The Steve Turner Discussion Thread.

[BrisbaneBroncosRule]

thanks for that DeeGan, i really hope he does play for the Titans, or at least play next year. I really enjoy watching him play.

[PROMETHEUS]

Really,whats to stop turner from going to the Titans,playing like a dog and then being dumped? :naughty:

[Kingytek]

I?LL SIT OUT
http://www.tweednews.com.au/localspo...ondsubsection=
13.11.2006

THE clash between the Gold Coast and Melbourne recruit Steve Turner is set to escalate with the defiant winger declaring he is prepared to sit out of the NRL for three years if the Titans block his attempts to remain with the Storm.

The Gold Coast will commence pre-season training today but Turner, who snubbed the Titans? orientation camp last week, will be a notable absentee at this morning?s first session.

Speaking for the first time since Titans managing director Michael Searle indicated he might prevent him from playing if he didn?t join the premiership newcomers, Turner told a Sydney newspaper he was prepared to resolve the issue in court.

"I heard that and it would be a crushing blow for myself," Turner said of a possible playing ban. "You would like to think that would not happen.

"Hopefully that would not be the outcome because that would be shattering for myself, sitting out three years of rugby league."

The Titans announced the signing of Turner in June but the try-scoring whiz insisted he had not signed a contract or letter of intent.

Searle, who has the support of the NRL in the fight for Turner, said there would be no back down over the issue.

"I?m confident we?ll be found to have a binding agreement with the player, very confident," he said.

"These are professional footballers, this isn?t park football, where you can turn up and say ?I don?t want to turn up and play for you guys?," Searle said.

Asked if he was concerned Turner would follow the lead of former Brisbane captain Gordon Tallis, who sat out the 1996 season because of a contractual dispute, Searle said: "That?s his choice at the end of the day, but he?ll have to sit out three seasons.

"None of us want to see that."

NRL chief executive David Gallop contacted Melbourne officials last week to reiterate that the NRL would not register any contract they sign but Turner remains determined to stay with the Storm.

"I wouldn?t want it to go to court," he said.

"It would be the last resort and I wouldn?t want it to happen but if things look like that, so be it."

The Titans will launch their pre-season training regime today under the guidance of fitness guru Billy Johnstone.

Players will assemble at the Runaway Bay sports centre this morning for a gruelling two-hour weights session with Johnstone determined to have the players ready for the club?s NRL debut when they take on St George Illawarra at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, March 18.

"The boys are jumping out of their skins to get stuck into it," coach John Cartwright said.

"We?ve had our induction week and got all that sort of stuff out of the way so now it?s just a matter of turning up for training every day and doing the work."

[DeeGan]

The worst news since this story broke - Steve Turner declaring he is willing to sit out of rugby league for three years putting a screeching halt on a promising young career. I would hope sanity prevails ...

[Grimmace]

DeeGan whats is his manager saying about this whole saga.

[SuperCliffy#01]

Steve Turner is correct about not signing a letter of intent, but his manager did on his behalf, that would indicate that Turner gave his manager the power to sign on his behalf, so he knew he was commiting himself to the Titans for next year, Turner deserves everything he gets excluding sympathy.cya.

[Teegy]

i hope the whinger does sit-out. even if he does decide to come then he would not make even the feeder teams IMO. why let him in the team when their are players who are at the titans because they want to be their

[DeeGan]

i hope the whinger does sit-out. even if he does decide to come then he would not make even the feeder teams IMO. why let him in the team when their are players who are at the titans because they want to be their

Whilst I understand some Titans fan will carry a grudge against Steve if he does end up here, I would hope the majority will recognise that he is a talented player who can only be of benefit to us on the field helping us build a winning team in the NRL competition. That is what is all about when it comes down to it.

I think the player will accept him as part of the team as will Michael, John, Scott and Gilly - unfortunately, I don't think all involved will get the opportunity as it looks like Steve will dig his heels in and sit on the sidelines.

[Eel 33]

Turner needs to have a good look at himself. He knows he has a "contract" with the titans and that's the end of the story. If he does stay in Melbourne, i think he's taken a leaf out of Jamie Lyons book for the worst "i want out" excuses.

