it's funny how this never applied to Toddles team
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ulldogs-contract/story-fni3fbgz-1226871366062
Andrew Fifita’s management question NRL over torn-up $800,000 Bulldogs contract
- David Riccio
- The Daily Telegraph
- April 02, 2014 12:00AM
ANDREW Fifita’s management met with the NRL on Tuesday, raising serious questions that the termination of his $800,000 four-year deal from the Bulldogs was anything but mutual.
The meeting with the NRL Integrity Unit and Fifita’s management at League Central emerged at the same time the World Cup-winning prop returned to Sharks training, once again, as a free agent.
Fifita’s management group I.am Athlete management met with Integrity Unit boss Nick Weeks, when the terms and conditions of a memorandum of agreement originally signed by the Bulldogs and Fifita were discussed.
It is unknown if the prospect of legal action or compensation from Fifita was tabled. In any case, legally the NRL has no jurisdiction over a club and player until a contract is registered.
“Our role is to consider the registration of NRL contracts which are lodged with us,’’ an NRL spokesman said.
“In this case we do not have an NRL contract to register.’’
Fifita’s manager, Ben Johnston, is planning to spend the next week working with Fifita to determine where his future lies. His current club Cronulla, South Sydney or a switch to rugby union are the three leading options for the 24-year-old.
Back among his Sharks teammates at Remondis Stadium on Tuesday, Fifita was his typical boisterous self. He was even spotted carving his surname into the surface dew of Shark Park.
Showing no sign of stress or uneasiness, Fifita joked and laughed during a field session with a Cronulla squad that is struggling to secure its first win of the season.
On Monday, Cronulla chief executive Steve Noyce was noncommittal on the club’s position in attempting to re-sign Fifita. He admitted he was content to let the “dust settle’’ following on from the Bulldogs’ shock announcement.
Those sentiments differed slightly from interim coach Peter Sharp, who admitted that while the club would indeed make another play for Fifita’s signature, the prop’s focus should be on delivering for the Sharks against New Zealand on Saturday.
“The best thing Andrew can do is train and he trained pretty well today. He showed some good leadership,’’ Sharp said.
“Definitely we’ll be an option again. We can only put our case on the table and give him some love. If he focuses on his footy and gets his mind back on the job and plays accordingly, everything else will look after itself and be OK.’’
Sharp phoned Fifita immediately after the news broke of the Bulldogs deal falling over on Monday.
“I just said we support him and we love him and we love playing with him and coaching him. I said ‘you have our support’,’’ Sharp said.
Sharks captain Paul Gallen also confirmed he wanted Fifita to stay at the club, but said his primary concern was for his teammate’s welfare.
“I imagine he’s pretty confused at the moment, he’s not used to this sort of stuff,’’ Gallen said. “He’s a bloke that loves coming to training and playing football. He hasn’t seen the other side of rugby league that he’s seeing now.”
