Matautia contract updates

[Swarzey]

www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl...and-pat-matautia/story-fnp0lyn3-1227074495417

. CANTERBURY have pulled off a stunning grand final week coup with three of the game’s rising stars — Newcastle brothers Sione, Chanel and Pat Mata’utia — agreeing to long-term deals with the Bulldogs.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the highly sought-after brothers have signed lucrative four-year deals with the NRL grand finalists starting in 2016 after their current Knights contracts expire.

It is understood a heads of agreement document to that effect has already been lodged with the NRL.


Pat Mata'utia of Newcastle in action.
But on Monday night, a fuming Knights CEO Matt Gidley claimed all three brothers have told him they want to stay in Newcastle and he remains confident of extending their existing contracts.


Under current NRL rules, the Knights have until round 13 next year to change the brothers’ minds.

“The boys have told me they want to stay,” Gidley said.

“We will have a deal done with the boys and registered (with the NRL) shortly.”

Gidley would not comment further but a club source described negotiations between the brothers’ manager Chris Haddad and the Knights as “frustrating”.


Sione Mata'utia scores for the Knights.
He also hinted at friction between the manager and the brothers.

“The Knights agreed to the manager’s terms weeks ago but for whatever reason, a deal wasn’t done and now it’s come to this,” the source said.

The brothers are among the game’s best young talents with Sione, 18, and Chanel, 22, making their NRL debuts this season and Pat, 20, considered a future top grade player.

They have been shopped around as a package deal.


Knights brothers Chanel and Sione Mata'utia.
Chanel and Pat both played in the Knights’ NSW Cup grand final side on Sunday in their loss to Penrith.

Sione continued his meteoric side on Monday when he was named in the Prime Minister’s XIII to meet the PNG Kumuls on Sunday week.

Before he had even debuted for the Knights in the NRL, Wayne Bennett lavished him with praise, declaring he would be a “future Knights great and a great of the game”.

He played the final seven games of the season in the top grade crossing for seven tries.

This is a paper that said Packer signed with Penrith but it wouldn't surprise me at all...

 

[Matt23]

Bred not bought...right

 

[Dutchy]

They tried getting the 4th too, but he said he wants to see out his contract.

 

[Matt23]

...I was gonna cheer for 50uff$, hope the bullcheats cop a hiding.

 

[Noname36]

Although nothing in that article makes me think this is a sure thing, it really does beg the sad question:

What is the point in investing in junior development when the rich clubs are just going to come out with their chequebooks and pick and choose whoever they want anyway?

Honestly Sione would be the only one I'd hate to see leave, but the whole thing feels really, really shitty.

 

[Matt23]

...and to suggest that teams are actively recruiting for the season after next also leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and not holding my breath about the team in question losing many players either, funny that

 

[Spot On]

Just lol if true.

 

[aqua_duck]

If we can't keep our own whilst clubs with maxed out salary caps pillage us then the NRL should just hand over the reigns to Koukash already as it will just show the club is back to the good old chook raffle days

 

[Misanthrope]

I'm not sure what the incentive is for clubs to breed young talent in the current set up.

In football (soccer), at least clubs are paid for players that are poached from them. It's kept West Ham afloat financially for decades.

There is no incentive for clubs to breed their own juniors in the system as it exists.

 

[1qaz]

Sounds like manager bs to me.
Every couple weeks, their manager is in the papers telling how much all 4 brothers are in big demand.
There is only one in demand. The other 3 are depth players.
Who the heck is Chris Haddad anyway? I don't think he manages many NRL players... so he's milking this more than tera patrick in her hey day

 

[1qaz]

Sounds like manager bs to me.
Every couple weeks, their manager is in the papers telling how much all 4 brothers are in big demand.
There is only one in demand. The other 3 are depth players.
Who the heck is Chris Haddad anyway? I don't think he manages many NRL players... so he's milking this more than tera patrick in her hey day

 

[Nuffy]

This is hilarious if true.

Nice to see the club is back to doing things the "Newcastle way".

I suspect that this was Gids first big solo recruitment test, all his previous efforts have been Bennett driven with him doing the paperwork, so a nice first up effort by the vastly experienced CEO.

 

[Knight Vision]

This has to be bullshit

 

[Bluebag]

The fact is all the brothers are in demand not one. I know chris haddad has had offers before for the brothers and kept them at newcastle for a lot less money than offered then. Gidley is sour his skills are poor and this has happened and chris Hadadd is a quality managet just not big on publicity. Ask his players as he looks after their welfare more than other managers. He has always wanted to keep all 4 together but peter wasn't wanted and the dragons dont have the cash to keep him and gave him permission to look elsewhere.

 

[Nuffy]

This has to be bullshit

Mate' it's the Knights so if you have to choose between competency and calamity, it will be calamity every day of the week.

It has a ring of truth to it based on Gids quoted response.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Was always going to happen. We have a club which is an NRL plaything with a coach who got smacked by the coach we knocked back in the NSW Cup. Matt Gidley is a parody. He is a joke CEO. He won't be replaced. Because a more experience CEO would tell the NRL to get f###ed.

 

[Frederick]

It's ok guys. We can use the Mata'utia's money to top up Kurts contract for another 5 years.

 

[Rod]

Why is it 'f**k this club' when they are clearly aware of the need to lock up these boys and are obviously working on it as we speak?

IF this is true, more like f**k player managers and f**k the Boughtdogs.

 

[perverse]

f**k the club because they're too hopeless to get what should be a simple retention together given the deep pockets we should have.

If this is true, though... then the NRL is flat out broken. Who are the Dogs losing besides Ennis to make this plausible? We've bled a f**kload of players and can't keep our most promising juniors? I dead set give up on the NRL and the Knights if this is the case - the competition is hopelessly broken. We have no chance of ever succeeding again if we can't keep our juniors, because we sure as shit have a hard time recruiting anyone from outside.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

So they had agreed to a deal with th knights weeks ago but never put pen to paper. Why wasn't the contract shoved under their noses weeks ago.

I still think it's their manager pumping up their price tag. They won't leave the knights. If they do a second Brisbane team or an Ipswich team can't come quick enough for me to support.