Crazy John's chief executive Brendan Fleiter said he knew nothing of Manly's decision to pull the pin on sponsorship negotiations with the mobile phone retailer until informed by the media today.

Melbourne-based Fleiter has been in NSW and Queensland but said he was surprised that Sea Eagles football board chairman Joe Cross did not tell him the news before the cash-strapped club issued a press release today.

"It's the first I've heard of it," said Fleiter when AAP broke the news to him.

"I've been interstate and I just got back today. Joe Cross rang me yesterday and my PA had rung him back but I haven't spoken with him today.

"I'm surprised but obviously it's their choice.

"At the moment we're sponsoring seven rugby league clubs, Manly's not one of them."

Cross said in a statement the Manly football board had unanimously dismissed any commercial involvement with Crazy John's for the 2004 season.

He said recent publicity surrounding negotiations had "caused both embarrassment and damage to the Sea Eagles brand".

Cross and club chief executive Ian Thomson were unwilling to comment any further.

Thomson did confirm the club's concerns centred on media reports suggesting Crazy John's millionaire owner John Ilhan had drawn up a bizarre list of plans if the deal went ahead.

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