Tim Moltzen reveals his regret on the way he backflipped on his Dragons deal

A big name signing for the Dragons, Tim Moltzen backflipped on his agreement to come to the club and says the way he went about it was “childish”.

• Moltzen’s fury after NRL banned his farewell

Tim Moltzen has one regret about rugby league career.

Forget the injuries that forced him into premature retirement, instead it was the contract saga in 2011 and the eventual backflip on St George Illawarra which Moltzen wishes he could change.

Moltzen dodged calls and text messages from then rookie St George Illawarra coach Steve Price, who had earmarked the Wests Tiger as the replacement for the Newcastle-bound Darius Boyd.

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Tim Moltzen had agreed to play for the Dragons before backflipping on the deal.

“At the time I felt like it wasn’t my job to combat all that,” Moltzen says.

“But really it was. It was about me. I wish I had of sat down with Pricey early on when I started to have doubts. I was young and ignorant. I thought, I pay a manager I’ll let him deal with it but ethically now it doesn’t sit well with me. It was childish.

“That’s a regret not to have had an adult conversation with a guy I’d agreed to sign with.”

The vitriol from Dragons fans was intense.

Moltzen needed a security escort from his car to the ground when they clashed in 2012.

The words “Moltzen is scum” were painted on the footpath next to Kogarah Oval.

The NRL had threatened to block Moltzen from staying at the Tigers.

Tim Moltzen dodged Steve Price’s calls. .Picture Gregg Porteous

“I said I’d sit it out if that’s what was going to happen,” Moltzen says.

“When I made the decision to leave I was being changed positions. If you fast forward to the end of the year I started playing my best footy. We had a really tight team. I felt like the group of boys we had could’ve done something.

“I was in the city getting advice from lawyers. It was a brutal time.

“I was a naïve kid, I was 22.”