Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne says Kris Keating has delayed contract negotiations with the club until he has a better idea of how he fits into the team.
That news emerged as the Eels confirmed winger Luke Burt had extended his deal. Burt, originally contracted until the end of this season and now tied until the end of 2012, said yesterday he was thrilled his future at Parramatta had beenconfirmed after it seemed only last year that he might be squeezed out.
The Eels have many players coming off contract this year, and Osborne is gradually re-signing those seen as priorities. Burt joins fullback Jarryd Hayne and five-eighth Daniel Mortimer, each of whom re-signedbefore the season began, while prop Fuifui Moimoi's re-signing will beconfirmed soon. But salary-cap pressure is increasing.
Halfback or five-eighth Keating is another considered a priority, as is lock or five-eighth Feleti Mateo. Asked yesterday where things stood with those players, Osborne replied: ''Feleti we're talking to. Keating's managerwants to wait for a little while. Kris is a local kid. I think theBulldogs are chasing him pretty hard, and I think they [Keating and hismanager] want to see what his role is with us long term, whether he'sin the starting side. Mateo wants to stay, and we want him to stay.''
The Bulldogs missed out in a big play for Mortimer, and have been linked with Keating and Mateo.
Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said yesterday while the club regarded them as players of interest, it had decisions to make on the retention or otherwise of players before it could consider recruits.
''The retention situation should be a lot clearer in four to six weeks,'' he said. ''We haven't met with Kris or made him any offers, but he is one of the players on a list that our club is looking at. We see Kris as atalented footballer, and it's the same with Feleti.''
Keating is a part of the puzzle in the halves for the Eels that will be worked out as the season wears on. He was starting halfback at one stage last year, but his season ended early because of a broken jaw, andParramatta went on to make the grand final with Jeff Robson at halfbackand Mortimer five-eighth.
Eels coach Daniel Anderson stuck with the Robson-Mortimer pairing for the first game of this season, against St George Illawarra, with Keating on the bench. He has named the trio in the same positions for the game against Manly atParramatta Stadium on Sunday. There is speculation Mortimer will end upat halfback and Keating at five-eighth, with Robson backing up thehooker and halves from the bench.
Included among other Parramatta players who finish their contracts this year are backs Eric Grothe and Krisnan Inu, and forwards Nathan Cayless and Brendan Oake.
Burt, who will play his 200th first-grade game on Sunday against Manly, said he hadn't ruled out playing beyond when his new deal runs out.
''I'm open-minded,'' he said. ''I'll only be 31 at the end of this contract, so if the body's feeling OK and the form's there, I'd love to squeeze another year or two in.
''It's always been my goal to stay at this club for good.''
Replies
This lack of respect paid to him is a huge plus for Parra at the moment.
And herein lies another thing to consider. KK is a huge talent I reckon and could easily become one of the best playmakers going around in the comp in the next few years. However, Parra already have their # 1 Go To Man in Hayne, plus Mortimer. Then you add in Mateo as another potential playmaker. There is the potential for there to be too many chiefs IMO.
Before the season started, I'd heard that KK was predominantly training at halfback and I expect him to be there before the end of the season. By then however, will he have signed for another club for 2011? Remains to be seen...
Everyone agrees that he is a special player and we know he's done well in the lower grades. I was impressed with him in the trial against the Roosters. When he had the ball in his hands it looked like something might be about to happen.
BUT
We do have a half back who got his chance last year and took it with both hands.
Keating spent most of the season injured (not his fault of course) and is still yet to show what he can do in 1st grade.
There is no way Anderson could put KK in as the starting half back in the first game of the season. And from what he showed us last year, Anderson seems to be a coach who gives players a chance to show what they can do before he makes the hard call. Last year it only took 4 games before he made the hard call on Finch. Mortimer had to wait a long time before he finally got his shot in 1st grade and even Robson had to wait until he had his chance in the starting team.
My biggest fear is that KK will become despondent too early and make a decision he regrets.
Would Jason Cayless and PJ Marsh have moved on in 2002 if they had their time again? I don't think so.
Hopefully the puzzle will fit together some time soon and we'll see how all 3 of our halves can play in the same team at the same time and together take us toward a premiership.
From my understanding this article is misrepresenting the situation. It's not so much that Kris is having a dummy-spit that he's not in the starting team, rather it's he hasn't really been given the opportunity to show what he's capable of. Daniel Anderson has been reported as saying that Kris hasn't really proven himself in first grade yet, so the club is understandably going to offer him a contract that reflects that view.
However, I'm sure KK's manager believes that if he can get a decent run in first grade, prove that he is up to NRL standard and potentially one of the better halves in the competition then he is obviously going to be able to get a much better contract for the next couple of years. Waiting 3 months before going into contract mode could mean the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Let's say he is out-performing Daniel Mortimer in the halves by mid-year he obviously has every right to expect a contract of equivalent or better to what Morts got.
So I don't think it's shows immaturity, I think it shows he has confidence in his own ability that if he is given the chance he can show he is a much better player than what we've seen so far. He's taking a risk also. At this stage the club would probably be willing to factor in potential to a longer term contract where as if Kris does get that NRL experience and he doesn't live up to his expectation he is going to end up with either a lesser contract or may even struggle to find a club if he leaves it too late.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/homesick-ben-hennant-may...
I know the Broncos have been trying to negotiable a release for him since earlier this year.
I have no doubts that this will play into the dogs plans for KK, Mateo and Inu.