Manly needs to ‘eat humble pie’

Press, 28 July 1989, Page 48

Manly needs to ‘eat humble pie’

NZPA-AAP Sydney The Australian rugby league coach, Bob Fulton, yesterday said that ManlyWarringah should “eat humble pie” and grant the tough forward, Paul Vautin, a free transfer. But Manly’s favourite son denied the issue would force him to sever ties with a club with which he has been involved for 17 years. “As far as I’m concerned I’ve had my bit to say to those who matter at Manly and now I’m going to wash my hands of the whole affair,” Mr Fulton said. He said he would not quit his post as coaching director of Manly juniors, although he felt the club had handled the Vautin saga poorly. Mr Fulton said it was "very, very sad” for a club like Manly to be in a position where it had public opinion running against it again so soon after the sacking of the coach, Alan Thompson,

for next season. Speaking on Radio 2UE, he said Manly must rethink its position on the sAustso,ooo transfer fee it had placed on the Australian vice-captain. “I believe they have to eat a bit of humble pie and offer Paul a free transfer,” he said. “By doing that they might get public opinion back on their side.” Mr Fulton admitted personality clashes were behind the Manly-Vautin feud. “I’d be telling a lie if I said that wasn’t true,” he said. Meanwhile, the besieged Manly secretary, Doug Daley, yesterday said his character was being assassinated by certain sections of the media. Mr Daley, who said he had been cast as a villain in the press, also denied the club’s reduced contract offer to Vautin next season was the result of a personality clash between him and the Kangaroo forward.