As a youngster on the Kogarah Jubilee Hill, my favourite player was the live-wire half back turned winger Steve Morris. A legend of the club, he played 180 games, scoring 102 tries using his scintillating speed and elusiveness which earned him the nickname ‘Slippery’.
His twin sons, Josh and Brett, have inherited his speed and try-scoring abilities, but tower over their father and outweigh him by 20 kilograms. After his football career, Steve returned to the Illawarra, from where he had previously represented Australia – the last country player to do so.
His sons came up through the grades at the newly merged identity St George Illawarra, playing in the 2005 Jersey Flegg-winning side. Unfortunately Josh was made to move on when Wayne Bennett arrived, going to the Bulldogs where he has competed in two grand finals.
Brett has become one of the top wingers in the game, representing the Blues 10 times and the Kangaroos 18, along with winning a premiership in 2010.
If media reports are to be believed it appears that Brett will be reunited with his twin at cross-town rivals the Bulldogs. As a Dragons fan it’s a shame to lose one of the game’s elite wingers, who has crossed the line 112 times in 169 games – especially given his connection with the club as a local junior and his father’s legacy.
However, it is my belief that it might be what is best for both the Dragons and Brett. Penrith have definitely prospered recently after moving on local legends Luke Lewis and Michael Jennings. The move has been beneficial to the players as well, especially Jennings, who won his first premiership last year with the Roosters.
After nine seasons in first grade and a premiership under his belt, Brett would have to be close to the highest paid winger in the game. Fellow winger and Kiwi representative Jason Nightingale is also well into a decorated career and would be on good money.
When the Dragons won in 2010, both players would have been on considerably less.
Winning a premiership in the NRL is highly reliant on salary cap management. No club has been able to repeat since the 1992-93 Broncos, mainly as it’s virtually impossible to keep a squad intact once contracts are upgraded after winning the premiership. Premierships are generally won by representative halves, a gun fullback and a dominant forward pack.
After the Dragons won the title in 2010 with up-and-coming wingers Morris and Nightingale, the wingers of the premiership sides have been: Will Hopoate and Michael Robertson at Manly (2011), Sisa Waqa and Justin O’Neil at Melbourne (2012), Daniel Tupou and Roger Tuivasa-Scheck with the Roosters (2013) and Alex Johnston and Lote Tuqiri this season with South Sydney.
All excellent wingers, but none would have been on big money, with the majority of them being rookies or, in the case of Tuqiri, at the end of their career and unable to demand the money that they did a decade ago. The majority of the salary cap would have been spent on players in spine positions or in the forwards.
In the last year the Dragons have outlaid large money for players in these key positions. The signings of halves Gareth Widdop and Benji Marshall as well as fullback Josh Dugan has the left the Dragons seriously undermanned in the forwards. The Dragons have apparently been in the market for every big bopper that became available this year and to be able to afford one, some cap space needs to be found.
Unfortunately it looks like that Brett Morris and possibly Nightingale are going to be the players let go and replaced by cheaper players, such as recent signing Eto Nabuli from Penrith.
There are plenty of other players that Dragons fans would rather see go but unfortunately those players are less attractive to other clubs and release less of the salary cap pressure. It’s highly unlikely that the Bulldogs are paying big money for Brett to play on the wing, with a move to the vital custodian role most likely.
The Bulldogs would be the only side that made the top eight over the last two years without an elite fullback and are prepared to offer $600,000 for Brett to be that man.
I’ll miss seeing Brett Morris flying down the wing or leaping high in the air to score for the Dragons. However, it seems to be an essential move for the club given salary cap constraints and the relative value of wingers in the cap.
Recent history shows you cannot win a premiership with high priced wingers. Hopefully it will allow the Dragons to sign some more muscle up front to assist the big money spine of Dugan, Benji and Widdop.
Craig Watson
Guest
Have you blokes conributed to the OUST DOUST social media campaign? As a Dragon tragic for 50 years I felt something had to be said so I set up a campaign on another sports forum I belong to. Hope it is having some effect. This traitor is destroying our great club. Letting all our good local juniors be poached while bringing in no names and inked up, bikie like blokes with varying amounts of ability. I am against us buying Marshall. Apart from the fact it spilt us over the salary cap.his best is behind him. He throws a woeful pass and he can not tackle. He is imo, stifling the clever play of Widdop.
