PARRAMATTA will offer a massive $1.5 million contract to Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper.
As Cooper prepares to enter Wallabies camp today before their trip to South Africa, the Eels are hoping a three-year, $500,000-a-season deal will convince the Queenslander to switch codes.
The 22-year-old has told Parramatta he is interested in joining the club next season after a meeting on Thursday night with Eels officials Paul Osborne and Roy Spagnolo and fullback Jarryd Hayne.
Cooper's manager Richard Colreavy yesterday confirmed the Test five-eighth wanted to explore his options in the NRL.
Quitting rugby with a World Cup on the horizon would be a brave call by Cooper, but the Eels' formal offer is putting huge pressure on the ARU to improve its two-year top-up component.
ARU boss John O'Neill said he was confident Cooper would not walk out on the code.
Parramatta chairman Spagnolo said the Eels would have no issues fitting Cooper into the $4.2 million salary cap next season, following the loss of Feleti Mateo and Krisnan Inu and the impending retirement of veteran prop Nathan Cayless.
"Obviously we wouldn't be making an offer if we weren't confident of fitting him in the cap," Spagnolo said.
"We've got a figure in our head and we won't be going above that. We're not going to destroy the whole team to try and get Quade Cooper."
The ARU is hoping for an answer from Cooper by Friday, although Osborne said Parramatta's offer would be non-negotiable.
"It can't be about money for Quade," Osborne said.
"If Quade wants to play for us, I'll put an offer to him for three or four years."
- with AAP
Replies
Look, if he is the Aussie Union playmaker and the one they look for to spark something, the guy has got it. I havnt seen much of his play but a HALF decent halfback or 5/8 would do our team the world of good. Instead of Hayne trying to set everyone up imagine Quade setting Hayne up! That is a very scary thought.
Surely the NRL could throw in some bonus dollars to try and get this done for us. Time for us to poach back.
Anyway, this could all just be a scam by Quade and his manager to make more cash. We shouldn't get our hopes up but its hard not too.
Pay the money get Quade, NRL top him up, get proactive!
All I'm saying is that $500K is too much for an untried player at the RL elite level. But hey! If they buy him I'll be hoping like hell he is successful in every way!
anyway, i would love quade at the club morer than anyone, its no secret we lack in the halves and QC is just about the best in the bussiness, i think he would play quite similar to Jonathon Thurston. Having himself and Hayne would eat atleast 1 quater of our salary cap. Most people think we need to recruit in other areas aswell to strengthen the team for next year, i beg to differ, the answer remains inside our own club.
Most people would tell u we need a better hooker for next season. ANSWER: anthony mitchell
Most people would tell u we need a replacement for Mateo.ANSWER: Horo, Te maari, Lasalo, O'hanlon
The one other problem is Cayless' replacement, not so sure Manakafoa, Allgood, Peletelese or this "Chris Feather" bloke, would be good enough to play prop week in week out, i think Johnny Mannah would fit the bill quite nicely ;)
So in my opinion, come on Ozzy. Go all out for Quade Cooper
Didn't I read a few blogs on how well KK did that against the Bronx?
Oh yeah - I remember now - we CAN'T afford 180 large for KK can we.
I love a good joke.
Anyone remember a guy named Tony Brass?
Top rah-rah 5/8 who got slaughtered playing for Parra.
Didn't last long at all.
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next