Canberra in contract stand-off as stars told to reduce pay demands or face the axe
IF a four-game losing streak to start the season wasn’t bad enough, the Canberra Raiders are on the verge of losing four of their biggest stars over wage demands.
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THE Canberra Raiders are locked in multimillion-dollar contract stand-offs with four star players as they look to avoid a five-game losing streak to start the 2018 NRL season.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Blake Austin, Junior Paulo and Josh Papalii are seeking new contracts worth between $700,000 to $800,000 a season, but Canberra have effectively placed negotiations on hold due to the inflated requests.
Halfback Aidan Sezer is also facing a pay cut if he wants to remain in the nation’s capital.
If negotiations recommence the Raiders are poised to make offers that would be collectively up to $1 million short of what the players were asking.
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Well-placed sources claim the four players — who come off contract after this season — are being shopped around to other clubs.
The Raiders play Canterbury at GIO Stadium on Thursday night and are holding off on any contract negotiations, having started this season with four losses.
Of the players, Austin played reserve grade with Mounties last week and has been named there again this week alongside Queensland Origin forward Papalii after being listed on the Raiders’ extended bench.
Some Canberra players were offered huge contracts last year but rejected the offers in the hope of securing even more cash.
Those decisions have backfired.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Papalii wants $800,000 a year, but the Raiders won’t entertain such a demand, especially after he was axed to reserve grade.
Austin rejected a two-year $1.4 million offer last season and that deal is no longer on the table.
Paulo wants between $600,000 and $700,000 a season over four years, but Canberra won’t negotiate unless his demands are significantly reduced. The 24-year-old currently plays less than 40 minutes a match. He may head back to Sydney.
Sezer hasn’t been made an offer yet and there isn’t enormous interest from Sydney clubs. He would have to accept a pay cut to stay at Canberra.
Canberra players knocked back the money thinking the salary cap this season would be $10 million. It was set at $9.4 million.
The Raiders are aware the players are being shopped around but say they won’t panic and be pushed into making inflated offers.
Canberra haven’t shut the door on re-signing the four players but privately say they won’t negotiate if the players don’t attempt drop their contract demands.
Instead, Canberra will look to re-sign other off-contract players given they are not seeking such substantial money.
It is understood South Sydney showed some interest in Austin until they re-signed Cody Walker, while Canterbury had a brief flirtation with Sezer but could only offer minimal money under the club’s tight salary cap.
There were unfounded rumours Canberra were considering signing out-of-favour Rabbitoh Robbie Farah.
Player managers reckon the Canberra stars saw what Ben Hunt was earning at St George Illawarra and Angus Crichton at the Roosters from next season and held off re-signing.
One player manager believed they were asking for the money they were worth in 2016 — when a red-hot Canberra charged to within one game of the grand final. The Raiders missed the finals last season and will be desperate to win this evening having lost their first three games by a total of just five points.