HOPPA IN LIMBO, LAFAI LOCKED IN
Will Hopoate’s NRL future is in limbo.
Barrister Julieanne Levick is acting on behalf of the Parramatta centre and has filed a statement of claim against the club in the Supreme Court.
The action is a result of a dispute over Hopoate’s new deal, which was negotiated by former Eels CEO Scott Seward.
The club has not registered the big money contract with the NRL as the deal would tip them over the salary cap.
Earlier this year the Eels were fined due to salary cap breaches and faced with the prospect of losing competition points next year.
Hopoate’s manager, Tyran Smith, declined to comment on the matter but did confirm he’s
in a holding pattern as he awaits a resolution.
With legal proceedings under way, Canterbury centre Tim Lafai has been linked with a move from the kennel as speculation grows that Hopoate could reunite with coach Des Hasler in 2016.
While a reunion with his former Manly mentor, with whom he won a premiership alongside in 2011, could still take place, it’s understood Hopoate’s management is waiting on a resolution in regards to his Eels deal before exploring his options.
In light of Hopoate’s situation foxsports.com.au can reveal Lafai’s manager, David Rawlings, recently sat down with Bulldogs management to address the speculation.
Rawlings said the 24-year-old has been assured he will see out his deal.
“I’ve had the conversation with both Des (Hasler) and Crusher (recruitment officer Noel Cleal) at the Dogs and both have said there’s nothing out of their end and nothing out of our end,” Rawlings said.
“Tim’s really happy there and contracted until 2017.
“He loves the Dogs and is a big fan of Des.”
Lafai signed a new three-year deal last year that ties him to the club until the end of 2017.
Replies
I hope we are not the club after Jordan Rankin.
Who ever the club is, they have already signed him. So if it is us, he's already signed.
The 23-year-old informed his Hull FC teammates of his decision this week with his new club to announce the deal as soon as this week.
Who is this bloke and what is wrong with him? Surprisinly, never heard of him
By getting us to pay a big portion of Hoppa's under-cap contract.
If, for whatever stupid reason, the NRL decides that we have to submit Hoppa's contract to them that will give us zero choice but to offload him and try to recoup some of that contract money. So a club like the Dogs will offer, say, 300k for Hoppa and we'll be stuck with the rest of the bill even though he won't be playing for us.
That would be the NRL screwing us from both sides (enforcing a salary cap penalty at the same time enforcing us to register a deal that could break the salary cap) but it's not beyond reality given the lack of consistency the NRL have shown on these issues.
As the club signed Hoppa early in year and still hasn't registered with NRL must mean there was some performance issues he had to achieve imo. If the case hope this has been documented in some board minute or other legally binding document that has some standing in the courts eyes.
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