matt srama joins rooster

[timor 2]

http://m.nrl.com/matt-srama-joins-th...1/default.aspx




MATT Srama’s move to the Roosters is in serious jeopardy with the unwanted Titans hooker a chance of seeing out his contract on the Gold Coast.

The 23-year-old rake last week agreed to terms with the Roosters on a one-year deal for the 2015 season after being told he was free to leave the Titans by coach Neil Henry.

Srama told his Titans teammates he was leaving and the Roosters announced the signing last Thursday but he spectacularly backflipped soon after and is now demanding the Titans honour the second season of a two-year contract believed to be worth $200,000.






It doesn’t make sense for the Titans to pay out the entire value of Srama’s second year given it will be included in the club’s 2016 salary cap and would effectively be dead money.

Srama was a surprise participant at training this week and it’s now growing increasingly likely he will stay on the Gold Coast unless another club shows interest.

Roosters chief operating of footballer Brian Canavan said Sydney’s offer was for only 2015 and Srama would have to reach an agreement with the Titans in regards to 2016 if he is to take up the offer.

“We’d love to have him at the club for 2015 but we’re aware there’s an issue he has to resolve with the Titans for 2016,” Canavan said.

“There’s no deadline for us but we’d like it resolved as soon as possible because we’re underway with training like the Titans are too.

“We’re very keen to have him in here because he’s highly-rated on and off the field.”

Titans CEO Graham Annesley said the club would honour its two-year contract with Srama unless he found another deal.

“Nothing has changed from our point of view in that Matt has been provided with the opportunity to look for another club by our coach Neil Henry,” he said.

“However, until he accepts an alternate offer he remains contracted to us and the terms and conditions of his contract will of course be honoured.

“The Roosters, and the Titans, thought a deal had been agreed last week but Matt ultimately decided not to sign.

“You would have to ask the Roosters, Matt or his manager where negotiations currently stand.

“In the meantime he will continue to train with our squad as a contracted player.”

If Srama digs his feet in and stays it’s possible he could be relegated to the Intrust Super Cup for two years.

Henry informed Srama he had fallen back in the pecking order of dummy-half options which includes Beau Falloon, Paul Carter, Daniel Mortimer and Penrith recruit Kierran Moseley.

Mortimer, who left the Roosters midyear to join the Titans, said the 2013 premiers would be an ideal fit for Srama given star rake Jake Friend is set to miss the start of the season because of shoulder surgery.

“There’s a great opportunity there. Jake Friend’s done his shoulder and I don’t think he’ll start the season so there’s a great opportunity there for Srams,” he said.

“I left the Roosters on great terms and honestly can’t say a bad word about the club.

“They’ve been great to me and Trent Robinson is right up there with the best rugby league coaches I’ve seen.

“He’ll learn a lot at that club and especially under Trent Robinson.”

[Titanic Believer]

It's a pity o see him go. I hope he does well at The Roosters. He came with a lot of potential. Enough to justify letting go of Friendy. I just hope this decision doesn't come back to bite us. as in Keary, Sandow, Lawrence....

[TITAN PETE]

It's a pity o see him go. I hope he does well at The Roosters. He came with a lot of potential. Enough to justify letting go of Friendy. I just hope this decision doesn't come back to bite us. as in Keary, Sandow, Lawrence....

Should remind everyone how pathetic previous management were..

[Mexican titan]

Really disappointed with this. A year or so ago he played injured to help out and he is a very decent bloke to boot. Good luck to him though

Yeah he seems a real good bloke. I had gone off Falloon as our starting hooker and was hoping Srama would be the first chosen next season. I will watch how he goes at the Chooks with interest.
On the positive though, I have no problem with Henry changing things to get the side he wants. He has made more hard decisions in the last month than Carty ever made. Henry will live or die by the decisions he makes and I wanted to see him stamp his authority.

[Titanic]

To be fair to all, he felt he wasn't going start with us and he is not going to knock Friend out of the Roosters either, so he had to shop for the best contract he could get ... good luck to him but his options were limited.

[TITAN PETE]

Matt Srama takes action over Titans payout deal with Roosters
PETER BADEL & TRAVIS MEYN GOLD COAST BULLETIN NOVEMBER 22, 2014 12:00AM


CONFUSION surrounds Matt Srama’s move to the Roosters after the Gold Coast discard contacted the Rugby League Players Association over a $200,000 contract dispute with the Titans.

Srama’s planned move to the Roosters has hit a roadblock after the Titans baulked at paying out the final year of the rake’s existing two-year deal.

That stance prompted affirmative action from Srama, who yesterday sought help from RLPA player-welfare manager Michael Crocker to ensure the Titans fully honour the contract he signed.

Srama last night vowed to “stand up for my rights” at a time when Broncos coach Wayne Bennett called for a designated NRL transfer window, labelling the current process a “rort”.

The pint-sized Titans hooker is one of 20 players who have changed clubs in the past six weeks, heading a list that includes Ben Barba, Adam Blair, Gerard Beale, Martin Kennedy and Josh Hoffman.

Srama has agreed to terms with the Roosters on a 12-month deal which includes the Titans paying a portion of his salary.

But the hooker is now reluctant to formally sign, believing he is owed more and the severance package should acknowledge his terms for 2016, worth about $200,000.

Titans CEO Graham Annesley said Srama, through his management, agreed to a deal with the Roosters that would see the Gold Coast contribute to part of his salary for 2015. But the one-year deal with the Roosters is a year less than Srama has guaranteed on the Gold Coast and the 23-year-old is worried about a potential shortfall in earnings, prompting a possible backflip.

Srama said he had no ill-feeling towards the Titans for showing him the door but simply wants a payout that honours the second year of his overall contract.