[bigjim]

DeeGan whats is his manager saying about this whole saga.

Does he still have the same manager.

If I was Turner and my manager :emp: had allowed me, as thick and stupid as I might be, to get into this mess, I would think seriously about sacking his ass.

[Grimmace]

Titans set deadline for Turner

November 14, 2006
GOLD Coast Titans have given rebellious Melbourne winger Steve Turner less than two weeks to start training for the new NRL club.

As the Titans undertook their first public training session, managing director Michael Searle said the club wanted the 22-year-old flyer on the Gold Coast by Monday, November 27 to help integrate with his new teammates.

"His biggest fear is that his teammates won't accept him," said Searle.

"He'll definitely get sledged by the boys but that'll be all over in a couple of days.

"I'm sure they'll come up with a nickname for the rest of the season."

The Titans announced the recruitment of Turner in June but the Penrith junior insisted he had not signed a contract and subsequently re-signed with Storm in August.

The NRL has sided with the Titans in the bitter tug-of-war and has refused to register the three-year contract Turner had signed with Storm.

Turner's manager David Riolo and Storm chief executive Brian Waldron are refusing to comment on the simmering issue.

Gold Coast players involved in the NRL grand final and current Tri-Nations series have been excused from training until late next month.

Preston Campbell, Daniel Conn and Jake Webster are recovering from injuries.

"They rode about 30 kilometres today on a bike," said Searle.

"The rehab group seriously works harder than the other players."

The Titans have had a taste of life under tough fitness guru Billy Johnstone, with about five players throwing up during yesterday's weights session.

Once the sledging is finished with Turner, prop Michael Henderson's attention will shift to his former St George Illawarra teammates as the Titans face the Dragons in their first premiership game on Sunday, March 18 in Brisbane.

"There should be a lot of fireworks," said Henderson, who learnt his trade under Australia and New South Wales props Jason Ryles and Luke Bailey.

"It'll be good to get that game out of the way.

"There'll be a bit of playful banter. It's all part of it."

Titans coach John Cartwright said Henderson was guaranteed a starting spot in the front row, with only Bailey and James Stosic the other specialist props in the squad.

"We've got three genuine front rowers," Cartwright said.

"He's here as a starting front rower and he'll get his chance at that through the year."

Cartwright said Henderson, 22, had all the right ingredients to form a devastating combination with Bailey.

"He's young, he's tough, he's come out of a side that's made the top four in their last three years and he's played with great front rowers," Cartwright noted.

"He's a bit of a character in the side and he's very popular but that's not why we got him here.

"He's very talented and he wants a crack at that front row spot."

AAP

[Grimmace]

NRL blocks Turner plan
Mick Daly
November 17, 2006 11:00pm


THE NRL will not allow renegade winger Steve Turner to play for Melbourne next season.

The NRL has revealed it will not allow Turner to line up for the Storm even if a court declares his verbal agreement with the Gold Coast Titans invalid.
The 22-year-old agreed to a three-year-deal with the Titans in July before backflipping in August and signing another contract with the Storm.

He has previously indicated he would take the NRL to court to remain with the Storm and avoid sitting on the sidelines until 2010.

But NRL boss David Gallop yesterday claimed the game's governing body had full power in determining Turner's playing future ? irrespective of what a court ruled.

"There's a purely black and white legal side to it and there's a notion of fairness, of what's fair, side to it," Gallop said. "We'd need to consider that if there was a court decision.

"We've got absolute discretion to not register a contract so we haven't considered (the possibility of Turner staying with Melbourne)."

Asked if that meant the NRL could ignore a court's decision and force Turner to either play with the Titans or not at all, Gallop replied: "Yes but obviously we would look very carefully at any court decision."

Gallop admitted the matter would be detrimental to the game if it was played out through the courts.

But he insisted the NRL was not about to change its stance and said he had even offered to meet with Turner in an attempt to resolve it.

"Any time this sort of thing reaches the court it can be damaging. Litigation is very expensive and it is to be discouraged," Gallop said.

