team was playing and really just didn't want to have his coach point it out to him as well. It doesn't follow that he wants to start a revolt and grab his pitch fork and stand outside John's house whilst burning his contract...

Lets just wait and see what happens.

[Flamethrower]

It doesn't follow that he wants to start a revolt and grab his pitch fork and stand outside John's house whilst burning his contract...

That depends on what side of the country you live

[robyn <3]

if gits has said those things then he really isnt the person i thought he was. the times ive spoken to him he seemed like a real sweetheart. but if that is just his fan face then i guess ive been let down. if he leaves, he leaves. we really cant do anything about it. he will be really really missed though...

we always knew it would be a battle to keep him though, nothing is new in that title.

joc has said he wants to go where gits goes, and i can just imagine that brumbies board sitting there cackling at the thought of getting them both. i dont know why i am very sure dave wont leave. didnt someone on the queensland tour last year talk to him mum? and she said there was no way he was leaving (i dont know why i remember that but i do )

and there is no way i will let drew leave. never fear everyone. he will stay...

[Thequeerone]

This whole thing is getting blown out of proportion - get real folks think of it this way Coach John Mitchell is daddy and Gitts and the other players are children.

Daddy spends a lot of time equiping the children with the necessary skills for life - the kids go out and do something silly (1/2 time score to the Brumbies was BAD) - Daddy comes in - yells at the kids - the kids yell back - one of them says something funny and the others laugh - the tension is broken - the team come up with a plan and they go on to win the game.

If this hasn't happened in your home or workplace or wherever then God help you cause you've never been passionate enough about anything.

A lot of passion, tiger balm, egos and raw adrenalin in any changing room.

If as I suspect Gits remark/ quip whatever was enough to defuse things and get em back on the pitch with a good attitude then I personally applaud Gits and congratulate him on gaining more skills in his arsenal to become a good leader and captain.

[Thequeerone]

Also on the subject of sponsorship etc.. a certain Mr M Gitteau was driving a Volvo for many months before the new sleeve sponsor was announced - co - incidence or chicken and egg.

Gits is having an ok time here - lets keep it that way - who'd want to go back to Canberra and spend your life being shadowed by Grumbles anyways