https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ba...lfway-on-watmough-payout-20181110-p50f9e.html
Battle of wounded knee: Insurer meets Eels halfway on Watmough payout
Adrian Proszenko10 November 2018 — 3:43pm
Anthony Watmough’s ill-fated Parramatta stint ended more than two years ago, but the bunfight over his insurance payout has only just ended.
The Eels took landmark legal action against the NRL’s then-insurer, QBE, after it refused to provide Watmough with a career-ending payout. The protracted saga over the $1,096,613 claim has been playing out in the Supreme Court ever since.
The Eels agreed to pay Watmough 75 per cent of his contract fee for the 2017-18 seasons, an amount totalling $892,500. However, the club claimd QBE should pick up the bill, and the parties have been embroiled in a legal stoush that has the potential to result in a flood of similar claims.
The case centred on the damage to Watmough’s knee. The Eels argued he sustained the injury in a training collision with Beau Scott on Valentines Day of 2016, while QBE said he was forced into premature retirement due to pre-existing injury.
The stalemate prompted frustrated Eels chairman Max Donnelly to state in March: “I don’t know why people have insurance.”
Fairfax Media can reveal the matter has finally been settled. It’s understood QBE wore about half the cost to bring the matter to a head. The decision could embolden other clubs to explore legal avenues after their own career-ending case claims were knocked back by insurers.
It is a messy postscript to an outstanding career, but one where the Eels never saw anything resembling the best of Watmough. He made just 17 appearances in blue and gold, although he did celebrate his 300th NRL appearance at the club.
It is the last of a series of legal or payout issues the club has faced in recent years, including a stoush with former sponsor Dyldam and severances to Kieran Foran and Will Hopoate.
The Eels are still holding out hope of adding Jarryd Hayne to their squad but need an established player to leave to free up the required salary cap space. The players spent time in camp at Armidale last week, while Hayne continues to train on his own. The Dragons have shown some interest, although the most likely scenario is a Parramatta return, particularly if Michael Jennings shifts to Newcastle.
