http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news...321863498.html
Souths make grab for Gidley but Knights won't let go
Glenn Jackson | November 22, 2007
NEWCASTLE are facing a battle to keep Kurt Gidley, with South Sydney to chase the representative star.
While Knights officials are expected to commence negotiations with Gidley next week, the Rabbitohs have already placed the 25-year-old - who is officially off contract at the end of 2009 but has a clause in his favour which effectively makes him a free agent at the end of next season - at the top of their hit-list for 2009, along with Parramatta's Test and Origin fullback Jarryd Hayne.
The Rabbitohs have already expressed an interest in the Test player, and while Gidley yesterday maintained a desire to continue his career with the Knights, he did add: "This contract's probably the most important of my career. I'll be 26 next year and I'd like something pretty good. When you get to this point in their career, you like something long term and something pretty healthy. It's early days, but there's an option in my favour, which is good."
The Rabbitohs have made no secret of their desire to snare Hayne to the club for which his father, Manoa Thompson, played. What is not clear is whether the Rabbitohs would be in a position to bring both Hayne and Gidley to the club.
However, they do face an uphill task in trying to lure Gidley out of Newcastle. His manager Darryl Mather stressed he would give the Knights every opportunity to secure him long-term.
"I'll be discussing everything with Newcastle first, and everything with Newcastle last," he said. "Everyone else can maybe have a shot in between.
"The Gidley name is a big part of Newcastle, and I want to make it very clear - I'll be holding discussions with Newcastle in the very near future about a long-term arrangement. I managed Matt his whole career and it's a strong brand name in Newcastle. That's something that won't be diluted.
Asked yesterday how important the re-signing of Gidley was to the Knights, coach Brian Smith said: "It's very important, but I take all that [speculation] with a grain of salt."
It came on a day the Knights were forced to go to extraordinary lengths to scotch rumours they were set to lose another of their stars in hooker and co-captain Danny Buderus.
The club issued a statement yesterday denying that Buderus had requested a release after speculation surfaced that he would rejoin his old coach Michael Hagan at Parramatta next season and that he had clashed with his current boss, Smith, on Tuesday.
"My entire focus is on the Newcastle Knights and that's where I'll be playing," Buderus said. "I have no idea where these rumours are coming from. I'm contracted, I'm training and I'm 100 per cent committed to the Newcastle Knights."
Buderus is considering quitting the club at the end of 2008 to play in the UK, however, chief executive Steve Burraston said he would not be granted a release any earlier.
"We wouldn't allow him to go," Burraston said. "He's under contract for us obviously next season and there's an option for the year after. There's a possibility he may go to England [in 2009], but I had a talk to him a couple of weeks ago and he hasn't given up on rep football next year.
"He probably wasn't in the right frame of mind last season but he came back to training a week or so ago and he was saying how good it was
he certainly hasn't mentioned anything to me [about wanting out].
"He's very much one of those guys who's extremely loyal."
Smith was also baffled, saying: "I wouldn't even glorify that with a response. It's just too ridiculous to respond to rubbish like that."
Eels officials said last night they were not pursuing Buderus for 2009.The Rabbitohs' bold bid for Gidley comes as co-captain Peter Cusack weighs up whether to accept an upgraded offer to join English Super League club Hull FC a year before his contract expires.
After discussions with his manager Martin Tauber yesterday, the 30-year-old is expected to make a final decision today.
The Rabbitohs are expected to agree to a release.
