SMH - By Adrian Proszenko - August 17, 2019 — 6.00pm
Parramatta are eyeing off former NSW prop Matt Prior for next season if salary cap pressures result in him being squeezed out of Cronulla.
The Eels are looking to bolster their front-row stocks and have identified Prior and Penrith’s Reagan Campbell-Gillard as targets if they become available. The Sharks have already released contracted players Jayden Brailey and Kyle Flanagan to the Knights and Roosters respectively at the end of the season. Kurt Capewell could be another player parting company at the end of the season after fielding interest from Newcastle.
Premiership-winning Cronulla forward Matt Prior is on Parramatta's radar.CREDIT:AAP
While Paul Gallen’s retirement frees up some funds, the Shire outfit has a handful of players – including Shaun Johnson, Andrew Fifita, Josh Dugan, Matt Moylan, Aaron Woods and Wade Graham – taking up a huge chunk of their salary cap. The challenge of keeping the current roster intact is made even more difficult by the $350,000 penalty the club is carrying next year as a result of their salary cap breach.
Cronulla powerbrokers would like to welcome back departing Newcastle centre Jesse Ramien but need to move at least one player to be in a position to table an offer.
Penrith prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard is another potential target for the Eels. CREDIT:AAP
The Eels are keeping a close eye on the situation, earmarking Prior as a forward of interest if he is granted permission to speak with rival clubs. Prior has 12 months remaining on his deal but the opportunity to secure his long-term future could hold appeal.
The former Dragon has been a consistent performer throughout his career and is just two appearances shy of reaching the 250-game mark. The 32-year-old played State of Origin last year and was a leading light in the premiership-winning team in 2016.
Parramatta are still in the mix for the services of Campbell-Gillard, but it remains to be seen whether they will come to terms with the Kangaroos prop. "RCG" is on a contract worth in excess of $4 million over the next five years and the Eels would expect the Panthers to contribute for the transfer to happen.
The Eels were well down the track in negotiations with Melbourne’s Christian Welch regarding a $1.5 million, three-year contract, but pulled the deal after he suffered another season-ending ACL injury.
The addition of a marquee forward would be a huge boost to a side that confirmed a finals appearance with a solid 36-12 victory over the Gold Coast on Friday night. The Eels can keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish if they defeat traditional rivals Canterbury at Bankwest on Thursday night.
Off the field, the Eels are hoping to push through changes to the constitution of the Parramatta Leagues Club that it is hoped will ensure the stability and prosperity of the football outfit. In a letter to members, Eels chairman Sean McElduff encouraged all voting members to attend the reform vote on September 10.
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“This is one of the most important meetings in the Parramatta Eels’ recent history as eligible PLC voting members will have an opportunity to endorse important governance reforms that will ensure that the stability and growth that we have achieved over the last 2.5 years in the football club continues,” McElduff wrote.
“The Parramatta Eel’s current independent board members, management, staff, players and coaches are united in their support for the proposed reforms …
“Most of you know that we have not had a stable environment during our recent past history. It doesn’t really matter how or why this happened but the facts remain that during the period between 2009-2016, the Parramatta Eels had: 5 coaches; 6 CEOs; 25 Directors; and 5 Salary Cap breaches.
“Whilst some level of change is necessary, the constant changes in leadership that occurred over this period of time created too much instability and uncertainty for our coaches, management, staff and players and our performance on and off the field suffered.
Replies
The old fossils of the site would be happy . Matt prior would’ve been one of the best players in the comp when they were young lads .
Hahahaaa.
While we’re at it, let’s get Beau Scott back.
So long as it is done in a way ghat helps and does not block us developing the young ones it would be good
Thought we were chasing him 4 yrs ago? Might have been okay then.
We did. Nice memory
I would still sign Welch he is head and shoulders above these two
When will this Club stop trying to get bargain basement purchases from players that are well and truly past it? That football review worked wonders. Surely giving the up and comers a crack is a better option than this!
Agree Mack. Gower should be retained before even considering Prior.
Hearing up here in the Riff that RCG .is still a chance of coming to the Eels but now also the cowboys are sniffing around and want to have a serious conversation with the penny's
I think Prior is being viewed as a work around until we can have a crack at Welch in 12 months time.
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