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PARRAMATTA'S recruitment radar has turned to Canberra, where young wrecking ball Josh Papalii is weighing-up a $1 million offer to bolster the Eels' pack.
After unsuccessful bids for James Tamou and Matt Scott, Parramatta officials have identified the 20-year-old as their long- term solution.
Queensland and New Zealand last year waged an eligibility war for Papalii, who established his hardman bonafides by antagonising Sharks skipper Paul Gallen during the finals.
The development highlighted a busy day of recruitment news, including:
* REVELATIONS that another Eels target - Brisbane playmaker Corey Norman - is being mentored by former captain and Queensland great Darren Lockyer;
* WESTS Tigers stepping up their bid to retain skipper Robbie Farah for life on a new four-year deal;
* SERIAL bad boy Arana Taumata quitting Penrith to take-up rugby union; and
* THE Panthers signing former Warriors five-eighth Isaac John from Salford.
It's understood Parramatta's negotiations with Papalii are further advanced than those with Norman, who has also been offered a three-year extension to stay in Brisbane.
Papalii is only believed to be on a contract worth around $100,000 in Canberra this year and he's told teammates the Eels' offer is proving difficult to ignore.
Canberra also has a host of other stars off-contract in 2012 including Sam Williams, Brett White, Jarrod Crocker and Joel Thompson.
Raiders boss Don Furner did not return calls, while Eels CEO Ken Edwards declined to comment on the club's recruitment.
Lockyer's manager, George Mimis, confirmed the game's most-capped player had been working with the Broncos' halves Norman and Peter Wallace in an advisory role for the past three months.
"There's no work on the training field. It's more general advice and video review," he said.
Parramatta have also been linked to Farah, but the Tigers are desperate to lock away the 29-year-old before rival clubs formally enter the equation.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/parramatta-eels-target-y...
After unsuccessful bids for James Tamou and Matt Scott, Parramatta officials have identified the 20-year-old as their long- term solution.
Queensland and New Zealand last year waged an eligibility war for Papalii, who established his hardman bonafides by antagonising Sharks skipper Paul Gallen during the finals.
The development highlighted a busy day of recruitment news, including:
* REVELATIONS that another Eels target - Brisbane playmaker Corey Norman - is being mentored by former captain and Queensland great Darren Lockyer;
* WESTS Tigers stepping up their bid to retain skipper Robbie Farah for life on a new four-year deal;
* SERIAL bad boy Arana Taumata quitting Penrith to take-up rugby union; and
* THE Panthers signing former Warriors five-eighth Isaac John from Salford.
It's understood Parramatta's negotiations with Papalii are further advanced than those with Norman, who has also been offered a three-year extension to stay in Brisbane.
Papalii is only believed to be on a contract worth around $100,000 in Canberra this year and he's told teammates the Eels' offer is proving difficult to ignore.
Canberra also has a host of other stars off-contract in 2012 including Sam Williams, Brett White, Jarrod Crocker and Joel Thompson.
Raiders boss Don Furner did not return calls, while Eels CEO Ken Edwards declined to comment on the club's recruitment.
Lockyer's manager, George Mimis, confirmed the game's most-capped player had been working with the Broncos' halves Norman and Peter Wallace in an advisory role for the past three months.
"There's no work on the training field. It's more general advice and video review," he said.
Parramatta have also been linked to Farah, but the Tigers are desperate to lock away the 29-year-old before rival clubs formally enter the equation.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/parramatta-eels-target-y...