If you want evidence of the gulf between working in professional sports and the real world, the drama playing out at Manly would be exhibit A.
After three unremarkable seasons as coach, Trent Barrett has been replaced at the helm by former Sea Eagles mentor Des Hasler.
Except the reason Des is back at the club where he won two premierships isn’t because Manly sacked Barrett – rather, it’s because Barrett tendered his resignation.
Word is that Baz was sick of the club’s crappy facilities and general lack of resources, so he handed in his 12 months’ notice – in July. And, by the look of things, he assumed he’d simply be paid out and move on.
But the Sea Eagles board clearly see things differently. Their take on the situation is that Barrett is an employee who has given his notice, so he can see that period of notice out and be paid for services rendered.
Honestly, is that such a crazy position to take? If you gave notice at your place of work, would you expect to be able to just not turn up ever again but still get paid?
When I’ve quit jobs, it’s played out in one of two scenarios: see out the notice period and hand over the gig to the next person, or walk away on the day and simply get paid out any leave owed.
I’m sure there are other ways – I’m not exactly an expert on industrial relations – but I daresay that’s the way it goes for most people.
Yet by all reports, Barrett wants to bail on the joint but be paid as though he was still head coach of an NRL team until July next year.
Read: I’m out. Now give me hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Where else but in the world of pro sports would that be even remotely entertained?
And where else but in the world of pro sports would people think Barrett was in the right?
This week, the man who should be captain of the Sea Eagles, Jake Trbojevic, urged his employers to stop acting “childish” and just give Barrett the six figures he doesn’t want to work for.
“I think that has to be sorted soon,” Trbojevic said. “I think they just have to pay him out. That would be the sensible option. I don’t think making him turn up would be very sensible.
“If they made him coach 20s or something like that – he is such a good coach – if they did that, it would be a bit childish. I think they need to pay him out.”
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Jake, buddy, no. You’ve been a first-grade footy player since you were a teenager, so your perspective is understandably warped. But in the real world, you don’t get paid eight months’ salary for quitting.
That Manly would possibly ask Barrett to coach a lower-grade team is not childish, it’s actually a very grown-up thing to do.
Coaches cost money – even the bloke blowing the whistle at teenagers tends to have a full-time, well-remunerated gig. And Manly have got two first-grade mentors on the books. Re-deploying the one who isn’t going to be there next August – and, no offence intended, has little work history and a patchy record – to apply his skills at a different part of the club makes sense if he expects to continue being paid.
From the outside looking in, the Sea Eagles are a shambles at the moment, due in no small part to poor financial management. So that the board aren’t willing to just give someone a few hundred grand should be a rare point of pride for fans.
Some – like Jake and his brother, Kangaroos star Tom Trbojevic – believe Barrett has been hard done by and therefore played the only card he had, which was to quit.
But Barrett’s an NRL coach who gave 12 months’ notice in July. Surely he realised after making such a move, his position was untenable. How could the 2019 first-grade squad be expected to turn up and give their absolute all for a bloke who was going to bail on them two months out from the finals? And who was supposed to take the helm as the team limped to the finish line?
And of course Trent Barrett knows a lame-duck coach means an uncompetitive team – the guy played over 300 games of first grade and rep footy.
Yet he pressed ahead and told the club he was quitting. The minute he pulled that letter out of his pocket, his time at Manly had to end well before his period of notice. But he’s still digging in his heels and turning up to work so as not to be in breach of contract, in what must be a toxic environment for him and anyone he deals with in a professional capacity.
Baz, it’s time to stop the bleeding. And since you made this mess – yes, yes, facilities aren’t good enough, everyone’s mean to you, my porridge is too cold – you should clean it up.
Either go coach the club’s Harold Matthews side – in a comp that ends around the start of June, at which point you’d probably have accrued enough holidays to call it a day – or cash in your leave and head back to the Illawarra.
They’re the two options we people in the real world have. And if you don’t pick one of them, you’ll have such a reputation among NRL clubs that you’ll soon find yourself as one of us.
Andrew
Guest
Yes, if they stuck to the terms of the contract, then they even work in the job the contract stipulates until the contract is over, or the company pays them the rest of the contract amount. It really isn’t that hard to understand? Giving notice is not the same as resigning on the spot and breaking your contract
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
My apologies for the layout of my post above - the system lost my paragraph breaks.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
I reckon this imbroglio at Manly exists because the discussion around the (combined) board table closely mimics the exchange I have just read between opinionistas on this thread, in content, knowledge, objectivity and temperament! These board blokes (and girlses) have the benefit of a copy of the contract in front of them - all 274 pages of quite long words, a bit like those papers their solicitor had them sign when they bought their house - but there so many distractions. There is the Penn faction lined up against sporadic fire from the remnant partisans of Bozo's long reign; the girlses reporting earnestly on their half time sausage sizzle income and expenditure ;) ; Sir Ken Arthurson's carefully camouflaged sleeper cell texting secrets to him up here on the Gold Coast; and the fabulous Cliff Lyons waiting to duck out for a durrie. The meetings would soon descend to, as Tom G offered on Nov 5 at 07:54, barking back and forth across the boardroom "you are countering someone’s speculation with your own counter speculation". The best bit here is Roar Editor Joe Frost's advice to player Jake Trbojevic, who "urged his employers to stop acting “childish” and just give Barrett the six figures he doesn’t want to work for" - stick to playing rugby league Jake, there's a good lad.
