A lot of promise

After it was revealed that senior Wests Tigers vowed to retire from the NRL if their side did not make the top eight last year, LB has discovered a number of other instances of this type of motivational ploy.

• One could be forgiven for doubting the value of the vows of Trent Barrett, Nathan Cayless and Brett Kimmorley to retire should their sides not make the eight, but at least each has kept their word.

• It was initially thought that Ricky Stuart had made a similar pledge, but it has been revealed that his vow to retire did not come with any conditions attached to it and must therefore be ruled ineligible.

• Then referees boss Robert Finch vowed to retire if a number of key rule changes weren’t made, including doubling the number of linesmen to four, doubling the number of touchlines to two, halving the number of goalposts to one, doubling the number of referee’s bosses to two and doubling the number of revolutions of the Harvey Norman insignia prior to announcement of a video ref decision. Finch has of course since retired and can now be found in a number of online league tipping competitions.

Several NRL sides have tried to implement similar player vow systems for the 2011 season, with varying success.

So far Reni Maitua and Chris Walker are the only two players from the Eels to promise to retire if their team doesn’t make the eight, although a number of Sharks players have signed on for lesser vows, such as to show up to training more or less on time and to enter the field legally during a player interchange.

Other notable vows:

• Steve Matai has vowed to get himself suspended into retirement should Manly not make the eigh.

• Jonathan Thurston has come under fire for not including any club goals in his vow, promising only to retire if not selected to play for Queensland while fit.
  

• Panthers CEO Mick Leary has vowed to retire if he extends Matt Elliot’s contract before round seven.