Eels make a play for unwanted Finch
Greg Prichard
July 20, 2006
PARRAMATTA chief executive Denis Fitzgerald last night confirmed his club's interest in Brett Finch, saying incoming coach Michael Hagan was keen on signing the Sydney Roosters utility.
Fitzgerald said a reported suggestion that he was against the Eels picking up Finch was incorrect and that the club was prepared to negotiate with the player on Hagan's recommendation.
"The situation is that the Roosters have given Brett permission to talk to other clubs as long as he goes back to them before he makes a decision," Fitzgerald said last night.
"Our coach for next year, Michael Hagan, believes Brett is the goods and would like to have him on board and if it can be worked out then we would like to make that happen.
"Michael has had a bit to do with Brett in the past, when he was a lower-grade coach at Canberra and Brett was coming through there.
"So we are interested, but at this stage Brett is still contracted to the Roosters for next year, so we would have to work something out with them."
The Roosters are prepared to let Finch go a year before his contract runs up if he can arrange a deal elsewhere. The Eels are hot favourites to get him.
Parramatta, whose five-eighth, John Morris, has signed for Wests Tigers next season, see Finch as a five-eighth, playing outside promising young halfback Tim Smith.
Finch, who played halfback for NSW in the first two games of this year's State of Origin, does not figure in the long-term plans for the Roosters. They have recently used Josh Lewis at halfback with utility Craig Wing at hooker.
Finch could land a long-term deal with Parramatta now, as opposed to seeing out his last year with the Roosters and gambling on securing a good deal somewhere else then.
Parramatta, meanwhile, have been saddened by the death of one of their former greats, Billy Rayner. Former Kangaroo Rayner, who was 73, played 203 first-grade games for the Eels and was a long-serving patron of the leagues club.
"I was very close to Billy and I'm very sorry at the news," said Eels chairman Alan Overton. "He was always a magnificent supporter of the club that he played for. We've lost a tremendous man."
Meanwhile, Queensland Rugby League managing director Ross Livermore will meet with Maroons coach Mal Meninga early next week to discuss the Maroons coaching job for 2007.
Meninga has said he may not be able to continue in the job because of business commitments, but Livermore hopes to convince him to stay on.
Queensland, under Meninga, came from 1-0 down in this year's State of Origin series against NSW to win 2-1.
"We've got two games of the series in Brisbane next year and we're hoping that schedule will make it easier on Mal," Livermore said.
"There won't be as much travelling as there was this year, when the deciding game was in Melbourne, so hopefully he'll look at things and want to stay involved.
"We would love him to do it again and I'm sure he would enjoy the challenge. That's why he got involved in the first place.
"It's just about fitting things in with other commitments and I'm optimistic Mal will want to try to do that."
If Meninga does stay in charge he will be opposite Graham Murray again, with the board of the NSWRL set to reappoint the Cowboys coach despite the Blues losing the series.
And Coal & Allied yesterday announced it would remain as major sponsor of Newcastle next year. The company came to the rescue of the Knights midway through last season, when the club was struggling financially.
..... not that I am suggesting anything :sarcasm:
