In a wide-ranging interview, Gorman spoke frankly about issues including skipper Daly Cherry-Evans and Jackson Hastings, the playing roster and the club’s future.

“I don’t believe our club is in turmoil at all,” Gorman said. “We’ve hit a speed hump with some poor decision making by a part of our club in Gladstone, which has led to some off field challenges we have to address.

“We have to take accountability and responsibility for our actions in Gladstone and we do.”

Gorman described the past three weeks as “frustrating” and “distracting”.

“We created that, we’ve got to fix it and we will,” he said. “Our past doesn’t define our future — we are in control of our future — and when adversity happens what defines you is how you handle it.

“Sticking together gets us through this.”

He said the players let themselves down, let the coach down and let the club down. “They know that and they have learnt a lesson from that,” he said.

TRENT BARRETT

The Sea Eagles coach has really stepped up and has carried a tremendous amount on his shoulders and there were reports people close to Barrett had urged him to walk away from the club.

Gorman said he had a meeting on Friday night with Barrett, chairman Scott Penn and football manager Gareth Holmes.

“We’re rock solid in our belief in the journey we are on, the belief in the future of our club,” Gorman said. “Trent will go nowhere, he is very committed to this journey. I have incredible faith in Trent. I know his hunger, I know his drive and I know the sleepless nights he goes through thinking about the game, how he can do things better.

“He’s a very dedicated coach, a great man manager. And he is the right person to lead this playing group.”

GORMAN’S ROLE

THERE had been some criticism that the club CEO had not been front and centre enough through the dramas.

“I find that interesting — I don’t know what front and centre means,” Gorman said. “I’ll always be strongly of the view our coaches speak about our player selections, not me.”

He said Barrett did that with his 100 per cent support.

“The day I start speaking about player selections, I think we are in a bit of bother,” he said. “I’ll always be very happy to speak about club policies and strategy and where we are heading.

“l’ll never run and hide. I’ll put my hand up as CEO of our business and I’ll take accountability and responsibility.”

CHERRY-EVANS

GORMAN said the Manly skipper had publicly acknowledged he was disappointed with himself in Gladstone, where he had an altercation with teammate Jackson Hastings and was subsequently fined $10,000. “He’s our most senior player at the moment and is passionate about the (captain’s) role,” Gorman said.

He said Cherry-Evans led by example and never gave less than 100 per cent. “He is a quality footballer and a quality young man,” he said.

Cherry-Evans had been in a couple of incidents he would do differently given the chance “and in life we have all confronted those experiences.”

HASTINGS

The CEO said the air had been cleared between Jackson Hastings and the rest of the players after it had been revealed they had refused to play with him.

Four days after the Gladstone incident, Hastings and Cherry-Evans shook and hugged at a team dinner.

“Our squad moved on, these are professional footballers and their major focus in their job is on the park and they get on with that on a week by week basis,” he said.

BULLYING

GORMAN took offence to suggestions — raised in the wake of the situation with Hastings — there may have been a bullying culture at the club. “I find that insulting to our club, our coaching staff and our management and our players and all the people involved,” he said.

No one had raised any concerns with him.

SALARY CAP

MANLY have been asked to submit more information as part of their appeal process over the $700,000 cap penalty imposed by the NRL. “This club has a history of spending the full cap and if we’re forced down a bit then we’ve got to live with that and make the adjustment,” Gorman said.

PLAYER ROSTER

THE Sea Eagles had seven talented players out, some for the year and others for periods that were a test for the club.

“We have a lot of belief in the squad that is there and our coaching staff remain very positive, the optimism there hasn’t waned at all,” Gorman said.

He said the club had two or three spots to fill to get their NRL roster up to 30 players by June 30. “And we are actively in the market to do that and we will do that,” he said.

LONG-TERM FUTURE

Manly owners the Penn family were committed to the future of the Sea Eagles, as were the corporate partners to whom he has spoken.

“Our future is as strong as it ever was,” he said. “We’ll be making some announcements shortly about player recruitment, football staff recruitment, new corporate partners and the centre of excellence.”