By Ben Blaschke From: The Sunday Telegraph November 08, 2009
DEVASTATED Warriors prop Steve Price says the club is taking a huge risk by replacing him as captain next season. Coach Ivan Cleary dropped a bombshell when he informed Price he would be replaced as skipper by 23-year-old back-rower Simon Mannering as the Warriors look to put their disastrous 2009 campaign behind them.
But Price said the Warriors could find themselves going backwards if the plan doesn't work."It's a big risk,'' Price said. "Hopefully it proves to be the right decision, but if it doesn't work things could be even worse."
"Where do we go from here if it doesn't work out? I've seen it happen before where a young guy is promoted before he's ready and it shatters their confidence. It's hard to come back from that. But Simon will have plenty of support and that's all we can do.''
Price said it was yet to be seen whether his demotion would help or hinder the club in 2010 but admitted it might take some time for players to adjust to the change.
"People ask if I'm going to speak up more or withdraw and I don't know the answer to that,'' Price, 35, said. "We haven't played a game yet. I don't want to be standing on Simon's toes, but I also don't want him to be exposed to something he can't handle initially."
"It's going to be very different for all of us as well as the club and the sponsors. The club doesn't want me to stop being the way I am - that would defeat the purpose of them doing what they're trying to do - but they've got to understand that I may not be the way I was."
"I take a lot of pride in leading the club and I think the captaincy has helped my football over the past eight seasons. It's all very up in the air and we'll just have to see how we go."
"Simon said to me, 'if you have something to say I want you to say it'. He said he won't know what to say and he doesn't want me to change who I am, which is good, but it's still going to be different.''
Cleary, who informed Price of his decision as the players returned for pre-season training last week, admitted the news had "polarised'' certain sections of the community.
"Some people understand and others just don't,'' he said.
On Nov 8, 8:52 am, Matthew Pope <matt&samatNOSPAMiinet.netdotau> wrote:
> By Ben Blaschke From: The Sunday Telegraph November 08, 2009
> DEVASTATED Warriors prop Steve Price says the club is taking a huge risk > by replacing him as captain next season. > Coach Ivan Cleary dropped a bombshell when he informed Price he would be > replaced as skipper by 23-year-old back-rower Simon Mannering as the > Warriors look to put their disastrous 2009 campaign behind them.
> But Price said the Warriors could find themselves going backwards if the > plan doesn't work."It's a big risk,'' Price said. "Hopefully it proves > to be the right decision, but if it doesn't work things could be even > worse."
Uh oh, here we go.He's a fucking champion and the best thing the Warriors had going for them.
And now for sure, he's going to defect.
Let's hope the Broncos snap him up as the next Darren Smith/Tonie Carrol before he pisses his last days away at Souths.
> On Nov 8, 8:52 am, Matthew Pope <matt&samatNOSPAMiinet.netdotau> > wrote: >> By Ben Blaschke From: The Sunday Telegraph November 08, 2009
>> DEVASTATED Warriors prop Steve Price says the club is taking a huge risk >> by replacing him as captain next season. >> Coach Ivan Cleary dropped a bombshell when he informed Price he would be >> replaced as skipper by 23-year-old back-rower Simon Mannering as the >> Warriors look to put their disastrous 2009 campaign behind them.
>> But Price said the Warriors could find themselves going backwards if the >> plan doesn't work."It's a big risk,'' Price said. "Hopefully it proves >> to be the right decision, but if it doesn't work things could be even >> worse."
> Uh oh, here we go.He's a fucking champion and the best thing the > Warriors had going for them.
> And now for sure, he's going to defect.
> Let's hope the Broncos snap him up as the next Darren Smith/Tonie > Carrol before he pisses his last days away at Souths.
> AB
I just don't understand it. Mannering is a _good_ player. Certainly not a great player. Price is one of those blokes who (metaphorically, and occasionally actually) would drag his fellow forwards by the collars and say "here, like this".
Broncos would be a good retirement home for him. As would Parramatta. :-)
> Awesome Bro n Co <awsome....@gmail.com> wrote in news:5527f80a-4d85-4acc- > 887c-638131813...@h14g2000pri.googlegroups.com:
> > On Nov 8, 8:52 am, Matthew Pope <matt&samatNOSPAMiinet.netdotau> > > wrote: > >> By Ben Blaschke From: The Sunday Telegraph November 08, 2009
> >> DEVASTATED Warriors prop Steve Price says the club is taking a huge risk > >> by replacing him as captain next season. > >> Coach Ivan Cleary dropped a bombshell when he informed Price he would be > >> replaced as skipper by 23-year-old back-rower Simon Mannering as the > >> Warriors look to put their disastrous 2009 campaign behind them.
