HE was trumpeted as a marquee signing when he joined Parramatta – but 18 months on and the Eels will be happy to let William Hopoate go elsewhere next year.
The star centre/winger is embroiled in a legal battle with the Eels after being signed to a massive deal by former chief executive Scott Seward – a deal the Eels have tried to reduce since Seward left the club. Parramatta claim that honouring the deal would throw their salary cap into disarray – and have put a revised contract to Hopoate for 2016 and beyond.
And Eels sources have told RLW they would not be broken-hearted if Hopoate now walked away.
“The money the club signed him on was ridiculous,” a senior Eels official says.
“There is just no way you could justify it and it would screw up our salary cap.
“It’s heading for the courts but frankly, we wouldn’t mind if he just walked away and played elsewhere next season.”
The Blues State of Origin winger is still in hot demand, with the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles leading the way for his services. The Storm could also come in with a late bid in an attempt to increase their strike power out wide for next season.
Hopoate believes he played his best football under Des Hasler at Manly, where he won a premiership in 2011 before heading off on a two-year Mormon mission.
The Bulldogs view Hopoate as a winger, where he started under Hasler, and that with the right coaching he would fulfil his potential. Canterbury won’t get into a bidding war over Hopoate and RLW has learned that the Sea Eagles remain an option.
William’s father, former Manly star John Hopoate, is set to have a coaching role at the club in 2016.
A source close to Hopoate says that while the 23-year-old has been well below his best in 2015, his true form will return once he gets some clear air.
“Hoppa has come back from a mission, he has got married and he has been owed a lot of money,” the source tells RLW.
“He was never going to be at his best with everything that’s going on in his life. But he’s still only a boy and he will come good.
“Hoppa’s dad is back on the coaching staff at Manly next year in junior development, and if I was gambling man, I’d say he will go there. That’s the logical tip, but he’s on crazy money at the Eels and that makes it difficult for all clubs to afford him under the cap.”
The Eels have yet to register a contract for Hopoate with the NRL, leaving his future in limbo. It has been rumoured that the Eels were prepared to swap Hopoate with Bulldogs centre Tim Lafai, who’s contracted until the end of 2017. But the Dogs are happy with Lafai’s form and RLW understands they don’t intend to release him.
