Eels star ‘on the radar’ of rival as ‘concerned’ teammates talk to club: Transfer Whispers

https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/81b5b65ee3ed40c597a67b45effc2254?width=640 640w, https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/81b5b65ee3ed40c597a67b45effc2254?width=768 768w" layout="responsive" attribution="test" i-amphtml-ssr="" data-hero="" class="i-amphtml-layout-responsive i-amphtml-layout-size-defined i-amphtml-element i-amphtml-built i-amphtml-layout" i-amphtml-layout="responsive" i-amphtml-auto-lightbox-visited="" lightbox="i-amphtml-auto-lightbox-0">81b5b65ee3ed40c597a67b45effc2254https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/81b5b65ee3ed40c597a67b45effc2254?width=640 640w, https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/81b5b65ee3ed40c597a67b45effc2254?width=768 768w" alt="SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 07: Dylan Brown of the Eels reacts before the round nine NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Sydney Roosters at Bankwest Stadium on May 07, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)" data-hero="" />SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 07: Dylan Brown of the Eels reacts before the round nine NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Sydney Roosters at Bankwest Stadium on May 07, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Staff Writers from Fox Sports
November 27th, 2021 10:26 am

Parramatta’s pain could get even worse with a rival circling yet another star, while the club is going to have to “pay overs” to keep a big-name player.

Meanwhile, the loss of Marate Niukore, Isaiah Papali’i and Reed Mahoney for the 2023 season is reportedly worrying other players and they have raised their concerns with the club.

And three star hookers have already been shopped to the Eels as a replacement for Mahoney.

The 2023 roster is a sore point for Eels fans and things could get even worse.

Social media was sent into a spin when it was revealed on Thursday that star hooker Reed Mahoney had signed a four-year deal with the Bulldogs, to begin in 2023.

The news came exactly one week after fellow Eel Isaiah Papali’i signed with the Wests Tigers and two weeks after Marate Niukore signed with the Warriors.

And now gun five-eighth Dylan Brown is the latest Eel to be linked to a rival club, with Channel 7’s Michelle Bishop tellingSEN: “Dylan Brown is another one, the Warriors are keen, he is on their radar.”

Brown comes off contract at the end of 2022 and has flown under the radar with much of the attention being on the future of Mahoney, Niukore, Papali’i, Junior Paulo and Clint Gutherson.

It’s been a bloodbath at Parramatta headquarters lately, however there was one positive when Gutherson finally signed an extension after drawn-out negotiations.

But the skipper’s lengthy talks, as well as reports about what the Eels offered Papali’i and Mahoney, has put the club under intense scrutiny for lowballing players.

Papali’i knocked back Parramatta’s two-year extension offer at $425,000-per-season. The Tigers pounced and locked in the Dally M Second Rower of the Year on a three-year deal at $600,000-per-season.

It was a similar scenario with Mahoney who the Eels tabled an initial offer to and then upped it but it still fell close to $100,000 short of the $650,000 salary the Bulldogs offered.

The attention now turns to Paulo, who has had interest from Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins.

Bishop told SEN that she believes Paulo will likely stay at the Eels but the club will have to fork out the cash now that they’ve lost so many players.

“If I’m Parramatta I’m escorting (Junior Paulo) into the boardroom and ask him how much does he want. They’ll have to, they’re in no other position, they’ll have to pay overs for him,” she said.

“I can’t see him moving on to be honest. That’s one player I believe will stay, that’s my gut feeling.”

Bishop also revealed that there is concern amongst some players around what the 2023 roster will look like.

“There were reports around Parramatta not being interested in Nick Cotric. I can tell you now there’s some players that are asking ‘please, can we do something? We need to bring someone here.’

“That’s what level of conversation that players are getting involved in. They are concerned.”

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    • Best comment I've read here Coach Jim, very common sense and balanced.

  • Well we have Gutherson , the most expensive one of all of them so we will be sweet.  

  • 'id be marching him into the boardroom and asking how much he wants'. LMAO, alright boomer, great cap management. 

    • why not ask him if he'd like a piece of his teammates' wives and girlfriends as well?

       

  • The bottom line of this story is that reporter thinks Warriors are interested in player they've previously approached. Truly groundbreaking stuff.

    That being said, I've heard we're a fair way down the line of negotiations with Junior and Dylan. Both are pretty close to re-signing with us.

    • Didn't we hear the same about Reed?

      Don't hold it against us if we don't feel entirely comforted by your words. After all, aren't words worth little more than wind? Actions are the only thing that matters.

      Even if you are right and Paulo and Dylan stay, we have still lost Papalii and Reed, 2 under-25 rep quality players. It will still hurt even if we don't lose anyone else.

      But the chances of us losing more players is sitll quite high. The Dolphins and other clubs are still looming with godfather offers. We should have tied up all important players before November 1, but our club is incompetent.

    • Question is why haven't they already?

      • Exactly. All important players should have been tied up before November 1 but the club let them all go to market.

        • The club didn't let them go to market, they chose to to to market, which was always going to happen because of the Dolphins intro to the league. The club can't force them to sign before testing the market.

          Blame the club for aligning so many contracts to 2023, or for bungling negotiations. Both valid. But choosing to test the market is at the players discretion.

          • True enough Capain, but they could have tried harder to tie them up before November 1. The fact that they all went to market shows the club either did not, or could not, tie them up prior to November 1.

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