Colman’s call: Moses Suli Tigers case should be a cautionary tale
NEWS that Moses Suli has been off-loaded by Wests Tigers should be a cautionary tale to clubs who throw buckets of cash at young, untried players, writes Mike Colman.
Opinion
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NEWS that an overweight Moses Suli has been off-loaded by Wests Tigers should be a cautionary tale to clubs who throw buckets of cash at young, untried players, and it must be sending shockwaves to the Newcastle Knights.
The Knights are forking out a reported $3.6 million over five years to former Cowboy Kalyn Ponga, the largest contract ever offered to a teenager.
Ponga, who was 18 at the time of signing the deal at the end of 2016 was, understandably, used only sparingly by North Queensland coach Paul Green last season.
The Knights plan to build their future around him so it’s probably a fair bet that coach Nathan Brown wasn’t too excited to see a photo of him doing a backflip off the roof of a house into a swimming pool.
It’s hard to pick what is the most worrying, that Ponga has such little concern for the people paying his wages, or that he thought it was OK to post the picture on Instagram.
Still, it could have been worse. It could have been Moses Suli doing a bomb off the roof. There wouldn’t have been much water left in the pool.
Apparently he has blown out to over 130 kilos since ending last season prematurely due to stress fractures in his ankles.
It was not Suli’s weight that saw the Tigers jump at the chance to flick him to the Bulldogs. It was his attitude.
Normally when a club CEO comments on a player leaving a club he or she is full of praise for the contribution that the player has made and wishes them all the best for the future.
They don’t always believe it, but it’s a good look for all concerned.
Not this time. Just 12 months after signing schoolboy Suli to a $1.3 million contract before he’d played a first grade game, Tigers boss Justin Pascoe didn’t hold back.
“We are working really hard both on and off the field to build something special here at Wests Tigers,” he said.
“That includes building a culture and set of standards that cannot be compromised. I am sure if Moses is willing to take responsibility, be a team player and commit to the demands of being a professional athlete he has the potential to have a successful career in rugby league.”
Ouch. It’s hardly a glowing endorsement, but it is good advice which hopefully Suli will take to heart.
There’s no doubt he is a talented player. Early in the season it seemed he was going to live up to the huge raps the Tigers had put on him.
Sadly talent isn’t always enough. According to recent reports, Cameron Munster is a case in point.
How good is Munster? Well, Craig Bellamy doesn’t usually give second chances and apparently Munster is currently on his third.
An Origin and Kangaroos player with a premiership under his belt at the age of 20, he has achieved more than Suli and Ponga combined, but it hasn’t made him any smarter.
As Bellamy told him, “if you don’t want to play rugby league you can go dig holes for a living”.
You can sit around drinking with your mates or jumping off roofs into swimming pools too.
But the money won’t last long.
Originally published as Colman’s call: Moses Suli Tigers case should be a cautionary tale
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