NEWCASTLE last night delivered a "hands off" warning to the Sydney Roosters amid allegations the NRL premiership favourites had made an approach to brilliant young halfback Kurt Gidley for next season.
Less than a week after the NRL investigated and cleared the Roosters over anti-tampering claims regarding Brisbane's Darren Lockyer, the Bondi-based club found itself at the centre of a potential storm again.
Knights chief executive Ken Conway confirmed last night his club was told by "an impeccable source" that an approach from the Roosters was made to Gidley's management team.
He refused to divulge the source but the club is taking the allegation seriously.
Conway said the club would have no hesitation in lodging a formal complaint with the NRL if it could uncover conclusive proof.
He spoke with Roosters CEO Brian Canavan yesterday about his concerns and also relayed them to NRL boss David Gallop and salary cap auditor Ian Schubert.
"Somebody this club regards as impeccable has told us of an approach and we trust him," Conway said. "I haven't spoken to Kurt about it but we understand the approach was made to someone within his management team.
"I've spoken to Brian Canavan and he assures me he hasn't made any approach but couldn't guarantee someone else in his organisation hadn't.
"We will certainly be investigating it further and I simply put him on notice that if we get conclusive proof, we will be lodging a complaint with the NRL.
"Both David Gallop and Ian Schubert have been made aware of our concerns but have told us they won't intervene until such time as there is a formal complaint."
Gidley, one of the game's rising stars, comes off contract with the Knights at the end of the season. The club is desperate to re-sign him and have already kicked off negotiations with his manager Darryl Mather.
His value has gone up considerably in the past few weeks as he steered the Knights to a dramatic golden point win over Brisbane last week and was named 18th man for the NSW team this week.
Mather was overseas and could not be contacted last night but he has told the Knights he has not been in contact with anyone from the Roosters regarding Gidley.
"Darryl has told us he hasn't spoken to anyone but could not guarantee an approach had not been made to someone else within his management team," Conway said.
The Daily Telegraph
