Stuart blames agent for Warriors’ woes
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart says he’s proud of the way Canberra held their ground over losing a star player and didn’t let their club be ruined like the Warriors.
On the back of losing star second-rower John Bateman – rated the best edge forward in the NRL last year – for the 2021 season, Stuart launched a scathing attack on the Englishman’s manager Isaac Moses.
‘‘The last thing we are going to be is a club such as the Broncos or Warriors where they’ve been ruined by agitation and manipulation of the roster,’’ Stuart told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Warriors players’ Kodi Nikorima, Adam Blair, Blake Green and Gerard Beale are all represented by the controversial agent as are recently sacked coach Stephen Kearney and new interim coach Todd Payten.
The Brisbane Broncos have at least six players and their underfire coach Anthony Seibold who are represented by Moses’ company Cove Agency.
Moses is currently appealing the NRL’s decision to cancel his registration over a 2017 incident when he assisted former client and Parramatta prop Tim Mannah to ‘‘give evidence to the NRL that was false and intended to mislead an investigation of the NRL Integrity and Compliance Unit’’.
In the last year, the Warriors have unsuccessfully chased Broncos players and Cove clients Matt Lodge and Jake Turpin and many Warriors fans have raised the idea that Moses was simply using the club to bump up his clients’ value.
Stuart isn’t alone in his claims about Moses alleged manipulation of the roster.
‘‘Warriors officials are keen to dilute his [Moses] hold over the club and it was one of many factors that were considered in the sacking of Stephen Kearney, a decision that cost the transTasman outfit a more than $1 million,’’ Sydney Morning Herald chief rugby league reporter Adrian Proszenko wrote last week.
Stuart said he has respect for Bateman but is unhappy with the way the contract negotiations played out and claims they were disrespectful to Raiders chief executive Don Furner.
Bateman signed with Canberra for the 2019 and 2020 season with a player option for 2021 under his English manager but changed agents to link with Moses last year.
‘‘We offered him a very good deal last year to his English manager and then his new manager. It was a very, very good offer. To then hear, ‘you’re getting closer’ was disrespectful to the club and Don, and from that day on I knew we wouldn’t be keeping John,’’ Stuart said.
It has been widely reported that Bateman, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury, remains on around A$600,000 a year with the Raiders but Moses felt he could secure the former Wigan player a much more lucrative deal.