Post by happybadger on Aug 15, 2018 1:27:48 GMT
It was a disheveled and upset Happy Badger who announced officially that Auckland would receive all three of the Raptors' Mad Barry picks, in exchange for $200,000, Ash Handley, and Blake Austin.
"I received great offers from both Auckland and North Queensland," he explained, "and I wanted to give both something, but, in the end, time was eroding the value of my first pick, so I had to make a decision, and I just could not split the metaphorical baby. And I had been offered both Handley and Austin earlier in negotiations, so I was more familiar with them, so when I had to take the decision immediately, to not degrade the first pick, I made the very difficult decision to choose the Auckland offer."
"I would like to thank both Auckland and North Queensland's organisations for their professionalism and patience with me," Badger continued.
When the pool reporter asked whether he could have gotten more than Handley, Austin, and cash, Badger shrugged. "Perhaps, perhaps not...and it's true that those three picks could be the next Andrew Johns, Jamie Rooney, and Jarrod Hayne, or they could be reserve grade for their entire careers, or somewhere in between." He sighed. "I got what I wanted out of the deal, without gouging anybody, and hopefully, without making Bazal feel hard done by."
Badger chuckled. "If Bazal wants to take it out on me, there is the potential opportunity to do so in the playoffs..."
"I received great offers from both Auckland and North Queensland," he explained, "and I wanted to give both something, but, in the end, time was eroding the value of my first pick, so I had to make a decision, and I just could not split the metaphorical baby. And I had been offered both Handley and Austin earlier in negotiations, so I was more familiar with them, so when I had to take the decision immediately, to not degrade the first pick, I made the very difficult decision to choose the Auckland offer."
"I would like to thank both Auckland and North Queensland's organisations for their professionalism and patience with me," Badger continued.
When the pool reporter asked whether he could have gotten more than Handley, Austin, and cash, Badger shrugged. "Perhaps, perhaps not...and it's true that those three picks could be the next Andrew Johns, Jamie Rooney, and Jarrod Hayne, or they could be reserve grade for their entire careers, or somewhere in between." He sighed. "I got what I wanted out of the deal, without gouging anybody, and hopefully, without making Bazal feel hard done by."
Badger chuckled. "If Bazal wants to take it out on me, there is the potential opportunity to do so in the playoffs..."
