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It is the sort of backroom movement that demonstrates the true health of a club. And Parramatta are looking pretty good with seven key stars ready to recommit to Brad Arthur’s Eels.
Parramatta are preparing to finalise the retention and contract extension of six key NRL players in a staggering $7 million pre-finals coup.
The Eels have nailed down prop Daniel Alvaro, are close to re-signing Michael Jennings and Brad Takairangi, and are well advanced in negotiations to extend the contracts of star players Dylan Brown, Reed Mahoney and Maika Sivo.
An expectation of retaining all six would give Parramatta a massive boost leading into Friday’s crucial match against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal:
● Brown is in discussions about a three- or four-year extension worth around $700,000 season;
● Sivo is under contact for next year with an upgrade and extension offer for a further three seasons worth $1.5 million;
● Mahoney is under contact for next season but is looking at a new three-year deal;
● Alvaro has signed a new two-year deal which will keep him at the Eels until the end of 2021;
● Jennings wants a two-year deal but the Eels remain cautious and are talking about one year given the club’s strong crop of young centres;
● Takairangi wants a two-year extension but it appears the offer, at this stage, will last one year.
Parramatta will outlay up to $7 million to sign and secure the six players.
Brown and Mahoney will likely have their contracts formally secured after the season.
Eels officials were refusing to comment on any offers or deals.
Brown’s contract talks are well advanced, the Eels supremely confident he will remain at Bankwest Stadium.
Sivo and Mahoney are also in top-level discussions and have indicated a desire to remain at the club.
Jennings’ deal would be modest compared to previous contracts when he was a NSW and Kangaroos star. But the centre wants at least another year or two playing in the NRL. He may be offered one year with a second-year option in Parramatta’s favour.
Asked about Jennings’ future, Eels coach Brad Arthur said: “The club is dealing with that. Jenko wants to stay, the club wants him to stay, they always sort themselves out.
“Michael had a really good pre-season and he has played accordingly. He is just starting to find his feet again, coming back from his knee injury.
“We’re expecting his experience in the big games to get us through.”
Parramatta will need to rebound after a disappointing loss to Canterbury last weekend.
And the Eels will need to knuckle down without forward Nathan Brown, who is serving a two-game suspension.
“We’re really excited about what the future holds over the next few weeks but, at the moment, we just have to worry about each week, winning every game and seeing where we end up,” Mahoney said.
“We will worry about finals then but it’s a good, exciting part of the year. We can’t wait. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Parramatta winger Blake Ferguson will return from injury against Brisbane after a six-week absence.
The once-depleted Eels now have every player available, except for Brown.
“Browny was remorseful and knows he let the emotions get the better of him,” Arthur said. “He probably let his mates down a little bit, he has taken it pretty hard. He knows he did the wrong thing.”
