http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au...s/news-story/4849ad636197ed8f7535ccb1ffddd0b6
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.
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Christodoulou hopes to meet Eels officials as early as next week to discuss Radradra’s options beyond 2017.
Semi Radradra in action for the Eels. Picture: Gregg Porteous
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.
Semi Radradra leaves Parramatta Local Court after a brief appearance on Wednesday.
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.’’
