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William Hopoate to sign with Parramatta Eels

Poupou Escobar

Poupou Escobar

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92,812
caylo said:
considering he has been chosen in the Kangaroo squad he will command a bit more then 1mil over 3 years. Hodgkinson is reportedly on 325K which is pretty much that so I would say DCE wlill probably command about 1.2 mil over 3 yrs (400k a year). On the open market he will probably get 450+ thrown at him esp by clubs like souths, broncos and titans. His manager will probably be aware of this and will trying to extort the most out of manly.
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The thing is, Manly have smartly tied him up until 2013 so they don't have to give him anything.

If he wants a pay raise (and it looks like they're going to give him one) then it won't be to his full market value and will almost certainly include an extension, locking him up even longer.

Just good squad management by Manly. I can't believe they allowed Hopoate to get to the stage they would lose him. Lucky for us really.
 
El Diablo

El Diablo

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94,107
this has a more realistic figure http://www.nrl.com/eels-look-to-nfl...spx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Eels look to NFL as hope for Hopoate

By Ian McCullough AAP Thu, Oct 06, 2011 - 6:44 PM

Parramatta are confident Will Hopoate can emulate the success of NFL stars who have completed Mormon missions when he joins the NRL club at the conclusion of his religious sabbatical from the game.

The Eels announced on Thursday that the 19-year-old NSW winger will link-up with them in 2014, less than a week after helping Manly to the premiership.

Hopoate signed a lucrative two-year deal starting at the end of his mission in Queensland, believed to be in the region of $500,0000 a year.

However, doubts have been expressed about whether he can return to the game at the same level as when he left, with little evidence of success from other players who have followed a similar path.

His uncle, Albert Hopoate, left Sydney Roosters for a mission in 2008 but failed to recapture his best form upon his return and now plays NSW Shute Shield rugby for perennial strugglers Penrith Emus.

Exciting Gold Coast winger Jordan Rapana also shelved his burgeoning career to take up a missionary role in the UK in 2008 but failed to pick up an NRL club, before agreeing to a deal with the Western Force Super Rugby team for next year.

Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne said plans have been devised by the club's physical performance staff to ensure Hopoate returns in the best possible shape, and believes staying in Australia works in his favour.

"He doesn't need to adapt to another country's food, his access to training facilities is a lot simpler, and the climate is similar," Osborne told AAP.

"So in that respect it's a very manageable task from a physical performance point of view."

Osborne believes the signing is a calculated risk and revealed the club's coaching staff researched athletes in the United States before completing the deal.

"We looked at quite a few different sports and particularly in the NFL and there were plenty of examples of young players coming out of college and embarking on their mission, before entering the draft," he said.

"There was no hesitation from some of the top franchises in the NFL in snapping them up, and a lot of them went on to complete long and successful careers."

Among those include offensive lineman Edwin Mulitalo, who embarked on a two-year mission in Idaho before joining Baltimore Ravens in 1999 and won a Super Bowl that year.

Washington Redskins' current back-up quarterback Paul Kruger spent two years in Portugal from 2004 ahead of being drafted in the second round in 2009.

A similar path was taken by St Louis Rams linebacker Brady Poppinga, who was part of the Green Bay team that won the 2010 Super Bowl having spent two years in Uruguay from 1999.

Osborne said the Eels earmarked Hopoate as a possible signing at the start of the season with only three first grade appearances under his belt.

"It's great for us to attract a player from a premiership-winning club as strong as Manly, but I think he just wanted to be part of what we are building here and get the chance to work under Steve Kearney," he said.

Hopoate will be joined at the Eels by two of his younger brothers, who follow him from Manly, but Osborne denied that the trio's father, the controversial John Hopoate, would be given a role on the club's coaching team.
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L

lingard

Coach
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11,443
jayjayselmes said:
Why are we signing god botherers? We paid way overs for a bloke that may come back in 2 years fat and over weight or with injuries. Bugging people at their houses talking mormon crap may result in injury.

