‘Entirely unfair’: Ugly Dragons feud developing after agent’s scathing email to club

The relationship between young gun Loko Pasifiki Tonga and the Dragons is rapidly deteriorating after the forward’s agent blasted the club for denying the 20-year-old’s release request.

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It was reported this week that Pasifiki Tonga’s management requested the Dragons to let their client explore his options immediately because of a lack of first grade opportunities.

Pasifiki Tonga played in ten NRL games last season but has failed to crack first grade this year for the winless Dragons, leading to angst and agitation from the player and his camp.

The SMH have released the initial correspondence from Pasifiki Tonga’s manager Craig Clifton which stated the situation had become “untenable” as well as Clifton’s scathing response to St. George-Illawarra knocking back their request.

“This request is not made lightly. However, following extensive discussions with Loko regarding his current standing within the club and his future career trajectory, it has become evident that his continued tenure at the Dragons is no longer tenable or beneficial for either party,” Clifton wrote Dragons CEO Ben Haran and COO Ben Creagh.

Clifton went onto write that Pasifiki Tonga’s recent NSW Cup performances warranted NRL selection and that he hoped to negotiate with clubs who would be willing to provide him with first grade opportunities.

When Creagh declined the request, Clifton didn’t mince words with his response, bringing up coach Shane Flanagan’s controversial recent comments about team selection.

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“While I note your written assurances that the Dragons hold Loko in high regard and see a genuine pathway for him, the reality of his situation at the club directly contradicts these sentiments. Words mean very little when they are not supported by action,” Clifton wrote.

“Furthermore, your assertion that he has a genuine pathway is entirely undermined by the public comments made by your head coach. Following the team’s recent loss, Shane Flanagan publicly stated regarding squad changes: ‘If I had someone that was better out of the side, I would put them in, trust me.’”

“You cannot tell us privately that he is a valued part of your future while the head coach states publicly that he has no better options to call upon.

“The contradiction is glaring, and it is entirely unfair to expect a 20-year-old player of Loko’s calibre to languish in an environment where his pathway is so clearly blocked.

“Our position has not changed. The current situation is untenable and detrimental to Loko’s career.

“We are formally reiterating our demand for immediate permission for Loko to speak and negotiate with other NRL clubs.

“We expect a prompt and realistic resolution to this matter.”

The release of Clifton’s email comes a day after former NRL star Mat Rogers’ eye-raising comments on radio.

Rogers owns the sports management company Pasifiki Tonga is a client of, although the rising star is not a direct client of Rogers.

However, the dual international felt aggrieved enough with the situation to defend the young forward on his SEN radio show and explain why the 20-year-old had made the decision.

“He’s a tremendous young man,” Rogers said on SEN.

“They’ve obviously got an opinion of him that, he’s not up to scratch. He doesn’t feel like he’s being developed and I guess we agree.”

Pasifiki Tonga suffered a neck injury last month but has played three NSW Cup games since returning, scoring two tries.

In his most recent performance, he scored once and ran for over 250 metres.

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“He doesn’t know what to do. That’s the problem,” Rogers said.

“Whether or not they will (let him go), they might dig their heels in, they’ve got some more pressing issues in relation to winning games of football.

“There’s a very frustrated young man there who’s busting his butt and he’s playing the house down and scored two tries in the three matches he’s played in reserve grade.

“He thinks he deserves an opportunity, and now it’s not sour grapes, he just feels like he’s not being told what to do.”

If Pasifiki Tonga ends up leaving the club early, The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio says it’ll be another player added to the long list of recruitment faux pas from the Dragons.

Riccio says the club have struggled to retain some excellent juniors in the past decade.

“It’s not a good look at all,” Riccio said.

“This situation of him asking for permission to negotiate with rival clubs illustrates almost a decade worth of similar situations where they are losing way too many of their own talent.

“I’m talking about Tryan Wishart, Reuben Garrick, Reece Robson, Cam McInnes. Here is another example of something that shouldn’t be happening at the Dragons.

“This is a problem for the entire club. You can’t have a kid like that asking to leave.”

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