Craig Watson
Guest
Why is Brett Morris going to another club the best thing? Tell me that. I have been one of the Dragon faithful for 50 years. It is certainly not the best thing for me, the other thousands of Dragon supporters and the club. Did Bennett want Josh Morris gone or did Josh want to leave? In any case Doust should not have allowed the brothers to be split. They are twins after all. The club had the chance to lure Josh back from the Dogs several years ago but failed. Now Doust has let Brett go to give him his last chance to play together with his brother at club level once again.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
pre-Origin I agree with you. But the back end of the year he was ordinary. Still better than most of our forwards, but by his lofty standards he was well off the pace. To be fair I'm pretty sure he was playing injured, but I'm just making the point that based on his back end of last season he is not worth $800k (I don't believe he's worth that at his best either).
peeeko
Roar Guru
well that's some aggressive feedback there Jimmy. 1) the comparison with Penrith was just an example of how local legends moving on can work out. are you saying that Mary shouldnt make decisions because he is only a rookie and not up to the level of Clearly? Peter Mullholland, a long time administrator and coach is also now at the Dragons as the recruitment manager. Surely he has the credentials to make these decisions?. 2) 2010 was just another example of young inexpensive wingers being premiership winners. the list goes further back, even to 2006 which featured 20yo Karmichael and Darius. i have never said that BM and JN dont deserve monetary recognition, i suggest there is a lack of talent in other areas and these two players are probably the most attractive to other clubs given their consistently stellar play. basically i think the Dragons have to use the money to strengthen other areas and hope some rookie wingers can do enough just like the last 10 premiers. you can argue that maybe Benji shouldn't have been signed and the real culprit is that the Dragons production line of forwards has dried up. the bulldogs are not willing to pay big bucks for BM as a winger, they will play him as FB . they made a GF this year with Corey Thompson and Mitch Brown as wingers. Of course the winners have had strengths in other areas, that's the point of the article. the dragons need to strengthen their forward pack. Finally i do not want them to leave but maybe its the only way out of a botched rebuilding phase. Maybe Doust going as well would be good as well
Casper
Guest
Given Bennetts stated position on what a prop is worth (ask petro) there's no way the Broncos can pay Merrin $800k. even with inflation, $500k would be tops for a potential origin player who can get burned out after the origin season. The roosters & rabbits showed it pays to have foreign forwards on the books so that's why Bennett chased the jailbird. Wonder if the pommie thug will be available for a shortened season next year? Bennett also used to suggest that wingers weren't worth big money so the dragons can't afford 20% of their cap to be lazing on the flanks.
Muzz
Guest
What are your thoughts on young Drew Hutchison ? I would of blooded him alongside Widdop and spent Marshall's $500K on some size.
Craig Watson
Guest
Apart from inept half backs , we didn't make the finals because we lacked size in 'the engine room" The best teams are invariably the ones with a big, mobile forward pack. A case in point premiers Souths. The dragons need to buy one or two ' big boppers'... and quick.
Craig Watson
Guest
Depends who those halves are Muzz. One is a brilliant Pommie playmaker the other is a Kiwi has been who can't even throw a clean pass.
Craig Watson
Guest
Are you blind man. Merrin was far and away the best Dragon forward all year. His work load was incredible... regularly hitting up 120 metres and 30 something tackles.
Craig Watson
Guest
Widdop is worth $550K. He had to work alone for most of the year because of inept scrum base partners. Most if not all the Dragons best performances were due to the brilliant pommie playmaker.
Craig Watson
Guest
Forking out sqillions for a has been Benji Marshall mid season did not help the salary cap either. The Dragons big wigs should be crucified for letting Brett Morris go. Doust and co. are already guilty for letting Canterbury poach twin Josh years ago and failing to lure him home a couple of years ago. Shame... shame...shame.
Gareth Kidd
Roar Guru
Sounds like you're rationalising the loss of a good player.
Muzz
Guest
Ken - If your paying over a million for your halves you should be guaranteed a top 8 finish or you have too much of your cap invested in them.imo Side note - Paul Kent stated on Triple M(mid season) that Adam Reynolds was currently on $220K.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
nailed it mate. OUST DOUST
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
Look I'm not going to go back and forth with you on this again so this is the last time I'll say it. The buck stops with Doust. The salary cap has been very poorly managed over the last 3 years and we are now in the situation in which our wingers, the heart and soul of our team, are being forced out the door. It's no secret that the Dragons' wingers are the best and most expensive wing pairing in the comp. These 2 players are grand final heroes, local juniors and club legends. They deserve to finish as one-club players, but by having Dan Hunt on $400k/season, by signing Dylan Farrell (was playing reggies for North Sydney at the time he signed) on big money, we bought two fullbacks on big fullback money and play them both for most of the year in the centres. And after a year of watching the Dragons get absolutely rolled up the middle of the park, we have done nothing yet to rectify the situation. Where are the front rowers? Don't tell me Eto Nabuli is eyeing a move to the forward pack? Willie Mason is off-contract! Get him on the cheap for one year because there are no marquee props on the open market. But no, he's going to Manly. Word is we're looking at Russell Packer. Perhaps you've heard of him, he plays for Medium Security Convicts RLFC. For God's sake I can't believe we've sunk so low that we're looking at that kerb-stomping, scumbag criminal, but wait, it gets worse because we can't even lock him down to play for us! I know this has turned into a bit of an incoherent rant, but do you get the point I'm trying to make? 15 NRL teams have their rosters practically sorted for 2015. Number 16 is the Dragons. We've literally signed no one, and you mark my words, Frizzell, Stockwell (if he's still at the club, apparently we're trying to get rid of him too), de Belin, Cooper and Merrin are not suddenly going to become a quality front row rotation. We're going to keep getting rolled up the middle until we sign someone. At least this year though we had our wingers doing the front-rower's jobs for them a little bit. But I can't envision Charly Runciman or Nathan Green (My God we're mediocre) making even half the meters that Morris and Flo do.
