Parramatta Eels were keen to sign Manly backrower Brett Stewart
JOSH MASSOUD
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
JUNE 14, 2013 12:00AM
http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/spor...er-brett-stewart/story-fni3fbgz-1226663467117
Ricky Stuart and the Eels had their eyes on signing Glenn Stewart. Picture: Braden Fastier Source: The Daily Telegraph
WELL before Adam Blair and Frank-Paul Nu'uausala entered Parramatta's recruitment plans, the Eels had their sights set on a much bigger prize.
We can confirm Manly superstar Glenn Stewart was featuring heavily in discussions among Ricky Stuart and his coaching staff.
Stuart sensed a chance to prise Stewart from Brookvale 12 months before his contract expires next season.
The representative backrower is on a dramatically back-ended deal, which has piled three years' worth of salary cap increase bonuses into his final season.
That means Stewart will just about be the most expensive player in Manly's squad next year, and Parramatta suspected that a long-term offer could convince Manly to grant an early release. Talks progressed through April and May, but his asking price of around $650,000-a-season proved too rich.
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PARRAMATTA lord mayor John Chedid apparently has no idea - or has been misled - about the machinations of his local footy club, the Eels. This week Chedid described The Daily Telegraph's report about Eels CEO Ken Edwards making inquiries into moving more games to ANZ Stadium as "incorrect". It's curious Chedid formed such a view, given his close ties to the brother of new Eels deputy chairman Tom Issa.
After being elected to the Eels board last month, Issa and the other directors received a briefing about the possible shift of four or possibly five games per season to Olympic Park in 2014. Whether they support the proposal is irrelevant to the veracity of our report, which merely exposed the fact Edwards had been investigating the options and even sought advice from Eels lawyer Brian Belling about their MOU with Parramatta Stadium.
Insiders at ANZ Stadium have also confirmed negotiations were under way with other clubs to maximise big derbies staged at Homebush Bay under the state government's new stadium policy. And Edwards himself conceded Parramatta need to keep their options open, given the club's 40,000 membership target.
JOSH MASSOUD
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
JUNE 14, 2013 12:00AM
http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/spor...er-brett-stewart/story-fni3fbgz-1226663467117
Ricky Stuart and the Eels had their eyes on signing Glenn Stewart. Picture: Braden Fastier Source: The Daily Telegraph
WELL before Adam Blair and Frank-Paul Nu'uausala entered Parramatta's recruitment plans, the Eels had their sights set on a much bigger prize.
We can confirm Manly superstar Glenn Stewart was featuring heavily in discussions among Ricky Stuart and his coaching staff.
Stuart sensed a chance to prise Stewart from Brookvale 12 months before his contract expires next season.
The representative backrower is on a dramatically back-ended deal, which has piled three years' worth of salary cap increase bonuses into his final season.
That means Stewart will just about be the most expensive player in Manly's squad next year, and Parramatta suspected that a long-term offer could convince Manly to grant an early release. Talks progressed through April and May, but his asking price of around $650,000-a-season proved too rich.
Advertisement
* * *
PARRAMATTA lord mayor John Chedid apparently has no idea - or has been misled - about the machinations of his local footy club, the Eels. This week Chedid described The Daily Telegraph's report about Eels CEO Ken Edwards making inquiries into moving more games to ANZ Stadium as "incorrect". It's curious Chedid formed such a view, given his close ties to the brother of new Eels deputy chairman Tom Issa.
After being elected to the Eels board last month, Issa and the other directors received a briefing about the possible shift of four or possibly five games per season to Olympic Park in 2014. Whether they support the proposal is irrelevant to the veracity of our report, which merely exposed the fact Edwards had been investigating the options and even sought advice from Eels lawyer Brian Belling about their MOU with Parramatta Stadium.
Insiders at ANZ Stadium have also confirmed negotiations were under way with other clubs to maximise big derbies staged at Homebush Bay under the state government's new stadium policy. And Edwards himself conceded Parramatta need to keep their options open, given the club's 40,000 membership target.
