Parramatta Eels sign Josh Papalii for 2014

[Pete Cash]

Of course if you guys had held off announcing it til after round 13 it would have been much better for you.

 

[Suitman]

Gotta sell more memberships somehow.

Suity

 

[Gronk]

Gotta sell more memberships somehow.

Suity

Also enables us to attract other young lions.

#clubontherise

 

[mickdo]

When every major news outlet is reporting he is having 2nd thoughts

Because they want it to be a story you dipshit! :lol:

 

[mickdo]

Of course if you guys had held off announcing it til after round 13 it would have been much better for you.

You can't keep things quiet that long in this game. Too many people involved in the process on all sides. Parra, Canberra, NRL, player, manager, relatives. Good luck.

 

[born an eel]

He has signed a contract and his intention is to play for us next year but is worried about having to play in reggies so is playing up to Furner at the moment for selection purposes.

 

[oldmancraigy]

I think you will struggle to find me saying he is deadset keen to backflip. As ive said a number of times, the most likely scenario here is that he honors his deal with Parramatta, and i have absolutely no issue with that, other than obvious disappointment as a Raiders fan to lose a talented player.

All i have said is that i think it's plain as day the guy is having 2nd thoughts. And his playing distination for 2014 is still very much up in the air. I genuinely believe he could go either way, but as several, including myself have pointed out, even if he wants to stay, the Raiders are up against it as to keep him, we've got to come up with the cash and convince him to renege on his deal.

If he doesnt want to stay, i dont see any logical reason for all this to be going on. Furner and McIntyre is not in the habit of playing PR man with the fans, the club is notrious for how little it thinks of how the fans feel about management. It's one of the fan bases major gripes. This is a management, who at the height of our losing streak told the fan base David Furner is safe until he loses 30 games in a row, and then had the arrogence to basically tell us, they'd never sacked a coach ever and they never will, and they couldnt care less what the fans thought because they know better than us.

So the idea that the club is blowing smoke up the media's arse to appease raiders fans, is rather foreign to us. They've never bothered trying to appease the fans before, why start now? Especially over something no one is really critical of them for

If they werent trying to match it and confident they can keep him, they'd have just sooked in the media about junior concessions and got on with other business, especially considering most raiders fans are no longer concerned about Managements role in this because the numbers being thrown around are much higher than most of us would be willing to pay him under the cap

There just seems to be a Sargent Schultz attitude here that if you guys close your eyes and pretend it's not happen, you'll wake up and it will all be a dream and Papalii is a sure starter for the Eels in 2014... it very well may end that way, and as i said, its the most likely outcome at this stage, but that doesnt change what i think is rather obvious and that's that he is taking the time now, thanks in large to the ridiculous Round 13 clause, to reconsider his options.

Well, I was thinking that you were more the Schultz until this post (ie, close your eyes and assume he doesn't really want to leave).


As I said before, we were the test case with the "home club advantage" rule - but for all the "we want TRex here" and "I want to stay here" that went on, there was no resultant contract matching that happened.

As I've said, all we can deduce so far is that Papali has signed with Parra, and the Raiders have until round 13 to scrounge up $500k and present the counter-offer. Whether he takes it or not is another question. Personally I reckon you'll be kicking yourselves if you don't manage it - get rid of Tilse and some of the other Canberra bra boys (no, not the surfing club). Papali is the best young forward I've seen in a long while.

 

[The EELiminator]

I would bet my bottom dollar R.Stuart and Edwards, for all their bravdo and feet stamping in the papers are quietly nervous too, they know if Papalii does change his mind, there is absolutely nothing they can do, contract or not to stop him reneging.

grab a dictionary and look up the term 'legally binding'

 

[skeepe]

grab a dictionary and look up the term 'legally binding'

I'd imagine there would be a standard NRL contract, or at least standard clauses that must be included in a player contract, one of which would be that the contract is not legally binding until it is registered by the NRL.

Speculation on my part, but I can't imagine it being any other way.

 

[pk76]

I'd imagine there would be a standard NRL contract, or at least standard clauses that must be included in a player contract, one of which would be that the contract is not legally binding until it is registered by the NRL.

Speculation on my part, but I can't imagine it being any other way.

Yes, sadly, i can see this as a possibility.

