Farah digs heels in at Leichardt

What do you mean selling yourself short? Farah never once did that. The Tigers could not accommodate his demands in the cap at the time, so they altered the deal to fit around the cap, and give him more money in the future when they could afford it. At no stage his he signed a deal that returned him less money. It's easy to say it's altruistic by him, but I doubt it. It suited him to stay. He got the total money he wanted, and was able to stay. The Tigers absolutely could not pay him what he wanted due to the cap space in the first 2 years. They did what they could to accommodate his salary. He never agreed to terms that would reduce his value, just terms that creatively adjusted the timeline for receiving it. Farah's manager has done a good job, he's got the Tigers to agree to the deal his client wanted (and many would say is more than he is worth), fitting around the cap and the only compromise being the Tigers future cap space. If anybody should be horsewhipped it's the Tigers for stealing from tomorrow to pay for today. But then, who do you want to horsewhip? Nobody who did that deal is still there. Perhaps we can just shake our fists in anger so we feel better? Grrrrrr you sill Tigers. Grrrrrr.

Well this certainly sets the precedent - if it hadn't already been set - that selling your services short isn't a smart move in this day and age. The days of an altruistic one club player are over. In the immortal words of that wanker who used to be married to our Nicole "show me the money". Farrah's manager should be horsewhipped for agreeing to the deal and the Tigers board need to disband the club and the license given to a deserving expansion group from south east Queensland. It's the only viable option given how inept this debacle has played out. And Parra should also be on notice with the way their board have conducted their business recently. Cut the rot and allow new growth. Perhaps if those two clubs were relegated to second division it might just be the wakeup call the NRL need for improvement going forward. Because as it stands neither of those two clubs have proved to be a responsible business partner of the NRL.

They're not lumped with it - they signed a contract agreeing to pay him that money. It's 100% of their own making. What's the alternative? Clubs sign contracts but can just cut the player without recompense whenever they feel like it?

If he goes to another club and can only get $500k, the Tigers are lumped with the rest. Clubs in all codes are held to emotional ransom to sign, or at least make very competitive offers to fan favourites. Farah was about the only one the Tigers have. Ayoub has done his job well here. The Tigers have not at all done theirs well.

2005 was 10 years ago. The most telling thing about this situation is the number of clubs lining up and begging Farah for his services...

The Tigers aren't 'lumped' with the additional cost - they bought it fair and square by getting him for $550 for two seasons when he was in his prime. There's no angle that the Tigers can come out of this as the victims. If they wanted him for 750, 750, 550 and 550 over four years then that's what they should have offered so that he could try and get the money he wanted elsewhere. But no, they agreed to $3M over four years. Farah hasn't held the Tigers to ransom at all. At all. They negotiated a deal. There was no gun to their heads. They had every opportunity to say no at the appropriate time. They're saying no now that they have to pay what they owe. If they were worried his performance and value would depreciate they shouldn't have signed him to a four year deal and they certainly shouldn't have loaded up the latter years. I'd be filthy if I was a Tigers fan. Because of Taylor and management they will lose one of, if not their best player and will be playing with a squad with a $900k hole in the middle of it.

They are "backdooring" him, but they're also lumped with his additional cost no matter what. Where the Tigers went wrong was signing him to a 4 year deal based on his value in his prime. The issue is not even the back ended nature of the contract, the issue is their paying him on average 750k over 4 seasons, but he's not worth that, and it appears his value is diminishing. If he was on 750k for the next 2 years, because they'd valued him at 750k for 2014, 2015 then 550k for 2016 and 550k for 2017 but with cap space had to reverse the deal, that would be a more accurate representation of his value. But it seems the Tigers have paid him overs. Supposedly loyal players stay for less, not more than they'd likely get anywhere else. Can anybody honestly see Farah fetching $3M over 4 years at any other club even 12 months ago? He's a rep player yes. But an integral part of one of the lest successful Blues teams ever. Farah has held the Tiger's to ransom over the fan emotion toward him and the Tigers have acted stupidly by signing him to this deal. One could argue that both parties have ended up with what they deserve.

I get where you are coming from and believe me I'm not a Farah fan (unless it's Fawcett). The players agree to the back ended deals so the club can keep a good side together in the short term. That is doing something for the club. $200k paid in 2014 is worth more than $200k paid in 2017. I'm not necessarily saying that Farah is being altruistic, more that he's lived up to his side of the deal by playing at under market value for two years. Now it's time for the club to stump up and live up to their side of the deal and they're backdooring him. In the most public and uncomfortable of ways. I don't necessarily disagree with the decision - just the way it's been executed. Taylor needs to be careful what sort of a culture he's building.

You have coached the likes of Farah over the years have you? Oh my gosh, do telll, seriously are you people living on another planet? Get rid of him asap? tell us more supercoach! If you got rid of him ASAP you would not have won the premiership in 2005 where he was instrumental throughout that year. Because you have coached the likes of Farah and your a kinda a big deal! Sorry, who did you coach and where and who where these players that have played at the top level and won NRL comps, state of origins and played for Australia? Fair question right?

Who doesnt want him? The players want him, doesnt that count? Or again, you know what they do or dont want! Seriously, so many people on this site that seem to know everything with little fact to back up there nothing comments.

How is compromising their future cap being as altruistic as you claim? At what point has he signed a contract worth below market value? He's taken what they could afford at the time because it suited him (he wanted to stay) on the basis they would pay more than they could afford in the future, which would then impact their future cap position. Players who are really altruistic, and want success take below market value to ensure the club can re ruin well. That happens in all sports. I'm not saying this is all Farah's fault, it's two equal parties that got them here, but he's not Mr Clubman that many want to portray him as.

Is there much of a difference between being told in June / July while in the middle of an origin campaign (that's treating someone with respect) and being told in August? It's two years and one month before the end of the contract as opposed to two years and two months. Were there a heap of opportunities that Farah could have taken up in July that have dried up now?

OK. If that's the case, then Farah only has himself to blame

He wasn't told in late August, he was told during Origin. Offers were put to him The full story will eventually come out

Telling him that he is not part of the future plans in late August, where majority of the clubs have their rosters filled for next year, is doing the dirty.

Telling the captain of the club he can leave or play reserve grade is doing the dirty...

Farah will be getting paid 900k, he won't be out of pocket and no one is doing the dirty on him. The only issue is who assists the Tigers in paying him the 900k, and in what grade he will be playing

Of course it's doing the right thing. If Farah's value is 750 a season but the tigers can only afford 600 a season for two years then he's doing the right thing by them back ending his contract. The tigers do the right thing by him by paying the 900 for the next two years. Whether you like him or loathe him it's the tigers that are doing the dirty. Farah has lived up to his end of the bargain.

If the only way that Jason Taylor as boss can manage a difficult relationship with his best player is to release him / play him in reserve grade and leave a $900K hole in the salary cap then he's not going to last long as boss.

Someone give him Toovey's number so Farah doesn't destroy his own legacy. I've coached the likes of Farah over the years and came to the conclusion that it is best to get rid of them asap because nothing destroys a team's performance more than a senior player undermining the coach.