- Rising Apa Twidle will leave the Parramatta Eels at the end of 2026 after agreeing to a three-year deal with the new Perth Bears (joining in 2027).
- The deal is in a cooling-off period, but he’s expected to go ahead with it because the offer is significantly better.
- Twidle burst onto the scene with a standout debut (2 tries in 3 minutes), which attracted strong interest from multiple clubs.
- Parramatta reportedly only offered a low-value development contract (~$80k), while Perth provided better financial security and opportunity.
- A key factor: the Bears are offering him a chance to play in the halves, rather than being used as a utility/backline option.
- He becomes one of the early signings helping build the Bears’ inaugural squad under coach Mal Meninga.
Bottom line:
Parramatta unearthed a serious talent, but underpaid and under-positioned him—Perth stepped in with money, role clarity, and long-term security, and likely pinched him.
Replies
Oh well, no biggie
who cares if he signs. There's plenty of other players coming through. One player doesn't win a premiership as we saw with Hayne. The Eels need players who are fully committed not half hearted players who are more interested in themselves and their pocket. I hope it works out for him but under Meninga I Seriously can't see him going to far and it may take a number of years
With new teams coming in and Super League possibly getting "saved" there's more cash going around than clubs have cap space.That also means moving someone on is easier and best way to overperform is to have young players on unders in your squad.
So we don't know if Apa will be the next Tedesco but what I do know is that we should have had him secured before his debut. A 2027 min wage top 30 contract would have cost us 150k and it sounds like he would have signed one a few weeks ago. We could still have released him if we don't need / want him or we need the roster spot. Or even if we swap him for someone we need more, like LPT.
To his credit MON has secured T. Brown long term and Lorenzo and Will Latu for next year. No idea what the deal is with Saxon Pryke and Araz Nanva but if they're not signed then their price just went up. And there'll be some interest for Volkman, Walker and W Penisini too. We don't know what's going on inside the club but they'd better be working overtime to get those deals done!
I have confidence in our recruitment and retention team to hang on to the right guys. It doesn't seem to have been mentioned that Twidle subbed on for part of his debut game and has been out injured ever since. Not a great return on investment. No point in making huge investments in players who aren't going to be on the paddock.
If Lorenzo T is more promising than Apa T then why are so many comments here premised on "keep both" not "must choose"? It seems the method of critique here, for Apa T leaving, just lazily assumes the club can keep all potential products. Hence the hand wringing about losing one of them, rather than a constructive discussion about the one that is staying (Lorenzo T).
really hope the Eels turn their on-field form around, say many more Dogs games not Titans games, because then at least 1EE is not entirely given over to incessant tirades against club management. Which is entirely boring in its cherry picking partisanship and big vibes of "if I ran the fruit store I'd have the best fruit". Yawn.
The problem isn't keeping the right players it is thier developement. There seems to be flaws in our developement as to why many don't make it. Defense is 1 of them, look how many are poor in defence that come through. Tailagi for 1 was terrible yet when went to panthers his defense has improved quite alot. This is only 1 example but we need better than the pathways deliver and that comes back to the coaches in those pathways.
Talagi's defense is still terrible. It's just that Panthers can hide him better than the Eels could. Until good halves target him and Talagi leaks like a sieve
Agreed and that is the thing Daz, these guys are quite young - and I know Apa is about 21; i would rather have developed him albeit with Lorenzo, than bring in Pez, who is here for a year. Blaize started in our team in 24, when we had some issues. I was undecided about Pez tbh and would have hoped he played for the year but even his defence was at times avg. All young halves will be worked over, as Saints will know this weekend with Reed starting at half. I get we cannot keep them all, but as some have said you would prefer to keep a developed junior.
But it seems memories are conveniently short, in all these critiques of club mgmt. Talagi accepted a 3-year offer from Panthers in July 2024. Reports at the time show Eels had offered a multi-year deal and said he was their long-term fullback. Talagi had Gutho in front of him at FB and Brown in front of him at 5/8. BA had just been sacked in May 2024 and Luai had announced he was leaving Panthers at end of 2024. If I'm Talagi I'm opting for Panthers, a much clearer path to 6 and more stability and current success at team-level.
With all the talk inferring straight from players staying or going or switching to Eels or not, to club mgmt and R&R, I'm just saying it's just not credible to imagine there is a deterministic and linear relation from club mgmt to outcomes of all those choices.
The Talagi example shows so many other factors involved. The more examples we dig into the more complicated those outcomes probably become.
It does and we are all guilty of being fickle at times Daz.....I still come back to the club with their D Brown contract and this for me messed up the backflow of players coming through. Talagi made a call i am assume on the better organised club top 8 / 4 chances and also development.
Russell had a stellar year in 25 and we were keeping him but Perth got in a good offer as they should as they had no-one nd need to pay more.
It would not be an easy job at all with the lists and kids in Flegg / Reggies but I feel the club pre-Ryles made a bad call on the Brown contract, and I satnd by that and ask we he did to be offered that.
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