Cap forces loyal Knight out

[StEely Matt]

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19683355-23214,00.html

Cap forces loyal Knight out
July 4, 2006

NEWCASTLE back rower Todd Lowrie today announced he would join Parramatta next year on a three-year deal.

Lowrie will play his 52nd first-grade game for Newcastle this weekend against his future club when the Knights travel to Parramatta Stadium. "I'm disappointed to be leaving Newcastle and I'll miss my friends and team mates, but I've accepted my future is elsewhere and I'm excited about the challenges ahead," Lowrie said in a statement.
"The Knights have a surplus of back rowers so I'm going to a club where I have the chance to cement my preferred position."
Knights chief executive Ken Conway said salary cap restrictions had again forced a local product to leave.
"It's always disappointing to lose local juniors due to salary cap restrictions but we're not in the business of holding back our players from making the most of opportunities," Conway said.
"We felt obliged to repay Todd's service to the club by allowing him to field other offers.
"It's unfortunate but we were unable to match Parramatta."

 

[bartman]

Where it says "salary cap restrictions", read "Joey's massive salary, as negotiated when he and his manager held the club to ransom".

I have sympathy for the local players there, but the club can't have it's cake and eat it too. Ken conway should stop whinging.

 

[parraitdoesmatta]

I guess that means we wont be signing Simpson

 

[lucablight]

I obviously hope he goes well but what worries me is two things.

1.) It says he wants to cement a position because there's too many backrowers at the Knights. Going on current form he isn't a better player than Widders or Morrison.

2.) It says the Knights couldn't match the offer by the Eels. I hope we didn't pay too much.

Anyway having said that I still hope he turns out to be another Fui but those two things really worry me.

 

[Hurriflatch]

Of course when a player joins Parra he left because of the salary cap restrictions at his previous club

but when a player leaves Parra it's because he wasn't wanted or because he had issues with someone else etc.

 

[Hurriflatch]

I'd say Parra had to pay overs to get him

maybe not a lot but definatly some due to all the problems that Parra have had and the number of big names going and not being replaced it will be harder to sign players without paying overs as they don't want to go to a club in turmoil as opposed to a club that is winning.

 

[bartman]

With the increase in minimum player payments for top 25 players, I'd suspect Newcastle (and Brian Smith) more than any other club have to make some tough decisions. People forget how much Joey eats up the Newcastle salary cap. I don't think we'd have to pay overs for Lowrie, it's just that the Knights would have less room to move than other clubs without a star franchise player eating up a big chuck of potential wages for the squad.

Say if Lowrie thought he was worth $75-80K after his season this year, he probably couldn't get that small increase at Newie, because they'd be very tight in how few players in each position they could have earning above the minimum $50K, because Joey eats so much of their money. So we may not have needed to pay overs....

 

[Rookie]

Where it says "salary cap restrictions", read "Joey's massive salary, as negotiated when he and his manager held the club to ransom".

I have sympathy for the local players there, but the club can't have it's cake and eat it too. Ken conway should stop whinging.

Joey is worth half the KNights salary. Without him, Parramatta would be third last because the Knights would again be wooden spooners. I understand though that Joey's massive salary would mean the lose some up and commers but without current success, they may miss up and commers anyway.

I think its a good sign that Lowrie has something. Obviously his current coach think s so because he has signed him for next year.

Besides, Brian Smith is good at developing young players, keeping them though..............................

 

[James_Hardie]

Salary cap restrictions hey. Someone put a list up yesterday that they have about 7 guys off contract. Are they all going to miss out, or is Lowrie "expendable"?

 

[Gronk]

Cap restrictions ? This mornings DT reported that Judas Lyon had offers from Penrith, Manly and Newcastle. :?

 

[cayless1989]

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19683355-23214,00.html

how much do u reckon we offered him.

 

[Stagger eel]

I've been told that Manly used Ben Kennedy to try and lure Lowrie to the club and failed.

 

[The Colonel]

how much do u reckon we offered him.

We offered a pie, chips, a 600ml drink and chicken nuggets per game. Newcastle could only offer a pie and chips plus a drink but he had to pay extra if he wanted the 600ml bottle.

 

[strider]

i think the chicken nuggets did it :lol:

 

[Angry_eel]

Simpson is prolly out of reach now. oh well .

 

[Stagger eel]

Simpson is prolly out of reach now. oh well .

he was always out of reach, def staying at Newcastle.

 

[Angry_eel]

he was always out of reach, def staying at Newcastle.

i know, i thought hagan coming here would attract him in coming here.