NRL Transfers: Eels star Marata Niukore signs lucrative long-term deal with Warriors
The Eels have suffered their first retention blow with the impending departure of Marata Niukore and must now act quickly to stop any further bleeding.
Parramatta have suffered their first retention blow with back-rower Marata Niukore signing a $2.5 million deal with the Warriors.
News Corp can reveal Niukore agreed on Wednesday night to a lucrative four-year deal with the Warriors, who have secured the aggressive utility forward until the end of 2026 in a major blow for the Eels.
It is understood the deal is worth around $625,000 a season with the Warriors to announce their successful poaching attempt on Niukore as early as Thursday.
Marata Niukore will begin his Warriors career in 2023.
Niukore’s impending defection comes in the wake of revelations that Parramatta teammate and Queensland Origin squad member Reed Mahoney had met for secret talks with Canterbury coach Trent Barrett and football boss Phil Gould.
Niukore was off-contract at the end of next season and will complete his commitments with Parramatta in 2022 before the Auckland product returns to his country of birth at the Warriors.
The Eels were hoping to retain the hard-running back-rower, but Parramatta have 11 off-contract top liners to secure beyond next season, headlined by Clint Gutherson, Junior Paulo, Mahoney and Ryan Matterson.
The Warriors were among a number of clubs circling Niukore in recent months and the New Zealand outfit has sealed the deal with a four-year mega offer that blew the Eels out of the water.
The 25-year-old made his NRL debut in 2018 and has since amassed 77 top-grade games for the Eels, enjoying arguably his finest season this year to help Parramatta to another finals appearance.
Niukore will be a huge loss for the Eels.
Parramatta bosses have come under fire for having so many key players off-contract at the same time and the loss of Niukore will amplify pressure on Eels powerbrokers to retain the likes of Gutherson, Mahoney and Paulo.
Niukore was considered the most at risk of leaving, although the Eels were placed on red alert when Mahoney met with Bulldogs officials at Canterbury Leagues Club on Tuesday night.
News Corp revealed a month ago that Canterbury were circling Mahoney but video footage of his meeting with Bulldogs officials no doubt caused mild panic at Eels headquarters as they digested the prospect of a big-money bid from the Bulldogs to lure their hooker to Belmore.
While they retain a fighting chance with Mahoney, the battle for Niukore’s signature has been lost and his departure leaves a void that the Eels may struggle to fill.
St George Illawarra were also in the mix for the Cook Islands international but it is understood the Dragons were informed earlier this week that it was down to the Warriors and Parramatta.
Replies
True
Well I must say I am shocked.
After re-signing BA "in god we trust" we were under the illusion the squad would stay together... after all they love playing for BA. Which is a fucking myth... because every player that is quoted saying that about BA is being paid overs.
Marata is a big loss- Lane + Matterson combined are inferior.
BA is probably not sweating on Reeds signature either .... has another little DNA sample that plays the same position ready to be parachuted in with skinny willy big bro.
I suddenly feel very nervous about our 2022 prospects. Déjà vu 2018.
Gutherson sets a great example, fight and kick for a few more dollars over loyalty. If I were led by Gutherson, loyalty would come in at dead last when negotiating
Chief you should ask Reed why he's looking around at other clubs.
Wouldn't be surprised if we now see Gutherson pictured in Redcliff with Wayne
Marata is still an Eel next year. We can't keep all our players so your comment about BA is stupid. We need to keep our spine together and work the cap around that. If Matara leaving allows us to retain Mahoney then that's excellent.
Exactly John. Melbourne have proven time and again that they are not prepared to pay stupid money for second rowers, which the Warriors have done if $625k is accurate.
So long as we keep Mahoney, Gutherson, D Brown and Moses all together I'm happy with letting a player go wh has issues with the judiciary.
Yes flipper 🐬 you keep everyone in line on the site. The place would go to ruin if you weren't here to correct all of us.
Look out 1holedflipper forum in 2023 they won't know what hit them & how a blogger gets a massive hard on and so obsessed with ol Wayne Bennett!
Have a good day mate 🐬
Whatever we're paying Lane is overs!
Yep can't argue with any of that.
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