NRL contract is a bit of joke now days. In the worst case scenario in which he doesn't want to come to us, we won't legally follow through with it because what's the point?? Why force a player who doesn't want to play for us? What message does it send to other players, fans and sponsors??

 

[Parra Pride]

I'd imagine there would be a standard NRL contract, or at least standard clauses that must be included in a player contract, one of which would be that the contract is not legally binding until it is registered by the NRL.

Speculation on my part, but I can't imagine it being any other way.

Considering there was a quote in one article from a player agent about how he has it written into his players contracts that they can't back flip once they have signed, I'd say this is very likely to be the case.

 

[Craig Johnston]

Yes, sadly, i can see this as a possibility.

NRL contract is a bit of joke now days. In the worst case scenario in which he doesn't want to come to us, we won't legally follow through with it because what's the point?? Why force a player who doesn't want to play for us? What message does it send to other players, fans and sponsors??

a player could however be forced to pay compensation out of his own pocket (ala SBW) if he renegs on a legally binding contract however.

i doubt papalii in his situation would risk that if push came to shove

 

[cv8z]

Just heard a guy from the nrl on 2ue. Someone Brady talk about the round 13 registering contracts.
How I understood it.
Doesn't sound like Canberra even have to match our offer for him to do a backflip
Papalii can change his mind anytime before the dealine for no reason.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

Questions would have to be asked if Canberra were allowed to sign him on less than market value.

 

[El Diablo]

not really

players have taken less to stay loyal

the difference here is he has already had that opportunity and chose Parra's offer

 

[WheelOilBeefHooked]

So he has signed a contract with Parramatta for next season...but can change his mind anytime for no reason at all? Even if he has SIGNED a contract...not a letter of intent but a contract....well..something needs to be done to stop this.

Maybe the NRL can make players that backflip on a contract stay with their club but sit out the amount of years they signed for with the other club...so Papalii can stay with Canberra...but won't be able to play for them until 2017....that may make players think twice.

But thats just me....it's clear that he was romanced by the money and is only going to stay with Canberra if they can match it....hopefully he's an honourable young kid.

 

[cv8z]

Questions would have to be asked if Canberra were allowed to sign him on less than market value.

Apparently his market value is 500k

 

[theicemandanno]

How can a team operate to a salary cap given these supposed contractual conditions. How can Parra assemble a team for next year not knowing if they have Papalii or not....especially given his supposed 500K salary. Do we sit idle until round 13 and allow other players on the market to be resignded in the hope that we have our man.

Hypothetical:

Eels target Papalii and Fensom, determined to sign one of them.

We go for Papalii first, and he signs a contract for $500K.

In the meantime, Fensom signs a contract with the Bulldogs for 350K in round 10.

Round 12 comes, and we find out Papalii backs out and chooses to sign with the Raiders for $300K.

We have no recourse to use the money we had to spend on the other identified talent.

It is a stupid clause, and I would guarantee it isnt a 'Two way street' where clubs can back out of a deal up until round 13. Imagine Hayne signs for $700K round 1 with the Eels, and then in round 12 suffers a severe ankle break like Yow Yeh. Parra says stuff this, and decides to pul out of the deal.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

not really

players have taken less to stay loyal

the difference here is he has already had that opportunity and chose Parra's offer

Yes you are right.

 

[WheelOilBeefHooked]

How can a team operate to a salary cap given these supposed contractual conditions. How can Parra assemble a team for next year not knowing if they have Papalii or not....especially given his supposed 500K salary. Do we sit idle until round 13 and allow other players on the market to be resignded in the hope that we have our man.

Hypothetical:

Eels target Papalii and Fensom, determined to sign one of them.

We go for Papalii first, and he signs a contract for $500K.

In the meantime, Fensom signs a contract with the Bulldogs for 350K in round 10.

Round 12 comes, and we find out Papalii backs out and chooses to sign with the Raiders for $300K.

We have no recourse to use the money we had to spend on the other identified talent.

It is a stupid clause, and I would guarantee it isnt a 'Two way street' where clubs can back out of a deal up until round 13. Imagine Hayne signs for $700K round 1 with the Eels, and then in round 12 suffers a severe ankle break like Yow Yeh. Parra says stuff this, and decides to pul out of the deal.

that!