NNRL Top 10 Back Flips
The fallout from DCE’s incredible gymnastic skills this week has all media outlets spinning. Cherry-Evans announced back in March that he had signed a four-year deal with the Titans worth seven figures a season. With the current rules in place, Manly had up until the beginning of round 13 to offer DCE something and it seems their offer was well worth it. An eight year contract worth upwards of $10million dollars. How could you not backflip. There’d be cartwheels, jumping jacks and all sorts if a $10million was offered to anyone would there?
With all the being said, we thought we would take the opportunity to have a look at some high-profile players and not so high-profile players who have similarly jumped through hoops to get out of already signed contracts, or the illustrious handshake deals.
10. Steve Turner
Back in 2006 Turner was offered a contract to become the Titans founding member fullback, It was a done deal and Titans coach John Cartwright was expecting an early christmas present in the arrival of Turner. Little did he know, Turner had a word to Santa and was told if he went to the Titans he wouldn’t receive a premiership. Turner reneged and the Storm tried to compensate the Titans by sending them two players instead of one.
9. Wayne Bennett
The great coach has had a number of backflips over his career recently. Well if you class not following through with rumours as back flipping then Bennett would be the feature performer at the new Cirque De Soleil at the MGM in Vegas.
In 2006 before he took the Broncos to the title Bennett was linked with a move to the Roosters. He wasn’t gelling with the board and wanted out. Instead he tricked the Roosters into believing, pulled out the double and won a premiership over the Storm.
8. Canterbury Bulldogs
The big bopper Andrew Fifita from the Sharks reportedly signed a four-year deal worth $3.5million early last year. Fifita then paraded his back butt around like a god thinking he was in the money. Unfortunately for him, a small brain snap cost him some serious money.
“If I could go back now, I wish I chose rugby and then I wouldn’t be getting all the shit I’ve been catching now,” Fifita said. What an idiot! The Dogs came out the next week and denied the rumours saying the contract had not been finalised and the Fifita had jumped the gun. What a sackhead.
7. Luke Lewis
The original man to use the round 13 get out rule. Way back in 2008 Lewis had agreed to a four-year stint at Redfern with the Bunnies. A change of heart saw him back flip from the 10m platform and stay at the Panthers.
Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Had he gone to the Bunnies, Lewis would know probably be the owner of a shiny new premiership ring. Instead he is languishing at the bottom of the table with the Sharks, without a sponsor and without any hopes.
6. Greg Inglis
After the shit storm that hit the Melbourne Storm after their salary cap drama, they had to offload one of the big four. It seemed Inglis wasn’t as big as he thought he was and got the boot.
G.I. shook hands with someone at the Broncos and was all but set to end up at Brisbane. After deciding the money wasn’t enough, he threatened to leave to the AFL then all of a sudden ended up at the Rabbitohs.
5. Tim Moltzen
Tim Moltzen was once the Tigers go to man. He could play out the back, in the halves or at centre. In some good form he signed on to be the fullback at the Dragons after the round 13 backflip date but eventually managed to wriggle out.
The Dragons had the last laugh though. After a barrage of boos from the fans early in 2012 Moltzen had a wow of a game with errors every time he touched the ball. The Dragons won 32 – 12. A further laughing point the Dragons hold over Moltzen, they bagged Josh Dugan and can ask, where is Timmy now?
4. Josh Papalii
The big fella had agreed to terms with the Parramatta Eels in order to play under coach Ricky Stuart. After some serious thought about leaving Canberra to head to a losing Parra team, Papalii flipped Ricky the bird and stayed in the capital.
In a sick twist, Ricky Stuart is now coaching in Canberra. The two reportedly have reconciled their differences and have even been seen buying Parramatta apparel and burning it in the car park before trainings.
3. James Tedesco
Mid way through last season Teddy put pen to paper on a three-year deal for roughly $650,000 per season deep down in Canberra. He was yanked aside by his captain fantastic Robbie Farah and spoken too quietly. No one really knows what was said, but immediately after, Tedesco called up Rick, said sorry mate and gave him another push in the direction towards death by heart attack.
2. Sonny-Bill Williams
Back in 2008 SBW was reaching the peak of his powers for the Bulldogs. He had just signed a massive long-term five-year contract and was going to be the NRL’s pin-up boy for years to come.
Like other backflips in this list, a phone call sparked a mind change. This time it was All Blacks legend Tana Umaga who held the influence over SBW. Without telling anyone, Sonny-Bill hoped on a plane a fled to France to take up Rugby Union. The shit storm that ensued was all but forgotten the moment he returned to the NRL in 2013.
1. Daly Cherry-Evans
He was offered a contract from Manly early on this year. A new board came in and yanked the offer before Daly could say yes or no. So he went shopping. Shopping for a new club. A trip to Cronulla was well documented, and the Shire was where he was set to end up. Cue the Titans, they chucked their whole salary cap at Daly and he said deal.
In the six weeks since his signature became Titans property there has been speculation it wasn’t going to eventuate. DCE played the guessing game with reporters and then acted very surprised when he was offered a contract by Manly again right on the cut off time for the round 13 rule.
From all of the back flips we have seen above, majority of the players involved done nothing wrong. Well actually having said that honourable men would have followed through with commitments made whether it be on paper or not. But anyway, if they did that, we wouldn’t have anything to write about here!