Dragon Matt
Guest
I have no doubt morris and nightingale are the most passionate Dragons there , they are the talkers in the sheds and personally contributed to the points scored over the past 3 years ( ex Bennett) ..I find it interesting we are not mentioning Marshall/Dugan and Widdop as essential to future success as they haven't contributed as mucg as two wingers ..that is the state of our club ..we are being carried by Wingers and not forwards ...Think about the GF ..this Dragons team wouldve been beaten by 50 points by the rabbits the forward pack ...this is Doust's problem ..move on Morris and Nightingale ..itll be the same result ...if you want a different result move on Doust
JImmy
Guest
Although well written, the above would have to be one of the most erroneous 'op-ed' pieces I have read in recent memory. It is mischievous on many levels. 1. Comparing the Dragons to Penrith is mind blowingly stupid for one specific reason. The Panthers are led by a good, young, experienced coach in Ivan Cleary. They also have one of the best minds in league as general manager (Phil Gould). Comparatively, Saints have an inexperienced rookie bereft of ANY coaching success (Paul McGregor) with a bumbling, incompetent CEO (Peter Doust) by his side. 2. "When the Dragons won in 2010, both players (Morris and Nightingale) would have been on considerably less (money)". Well, duh..... Since when do stipends remain frozen? Both individuals are internationals, and as such, DESERVE monetary recognition. 3. The comparison between Morris/Nightingale to previous premiership winning wingers is also moot. By his own words that condemn the writer, he admits that the vast majority of those llisted are 'rookies', whilst failing to admit that those teams had strengths in other areas. The Dragons, at present, do not have such luxuries.
Ken
Guest
I'm sorry SS but I still can't get past the idea that you're warping current events to match your opinion that Doust is the enemy. Decisions on coaches could be a whole other article, but note that these decisions may or may not have historically worked but they weren't universally awful. Brown was/is a decent coach, Bennett showed in Newcastle that he's not necessarily the messiah and Price had some leeway due to the mass exodus after Bennett. I'm not going to argue all of that out and certainly wouldn't defend Doust unconditionally if I did, just noting there are counterpoints. On this topic, I don't really see what any other factors are at play here. Our salary cap management is a bit out with 2 high price wingers but the only real solution to that would have been to let one of them go earlier. Even if they signed Bennett for 10 years Morris and Florence would still require pay packets that mirrored their position as internationals. 'My beef is with the fact that this current situation was allowed to eventuate and at the end of the day the buck stops with Doust' I guess what I'm saying is that I can't fathom how this situation could have been handled differently by another CEO. P.S. I'm a little astounded by the idea that no other CEO's play an active role in recruitment and retention - and that it's somehow a negative that Doust does. I don't expect him to be out scouting of course but surely Matt Gidley, Shane Richardson and Paul White are intimately involved in the squads of their clubs too?
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
It's just sad that for 3 years we've been in a "rebuilding faze" and as it seems that we're about to come out of that faze, all this crap happens. Losing Morris, Merrin and Nightingale will require the club to 'rebuild' further, it makes me wonder what they've spent the last 3 years doing.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
"You state Morris, Nightingale & Merrin all want out. Do you have a personal source on this?" No I don't have a personal source on this, but there has been speculation over the futures of all 3 players. This speculation has not been denied by the club, or by any of the 3 players involved. If there wasn't at least a degree of truth to the rumours I reckon the players would come out and deny it. "I think you’re drawing a long bow here to tie this to Doust". Our club is a complete rabble at the moment, and our top players are probably sick of not playing football in September. At the end of the day, Doust is responsible for Bennett's departure (Wayne wanted 5 years, Doust stupidly gave him 3), Doust was responsible for appointing Steve Price (yes, Bennett recommended him, but everyone could see Price was a failure by midway through 2013) and for giving him a contract extension after he oversaw our worst year ever (14th place finish last season). Doust is also responsible for the salary cap as he is one of the only CEOs in the game to play an active role in recruitment and retention of players. All these factors have contributed to the club's current situation, which is the reason that our 3 top players reportedly want to leave. I'm not drawing a long bow here. "what would you have them do? It would be irresponsible to match at any cost". Obviously not. I accept the current situation for what it is, and admit that it would be irresponsible to match the offers made to Morris by the Dogs and Merrin by the Broncos (Merrin to the Broncos admittedly is more of a rumour than Morris to the Dogs is). That's why I am resigned to the fact that Morris is leaving. My beef is with the fact that this current situation was allowed to eventuate and at the end of the day the buck stops with Doust. This most recent salary cap problem is part of a long list of stuff ups made by Doust in his time in charge. Appointing Brown to the position of head coach while he was way too young and too "chummy" with the players. Not giving Bennett his desired 5 years (apparently it's smarter to lock down the greatest coach ever for 3 years as opposed to 5). Appointing Price (essentially making the same mistake as he did with Brown) and keeping Price well after it was clear that he was no good. So I repeat: OUST DOUST!