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Raiders rule out Carney for 2012
BY LEE GASKIN, JON TUXWORTHAND GLENN JACKSONRUGBY LEAGUE
09 Sep, 2011 04:00 AM
Todd Carney partied with Canberra players the night before the Sydney Roosters released the troubled halfback, but there is no chance of him returning to the Raiders for 2012.
Carney officially parted ways with the Roosters yesterday in a decision described as a ''mutual agreement''.
The 25-year-old was out with a handful of Raiders who kicked on at Belconnen watering hole The Lighthouse into the early hours of yesterday morning following the club's Meninga Medal awards on Wednesday night.
The Roosters held their own end-of-season function on the same night, but Carney didn't take part after he was stood down last month for breaking a team alcohol ban. After news broke that the Roosters had agreed to a request from Carney to release him from the final year of his contract, Raiders chief executive Don Furner was quick to dispel any speculation their former star playmaker would return next season.
''We don't have room in the salary cap with three halves there locked away,'' Furner said. ''[Carney's] no chance for next year.''
The Raiders are well-stocked in the halves department for 2012, with Josh McCrone, Sam Williams and Michael Picker in the running to partner representative pivot Terry Campese.
As for the following year, Furner said: ''That's way too hard to speculate on''.
''The reality is Campo's still young (27), Josh is still young (24) and Sammy Williams (20) has got a lot of improvement in him,'' he said.
French club Catalan Dragons also ruled out recruiting the 2010 Dally M medallist as did a number of NRL clubs contacted last night.
NRL chief executive David Gallop said he still needed to be convinced the troubled star would not re-offend.
Gallop will seek a meeting with Carney should he decide he wants to play in the competition again - and importantly find a club ready to back him - after he officially parted ways with the Roosters. Gallop preferred not to speculate on the likelihood of Carney - who had been suspended by the Bondi Junction club for breaking a team alcohol ban - being registered to play again in the competition, but will take some convincing, given he met with the five-eighth after he was sacked by Canberra and allowed him to sign with the Roosters.
''If another club looked to sign him, we would want to sit down with that club and Todd, and understand what their plans are to keep him out of the spotlight off the field,'' Gallop said last night.
''That doesn't necessarily mean alcohol bans, but it does mean coming up with a plan where he's not going to make promises that he can't keep, and bring attention to himself.
''Given Todd's history, and the steps we've taken in the past with him, it would be prudent for us to continue to be involved in any ongoing place he has in the game.''
Canberra five-eighth Terry Campese, who enjoyed a fruitful combination with Carney at the Raiders, hoped the Goulburn product wasn't lost to Australia.
''Everyone knows what talent he's got, he won the Dally M Medal,'' Campese said. A low-level drink driving charge in February, followed by a drinking session with teammate Anthony Watts in April, saw him stood down. He was given another chance in May, only to break a team-imposed booze ban in August with Nate Myles and Frank Paul Nuuausala at a Sydney pub.
BY LEE GASKIN, JON TUXWORTHAND GLENN JACKSONRUGBY LEAGUE
09 Sep, 2011 04:00 AM
Todd Carney partied with Canberra players the night before the Sydney Roosters released the troubled halfback, but there is no chance of him returning to the Raiders for 2012.
Carney officially parted ways with the Roosters yesterday in a decision described as a ''mutual agreement''.
The 25-year-old was out with a handful of Raiders who kicked on at Belconnen watering hole The Lighthouse into the early hours of yesterday morning following the club's Meninga Medal awards on Wednesday night.
The Roosters held their own end-of-season function on the same night, but Carney didn't take part after he was stood down last month for breaking a team alcohol ban. After news broke that the Roosters had agreed to a request from Carney to release him from the final year of his contract, Raiders chief executive Don Furner was quick to dispel any speculation their former star playmaker would return next season.
''We don't have room in the salary cap with three halves there locked away,'' Furner said. ''[Carney's] no chance for next year.''
The Raiders are well-stocked in the halves department for 2012, with Josh McCrone, Sam Williams and Michael Picker in the running to partner representative pivot Terry Campese.
As for the following year, Furner said: ''That's way too hard to speculate on''.
''The reality is Campo's still young (27), Josh is still young (24) and Sammy Williams (20) has got a lot of improvement in him,'' he said.
French club Catalan Dragons also ruled out recruiting the 2010 Dally M medallist as did a number of NRL clubs contacted last night.
NRL chief executive David Gallop said he still needed to be convinced the troubled star would not re-offend.
Gallop will seek a meeting with Carney should he decide he wants to play in the competition again - and importantly find a club ready to back him - after he officially parted ways with the Roosters. Gallop preferred not to speculate on the likelihood of Carney - who had been suspended by the Bondi Junction club for breaking a team alcohol ban - being registered to play again in the competition, but will take some convincing, given he met with the five-eighth after he was sacked by Canberra and allowed him to sign with the Roosters.
''If another club looked to sign him, we would want to sit down with that club and Todd, and understand what their plans are to keep him out of the spotlight off the field,'' Gallop said last night.
''That doesn't necessarily mean alcohol bans, but it does mean coming up with a plan where he's not going to make promises that he can't keep, and bring attention to himself.
''Given Todd's history, and the steps we've taken in the past with him, it would be prudent for us to continue to be involved in any ongoing place he has in the game.''
Canberra five-eighth Terry Campese, who enjoyed a fruitful combination with Carney at the Raiders, hoped the Goulburn product wasn't lost to Australia.
''Everyone knows what talent he's got, he won the Dally M Medal,'' Campese said. A low-level drink driving charge in February, followed by a drinking session with teammate Anthony Watts in April, saw him stood down. He was given another chance in May, only to break a team-imposed booze ban in August with Nate Myles and Frank Paul Nuuausala at a Sydney pub.
