McKendry may stay now.
New NRL rules scupper Knights’ 11th-hour plans to sign Penrith prop Sam McKendry
THE NRL’s new veteran player allowance has already had an impact, destroying Newcastle’s plans of signing Penrith prop Sam McKendry at the 11th-hour this week.
In a fascinating subplot to Sunday’s clash between the two teams at Hunter Stadium, the Panthers were preparing to release McKendry from the final two years of his contract to take-up an offer from the Knights.
The Daily Telegraph can also reveal Canberra have been made aware of Joel Thompson’s desire to return home, just six months after joining St George Illawarra.
Negotiations surrounding McKendry were cruising toward completion until Wednesday, when the NRL announced the qualification for veteran allowance would be reduced from eight to six years. The allowance itself will also be raised from $200,000 to $250,000 next season, and $300,000 in 2016.The changes had a marked effect on McKendry’s worth to Penrith’s salary cap. Not only does McKendry now qualify for the allowance, having made his Panthers debut in 2008, the Kiwi international is also the only current player who has spent six unbroken years at the foot of the mountains.
That means he’s now worth $250,000 less under Penrith’s salary cap, thanks to the new allowance rules.
Had Penrith released McKendry they would not have been able to claim the exemption, putting the club at a significant disadvantage in the market place.
Panthers officials realised the impact McKendry’s departure and immediately severed talks to release him to Newcastle. General manager Phil Moss did not return calls on Friday night.
Both McKendry and front row partner Tim Grant were given permission to leave early in January, with the latter signing a four-year deal with South Sydney last month.
Both players were on back-ended deals that escalated their value in accordance with salary cap increases over the next two years. It’s believed McKendry’s salary stood to reach $550,000, but the new allowance regime means that almost half that amount will now be salary cap exempt.
The McKendry backflip came as a devastating blow for the Knights, who have endured a run of awful luck this year. The imprisonment of front row recruit Russell Packer in January prompted their hunt for a new prop, and there’s also been Alex McKinnon’s career-ending injury.
With a rapidly ageing forward roster on their hands, Newcastle saw 24-year-old McKendry as a long-term solution. They also extended a handsome offer to Roosters prop Sam Moa, who agreed to remain at Bondi Junction for a further two years on Thursday afternoon.
With the front row market drying up, Newcastle have turned its sights on out-of-favour Broncos prop Ben Hannant. The Maroons bookend has been dropped to QLD Cup this weekend, but sources close to Hannant maintain the demotion is related to a personality clash with Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...rop-sam-mckendry/story-fni3gf5j-1226912282660
