Manly boss responds amid fears Josh Schuster will lead mass exodus

Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov says the club’s culture has the power to fend off fears of a mass exodus after Scott Fulton’s departure to the Wests Tigers.

Bob Fulton and Scott Fulton.

Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov has backed the club’s culture and history of success to overcome any threat to their playing ranks brought about by the sudden departure of recruitment boss Scott Fulton.

Fulton is expected to start his new role with the Wests Tigers this week, charged with strengthening the playing roster alongside coach Tim Sheens and football operations and recruitment manager Warren McDonnell.

One of his first priorities will be to determine whether the club will offer half Luke Brooks a new deal, although assistant coach Benji Marshall is expected to also have a significant say in that decision given he is due to take the reins from Sheens at the end of next season.

Brooks is coming off arguably his best performance in years, but it may not be enough to convince the club to persist with him as they search far and wide for a half capable of leading them around the park.

That responsibility will now fall chiefly in Fulton’s hands after he officially ended his long association with Manly on Monday. The club’s pursuit of Fulton was championed by chair Lee Hagipantelis and endorsed by the board — Sheens, McDonnell and Marshall were none the wiser about his impending arrival until the story was leaked on social media on Sunday afternoon.

Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Rumours of Fulton’s departure from Manly had been circulating for weeks, although there had been no links with the Tigers until the weekend.

His arrival will no doubt ruffle feathers within the football club given the secrecy of the negotiations, although Hagipantelis and the board are of the belief that his arrival will strengthen their recruiting power as they look to move off the foot of the ladder.

They may yet look to Manly given Fulton’s decision to change clubs has prompted suggestions that he could take a number of players with him — Fulton was behind recruiting and signing the likes of Josh Schuster, Jason Saab, Tolu Koula and Haumole Olakau’atu.

Schuster’s future, in particular, is of interest given he has been given a break from first grade to work on his fitness after some sub-par performances. Mestrov, however, played down talk of an exodus and insisted that the Sea Eagles would not lose any players they wanted to keep.

“I am not too worried (about losing players),” Mestrov said.

Scott Fulton was behind the signing of Manly young gun Josh Schuster.

“We back ourselves to keep kids and the ones we want to retain, we keep them always. We are a big club and you hope players want to stay here for the right reasons.

“We back ourselves to build strong relationships with the players. It is a good environment here — we have a good culture, it is a place where people want to be.”

Fulton was at the heart of a strategic decision by Manly to focus on western Sydney, tapping into a nursery that helped them discover a handful of their current first grade side.

The current administration, however, believe that decision came at the cost of their own nursery on Sydney’s northern beaches, which has historically formed the bedrock of the club.

Mestrov wants to redirect much of the club’s recruitment focus into their traditional areas of strength — the local competition, the country and New Zealand.

“I want to have a focus back on local juniors, I want to rekindle relationships we had in the past with country clubs and New Zealand, which have worked for us,” Mestrov said.

“Things are changing. We just brought Geoff Toovey in to oversee out pathways and programs. We are serious about strengthening our juniors.”

FULTON’S SON QUITS MANLY TO JOIN WESTS TIGERS

By Phil Rothfield

Manly Sea Eagles recruitment guru Scott Fulton has quit the club to join the Wests Tigers.

After Saturday night’s stirring win over the Panthers, it is a hugely significant appointment for the wooden spooners, who have struggled for more than a decade to build a competitive roster.

Fulton has been largely credited for Manly’s impressive list management in recent years.

The likes of Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolu Koula, Jason Saab, Josh Schuster, Taniela Paseka and Kelma Tuilagi were all identified and signed by Fulton.

The Wests Tigers have been terrible in recruitment for too long.

They paid over $800,000 for the likes of Moses Mbye, Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer and other players who just couldn’t aim up.

Fulton is expected to start straight away at the Wests Tigers.

While the club is celebrating Saturday night’s magnificent win, they are also being realistic about the amount of work ahead for the club to become a genuine premiership contender.

Hence the move for Fulton.

Bob Fulton and Scott Fulton.

“It’s only one win and there’s still a long way to go,” said chairman Lee Hagipantelis said, “We won’t be getting ahead of ourselves.

“I’m just happy for the players, the coaching staff, our members, fans and our sponsors who have stuck solid over a tough period.”

It’s interesting that Hagipantelis personally accepts the blame for the Wests Tigers’ position while others have taken aim at CEO Justin Pascoe and called for axing.

“I don’t see how you can relate Justin’s role to on-field performance,” he said.

“People can think I’m being naive by saying that but Justin is fulfilling his role to the satisfaction of the board. He makes operational decisions on a day-to-day basis.

“He makes financial and commercial decisions – and we’ve done very well in those areas.

“His role with the football department is to ensure it’s fully resourced and funded.

“Justin has never appointed a coach or terminated a coach.

Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“He has never recruited a player. He does not have the authority to do that. The board signs off on that on the recommendation of a list management committee.”

Hagipantelis accepts full accountability himself for 273 days with a victory.

For the toughest days in the club’s history.

“I’m chairman of the and I’ll accept responsibility,” he said, “I’m accountable to the directors who appointed me.

“If they are dissatisfied with my performance they will tell me so and I will step down.

“It hasn’t got to that stage. After the win over Penrith I got some really encouraging messages from Nick Politis and Nick Pappas, two great chairman.

“It is very humbling. I’ve learnt a lot in this job but I have more to learn.”

Fulton was credited with unearthing a host of future stars at Manly, including Haumole Olakau'atu, Tolu Koula and Josh Schuster.

He also insists the club is on the right track with veteran coach Tim Sheens and the plan for him to hand over Benji Marshall for 2025.

“Prior to the Penrith game we were pretty gutted,” he said.

“I can’t explain why we were zero from seven because I know how hard they’ve been working.

“As for Tim, I was in the sheds after the game in Bathurst.

“I watched as the players came in and the way they greeted Tim and how he is incredibly respected by the group.

“We have a two-year transition happening. And Tim thinks Benji has come far beyond where he expected him to be at this stage.

“Look at the coaches Tim has brought through over the years like Ricky Stuart, Mal Meninga, Todd Payten and Craig Bellamy.

“It’s been hard but we’re on the right track.”

Originally published as Manly boss responds amid fears Josh Schuster will lead mass exodus