“Hopefully I’ll get a chance at the Roosters but some other things have got to get over the line on the Titans’ behalf, time will tell,” Srama said yesterday.

“It’s been a hectic few days, so I thought I’d ring the RLPA and ask for advice on a few things.

“I asked Michael Crocker a few questions, I won’t go into exact details but they are personal things and he gave me some advice on where I stand. It’s good to get some peace of mind because I just want to stand up for myself as a professional athlete.

“I have nothing against the Gold Coast, they are a good club, but I’ve signed a contract with the Titans for two years and I’m entitled to that.

“I don’t want any more or less, I just want what I signed for.”

Srama signed a two-year extension with the Titans just six months ago, but the departure of foundation coach John Cartwright has left the hooker on the outer.

Srama said he agreed with comments by Bennett, who yesterday lashed the NRL’s raft of off-season transfers.

“I totally understand how the NRL works. I am not dirty at all that I’ve been told to go elsewhere, that’s footy,” he said.

“The Titans don’t see me in their plans, which is OK, but the way things get handled, it has to be more professional.

“I was reading an article about Wayne Bennett and how he described things as a rort these days. It’s true, it is a bit of a rort, I’m not sour about it but things need to be handled better in my opinion.

“The main thing I’m concerned about is player welfare and not leaving guys to fend for themselves. I’m not a very opinionated guy but I’ll stand up for my rights.

“A lot of guys get moved on, look at Ben Barba, but I had a contract and all I ask for is a fair go on what I signed.”

Annesley said the Titans were comfortable with the agreement that had been reached. “Matt agreed to terms through his manager and the Roosters,” he said.

[Titanic Believer]

Matt Srama takes action over Titans payout deal with Roosters
PETER BADEL & TRAVIS MEYN GOLD COAST BULLETIN NOVEMBER 22, 2014

“I have nothing against the Gold Coast, they are a good club, but I’ve signed a contract with the Titans for two years and I’m entitled to that.


“The Titans don’t see me in their plans, which is OK, but the way things get handled, it has to be more professional.

“A lot of guys get moved on, look at Ben Barba, but I had a contract and all I ask for is a fair go on what I signed.”

Annesley said the Titans were comfortable with the agreement that had been reached. “Matt agreed to terms through his manager and the Roosters,” he said.

Am I missing something here? A contracted player is told that he is not needed. So he goes to look for an alternative. He gets an alternative and he will be paid for it and he gets a chance to play top grade.
Once he gets the new job is there an obligation for the former employer to pay him? If so isn't it better for the former employer to keep him on the books even if he has no chance of making the top grade? Or is the problem related to the fact he had a two year contract and the new contract is only one year? I am confused.

[Bayside Titan]

Am I missing something here? A contracted player is told that he is not needed. So he goes to look for an alternative. He gets an alternative and he will be paid for it and he gets a chance to play top grade.
Once he gets the new job is there an obligation for the former employer to pay him? If so isn't it better for the former employer to keep him on the books even if he has no chance of making the top grade? Or is the problem related to the fact he had a two year contract and the new contract is only one year? I am confused.

Nah not missing anything I believe.

The penny probably dropped when he realised that in going to the Roosters its a one year deal and will only be paid for one year and the Titans contract will be voided. He probably thought that the Roosters will pay him for 15 and Titans for 16 which won't be the case. :-).

[Titanic Believer]

Nah not missing anything I believe.

The penny probably dropped when he realised that in going to the Roosters its a one year deal and will only be paid for one year and the Titans contract will be voided. He probably thought that the Roosters will pay him for 15 and Titans for 16 which won't be the case. :-).

Thanks for that. In the case of Barba, is it that the Broncos are paying Cronulla in order to top up his wages to the level that he would have been paid if he stayed?

[Titanic]

For Srama he is worried he's not going to get his 2016 payment ... he may well be a good bloke but this is bs. He could have stayed and got that payment but he chose not to stay and made a new agreement. The Titans should only be liable for what has been agreed and 2016 is now not in the Titans' picture by his own choice ... you can't have it both ways.

For Barba, yes that's right TB. If a club wants to offload somebody then they can share the amount between the old and new clubs ... the player won't get more (unless there are new 3rd party agreements) but just the same amount meaning the old club gets some cap relief, the new club gets a bargain and the player doesn't get dudded.

[Mexican titan]

For Srama he is worried he's not going to get his 2016 payment ... he may well be a good bloke but this is bs. He could have stayed and got that payment but he chose not to stay and made a new agreement. The Titans should only be liable for what has been agreed and 2016 is now not in the Titans' picture by his own choice ... you can't have it both ways.

You can bet Srama's Manager (isn't that his brother?) stuffed up. Obviously Matt took the Roosters deal because of the chance of playing NRL due to Friend's injury which will keep him out of the first 10 rounds of 2015, but us you say, he cannot have it both ways. If Matt makes a go of it at the Roosters surely some club will take him in 2016 and beyond.
I hate this breaking of contracts but I think I would rather have this than having players that the coach doesn't want or having a player that doesn't want to be there.

[DavidBouveng]

I actually like people moving on when it benefits both parties.

In this case, we said he can stay and not likely play first grade. He looked around. If he only got one year, then thats his problem as far as i can tell.

Im pretty sure we will be topping up his contract to assist the move also.

[teke]

He was prob told to piss off and the Titans will pay out agreed sum.

He should just stay now

[teke]

He was prob told to piss off and the Titans will pay out agreed sum.

He should just stay now

[Mexican titan]

He was prob told to piss off and the Titans will pay out agreed sum.

He should just stay now

The article said “Matt agreed to terms through his manager and the Roosters,” he said.
It's really not our problem if Matt's Manager screwed up. That said I would be quite happy if he stayed and was prepared to put in as in my book he is at least the equal of Falloon and obviously yet to see how he compares to the new bloke.