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By Josh Massoud and James Phelps
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,23293366-5006066,00.html
TODD Carney hasn't played a minute of representative football - but the Raiders wild child will become one of the game's richest players with Manly and Penrith making $1.6m plays to lure the playmaker from Canberra.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal both clubs have offered Carney four-year deals worth an average of $400,000 per season, a salary matched only by NRL royalty such as Sonny Bill Williams and Mark Gasnier.
The Raiders will today make a last-ditch bid to keep their prized local junior - but need to better the rich offers from their Sydney rivals.
Sources close to Carney - who just last week finished a club-sanctioned community service stint for his role in a police pursuit - said the 22-year-old was strongly considering turning his back on the Raiders and linking with Manly.
Carney recently toured the Sea Eagles training facility at Narrabeen and is favouring a move to Manly over a reunion with his former coach Matt Elliott at Penrith.
By heavily back-ending his deal, Manly would be in a position to fit Carney under the salary cap, especially with highly-paid stars Steve Bell and Matt Orford coming off-contract in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
Manly CEO Grant Mayer confirmed his club's interest in Carney, but claimed a "formal offer" was yet to be made.
"There's no doubt Todd Carney is a terrific player, but there's a lot of work to be done with our current playing roster before we worry about new recruits," Mayer said.
The Panthers, original favourites to snare Carney, were also keeping tight-lipped. Elliott and Carney have kept in touch since the coach arrived at the foot of the mountains last season, their on-going relationship fuelling long-held suspicions among Canberra insiders that Penrith have been poised to pounce for some time.
"At the moment, it's something for Todd and his manager to sort out," Penrith general manager Mick Leary said.
Raiders boss Don Furner met with Carney's management on Wednesday, where he was told of the higher bids. Canberra have since revised the length of their deal from three to four years, but will struggle to match $400,000-a-season.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,23293366-5006066,00.html
TODD Carney hasn't played a minute of representative football - but the Raiders wild child will become one of the game's richest players with Manly and Penrith making $1.6m plays to lure the playmaker from Canberra.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal both clubs have offered Carney four-year deals worth an average of $400,000 per season, a salary matched only by NRL royalty such as Sonny Bill Williams and Mark Gasnier.
The Raiders will today make a last-ditch bid to keep their prized local junior - but need to better the rich offers from their Sydney rivals.
Sources close to Carney - who just last week finished a club-sanctioned community service stint for his role in a police pursuit - said the 22-year-old was strongly considering turning his back on the Raiders and linking with Manly.
Carney recently toured the Sea Eagles training facility at Narrabeen and is favouring a move to Manly over a reunion with his former coach Matt Elliott at Penrith.
By heavily back-ending his deal, Manly would be in a position to fit Carney under the salary cap, especially with highly-paid stars Steve Bell and Matt Orford coming off-contract in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
Manly CEO Grant Mayer confirmed his club's interest in Carney, but claimed a "formal offer" was yet to be made.
"There's no doubt Todd Carney is a terrific player, but there's a lot of work to be done with our current playing roster before we worry about new recruits," Mayer said.
The Panthers, original favourites to snare Carney, were also keeping tight-lipped. Elliott and Carney have kept in touch since the coach arrived at the foot of the mountains last season, their on-going relationship fuelling long-held suspicions among Canberra insiders that Penrith have been poised to pounce for some time.
"At the moment, it's something for Todd and his manager to sort out," Penrith general manager Mick Leary said.
Raiders boss Don Furner met with Carney's management on Wednesday, where he was told of the higher bids. Canberra have since revised the length of their deal from three to four years, but will struggle to match $400,000-a-season.
