Moses Mbye accepts Bulldogs’ salary cap woes may force a mid-season switch to Wests Tigers
CANTERBURY fullback Moses Mbye says he doesn’t want to leave the Bulldogs. But he also isn’t so naive as to think he won’t be forced out of the club before the end of the season.
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CANTERBURY fullback Moses Mbye has left the door open for a mid-season switch to the Wests Tigers before the June 30 deadline.
Speaking for the first time since signing a four-year deal with the Tigers a fortnight ago, Mbye refused to rule out joining the joint-venture club this year.
This could make Saturday’s clash against the Gold Coast at Belmore Oval his last game in Canterbury colours.
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Mbye said a move would depend on the Bulldogs’ salary cap position, which requires the club to shed players to create cap space. He also admitted the team’s results could play a role in a release to the Tigers.
“It would be naive to say that it is not going to happen at all,” Mbye said.
“I think any person who is smart enough to run a club this size has the brain to think about that sort of situation.
“Any dollar is a lot for this club at the moment, especially with the salary cap. I’m sure that will cross administration’s mind. But at the moment, I’m playing whatever games I have left.
“Obviously I’ve signed with the Tigers for the next four seasons, but in terms of an early move — no there hasn’t been anything discussed.
“I don’t know what is going to happen yet. It’s rugby league (anything could happen).”
Mbye confirmed he spoke to Tigers coach Ivan Cleary when he penned his four-year deal two weeks ago.
He said Cleary’s preference was for him to arrive at Concord this season.
“Ivan stated in one of his press conferences that if they get an opportunity to get me over there early, they would take it,” he said.
“I think the Tigers invested in a four-year term in myself and they’d want me to get there early. I think everyone would.
“But at the moment I haven’t been approached by the club or I haven’t approached the club about it. I’ll guess we’ll just wait and see where the chips fall and see what happens.”
Mbye can’t wait to join a rebuilding Tigers side, but he concedes he would have stayed at Canterbury in a perfect world.
“I’ve said from day one I wanted to stay,” he said. “I didn’t want to be at the Tigers next year if it was an ideal situation.
“But I’m sort of aware of the situation we are in and what needed to happen. Now my heart is at the Tigers for next year.
“But right now, I’m playing at the Bulldogs. These are my mates. I’ve been at this club since I was 17 and I think the boys deserve my effort for at least until the end of the year.”
Until a release to the Tigers this season is confirmed or denied, Mbye is focused on helping Canterbury climb off the bottom of the ladder.
“You can’t doubt our effort,” he said.
“It is really good and we are ripping in for each other and working hard. We just have to keep doing that until we get a result.”