Shark in hot water
By James Hooper
November 3, 2005
SHARKS five-eighth Adam Dykes was forced into asking the club for a release from the final two years of his contract because of financial difficulties.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Dykes entered negotiations to switch to South Sydney last month in the hope of securing a more lucrative deal, easing hefty personal property portfolio commitments.
But the move backfired when the Rabbitohs pulled out of the arrangement after initially promising Dykes a starting halfback role.
Dykes, a Cronulla junior, approached the Sharks for a release after the shire outfit crashed out of finals contention in late September.
The move led to a raft of suggestions about a major falling out with captain Brett Kimmorley, but Dykes has scotched the rumours as hearsay.
"It's well known that I was in discussions with Souths however those talks ended up going nowhere and the whole thing is now finished," Dykes said.
"There has also been a lot of talk about me and other players but there are honestly no personal issues between me and anyone.
"I just want to get on with life and I'm looking forward to getting on with my football."
When Dykes linked with the Sharks at the start of last season after three years at Parramatta, the Eels continued to subsidise part of his contract.
But with the 2006 season approaching, the Sharks will act as Dykes' sole employer and the five-eighth's income is understood to have lessened considerably.
Dykes is believed to have extensive property commitments that require a considerable cash flow.
In an effort to air any underlying issues about asking for a release, Dykes met Sharks chief executive Steve Rogers, coach Stuart Raper and his manager, George Mimis, at Sharks Leagues club on Tuesday.
"The meeting was as cordial as it had to be," Rogers said.
"As it turns out the window of opportunity Adam thought was there was gone. It's business as usual.
"It all came about as a result of Adam asking for a release."
South Sydney pulled out of the race for Dykes' signature, citing the retention of Ben and Shane Walker as a major reason.
The Rabbitohs claimed they were over the cap after coming to terms with the Walkers, meaning an offer they intended to make to Dykes failed to materialise.
Raper said the meeting with Dykes had resolved any differences. "We resolved a couple of issues, things were probably misconstrued a bit, some rumours brought about by someone manifesting the issued with Adam," Raper said.
The Daily Telegraph
