Bradman Best has been left baffled by a leaked contract offer from the Newcastle Knights, with the Australian centre revealing he was never given a monster deal from the club.
Whispers around Best future have refused to go away over the last month, but it looked as though Newcastle were the odds-on favourite to retain their centre after it was said they had tabled him a four-year, $4 million deal last week.
The alleged deal making him one of the highest paid centres in the game and an offer which would help keep Best at the club, if he had seen it.
“That hasn’t been the case,” Best said.
“I don’t know where that offer came from. I don’t know who leaked it, but it’s not the case.
“I never received the deal which has been put out, and I don’t know how that figure has been put out.
“At the moment, it’s just all talk.”
Best, a Newcastle junior, is keen to extend his stay in the regional NSW town, with the club building towards a premiership with their plethora of young talent.
His younger brother Baxter is another factor after the club locked him down on a long term deal.
But most of all, Best wants to stay loyal if the club is willing to pay him what he’s worth.
“Obviously, I want to give Newcastle the chance,” Best said.
“I’m loyal to them, I love Justin (Holbrook), the coaches there, and the club, so I’d love to sit down with them first and obviously discuss my future.”
It is understood the Knights have not moved off their initial offer to Best which sits around $800,000-a-season, which is unders on what the star would command on the open market.
It comes as the Eels prepare to make Best a massive offer of their own which could make him the highest paid centre in the game.
Best has been allowed to negotiate with rival clubs since November 1, and is understood to have multiple meetings awaiting him once he leaves Kangaroos camp in the next two weeks.
The Australian centre is not bothered by the noise or leaks which are currently surrounding his future.
“I understand it’s all speculation, and the media are going to blow things up and do their thing, so at the end of the day, it is what it is.”
“Only we know what’s actually going on, so I guess it’s all good, doesn’t bother me.”
Part of Best’s decision to test his value is his young family, with fiancee Kayla Fenech and young daughter Kaliyah at the front of mind.
For now, Best is locked into his World Cup campaign, where his excellent club form has led to the 25-year-old earning his centre jersey for his country.
Best will now get the opportunity to take on some of his Newcastle teammates for the first time in his career.
Despite coming up against each other in the semi finals, Best refuses to cut off the young players he’s helped edge into first grade, supporting them by watching all their games in the lead up to Sunday’s must win clash against Samoa.
“I’ve been chatting to them throughout,” Best said of his relationship with Francis Manuleleua and Jermain McEwen.
“They’ve been playing some unreal footy and they were unreal against Tonga
“I can’t wait, it’s going to be mad. These boys are repping out for their country and culture, and you know, we’ll do the same.
“It’s an exciting challenge and I’ve got a lot of love for them boys, the young lads.”
Replies
There is touch of Chiefy magic there...if he signs then no credit to MON, but if he doesn't then we can "draw and quarter" him.
No no no Chief. Doesn't work that way. You know me, i do not really care if Parra move on MON as he has been here for a while now and the last few years his job has been not very good.
But you cannot blame him for missing out on signings, then if he gets one it is not on him since Jeff Fenech was the main reason. What about Luke Vella for Galvin? Was that then MON's fault? Keaon maybe had an incentive for him to go to Saints. Mitch Barnett went to Brisbane as he loved playing for Madge in Origin.
You cannot say he is at fault for recruitment and then turn around and say he had no hand in getting good signings. It reminds me of when people say if a team is doing well a coach is the reason for them doing well, but if they are doing bad it is not the coaches fault as they are not on the field.
Goes both ways for positives and negatives. Not completely 100% both ways but if Best signs with Parramatta, MON deserves some credit. As does Ryles, Rush and whoever is involved to this point of getting the deal done. But with Rogers gone and no new head of recruitment announced, as far as we know, it would seem MON is doing the heavy lifting in negotiations. Therefore it is more on him than before.
Ive always said Galvin was going to the dogs, and Parramatta were just a pawn used by Gould to cover the dogs secret behind the scenes push to get Galvin out of wests.
He was never coming
You can believe that if you want but I have it on very good authority, from his dad himself, it was decided very late he was going to Dogs with Luke Vella being the deciding factor. He signed on a Sunday and his dad said the Friday before he's leaning Parra.
So keep your bias as is, don't let it get too much more in the way of your reality.
Do you think his Dad would tell you anything, knowing you would blab it on 1EE..... if I wanted to get a message out there to defend my son, I would probably tell a "fib" as well.....Sources such as Managers all knew what was going on.....Gould screwed everyone over what was happening and it looks like his father (Galvins) was taken down the garden path as well.
Beautifully illustrated by Gus Gould, the Parramatta Power's misled up untill the execution as well, they were absolutely convinced Galvin was coming across.....quite defining actually if Galvin ended up playing 5/8 he maybe anything by now, if he stayed with Parramatta.
His dad is an Eels fan, he said Lachy could be leaning Parra though he loves Luke Vella too. how is he to know I'm on this site so nothing to do with it.
He wasn't. I got the word from a primary source itself and tried to tell everyone.im sure he would have thought about it, but the deal had already been made.
Heard otherwise from what I would consider a decent source in his own father.
I mean what better source than a father?
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