Titans: Matt Rogers signs with Titans

[DIEHARD]

A welcome stance from the Titans once again. Mat needs some time to himself.

[Steve Dangerous]

very levelheaded response.

glad to see our club showing such a human side.

[Coaster]

He needs to be back home, and playing the sport he loves.

Money will only ever get you so far, and he has enough now to be well off.

But if all the other things in your life are short of the mark, then a full wallet means nothing.

Everybody gets knocked down, champions get up faster then everyone else.

I hope everything goes alright tomorrow (even though i think there is 1 or 2 cards left to be dealt) And he can spend a great Christmas with his family, and then get back to his passion of running round the park with some mates and a footy in his hands.

Good luck mate

[Titan_Matchu]

Not sure if anyone else is getting this other than me but I am starting to think that Rogers might want to play at Cronulla in 2007, I certainly hope not I really want him here.

[Queenslander]

Titans won't rush Rogers deal
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 8:04 PM

The Gold Coast Titans will wait until after Christmas to start negotiations with Mat Rogers if, as expected, he is released from his Australian Rugby Union contract.

The Wallabies star is expected to be granted a release from his ARU contract on Thursday, freeing up the dual international for an early return to the NRL next season.

Titans managing director Michael Searle said on Wednesday the Gold Coast would not enter into immediate negotiations with Rogers.

Rogers is already contracted to the new NRL franchise for 2008, but Searle said the club would give the 30-year-old time to come to terms with everything going on in his life.

"On reflection of Mat's situation and taking into account recent circumstances, we feel that it is in the best interest of all concerned that Mat be given sufficient time to deal with his personal and family issues before he contemplates the next phase of his sporting career and a return to rugby league," Searle said.

Should he sign, the former State of Origin and Kangaroos Test star will begin training with his new teammates in January, Searle said.

Rogers will meet with ARU chief executive Gary Flowers, general manager Pat Wilson and Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie at 12.30pm (AEDT) on Thursday, with all parties sympathetic to his "special circumstances" following a series of tragedies in the Rogers family.

His mother Carol died of cancer five years ago, his father - league legend Steve Rogers - was found dead in January after suffering from depression before his older brother Don was taken to hospital on Saturday following a drug overdose.

Source: AAP

[PROMETHEUS]

Not sure if anyone else is getting this other than me but I am starting to think that Rogers might want to play at Cronulla in 2007, I certainly hope not I really want him here.

Wouldnt think so,from reading various news items it appears he wants to get right away from cronulla-too many bad memories, and head back to his home state. :beer:

[Capital_Shark]

Not sure if anyone else is getting this other than me but I am starting to think that Rogers might want to play at Cronulla in 2007, I certainly hope not I really want him here.

Where did you get that from?

Rogers will not return to Cronulla to play, if at all. Cronulla is behind him, the Gold Coast is where his future is. He wants to be at the Gold Coast with his family. Even more so after his brother's attempted suicide. I think there are too many tough memories associated with his father at the Sharks.

[Kingytek]

Private letter explains all

By Jim Tucker
December 14, 2006

MAT Rogers will be Gold Coast's fullback solution within days, now the troubled footballer has detailed in a private letter why he wants out of rugby union.

So certain is the end of Rogers's five-year career in rugby today that a summit meeting in Sydney with senior Australia and New South Wales officials is expected to last barely 30 minutes before a scheduled press conference.

The face-to-face meeting is the divorce court, not the start of a tug of war to find a way to keep the brilliant, erratic and often injured gamebreaker for Rugby World Cup year in 2007.

Only Australian Rugby Union chief executive Gary Flowers, high-performance manager Pat Wilson and Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie are privy to the personal reasons in the Rogers letter, which they received on Tuesday.

The letter, with a frank explanation of the footballer's difficult off-field circumstances, is the first concrete expression of his wish to cut from rugby.

Until now, his tedious moan about not having enough chances at fly-half for Australia, reactivating his NRL career on the Gold Coast, his family turmoil and getting out of suffocating Sydney have been played out as a mix of fact and speculation in the media.

You can add to that the theory that Rogers would have played Super 14 rugby with NSW in 2007 if he had no contractual obligation to also remain in the Wallabies mix, which is where his chief frustration with playing and extended time away lies.

Being granted a release from the final season of his $500,000-a-year deal with rugby won't turn him into a pauper. Far from it. He will drop little to sign on a year earlier than planned with the Titans, for whom he is likely to step out with for the first time on February 17 in a pre-season trial against Melbourne.

Australia coach John Connolly gave nothing away when asked yesterday about life after Rogers at the Wallabies.

"The meeting hasn't been held yet," he said.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23214,00.html

[maroon man]

I absolutely cannot wait to see Matt Rogers run out for the Titans. What a player! But I will bet my left leg that he plays 5/8th. I know people are speculating that he will be the fullback but I am willing to wager that he will play closer to the ruck and will eventually be part of a lethal halves combination with Scotty Prince - and with Presto coming off the bench.

Go Titans!!

