Hoops: The low-balling Eels are on brink of disaster. It’s time they backed their coach
Parramatta’s scrupulous, National Australia Bank-style approach to player values now appears about as solid as a tower of jelly.
Fresh off the back of Marata Niukore signing with the New Zealand Warriors earlier this month now Dally M backrower of the year Isaiah Papali’i has inked a three-year deal worth around $1.8 million to switch to Wests Tigers in 2023.
So in the space of a fortnight the Eels have lost two of the NRL’s better backrowers as the blue and gold Roster Management Committee refuses to budge on its rigid style of negotiating.
The question rival clubs have all been asking over the past month is ‘how did the Eels decide it was smart business to have 13 out of their top 30 NRL squad all becoming free agents as of November 1 for 2023?
The Eels, apparently, know the answer. They’re just not willing to share it with anyone.
We’re not just talking about a host of fringe NRL players, either.
Captain Clint Gutherson, NSW Origin prop Junior Paulo and young gun hooker Reed Mahoney head a list that also includes Maika Sivo, Dylan Brown and Ryan Matterson with player options in their favour for 2023.
Parramatta went to the unusual lengths of putting out a statement on November 5 outlining how the club intended to refrain from engaging in “media speculation” about player contracts.
That’s aged well. Privately the Eels will argue the Tigers have outlaid $600,000-a-season for a player who has only had one solid season in the NRL.
But it’s hard to see how Parramatta coach Brad Arthur would see it the same way given all the time and energy he invested into helping Papali’i win the Dally M backrower of the year award.
Sure, the flip side of the argument is the Eels will now have more money to spend on players and can bump up their offers to Gutherson, Paulo and Mahoney.
But if the club persists on low-balling players with initial offers in negotiations then this could easily snowball into an exodus.
In the case of Papali’i, the Eels initially offered him a two-year extension for 2023 and 2024 at $425,000 per season.
The Wests Tigers — to their credit — saw an opportunity and simply went crack, bang with a three year $1.8 million offer.
The next immediate danger for the Eels is arch-rivals Canterbury-Bankstown’s interest in hooker Mahoney.
Surprise, surprise, the Eels “Roster Management Committee” kicked off negotiations with a low-ball offer.
Granted, other strong clubs use similar committees.
None seem to run into as much trouble as the Eels.
For the record, the Eels RMC comprises of general manager of football Mark O’Neill, chairman Sean McElduff, coach Brad Arthur, CEO Jim Sarantinos and recruitment scout Ben Rogers.
It’s well known coach Arthur has understandably been frustrated with the glacial pace with which the RMC moves surrounding negotiations.
There are meetings on top of meetings with agents.
The only result they’ve had recently was landing prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard until the end of 2025 with the catch being Penrith will still chip in $750,000 over the next three seasons.
The debate towards the end of last season focussed on whether Parramatta had a roster capable of winning the premiership.
Considering the Eels went within a whisker of upstaging eventual premiers Penrith in week two of the finals — while missing the injured hooker Mahoney — the answer is they are certainly within reaching distance.
But how long can the premiership window stay open when negotiations with players continue to blow up?
The siege mentality approach works for some clubs. Given the Eels title drought stretches all the way back to 1986 there’s a fair argument they’re not one of those clubs.
Canterbury, yes. Manly, yes. Melbourne, yes.
They’ve all won titles in the last 20 years with the club under all sorts of external pressure.
The Eels decided to back coach Arthur over the off-season by rewarding him with a two-year extension until the end of 2024.
It’s about time they gave the coach a greater voice on what players are worth and who he wants to retain.
Replies
Written by James Hooper fox sports.
He has some valid points one would think.
Fucking oath he just echoes my last comment
funny that
it's bloody ridiculous
it's a circus
I can't be any more cranky with the club as I am now
Its about time you shit on Ayoubs doorstep Carls.
yep, some fair points.
While i agree with the club with not matching Maratas warriors offer, we do generally low ball plenty of players.
It's mostly trash with a not so hidden agenda of attacking the eels management for not engaging with the media.
It is abso-fucking-lutely this hkf. This asshat Hoops is also doing a quid pro quo for the for all the storylines agents feed him by creating media pressure and setting a narrative that the eels are in error thereby making it easier for agency to manipulate more cash out of us.
I hope hooper gets tiger balm on his buttplug
He might like that.....
What a terrible article. So Hooper thinks 800k for Gutherson is lowballing him? What's Dylan's offer ? What's Paulos offer ? Why is Mahoney worth whatever Hooper thinks he's worth ?
what a dumbcunt. Truth is we pull one offer to Gutherson and we could sign almost every other player off contract for the stupid money clubs like West's are paying and move on.
Total garbage article, it's how the good clubs do it but the eels shouldn't do it. WTF.
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