By PETER JESSUP
NEWCASTLE - The Warriors players yesterday fell in behind management and the coaching staff after the sacking of star Ali Lauitiiti, with captain Monty Betham delivering a broadside that questioned the big second-rower's commitment to the team.
"Players who don't care about winning a premiership have no place at the Warriors," Betham said. "To be a Warrior you have to care about everyone around you, and the result of the game.
"You can't stand in the trenches with someone who does not share the same aspirations."
Betham and Lauitiiti have shared a locker in the Warriors' gym since they started at the club in 1997.
Betham said the management's message to Lauitiiti came as a big shock to the squad.
"It's hard for me personally, we're long-standing buddies, but I have to support the management on this one."
Lauitiiti had admitted he no longer had a driving desire for a premiership ring.
"He doesn't crave the ring, but we need everyone on deck to get that ring."
The quick action was a major wake-up call to the rest of the squad," Betham said. "Everyone will be thinking that if they [management] can turn away someone of the talent of Ali, they [players] had better stay on their toes."
He denied there was a rift with the coach, Daniel Anderson.
"There's no other politics at the club. We just have to win games, it's that simple," Betham said.
Stacey Jones said there were no problems between him and Anderson, and never had been.
He said he was not as fast as he had been in previous years and was working with the coaches to find a means of recapturing winning form.
NRL clubs are queuing up to bid for the services of Lauitiiti, with Souths and Manly heading the push.
But the biggest offer for the unwanted Warrior is said to be from English giants Wigan at A$500,000 a year.
Souths have offered to pick up the remaining 2 1/2 years on his contract and would have him playing within two weeks, chief executive David Tapp said yesterday.
"We're ravaged by injury, we are keen and we would want him to come right away," Tapp told the Herald. "But there are many clubs after him, so we're not celebrating yet."
Manly's Peter Peters confirmed they had also made a bid - "us and the rest of the league world," he said.
Lauitiiti's managers, Frank Endacott and Peter Brown, were meeting him last night to table those and other offers, with Endacott refusing any comment on clubs, money or timeline on a decision.
"There's too much speculation out there, we don't want to fuel it. Lauitiiti and wife Janina will go away for a few days to mull over the offers and make a decision on his future," Endacott said. "He wants to play league, don't worry about that. It's a matter of where, what club and what he's happy with."
Lauitiiti would not have a problem playing in England or in Australia, despite the removal from family, Endacott said. "They are well aware of the situation and excited about it."
Lauitiiti was to have a meeting with Warriors management today but it has been called off and they will now meet on Monday.
But it is clear he is not likely to play for them again. Watson said Lauitiiti had been called in twice about his attitude and commitment to the club.
"It was pretty evident that he doesn't know what he wants to do."
Could he not be given time to think about that?
"The fans deserve better than that," Watson said.
"When an athlete who is paid among the top three in the club says 'I don't really care that much,' I don't think time would have made any difference."
Why couldn't they have waited until after test week?
"I thought that doing it in the week off [Warriors bye] made sense. When budgets are falling, when there's no performance, we're asking for solutions and changes."
Warriors draw and results - 2004 NRL
Other NRL fixtures and points table
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