Poupou Escobar
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Any uncontracted player is a free agent. They don't belong to anyone.
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Any uncontracted player is a free agent. They don't belong to anyone.
TLDRhttp://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/4849ad636197ed8f7535ccb1ffddd0b6
Semi Radradra set to turn back on Toulon riches to stay at Parramatta Eels
Christian Nicolussi, The Daily Telegraph
November 30, 2016 8:04pm
FLAMBOYANT Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal’s premature declaration that Semi Radradra had signed with his French rugby club could backfire and help keep the winger at Parramatta.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Radradra’s management team was involved in a heated phone hook-up with Boudjellal this week after it was announced the Fijian had signed for the 2017-18 season.
Radradra’s manager George Christodoulou has maintained for several days that “no contract has been issued let alone signed’’, and made a point of letting millionaire Boudjellal know he and Radradra were not happy.
Just last year, Boudjellal also trumpeted the signing of Quade Cooper, even though the Wallabies five-eighth had not put pen to paper.
Christodoulou hopes to meet Eels officials as early as next week to discuss Radradra’s options beyond 2017.
He is no hurry to give Boudjellal an answer.
Had Monday’s court hearing involving three domestic violence charges proceeded and Radradra been cleared, negotiations to keep him in the blue and gold would have become a top priority for both parties.
Radradra failed to attend Parramatta Local Court on Monday because he was in Fiji caring for his ill father.
Magistrate Tim Keady gave Radradra until Wednesday to provide sufficient medical evidence to prove his father was ill, otherwise he could have been found in breach of his bail.
Keady accepted the explanation but suspended Radradra’s passport until February 13, the same day he will fight domestic charges involving his former partner Perina Ting. Radradra has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The confiscation of his passport will deny Radradra the chance to play in the Auckland Nines on February 4-5.
Radradra left court and travelled straight to the Central Coast to join his Parramatta teammates for a training camp.
Eels boss Bernie Gurr told The Daily Telegraph the best thing for Radradra was “to get back into routine and the grind, and sweating it out on the training track with his mates’’.
Gurr said the delay in court proceedings would make it tough to broker any immediate deal with Radradra, but he was confident the 24-year-old only had eyes for the Eels.
If found guilty of domestic violence charges, Radradra is expected to be rubbed out for the entire 2017 NRL season. If he waits until after the court case to give Toulon an answer, Radradra could also be left without a rugby deal.
Toulon are prepared to pay more than $1.2 million over two seasons, which is a figure Radradra could almost command from a cashed-up NRL club. Australia is also much closer to Fiji and Radradra’s family.
Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett has already met Radradra, and the Broncos are not short on third-party sponsors to accommodate a genuine matchwinner like him.
“In the five weeks I’ve been here, I’ve become aware of the great job the people inside this club have done to assist Semi,’’ Gurr said.
“Semi has been appreciative of that, and it’s my understanding his preference is to stay in the NRL. And it’s also my understanding he wants to stay at Parramatta.
“There’s been speculation of other clubs such as the Broncos, we’ve all heard that.
“But from every person I’ve talked to, particularly Semi’s manager, Semi’s preference is rugby league in Australia and the Parramatta Eels.’’
Yeah I get that. I'm not defending what the club did, just pointing out that if you're under for the year then it all balances out. But I still think the 'can't earn points while not cap compliant' thing is something Greenberg and co. invented as it was convenient at the time.
As soon as you field a second tier player in one game his entire salary counts under your second tier cap. And obviously as soon as a player signs a contract for the year, and that year's salary is inside the top 25 paid players then his whole salary counts toward the cap. There is no per-game consideration. If he's in the top 25 his entire salary counts even if he plays zero games. The only exception is if you get rid of a player before the season finishes. Then your cap is stuck with whatever you've already paid him, including any agreed payout.
It was a bit funny. Pass from me.
Maybe for a season but surely not every day of the week
Archimedes' principle
are you with me now?
