Parramatta Eels centre Michael Jennings says Semi Radradra rugby union walkout would come with teammates' blessing
Date
July 4, 2016 - 5:28PM
A Semi Radradra walkout on the Eels to pursue a lucrative European rugby deal would come with a full endorsement from his Parramatta teammates, according to the man who has formed a lethal partnership with the Fijian this year.
NSW centre Michael Jennings has been an unwitting bystander to the turmoil engulfing the Eels in his first year at the club, the latest to involve his left edge partner Radradra.
Radradra is due in court on Tuesday over domestic violence offences having been charged upon his belated return to Australia last Thursday.
Radradra was keen to take up an option with French rugby outfit Bordeaux despite being contracted to the Eels until the end of 2018. And Jennings said his Parramatta teammates would have no issue if Radradra tries to force an early release.
"If he wants to go he wants to go and the players understand that," Jennings said.
"That's his future and he's got kids to worry about, his family to worry about back home in Fiji and all the boys are going to be behind him no matter what.
"He's a quality player and a champion bloke. To see the situation he is in now ... I think for him it's just making sure he's happy. Whether he wants to play rugby or whether he wants to do this ... as long as Semi is happy and his head is in the right place is the main thing."
Jennings said he had no doubts Radradra, who is expected to be named in the Eels' side to face Jennings' old club the Roosters on Friday night, would return to Sydney after a 12-day break in Fiji despite speculation he had walked out on the club.
"Semi is a similar person to me being really relaxed and he would have been on Fiji time kicking back with his family," Jennings said. "And he told the boys that he was coming back. It could have been handled a lot differently in regards to the media."
It has been part of a wild initiation for Jennings in the blue and gold as the summer recruit tries to make sense of a host of off-field issues, including the salary-cap scandal.
The NRL is expected to confirm very soon a preliminary decision to strip the Eels of 12 competition points, which all but cruels their finals hopes.
And Jennings said the playing group were still wanting questions answered about the club's governance.
"It's not anger, it's just questions," Jennings said of the players' feelings towards the board. "The players just want to know how it got to this stage and situation without any of the players being in the loop. That's the only thing ... just not knowing what the situation is.
"It's the players and the fans that are getting punished here. The boys are training so hard and doing everything right to get ourselves into this situation we were coming third a couple of weeks ago it is pretty disappointing that the players are the ones getting punished at the end of the day.
"But I guess if you keep the roster and you keep the team and all the other stuff is cleaned up, I see a lot of potential in maybe getting a premiership."