> >> But Price said the Warriors could find themselves going backwards if the > >> plan doesn't work."It's a big risk,'' Price said. "Hopefully it proves > >> to be the right decision, but if it doesn't work things could be even > >> worse."
> > Uh oh, here we go.He's a fucking champion and the best thing the > > Warriors had going for them.
> > And now for sure, he's going to defect.
> > Let's hope the Broncos snap him up as the next Darren Smith/Tonie > > Carrol before he pisses his last days away at Souths.
> > AB
> I just don't understand it. Mannering is a _good_ player. Certainly not a > great player. Price is one of those blokes who (metaphorically, and > occasionally actually) would drag his fellow forwards by the collars and > say "here, like this".
> Broncos would be a good retirement home for him. As would Parramatta. :-)
Agree 100%. Underrated even. He's like the Glenn McGrath of the Kangaroos.
We lost the World Cup when he was injured. Just like we lost the Ashes when we lost McGrath.
<matt&samatNOSPAMiinet.netdotau> wrote: >By Ben Blaschke From: The Sunday Telegraph November 08, 2009
>DEVASTATED Warriors prop Steve Price says the club is taking a huge risk >by replacing him as captain next season. >Coach Ivan Cleary dropped a bombshell when he informed Price he would be >replaced as skipper by 23-year-old back-rower Simon Mannering as the >Warriors look to put their disastrous 2009 campaign behind them.
>But Price said the Warriors could find themselves going backwards if the >plan doesn't work."It's a big risk,'' Price said. "Hopefully it proves >to be the right decision, but if it doesn't work things could be even >worse."
>"Where do we go from here if it doesn't work out? I've seen it happen >before where a young guy is promoted before he's ready and it shatters >their confidence. It's hard to come back from that. But Simon will have >plenty of support and that's all we can do.''
>Price said it was yet to be seen whether his demotion would help or >hinder the club in 2010 but admitted it might take some time for players >to adjust to the change.
>"People ask if I'm going to speak up more or withdraw and I don't know >the answer to that,'' Price, 35, said. "We haven't played a game yet. I >don't want to be standing on Simon's toes, but I also don't want him to >be exposed to something he can't handle initially."
>"It's going to be very different for all of us as well as the club and >the sponsors. The club doesn't want me to stop being the way I am - that >would defeat the purpose of them doing what they're trying to do - but >they've got to understand that I may not be the way I was."
>"I take a lot of pride in leading the club and I think the captaincy has >helped my football over the past eight seasons. It's all very up in the >air and we'll just have to see how we go."
>"Simon said to me, 'if you have something to say I want you to say it'. >He said he won't know what to say and he doesn't want me to change who I >am, which is good, but it's still going to be different.''
>Cleary, who informed Price of his decision as the players returned for >pre-season training last week, admitted the news had "polarised'' >certain sections of the community.
>"Some people understand and others just don't,'' he said.
>end article
>Is Ivan Cleary getting a little desperate?
More than a little I think Shag. Cleary showed how much off beam he was when he brought back Jones. Mannering is a good club player but over rated at much else. I remember having a chat with some ex-Kiwi players about him when he was selected and couldn't see why. He wasn't good enough for the forwards and he wasn't sharp enough in attack in the centres so he wasn't even a good utility reserve in my book.
I haven't followed the Wakas since I started supporting Brisbane (which has been put on hold pending the outcome of their investigation into players taking banned drugs) so I can't really comment on the form of Price this year or Brisbane after the cellphone footage became public knowledge. I know that price was captain of the Bulldogs and held in high regard there, but this was the Bulldogs of the Coff's Harbour scandals era so it wouldn't take much to rise above that level.
I've met him a couple of times and chatted and seems like a heckuva a nice feller and he was one of the only Aussie after the World Cup final not to go into rant mode at losing to the sheepshaggers. Again.
I think Cleary's actions prove that something needed to change at Team Waka, either the coach or the captain. Cleary's obviously bought some time but how much?
He won't last the season in my expert opinion.
What can Price do though? He's passed representative football, Ausfailure already has enough tired players passed their use by date losing finals left right and centre.
A couple of years in the North of England would probably be the go if England weren't swamped with better forwards coming out their ears now.
He's been in New Zealand three years now though so he'll probably end up in the All Blacks.
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