Manu Tuilagi

[Mark62]

So have the players definitely gone or not? Is the door still open?

As it stands, from what I read, they are still employed by the club but placed on garden leave, for want of a better term. The club have said they cannot train or play until they agree the new terms. Whether those terms are still on the table, only the club knows

[Jimmy Skitz]

do we know when the players received the reduced contracts on offer? how much time they had to think and make a decision, if they were given it less than a week before the club imposed deadline then for me that would be poor form by the club to do that players need time to think talk to their families etc and ye, weigh up other offers.

If Manu Tuilagi picks up the phone tomorrow and says he has thought it over and talked to his partner and has decided they want to stay where they are the club should get the contract in his hand before he puts the phone down, same with any of the players mentioned.

I’ve seen June 8th mentioned

glad they had a decent amount of time then but my basic point still stands if Manu simply wanted to see what's on offer having been here his whole career I have no problem with that and if he contacts the club to say he wants to stay at the reduced price having not seen an offer that takes his fancy for whatever reason then I still say they should get the contract in his hand before he puts the phone down.

I also have no problem with the club telling him to stay away from training until he does

[Scott1]

Thanks!

[Jimmy Skitz]

He’s had the same amount of time as all of the other players who have accepted wage cuts. Would urge the club to let him go and spend the money on someone who is here all season and wants to play for the shirt.

special players get special treatment, he is a special player who will have a different market, they club should have told him to get offers from elsewhere when they made the reduced offer so he could make an informed decision at the time

[TigerCam]

do we know when the players received the reduced contracts on offer? how much time they had to think and make a decision, if they were given it less than a week before the club imposed deadline then for me that would be poor form by the club to do that players need time to think talk to their families etc and ye, weigh up other offers.

If Manu Tuilagi picks up the phone tomorrow and says he has thought it over and talked to his partner and has decided they want to stay where they are the club should get the contract in his hand before he puts the phone down, same with any of the players mentioned.

Manu has made the choice he must believe he thinks is best for him? As Andrea says, all the players were consulted along with their agents by video and face to face at WR. IMO given the pandemic and that fact that it affects each one of us in many different ways, there are no winners here. The 5 that have left have their personal reasons for doing so but given the situation and the need to get Rugby Union back on track as quickly as possible so that Andrea can offer the 31 staff made redundant their jobs back. I would have thought/hoped they (the 5) may have given more thought about staying so their efforts on the pitch can make that happen asap?

[Jimmy Skitz]

do we know when the players received the reduced contracts on offer? how much time they had to think and make a decision, if they were given it less than a week before the club imposed deadline then for me that would be poor form by the club to do that players need time to think talk to their families etc and ye, weigh up other offers.

If Manu Tuilagi picks up the phone tomorrow and says he has thought it over and talked to his partner and has decided they want to stay where they are the club should get the contract in his hand before he puts the phone down, same with any of the players mentioned.

Manu has made the choice he must believe he thinks is best for him? As Andrea says, all the players were consulted along with their agents by video and face to face at WR. IMO given the pandemic and that fact that it affects each one of us in many different ways, there are no winners here. The 5 that have left have their personal reasons for doing so but given the situation and the need to get Rugby Union back on track as quickly as possible so that Andrea can offer the 31 staff made redundant their jobs back. I would have thought/hoped they (the 5) may have given more thought about staying so their efforts on the pitch can make that happen asap?

if someone was asking you to give up nearly half your wages you'd probably want to find out what other companies could offer you before signing

[strawclearer]

do we know when the players received the reduced contracts on offer? how much time they had to think and make a decision, if they were given it less than a week before the club imposed deadline then for me that would be poor form by the club to do that players need time to think talk to their families etc and ye, weigh up other offers.

If Manu Tuilagi picks up the phone tomorrow and says he has thought it over and talked to his partner and has decided they want to stay where they are the club should get the contract in his hand before he puts the phone down, same with any of the players mentioned.

Manu has made the choice he must believe he thinks is best for him? As Andrea says, all the players were consulted along with their agents by video and face to face at WR. IMO given the pandemic and that fact that it affects each one of us in many different ways, there are no winners here. The 5 that have left have their personal reasons for doing so but given the situation and the need to get Rugby Union back on track as quickly as possible so that Andrea can offer the 31 staff made redundant their jobs back. I would have thought/hoped they (the 5) may have given more thought about staying so their efforts on the pitch can make that happen asap?

