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“He has been personally attacked. Adam has acted honourably and with good character.
“I support Adam’s sentiment in terms of players being available. We’ve got some world-class, elite players that the fans want to see.
“There’s no doubt that clubs are holding players back. I’ve got examples of text messages from players where they have been told they can’t play.
“I’ve also got examples where the club hasn’t informed the player that they are going to be selected; the club has just said to us, ‘No, they are not playing’.
“That’s just the reality of the situation. What Adam has come out and said, I support. We stand together on this.”
Kalyn Ponga takes a hit-up for the Maori All Stars on Saturday night.Credit: Getty Images
Several players privately claim that, despite being fit, NRL clubs have pressured them to miss the All Stars clash. One way to potentially avoid the situation is to instruct their managers to put in an “All Stars clause” in their contract.
“That’s something that came up when we were chatting in camp, how it looks in terms of timing of the game and getting released by your club,” Griffiths said.
“People spoke about having a clause in your contract to ensure you are released for the game. They have the opportunity to put that into their contract when they are negotiating.
“Importantly, for young people on the cusp of playing NRL, it’s a hard thing to ask your club to release you for a pre-season fixture.
“You’re taking a week off from your club, so it’s got to be managed differently in terms of player availability.
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“I can understand the club’s hesitation in releasing players – we have them for one week, they have them for a whole year. But we’ve got a responsibility as a game to allow the best players to play so that the game is a spectacle.
“I spoke to a player last night who wasn’t even informed by his club that we wanted to select him. We were given rhetoric that they had no middles for a trial game.
“It’s an opportunity for this kid to go and live with his culture for a week, to be proud of who he is.
“It was a chance for us to send him back more socially, emotionally and culturally supported, but he wasn’t even informed that we wanted to pick him.”
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“He has been personally attacked. Adam has acted honourably and with good character.
“I support Adam’s sentiment in terms of players being available. We’ve got some world-class, elite players that the fans want to see.
“There’s no doubt that clubs are holding players back. I’ve got examples of text messages from players where they have been told they can’t play.
“I’ve also got examples where the club hasn’t informed the player that they are going to be selected; the club has just said to us, ‘No, they are not playing’.
“That’s just the reality of the situation. What Adam has come out and said, I support. We stand together on this.”
Kalyn Ponga takes a hit-up for the Maori All Stars on Saturday night.Credit: Getty Images
Several players privately claim that, despite being fit, NRL clubs have pressured them to miss the All Stars clash. One way to potentially avoid the situation is to instruct their managers to put in an “All Stars clause” in their contract.
“That’s something that came up when we were chatting in camp, how it looks in terms of timing of the game and getting released by your club,” Griffiths said.
“People spoke about having a clause in your contract to ensure you are released for the game. They have the opportunity to put that into their contract when they are negotiating.
“Importantly, for young people on the cusp of playing NRL, it’s a hard thing to ask your club to release you for a pre-season fixture.
“You’re taking a week off from your club, so it’s got to be managed differently in terms of player availability.
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“I can understand the club’s hesitation in releasing players – we have them for one week, they have them for a whole year. But we’ve got a responsibility as a game to allow the best players to play so that the game is a spectacle.
“I spoke to a player last night who wasn’t even informed by his club that we wanted to select him. We were given rhetoric that they had no middles for a trial game.
“It’s an opportunity for this kid to go and live with his culture for a week, to be proud of who he is.
“It was a chance for us to send him back more socially, emotionally and culturally supported, but he wasn’t even informed that we wanted to pick him.”
NRL is live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
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