Tom G
Guest
They are actually called Rhodes Scholars genius .. you do realise the irony in questioning someone’s intellect whilst demonstrating your own lack of intellect. No? Go figure.. you must have spent all of your education hitting those legal books. I hope for Barrera sake you’re not on his legal team
Tom G
Guest
Actually NFI
Tom G
Guest
Nothing I said about him was personal you clown. It is merely a statement of objective fact. His performance was not acceptable and his attempt at scamming an enlarged payout laughable. It’s really hard to understand your breathless support and never ending posts mate. Forgeting your self professed intimate “knowledge” of his employment contract which is, to say the least questionable, does your vitriol come from Trent love or Manly hate?
Beastie
Roar Rookie
His contract stated that he needed to give 12 months notice. If Manly went against that, they would be up for litigation for breach of contract unless they pay him out the 12 months of pay owed.
Mals
Roar Rookie
You failed Rugby League 101: DCE's pay is under the salary cap so paying DCE a large wage affects the playing roster . It has nothing to do with facilities, equipment or the paying of coaches.
Beastie
Roar Rookie
Name 1 "high ranking company employee" that has walked away after not performing without getting a payout.
Beastie
Roar Rookie
Then pay him out.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
There is no evidence to suggest Barrett was linked to the Panthers job. While it is also speculation, there is only one logical reason that the Panthers signed an average coach in Ivan Cleary - because they agreed they would in order to keep Nathan. So if that was all but locked in place, your theory makes no sense. The poor advice Trent was given was to take the Manly job in the first place. Perhaps if Trent's dad was on the NRL Commission, he would have got the heads up that Manly was a basket case and he could have been tipped off not to join, like Mitch Pearce was.
Officer59
Guest
He handed in his resignation or notice or whatever you feel like calling it. Why should they pay him out? Manly did not terminate his employment therefore DO NOT need to pay him out one cent. If he remains so be it. They will then have to pay him his agreed salary.
Officer59
Guest
So by your reckoning anyone can resign & expect a payout?? Really? Seems you have NI.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
It’s that simple. I think you’ve explained it well enough for anybody who wants to understand. If you simply hate Barrett and don’t want to pay him any more money then you can invent a fantasy scenario where he gets flicked with nothing but that’s not going to fly in the real world
andrew36
Roar Rookie
Well you're obviously not a rhode scholar if you think he should walk without a payout, which by his contract he deserves, when you state clearly he may never get a job coaching again. If he arnt getting a job again, he would be stupid not to get the money he is entitled to. He will struggle to get a head coaching job in 1st grade but I actually don't think he will have an problem getting a job if he isn't to pig headed about it. He could easily get a job as a assistant coach for a while (there are plenty of ex coaches with worst or as bad as records doing that job now) or probably a job in England. If that goes well, he may get another chance in NRL 1st grade, as he is only young.
andrew36
Roar Rookie
He gave notice, he didn't hand in his resignation starting immediately, therefore he is still contracted as head coach until July. By signing Hasler they have effectively fired barrett from the last eight months of his contract, its not rocket science or hard to understand. Therefore if they don't want him at the club, and barrett hasn't broken any terms of his contract, which he doesnt seen to have done, they have to pay him out.
andrew36
Roar Rookie
If he hadn't he would be out the door already, pretty simple really. Of course he was signed as 1st grade coach, you seriously think any coach is going to sign a contract were he can be demoted to ball boy??? Not to mention that Barrett lawyers have already stated unequivocally that the contract was for 1st grade coach. No, a business can not demote someone after they give notice, you seriously believe a business can make someone do whatever degrading job they like just because they gave notice and wont be there in a few months??? You clearly have NI. No one said manly had broken any laws, neither has Barrett. The simple fact is that if Manly don't want him at the club they need to pay him out. Barrett could agree to do another job for the same pay if he wished (But why would he want to do that) but they cannot make him work in any capacity as you state.
andrew36
Roar Rookie
Exactly
andrew36
Roar Rookie
He is legally signed until July Numb Nuts, so lets be clear, by signing hasler they said they didn't want him. (which is obviously fair enough). Therefore they have to pay him out
andrew36
Roar Rookie
So it has nothing to do with whether people like barrett, but then you go on to list why you and others don't like barrett, if it doesn't matter, then why tell everyone why you don't like him, its irrelevant. He had a contract and he stuck to the terms of that contract, therefore if they want him gone, they have to pay him out, how hard is that to understand?