[AJEB]

Rogers released by unions
By Todd Balym
December 14, 2006

MAT Rogers has been released from his contract by the Australian Rugby Union and NSW Rugby Union and is free to return to rugby league in the new year.

The dual international was granted a release, effective December 31, on compassionate grounds after a 45-minute meeting in Sydney today with ARU chief executive Gary Flowers, general manager Pat Wilson and NSW Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie.

Rogers is now expected to link up with the Gold Coast Titans for their entry to the NRL next season, having initially signed a deal to join the club in 2008 - following next year's Rugby World Cup.

Rogers, 30, is looking to start a new life on the Gold Coast after a series of family tragedies, the latest occurring last week when his older brother Don was taken to hospital after a drug overdose.

His mother Carol died of cancer five years ago and his father - league legend Steve Rogers - was found dead at his Cronulla home in January, having previously suffered from depression.

"This isn't a rugby versus league decision. It's about my family my life my future," Rogers said, reading a prepared statement.

"I have important personal reasons for requesting a release from the Waratahs and Wallabies and, although most of my life has been played out in the media, I do ask for the next period of time that you respect my family's privacy.

"Make no mistake, this is a sad day for me. I'm walking away from a lot of friends that I've made over the past five years but they certainly won't be forgotten."

"Rugby has given me some of the best times of my life but I need to take a new direction."

AAP

[Titanium_BD1103]

Glad to see the ARU did the right thing and let Mat go... he needs to be closer to his family and to help sort out the issues with family he currently has...

I am sure that once Mat is ready, the GC can talk about him being a part of the squad, but I hope he can take some time out from Rugby and sort out what he needs to sort out as the things that have happened this year to Mat you wish on no one...

All the best to Mat and hope to see you playing in the Teal Blue and Gold very soon... and once again well done to the ARU and NSWRU for doing the right thing, I am sure there will someone else who will come to the Waratahs who will do just as good a job.

[DeeGan]

This is great news!

I am a HUGE Matt Rogers fan and when he is ready to talk, I hope we can sit down and re-structure his contract which will tie up with us for three seasons!

Matt Rogers has his doubters out there in league circles, league types are a fickle bunch, though I can see him showing them up leaving the "experts" with egg on their faces after next season.

[DIEHARD]

Hopefully soon we will have him home on the Coast and back in rugby league.

It really hurt losing the son of a legend and a great player in his own right to the other code.

He would be a fantastic player! He could make his home in a number of positions.

[jenny]

Titans 'willing to gamble' on Rogers


TELEGRAPH
December 14, 2006 - 5:19PM

Gold Coast boss and former player Michael Searle says the Titans are more concerned about Mat Rogers finding some stability in his life than losing him to a rival NRL club in 2007.

The Australian and NSW Rugby Unions have formally released the former Queensland and Australian rugby league star from his 2007 contract on compassionate grounds.

The 30-year-old utility back is keen to start a new life on the Gold Coast following a series of family tragedies, the latest just last week when his older brother Don was taken to hospital suffering from a drug overdose.

His mother Carol died of cancer five years ago and his father - league legend Steve Rogers - was found dead at his Cronulla home in January, having previously suffered from depression.

Rogers had signed to play for the Titans in 2008 - after rugby's World Cup next year - but he's now expected to link with them next season.

However Searle said he wouldn't be pushing a 2007 contract under Rogers' nose given the turmoil he's been through in recent months, even if it opens the door for a rival NRL club swooping with a cashed-up one year deal.

"Fine, good luck to them if they do," said Searle.

"If he was doing this for money, he wouldn't be coming to the Titans in 2008 anyway.

"This is more about lifestyle and giving his family a fresh start.

"We believe Mat needs time to be with his family and we believe it's important that he spent some time with them.

"Jumping into negotiations and rushing to the Gold Coast to train probably isn't going to do him a lot of good.

"He may miss two or three weeks training, but he's a supreme athlete anyway.

"He's had a fairly intense year with the challenges he's faced in his personal life not to mention the rigours of a Wallaby campaign leading up to a World Cup would have been taxing for him.

"If we give him a month off to get himself in order mentally and physically we can sit down and do a deal sometime in the middle."

Searle said he would probably call Rogers on Thursday to tell him they'd catch up in the New Year.

"If anyone approaches him in the meantime hopefully he'll come to us anyway," he said.

"He's aware of our cap position and I don't think there's too many clubs left in the NRL who have the capacity to pay him a massive amount of money at this late stage anyway.

"If they did, I think the relationship we've developed over the last three months about giving him and his family a new start would come into play.

"I believe he sees the Titans and the Gold Coast as his future home."

Searle said Rogers, who was disappointed he didn't get more opportunities to play five-eighth for the Wallabies, hadn't discussed where he wanted to play for the Titans who have recruited specialist halves in Scott Prince and Preston Campbell.

"He has a great running game and an incredible kicking game so he'd be an option at five-eighth, centre or fullback," said Searle.

"But it's never been discussed with me or our coach John Cartwright."

[jenny]

Michael Searle.. Is showing compassion....Good on him!