Eels target...Johnathan Thurston. Source: Daily Telegraph
THEY'VE halted negotiations with their own off-contract stars, but that hasn't stopped Parramatta from making some very sly enquiries about signing the game's best and highest-paid player.
The Eels are again eyeing Johnathan Thurston - just six months after ceasing talks with the Cowboys maestro to secure young gun Daniel Mortimer.
But the idea of recruiting Thurston has come right back into the frame thanks to the team's dire early-season form. Sources inside the club have been talking about making a play for the Kangaroos No. 7 for the past two weeks, with the likelihood of Kris Keating, Feleti Mateo and Krisnan Inu going elsewhere to free up some serious salary cap space to compete with North Queensland's $1.8 million, three-year offer.
Chatter around the club crystallised into a phone call to Thurston's manager, Sam Ayoub, recently. But Eels CEO Paul Osborne did not return calls last night, while Ayoub refused to confirm or deny Parra's interest.
"As I've done all along, I won't be commenting about which clubs are or are not interested in Johnathan," Ayoub said.
Newcastle are also weighing up whether to make Thurston an offer.
Replies
The DT sat on this story for 6months last year
We need an old head and there is no better than thurston on the market.
If it means losing mateo, Inu, grothe etc so be it
Mateo's performance cannot get any worse than the 1st 4 rounds this year. He has been dreadful.
Good work Ozzy, if the players leave, so be it. They choose to stay and play for a new contract, they will value it more and show parra mngt that they are worth resigning
Mateo and Inu both seem like they haven't progressed form 3 years ago. In fact, i would say they have gone backwards and am getting a bit tired about their unrealized potential.
DA is building a culture that nearly is not good enough. DO you think Bellamy would keep a player if they were continually non performing.
I HOPE MATEO & INU PROVE ME WRONG BUT THEY HAVE BEEN MY BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS TO DATE.
And in 2009 I was saying the same about players are supposed to be professionals, cause how can anyone who is paid 250-400k a year be bad at their job? lol
As for the likes of Bellamy and Bennett they have coached teams that were State of Origin level. Imagine having in your team Slater, Inglis and Cameron Smith - can't go wrong!
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