[My bold]

Understandably, most are focused on the 5/6 who are (almost certainly) leaving. Maybe we need to 'give a shout out' to the likes of Cole, Youngs, Ford, Genge, Lavanini and the others who are staying?

[Jimmy Skitz]

do we know when the players received the reduced contracts on offer? how much time they had to think and make a decision, if they were given it less than a week before the club imposed deadline then for me that would be poor form by the club to do that players need time to think talk to their families etc and ye, weigh up other offers.

If Manu Tuilagi picks up the phone tomorrow and says he has thought it over and talked to his partner and has decided they want to stay where they are the club should get the contract in his hand before he puts the phone down, same with any of the players mentioned.

Manu has made the choice he must believe he thinks is best for him? As Andrea says, all the players were consulted along with their agents by video and face to face at WR. IMO given the pandemic and that fact that it affects each one of us in many different ways, there are no winners here. The 5 that have left have their personal reasons for doing so but given the situation and the need to get Rugby Union back on track as quickly as possible so that Andrea can offer the 31 staff made redundant their jobs back. I would have thought/hoped they (the 5) may have given more thought about staying so their efforts on the pitch can make that happen asap?

[My bold]

Understandably, most are focused on the 5/6 who are (almost certainly) leaving. Maybe we need to 'give a shout out' to the likes of Cole, Youngs, Ford, Genge, Lavanini and the others who are staying?

I respect those that signed on immensely, but I also hold nothing against those that want to know what's on offer elsewhere, and before people bring up loyalty remember this club showed no loyalty to Ed Slater or Freddie Burns when both were forced out for a shinier toy, its professional sport the on loyalties are from fans

[GB72]

The problem I have is that the playing staff were given a choice to either accept a reduction in salary and suffer short term hardship or risk the future of the club going forward. Unless the club have been less than up front about the financial position then that is what it boils down to, a choice between personal gain and potentially the long term future of the Tigers. 5 or 6 players, however they want to dress up their arguments, have taken the decision that, to them, their personal enrichment is more important than the future of the club. That is their decision to make and perhaps one I can accept from players with no connection to or long term history with the club. That is why Manu's decision is such a painful one to me. The club have gone above and beyond to support him and he has been well compensated over the years, the clubs asks for something in return and the answer is no.

[Dangerous4]

I have lost all respect for him. The club has been loyal and supportive of him, in the past, and deserve the same from him. He is obviously just a money grabber without a conscience, and as such he should never be allowed to pull on a Tiger's shirt ever again. He is a shabby example of what is bad about the game. No one person is bigger than the club.

[Scuttle]

I used to be a massive Manu fan, not much better than seeing him rampaging about the pitch but much of the love has dissipated. Not blaming any player for earning as much as they can but every new contract seemed to be another lesson in brinkmanship played out through the papers with supposed sightings at various clubs at any stage that Tigers seemed to have dug their heals in. I honestly felt that we should have called his bluff over the last contract. Each one of those contract negotiations left a bitter taste, the actions seeming mercenary rather than those of a person brought up through the ranks, supported through thick and thin despite injury and discipline issues and of someone with a true love for the club. Recently I have felt that Tigers were a means to continue his England career and not much more.

A great shame as he was a true force of nature on the pitch

I have seen a number of posts in various places referring to Manu as a hero of Tigers, and always will be in their eyes. Manu is entitled to conduct his side of the contract negotiations in any way he pleases and nobody has a right to tell him he shouldn't do it that way. Equally others, whether club, supporters or onlookers are entitled to have a view about how he has done that, and express that view, and Manu has no right to tell them they shouldn't think that way. My view is that he has gone about this in a way, throughout his time at Tigers according to some, that will tarnish his legacy at the Club. Heroes are very few and far between and for me that status should be reserved for the very few, and be based on values such as commitment to the club, work ethic, work in the wider community, one club player etc; skill and ability for me does not get an extra weighting and I really cannot see Manu as a Tigers hero.

[Scott1]

Yes,Manu has lost his legend status. To me anyway,good luck to him in the future though.

[Scuttle]

Yes,Manu has lost his legend status. To me anyway,good luck to him in the future though.

Of course

[Scuttle]

This might focus Manu's mind a little.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/53277816

[Jimmy Skitz]

This might focus Manu's mind a little.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/53277816

or he may become the player that goes to court of that illegal rule