NRL 2020: Parramatta Eels hit out at lowballing claims as Clint Gutherson re-signs

The Eels have already lost two star forwards and are locked in painstaking negotiations with a number of other key players.

Parramatta Eels star Clint Gutherson. Picture: NRL Photos

Parramatta chair Sean McElduff has ridiculed suggestions the club has been lowballing players and urged fans to focus on the huge strides they have made in recent years in producing better footballers.

The Parramatta Eels have been under the microscope in recent months over their recruitment and retention strategy, having tried and failed to keep Marata Niukore and Isaiah Papali’i from the clutches of rival clubs.

At the same time, they have been locked in painstaking talks with a host of other players, among them key figures Clint Gutherson (who re-signed over the weekend, more below), Reed Mahoney and Junior Paulo.

The slow progress of talks has prompted claims the Eels have been lowballing players with offers aimed to keep them on the cheap, an accusation McElduff finds galling.

Clint Gutherson has re-signed (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

“Let’s come to the lowballing,” McElduff said in an exclusive interview with News Corp.

“To suggest we are lowballing is absurd. We have a retention strategy and we spend 100 percent of the salary cap.

“Unfortunately, there is also an external market for players and sometimes our offer it is not enough. The reality of the player market is that some clubs are willing to pay more to attract players.

“As a club there comes a point when you can’t go any higher otherwise you create problems in future years.

“We want to keep all our players. We try to compete on things other than price. It is like most things in business — if you compete purely on price you are probably going to lose because there is always someone who will pay more.

“As a club, our goal is to create a great place for people to come to work. We have improved dramatically over the last five years, we offer players the chance to play in a winning team with good coaching, good training facilities, good player welfare and a great stadium.

“We see this as a real value proposition for our players. We all have the same salary cap limit and the reality of rugby league is that the more successful you are on the field, the greater the market value of your players.”

The Eels are hopeful Reed Mahoney will re-sign. Picture: NRL Photos

While much of the attention has fallen on the decisions of Niukore and Papalii’i to depart at the end of 2022, the Eels have had some notable victories.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard initially indicated he would head to market but ultimately re-signed with the Eels on a long-term deal.

Crucially, the club reached a breakthrough in talks with Gutherson on Friday and Saturday, tying him to the club until the end of 2025.

Their priority now is to keep Mahoney and Paulo — the former has attracted interest from Canterbury while the latter has spoken to the Dolphins, but is expected to sign a new deal with the Eels.

“We will do whatever we can,” McElduff said.

“What I can say is that we will trying to manage the club for both the short and the longer term. Over the last few years, we haven’t lost many players.

“Our on-field performance continues to improve year-on-year meaning our players are now in higher demand.

“I think this is a positive for the club. We see ourselves as a development club. Players come to the club and get better.

“We are losing both Isaiah and Marata in 2023. The reality is their market value has increased significantly since they came to the Eels and we have a salary cap limit.

Marata Niukore has switched to the Warriors (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

“The price others clubs are willing to pay says something about our club and our ability to develop players. It is all about continuous improvement which requires some reflection.

“We won’t get everything right, we do make mistakes but I think over the course of the last five years we have gotten a lot of things right.”

Asked wether he had a message for the club’s fans, McElduff said: “There is something about the club, the coaches and what we do that makes people better. We have five juniors in the Emerging Blues squad.

“Fifteen years ago Parramatta was a factory for developing players. We lost our way from 2010-2016 but we are now getting back to where we should be both on and off the field.

“That is the message I would like people to be reading about.”

Meeting that finally sealed Gutho deal

— Exclusive by Phil Rothfield

The Parramatta Eels have finally landed the signature of skipper Clint Gutherson on a three-year contract after months of tense negotiations.

The Daily Telegraph understands the deal is worth around the $2.3 million mark.

Gutherson’s manager Sam Ayoub met with Parramatta chairman Sean McElduff and general manager of football Mark O’Neill in a Leichhardt cafe on Friday.

It is understood the negotiations broke down at the meeting but the parties resumed talks on Friday night to finally agree on a deal.

Eels star Clint Gutherson’s new contract is worth around the $2.3 million mark. Picture: NRL Photos

It was a crucial signing for Parramatta a week after they lost Isaiah Papali’i to the Wests Tigers and Marata Niukore to the Warriors.

The club is now urgently trying to convince hooker Reed Mahoney and front-rower Junior Paulo to reject offers from rivals to stay.

The deal keeps the 27-year-old Gutherson at the club until the end of the 2025 season which will be his 10th season at the club.

In a statement the Eels said: “The Parramatta Eels are very pleased to announce that our full-back and captain Clint Gutherson has agreed to terms until the end of the 2025 season.”

Clint Gutherson is a crucial signing for Parramatta. Picture: Liam Kidston

Parramatta Eels General Manager of Football Mark O’Neill added: “We are delighted for Clint and his partner Jesse to remain part of the Eels.

“Clint is a key leader of the club and the energy and commitment he brings to work every day is unparalleled.

“Additionally, his on-field performances week in and week out are always at a consistently high level.”

One of the leading try-scorers in the team, Gutherson had 20 try assists and averaged 170 run metres this year.