Eels Blogs

PARRAMATTA are searching worldwide for a centre to replace dual international Timana Tahu - and finding money for the right player won't be a problem.

The Eels are splitting with Tahu, who has been absent from training for two weeks. The star had hoped to be granted permission to remain away until February while he deals with personal issues. The Eels have been sympathetic in their dealings with Tahu but are compelled to move on. Sources expect confirmation today that he will no longer be with the Eels.

Tahu's exit will leave Parramatta's centre stocks low and the club has already begun looking for a quality replacement. Inquiries have been made in England's Super League, and if the right player became available from within the NRL the Eels would be interested.

If the Eels are unable to find a suitable player externally, the options within the club include players who have not played in the centres recently. They include wingers Luke Burt and Chris Walker, plus Ben Smith, who made his name as a centre before switching to the back row. Joel Reddy will continue to fill the other centre spot.

Parramatta have a promising young centre in Jacob Loko, who rose from playing in the SG Ball competition to the Toyota Cup last season, but he is still developing and the club would like to give him more time at under-20s level before introducing him to first grade. Jonathon Wright would have been the obvious replacement but he has signed with the Bulldogs.

The salary cap wouldn't be an issue if a star player was to present himself. The club was chasing former Manly halfback Matt Orford even while Tahu was expected to be at the club. Before that, the Eels were prepared to shell out huge money to try to snare Quade Cooper away from rugby union.

Tahu, who returned from union to league this year, had agreed to terms on a deal believed to be worth $300,000 with Parramatta for next year. It is understood that as an element of his exit there will be some payout involved.

Representative centre Willie Tonga has been linked with Parramatta recently, amid speculation that he wanted out of his contract with North Queensland. There will probably be further speculation about Tonga after Tahu departs, but Cowboys official Peter Parr said yesterday there was no way the club would let him go.

''Willie hasn't asked to get out of his contract,'' Parr said. ''I had a chat with him before he went on a break after playing in the Four Nations tournament, and there is no doubt he's been struggling with a few personal issues, but I feel that once he's had some time off and been able to re-energise himself he will be fine.

''He hasn't sought a release, and if for some reason he was to seek a release it would be something we would not even contemplate granting, particularly after what happened with Brent Tate.''

Tate, who played alongside Tonga in the Australian team during the Four Nations campaign, recently underwent a knee reconstruction after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the final against New Zealand. He has signed for the Cowboys next year, but his debut for them will be significantly delayed by his rehabilitation.

Tahu's manager, Warwick Wright, did not return the Herald's call yesterday. Asked about Tahu, Eels chief executive Paul Osborne's only comment was that ''it will all be worked out in the next couple of days''.

Meanwhile, Osborne was unable to shed any light on when the club's young halfback, Brad Murray, might speak to police in relation to their investigation into suspicious betting activity on the North Queensland-Canterbury game late last season.

Murray was identified on Thursday as the person, in CCTV footage released by police, placing a bet on a Cowboys penalty goal option as the first scoring play in the match. First scoring play is usually treated as a novelty market by punters, but there was a plunge on a Cowboys penalty goal in that match.

Police have not suggested Murray has been involved in any criminal activity, but are hoping he might be able to assist them with their inquiries into what they suspect was an attempted fraud. Osborne said he had not spoken with Murray for a couple of days and believed he had gone away for the weekend.