"We would certainly encourage (Turner) to accept that he entered into an agreement with the Titans.

"He went on television and radio and said how much he was looking forward to (joining the Titans

Source: Courier Mail

[DeeGan]

Steve is going to have to come to a decision sooner rather than later - the longer he lets this fester, the harder it will be for him to turn up and adorn the Gold Coast Titans jersey.

[jenny]

Titans give Turner ultimatum


November 20, 2006

GOLD Coast Titans will withdraw their offer to release defiant Melbourne winger Steve Turner at the end of the 2007 season if he pursues legal action against the NRL club.

Titans managing director Michael Searle said he was losing patience with Turner and threatened to fine the 22-year-old if he failed to show up at training on Monday.

Turner will meet with NRL chief executive David Gallop in Sydney on Wednesday morning to plead his case in the bitter contractual dispute between Gold Coast and Storm.

The Titans are willing to offer the Penrith junior a release after one season if he's unhappy on the Gold Coast.

"This is in no way or shape a backdown," Searle said.

"It's a reasonable offer to a young guy to remove some fears he might have about coming to a new club.

"We couldn't do any more than what we've done.

"I'll withdraw that offer should he decide to go down the legal path and he'll then have to satisfy his contract for the next three years."

Turner agreed to join the Titans on a three-year deal in June only to change his mind and re-sign with Storm until the end of 2009.

"We'd expect him to be here on Monday but if he doesn't turn up we certainly won't be terminating his contract," Searle remarked.

"Our patience will run out after Monday. It's not fair on his teammates who are here doing the hard yards.

"They're experiencing (life under tough trainer) Billy Johnstone so at some stage there has to be some parity."

The NRL has sided with the Titans in the dispute, with Gallop saying on Friday the league might refuse to register Turner with Melbourne even if a court rules in the Storm's favour.

"I think that's dangerous because as the governing body the NRL should be neutral," said former Storm chief executive John Ribot, now boss of A-League football club Queensland Roar.

"You can't afford to take anyone's side."

Gallop said he would talk with Turner, Storm coach Craig Bellamy and club chief executive Brian Waldron on Wednesday but warned he would not be softening his stance on the simmering issue.

"It's just an opportunity for Steve Turner to tell me his side of the story," Gallop explained.

Waldron said Turner, who had his wisdom teeth removed over the weekend, was ready to chat with Gallop after a lengthy holiday following Storm's grand final loss to Brisbane early last month.

"What the outcome is, nobody knows," Waldron said.

"I don't think we need to do anything except be upfront and honest with David on where Steve stands.

"We've always felt that when we're dealing with individuals it's important to understand that they're human beings and we should never lose sight of that.

"At times we tend to push our players around like pinball machines."

[Q Dave]

Here comes the acid Steve. We told you so.

The titans have given you every opportunity and then some, to help you get with the program and its time to pay your dues.

He wont come of course.

So emblodened by his poor advisors, egged on by that rogue team Melbourne, he will cower out the season in relative and forgetable obscurity.

Has Ribot's court case started yet? He's the last one on earth to tell the NRL what it should and shouldnt be doing. He left the game under a shroud.

I dont think Gallop should talk over the courts though. It doesnt help the situation.

But Melbourne cannot play an unregistered player, simple as that.

The way they have conducted themselves by signing him after they knew he was a titan could be described as utterly shameful. A joke.

This rogue club doesnt deserve a place in our game and I for one will be boycotting them or their sponsers. Take them off the table! Promote the jets if we have to. This franchise of frolic. Are they running a club down there or what?

I stayed at surfers last week, did the great Aussie Holiday thing, had a wonderful time.

Favourite spot: Currumbin Lagoon, absolutely beautiful. Hang on to those areas of low development guys. Fight the good fight for whats left.

Next time I'll head further north for some wilderness wonder.

Turner can give me a ring and I'll tell him what Searle has. Queensland is a terrific place.

If he wants to sue the titans for a release, thats just ludicous and he should never play league again.

Own up son and get your backside up to land that doesnt need daylight saving.

Dont be a toolie.