Eels couldn't risk team culture by breaking the bank for Hayne

Jarryd Hayne signs with Titans: Eels couldn’t risk team culture by breaking the bank for HayneAugust 3, 2016 8:13pmNick Tabakoff, Editor-at-LargeThe Daily TelegraphSubscriber onlyPARRAMATTA administrator Max Donnelly says the Eels’ resilient team culture would likely have been ruined if the club had broken the bank to sign Jarryd Hayne.Mr Donnelly told the Daily Telegraph that the club could not have matched the Titans’ two year, $2.4 million deal for Hayne without culling its current roster.“We could not possibly pay him that amount of money and be under the cap,” he said. “The only way we could have done it at that sort of money was to get rid of players - and if we do any more, it could have an impact on the unity of the team.”The club was lashed by Eels fans over the May departure to the Titans of Nathan Peats - regarded as one of the country’s top hookers - in the wake of the NRL’s sanctions against the club following its salary cap scandal.Peats had played a pivotal role in elevating the club to the NRL’s top four before the sanctions were imposed. Other key players including Junior Paulo and Ryan Morgan have also departed following the NRL sanctions.But Mr Donnelly said that offloading players to snap up a marquee signing was not in the interests of the club. “When you do it that way, you get taken advantage of,” he said. “By paying over the odds for any player, it compromises the rest of the roster. We’re not going to play that game.”“I want the fans to know we had a dig - but we weren’t in the hunt at that number.”Mr Donnelly also strongly backed the club’s current playing roster. “I don’t know of any players we want to get rid of. By paying over the odds for any player, it compromises the rest of the roster.Mr Donnelly has also emphatically denied the departed star’s claims that the club had not made him an offer, saying simply: “We did table the offer.” He declined to comment further.However, earlier this week, Hayne’s manager Wayne Beavis was communicated an offer by Eels football department officials.It is understood Parramatta initially offered up to $800,000 a year for Hayne, starting from next year. The Eels are believed to have had limited wriggle room to move on this offer, but anything close to $1 million a year was always out of the question.This position was reached in consultation between the coach Brad Arthur, the football department and the club’s new administration.According to witnesses to a phone conversation between Beavis and the officials that took place on Tuesday, Hayne’s veteran manager responded: “Jarryd is disappointed with the offer. You’ll need to sharpen your pencil.”When the officials asked how far short the Eels’ offer was, Beavis reportedly responded: “$500,000.”The Eels officials followed up with a query on whether this shortfall was for the full two-year contract. The response was words to the effect of: “No, each year.”Eels insiders say there was no indication that a rival deal would be signed as little as 24 hours later. The club had until this week been focused on finalising its confusing position in hiring players, in the wake of the salary cap scandal, by expediting the termination agreement of Kieran Foran.The club was unable to make a formal offer to Hayne until Monday, when this termination agreement was completed. It is understood that Hayne made no attempt to make contact with the club’s new administration to sort out any uncertainty over who would take over.The club has been penalised its 12 points and $1 million fine due to secret third party agreements it made with a number of its players, including Hayne, who was promised up to $465,000 in third-party payments by the club.There is no suggestion that Hayne or Beavis have done anything wrong. However, the role of agents and players remain in the sights of the NRL as part of the second phase of its investigation.However, this does not prevent Hayne from resuming his NRL career against the Warriors on Sunday.A spokesman for the NRL said the code’s investigation into players and agents involved with the Eels is ongoing.“Like any other player, Jarryd Hayne is free to play while that investigation is undertaken,” he said.

Replies

Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown August 4, 2016 at 1:09am

All sounds fair enough actually, Tabekoff states the decision was made with the consultation of Brad and i believe that.

States we offered him 800k and we were prepared to wiggle, but not to 1.3m.

Jarryd mighty pissed we didn't bow down to his asking price.

I'll back Brad here.
- timbodavo > Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown August 4, 2016 at 7:30am
  
  Me too, I really tip my hat to them putting the team culture first.
  Someone probably already asked but I've been real busy and not following every single post. But does the cooling off period still apply to Hayne. Or is there no cooling off period for player outside of the code?
- 1ee > Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown August 4, 2016 at 8:51am
  
  I'll always back brad!
Mr 'BringBackFitzy' Analyst August 4, 2016 at 1:10am

There was no way parra was going to pay that much for him.
Now I'm off overseas, chat laterz.
N1cK August 4, 2016 at 1:22am

I am surprised i have just read an article that seems acurate about the eels from the DT. BA made a call and i think we can all maybe not entirely happy about it see it was the right one. If we spent 1.3 on hayne and had a bunch of reserve graders running on the field with him we would have just time traveled back two years. Let him go for the money we can all see what his word is worth, the lies that went with it paint a pretty grubby picture.

I hope the eels as a brand and club move on and in the near future we all see that the club is bigger than hayne and we didnt need him that much anyway
Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown August 4, 2016 at 1:27am

Bwahahahahaha
chips dangerously August 4, 2016 at 1:36am

Didnt the NRL clearly state just last week that they wouldn't register a Jarryd Hayne contract before he was interviewed re: the tpa saga? oh thats right, that was only if he was going to sign for the Eels. Surely the Tits now have to shed a player or two to fit princess in?
- N1cK > chips dangerously August 4, 2016 at 2:01am
  
  I think i remember the NRL saying they wanted to help Parramatta be the powerhouse they should be.
rappetite94 August 4, 2016 at 2:33am

A club cant offically announce that they have signed a player until the 10 day cooling off period ends? Correct me if im wrong, if thats the case hayne singed with the titans 10 days ago?
- Patsy Stone > rappetite94 August 4, 2016 at 3:31am
  
  I think that only applies when he is already registered at another club. Hayne before yesterday was a totally free agent not registered at all. Plus I have read elsewhere in the blogs that he seems to have waived any cooling off conditions.