Manly have bristled at suggestions they were the club that made an illegal approach to Cronulla lock Paul Gallen.
Gallen requested a release from the Sharks this week, claiming he needed a fresh challenge and wanted to play semi-final football.
It immediately set off rumours that the Sea Eagles who are looking to replace retiring captain Ben Kennedy had prompted the move, but football manager Peter Peters angrily denied the link today.
"It's an easy accusation to make isn't it?" he asked ahead of tonight's sudden-death showdown with St George Illawarra at Aussie Stadium.
"We're losing a lock, so people immediately accuse us of being involved.
"We haven't done any such thing, we haven't spoken to him and we have no plans to speak to him.
"It's getting quite tiresome having to constantly defend all of this crap."
Gallen met with Sharks officials yesterday and agreed to honour his contract through next season after claiming, "it might be time for a change".
"It's not that I don't like the place or the coaching staff or anything like that I just want to play semi-final football," Gallen said.
"You get only a short playing career and I'm looking for a fresh start and a fresh challenge."
But in a sign of the pressure mounting on the southern Sydney club, chief executive Greg Pierce insisted today that news of Gallen wanting to leave had been blown out of proportion.
"It's a load of ****," he said.
"You can make a story out of anything I suppose journos do that, but big deal he asked for a release, we said no, that's it."
The Sharks wrapped up their season review yesterday and are expecting to receive a report from management consultancy firm the Mercury Group next week.
Coach Stuart Raper is believed to be under increasing pressure to keep his job after Cronulla slumped from third mid-season to 13th with 10 consecutive losses to end the season.
KELPIE said:Gallen desperate to quit Sharks
By Dean Ritchie
September 14, 2006 NEW South Wales back rower Paul Gallen has rocked the Sharks by asking for a release, and the club suspects a rival NRL club has attempted to poach him.
Signed until the end of 2007, Sharks chief executive Greg Pierce last night torpedoed the move, saying: "There's no way he's going anywhere."
Gallen fronted Pierce and under-pressure coach Stuart Raper last Friday to request the right to move on.
The development comes with the Sharks in the middle of conducting an internal review after crashing out of finals contention amid the worst losing streak in the club's 40-year history.
IF HE WON'TS OUT LET HIM GO BECAUSE HIS HEART WILL NEVER BE IN IT
"I just feel like it might be time for a change. It's not that I don't like the place or the coaching staff or anything like that. I just want to play semi-final football," Gallen said.
"You only get a short playing career and I'm looking for a fresh start and a fresh challenge. I told Stuart (Raper) and Greg (Pierce) direct.
"They both said it would be crazy for them to let me go, so I don't like my chances."
The Sharks will finish conducting their review tomorrow. The club is understood to be close to coming to terms with sacked Sydney Roosters coach Ricky Stuart to replace Raper next season.
Pierce suspects Gallen may have been approached with a big-money offer to join a rival club.
"Asking for a release and getting a release are two different things altogether," Pierce said.
"I dare say he's been made an offer by another club, which disappoints me.
"He probably thinks he can earn more money and he probably wishes he was in the semi-finals, but so do we all."
But Gallen's agent David Riolo denied the Origin star had been approached by another NRL club.
Gallen collected the Sharks supporters' player of the year award at Cronulla's 2006 presentation night last Tuesday.
- http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20406331-23214,00.html
san29 said:IF HE WANTS OUT THEN LET HIM GO HIS HEART WILL NEVER BE IN IT
Megashark said:Last I heard Maitua was only out for one game, so I would suggest that probably Ryan will be the starting lock for the Kangaroos on Saturday night in Melbourne, or they will move O'Donnell back there and start Ryan in the 2nd row. However if it is a long term injury to Maitua then I would rate Gallen a fair chance of a call-up given his good form for us this season and also for the PMs selection in PNG. He would not look out of place in the green and gold and he would not let anyone down, that is for sure.
Capital_Shark said:Maitua's tri nations is over. As for Gallen, I dunno about his chances. Was he even selected in the squad to start with? I don't think so. They'll play O'Donnell in lock I'd say.
Megashark said:Gallen was in the train-on squad and was the starting lock for the PMs 13 in PNG, so if Ricky decides to bring in someone from outside the current squad to replace Maitua, he is the obvious choice. As the Tri Nations is a pretty long campaign, I like his chances of getting a look in at some stage. Let's face it, he deserves it on merit to be in ahead of a bloke like Thaiday anyway.
Nulla Boy said:IMO ricky should have at least picked 2 sharks for the squad-
reason 1.would make for valuble experience next year
reason 2.would of got off to a great start with the players.
but he snubbed them,how would the squad feel knowing that the incoming coach doesnt think too highly of them.gallen shouldof been picked no worries,and although stapleton hasn't played for us yet he had a great year as well,plus i think thompson just plainly deserves some recognition for all the work he has done in his career,how has this bloke not played reps higher than city/country.