Montreal – The current period has left little to no relief and full-back Henoke Mwamba has seen it again as his agent, Jonathon Hardaway, has departed in the past few days as negotiations have begun with Montreal Aloyte over his next contract.
A pillar of Montreal’s defense unit, Mwamba is looking for a deal worthy of his contribution. However, the 31-year-old lost an ally in the negotiation process with Alouettes General Manager Danny Maciosia.
Hardaway, who was known to be a tough guy, died of a heart attack. Therefore, his death occurs at a certain time, especially since the two clans were not yet ready to finalize the agreement.
“It’s not easy at all,” Mwamba told RDS.ca, “but the people around me and my faith helped me.”
Still reeling from the news, the 2019 CFL MVP had given itself some time before relaunching the process.
“I haven’t had a chance to speak to Danny yet. I have to analyze several things before I can say I’m back in Montreal.”
Maciocia has already made clear to TSN that he wants to keep Moamba in Montreal, but it won’t be easy to agree on the contractual terms.
However, the home back admits he wants to stay with Montreal.
“It’s a priority for me, I loved the time I spent in Montreal, my coaches and my teammates.” The six-foot-tall, 230-pound giant commented.
Nothing helps, the death of his agent is also coming in a period of economic downturn. The pandemic caused spending cuts and Maciocia quickly declared publicly that everyone would have to make sacrifices.
So far he has convinced players like Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to do so, but does Moamba feel ready to follow suit at this point in his career?
“That’s a good question, we’re trying to see what we got there, and what we discussed with Danny. But, in the end, it’s a business to see the value you have compared to what the team brings to you,” answered Mwamba, who will celebrate his 32nd birthday in February.
Soon Mwamba will decide whether he prefers to represent himself in negotiations or if he hands it all over to someone new.
It was just the beginning of the negotiations. There will be discussions with Danny. I’ll have to find out if I’m negotiating on my own or if my brother (Kushi, who has played several seasons in CFL) does or if I hire another agent, “Mwamba described.
Moamba is clearly not going to be an easy piece to replace in the center of defense. Last season he had a huge impact inside this unit by hitting instructions to his partners. He was also heavily involved in talks with Defense Coordinator Bob Selwick, who was replaced by Baron Miles for the 2021 season.
“I loved Coach Slow, he is one of my favorites. We are still in touch today. I respect him so much as a coach and as a person. The team thinks the same. I have so much love for him. It’s sad to see him go, but this is a business and this is the decision that was made.” As for Barron’s arrival, I have always loved him. I’ve gotten to know him through my older brother since he led him for a few years (with Edmonton Eskimo). We joke together. We talk to each other regularly. It would be an honor to play for him, we’ve had a conversation already. He’s a young coach and he has him. Some interesting ideas, and it is interesting to see the people who have worked hard as a player and as a coach.
So far, there have been more contracts on the offensive side with Alouette. In defense, Greg Reed, Antonio Simmons, David Maynard, Junior Locke and Mark Antoine Decoy significantly signed contracts.