EELS READY TO DEAL FOR TAUPAU
DAVID RICCIO
PARRAMATTA is willing to stand down Marty Taupau from playing against Manly on Friday – if that’s what it takes to get a deal done.
Taupau has just 48 hours to complete his exit from the Sea Eagles after requesting a release on Friday to join the Eels for the rest of the season.
Without a contract beyond November 1, he fears his NRL career could be over if he’s unable to take up the Parramatta offer.
The Eels would be willing to sign Taupau for 2023 in the belief the Kiwi international would add grunt to a forward pack facing an exodus at the end of this season.
Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papalii, Reed Mahoney, Ray Stone and Oregon Kaufusi are all leaving the Eels at the end of this season.
Taupau, 32, has spent the past seven seasons with Manly.
The decision has reached a tipping point with players having until this Monday to switch between clubs.
The Eels are one club that have left salary cap room for a late-season signing.
Delivering Parramatta forward Nathan Brown, who has been told he can find another club beyond this season, to Manly as a swap for Taupau has been mentioned but has failed to gain any traction.
Taupau’s request has so far been denied by ninth-placed Manly, which has one eye on the finals and the other on the sixth-placed Eels, which it will host at Four Pines Park on Friday night.
The Sea Eagles are loathe to hand one of their main rivals a leg-up before playing them.
Manly also view Taupau as a marquee forward and know that the Kiwi International is crucial to keeping its finals hopes alive.
The Sea Eagles also have forwards Sean Keppie (shoulder), Karl Lawton (knee), Ben Trbojevic (concussion) and Morgan Boyle (ankle) either unavailable to play this week or have been ruled out for the rest of the season — with Jen Dawson and 3 others.
Replies
Reckon it would be kinda stupid of manly to let him go. Big chance of making into the eight and we are actually dicey.
if they did allow by some crazy chance they'd have restrictions on him if they can?
Do whatever it takes to get the deal done. Manly will not make the 8 without Turbo and this weeks loss
Manly would be pretty dumb to let him go. Other than doing it in good faith for the players future , it makes no sense. What will they get out of it ?
Cap space they can then use to bring some 2023 payroll forward. They are under a massive cap squeeze next year, if they can save even 200k it woukd be huge for them
He's off contract in a few weeks .
Yes, but they can bring other players salaries forward.
Why can't we do what storm does and pay to borrow a player that's team no chance for finals? Newcastle's Safiti would do nice ...either one.
Newcastle & Saifiti would have to be agree to it. Plus we want Taupau for next year as well
Yes of course, point is there must be someone out there who would if their team has no hope of finals ie other than someone’s like Taupau’s whos team does. Find it pretty shitty of tapau to ask for a release in the circumstances really.
we can worry about signing him next year after season end
I don't blame taupau, manly haven't offered him a contract after this season, this is an opportunity to get at least one more year after this year at another club.
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