Players heads need to be in the NRL playing good footy not bugging innocent people by knocking on peoples doors!
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True, but not likely to be cruciate ligament damage, hamstring problems or ankle injuries. More likely head injury - which wouldn't impact so much on his ability to play football. Idiot.
 
T

The Elephant In The room

Bench
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4,980
Poupou Escobar said:
Just good squad management by Manly. I can't believe they allowed Hopoate to get to the stage they would lose him. Lucky for us really.
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I suppose you can keep them all, but I agree that they should have moved sooner to lock up Hoppa. I think typical Manly arrogance was their down fall. Much like the situation with Hasler, they wrongly assumed they they wouldn't look elsewhere and it has cost them.
 
Poupou Escobar

Poupou Escobar

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I think that's all it could be.

The attitude that he'll stay loyal because of his history with the club. Silly Manly.
 
Maroubra Eel

Maroubra Eel

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I don't think Hoppa chose Parra because we offered the most money. I think he came for the chance to play under Kearney.
 
eels_fan

eels_fan

First Grade
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7,681
Well Kearneys contract expires at the end of 2013 doesnt it??

So if he signed to play under SK I guess he has already received an extension??
 
Gronk

Gronk

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78,355
The Telecrap are printing the usual nothing piece. All they are doing are listing players that are off contract. Then say that we "could lose" them. FFS Hoppa's signing has got zip to do with who plays in 2012 & 2013.

Parramatta Eels to gain Manly Sea Eagles prodigy Will Hopoate but could lose up to seven stars





754379-will-hopoate.jpg

Big money deal: The Eels have secured Will Hopoate but they could lose a host of stars. Source: Getty Images



NOW that Will Hopoate has officially signed with Parramatta, the Eels have the more pressing concern of retaining up to seven senior stars.

Chief executive Paul Osborne is delighted to be getting Sea Eagles flyer Hopoate once he has served his two-year Mormon mission.
But while Hopoate was across town enjoying a fitting farewell from Manly fans, Osborne was reeling off a long list of Eels players - with 1182 NRL games between them - who become free agents after next season.
Skipper Nathan Hindmarsh is undecided if he will play beyond 2012 and won't make a decision until next year.
Eels favourite Luke Burt is off-contract at the end of next season, as is Ben Smith, the likeable back-rower many consider to be a future captain of the club.
Fuifui Moimoi - this year's Ken Thornett Medal winner - Shane Shackleton, Justin Poore and Reni Maitua also have just one year to go.



Casey McGuire will be off contract as well but next season will be his last.
"We've got a few off next year, but we had a strategy at the start of the year to keep some of our kids, which we did," Osborne said.
"Guys like Jacob Loko, Ryan Morgan and Mitch Allgood we've signed. Then we started to chase talent. We missed out on Matt Duffie (Melbourne) and Bronson Harrison (Canberra). But we got Chris Sandow, who had been in the pipeline for a few months. It (signings) will all happen in the new year."
Hindmarsh brought up 300 games for the Eels this season and captained the Prime Minister's XIII, which proves he has plenty of good football left in him. He was unaware so many players are in the final year of their contracts, but has faith in Osborne and coach Steve Kearney.
"They would have weighed it all up before they signed Hoppa," Hindmarsh said. "We don't really talk about contracts among the boys. It will be good to have Hopoate on board. He's only 19 and has won a grand final."One thing working in Parramatta's favour is the $1.4 billion TV deal the NRL is hoping to negotiate, which will bump up the salary cap for 2013.
As for Hopoate, Eels recruitment manager Peter Nolan first met him on March 30 - before he had played a game in the NRL.
Osborne said the timing of the signing, just days after Manly's triumph, was not lost on him and he phoned Manly co-owner Scott Penn to apologise.
Osborne has researched what impact a Mormon mission has on sports stars, including former NBA star Shawn Bradley. As a result, he has no qualms about Hopoate returning as an even better prospect in 2014.
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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/n...p-to-seven-stars/story-e6frfgbo-1226160756115
 
Maroubra Eel

Maroubra Eel

Coach
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19,044
So out of all those off contract who are our priorities. And who should be let go.

I'm guessing Burt and Hindmarsh might retire.
 
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