Covell to be re-signed

[blacktip-reefy]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24171165-5006066,00.html

Covell wants deal done
By Dean Ritchie | August 13, 2008 12:00am
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Luke Covell ... wants to secure his future at the Sharks. Photograph: Carlos Furtado / The Daily Telegraph
THE NRL's leading pointscorer Luke Covell has called on the Sharks to fulfil their promise to sign him as he plays each game fearing he will be cut for next season.
Covell has been a pointscoring sensation on the wing for the table-topping Sharks - racking up 156 points from 11 tries and 56 goals. But despite his stellar season, 26-year-old Covell is a man without a future as the Sharks ponder their requirements beyond 2008.

Opening up to The Daily Telegraph, Covell said he would be shattered if Cronulla didn't want him.

"I can't quite work out why things haven't sorted themselves out yet,'' the tall winger said. "I have spoken to Cronulla and they have told me they will work something out. I need to have confidence in what they say.

"I'd be completely shattered if it didn't work out because I am the type of bloke who is honest and open. If it's their decision to go in another direction and not do what they said, I just wish they could have told me ages ago. I don't want to be hanging on to something that isn't there. What do you do?'' Covell said.

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Covell's manager Steve Gillis said last night discussions with Cronulla were continuing. But The Daily Telegraph understands the Sharks, under salary cap pressure, may need to shift a player for Covell to be retained.

Covell has received preliminary interest from several rival clubs and would also be welcomed in England. "I guess there's always this cloud over my head that I'm a winger and I'm not quick enough,'' Covell said.

"I don't score length-of-the-field tries but I can maybe score them in other ways that the faster blokes can't. I guess it isn't in my hands. Two or three months ago there was a time when I was frustrated and it was playing on my mind. Now I am just getting on with it. I am playing well and the team is sitting good.''

Cronulla chief executive Tony Zappia admitted the salary cap was causing angst among officials, but he remains optimistic of reaching a deal with Covell.

"It is my responsibility to ensure everything possible is done to retain Luke,'' Zappia said. "He is highly respected by our club's coaching staff, players, officials and fans. In a salary cap world, there are always issues to be dealt with from an administration point of view. but we are confident the required outcome will be achieved.''

Gillis said Covell deserved to be offered a robust contract given he is the leading pointscorer - 13 clear of Parramatta fullback Luke Burt. "It is a work in progress. We have been in constant contact with Cronulla and they have indicated they want to keep him,'' Gillis said.

 

[Qld-Sharkie]

Iam a Covell fan, and there are some amazing things the man can do in attack and especially in defence...and here comes a big hairy but....
But we need speed. Look at the Canberra side at the moment. Its oozing speed & youth....we need to head this way.

Btw OT but funny...

A man walks into a petrol station and says, 'can I please have a Kit Kat Chunky?'
The lady behind the till gets him a Kit Kat Chunky and brings it back to him.

'No,' says the man, 'I wanted a normal Kit Kat, you fat bitch.'

 

[chewsta]

Sign the man for life and give him a run in the centres if we arent buying any backs. Then let the younger faster guys fight it out for the remaining wing spot, as I'm guessing Simmo will be on one wing.

 

[sharks8601]

we need centres who can pass the ball

 

[Big_Bad_Shark_Fan]

Salary Cap was always going to be an in issue in re-signing Covell.

Hopefully he is happy to take a pay cut and stay for half the amount hed get at other clubs. He is not greedy unlike that cat SBW

 

[Special K]

bbsf post more.

I miss the insight you provide about the entertainers!

 

[DJShaksta]

It would be an injustice if he is not offered a decent contract with us.

 

[cityshark]

But what if we had a chance to get some one like Deanan Kemp? Speed.

 

[hitman82]

considering he signed with the Warriors, probably wouldn't get Kemp himself

 

[Miller was a legend]

the Club could do a contract that will keep him by offering a smaller amount for 09 which is topped up in 2010, in order to remain under the Cap for 09.

What I don't get is that there is so much talk in other forums and the press about us not having the cattle to go at it with manly and melbourne but FFS how do they and Rorters stay under the cap? Just looking at their player rosters compared to ours one would think we should be way under.

 

[monkey1]

Are you guys still trying to offload ROSS, maybe then you can offer COVELL some money, he deserves it.

 

[Vossy]

i hear ross wants to stay, but ricky will only allow 2 year contract for less money..

that would be the correct thing to do..less in 09, top up in 2010, give him kingas money or some of it..

 

[azzah72]

the Club could do a contract that will keep him by offering a smaller amount for 09 which is topped up in 2010, in order to remain under the Cap for 09.

What I don't get is that there is so much talk in other forums and the press about us not having the cattle to go at it with manly and melbourne but FFS how do they and Rorters stay under the cap? Just looking at their player rosters compared to ours one would think we should be way under.

overpaying players, ross, tupou, barrett etc etc, good players, a bit over priced.

 

[Miller was a legend]

Get a new Accountant! LOL

 

[Special K]

there was something on the cover of rlw saying covell snubbed or something.. anyone get it/read what it was about??

 

[azzah72]

Get a new Accountant! LOL

What does that mean? You seriously don't think we over pay for players?

Take a good look at it.

Think about it, I'm not talking about weather these players are good or not, i'm talking about in a business sense, why players were bought and their cost.

1. Ross is an obvious example, i wont get into that, everyone know he is over priced.

2. Tupou - with all the back rowers we have in the club and lack of backs, to me, although a great player and an asset to the club, why did we buy another back rower and pay something like nearly $400,000 a year?

3. Barrett - a player that is older then kimmorley, going average to decent in the uk, gets injured, and instead of offereing some sort of incentive based deal based on performance (similar to filinga) to a 31 year old player with only a couple of years left in him, we sign him to $300,000 a year, yes it is only two years but it'll still be an over priced acquisition.

I know it is all hear say but taking $100,000 of Barrett and $50,000 of Tupou and Offer barrett incentives.

There's $150,000 a year to extent a bit on covell's, and sign a back.

But i don't run the joint so i dunno.

 

[Master Baiter]

i like the cov and he has been loyal to us but i pose the question: if he didnt kick goals, would you still have him in your team?

 

[azzah72]

I would because he possess something that these younger wingers don't have, a way to get to the line over short distances, even in traffic, in the same vein as hazem in his form days.

He wouldn't sprint down the line, but you give him the ball 20 out and he finds a way in most of the time.

Most of these young wingers get tries because the ball is passed to them with no one in front of them, so they just run over, thats good work from the halves, we don't have that luxury, so we get the ball to the cov and he finds a way over.

 

[spider]

what a load of poppycock

how many did he have in front of him 20m out last weekend?

 

[azzah72]

I'm not saying every try, obviously is he's got open space he's going to run in.

But when the situation is there where he has traffic to get through, he is one of the better, if not the best in the comp to find a way to the line, even if it sometimes looks lucky of flukey.

I don't know how you can call it poppycock or even use 1 weekend as an example. He does it alot.