Matt Moylan turns down Wests Tigers move to stay with Sharks
Needing to release pressure on their salary cap, Cronulla were willing to allow Matt Moylan the opportunity to meet with the Tigers. The meeting didn’t eventuate.
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Matt Moylan won’t be joining the Wests Tigers after two proposed meetings with the Cronulla star failed to eventuate.
Under contract with Cronulla for 2020 and 2021, Moylan was recently approached by the Tigers, who felt that given Cronulla’s salary cap pressure, they could secure a cut-price fullback/five-eighth option.
Needing to release pressure on their salary cap, the Sharks were willing to allow Moylan the opportunity to meet with the Tigers, if it meant the 28-year-old could potentially secure a deal beyond his current contract.
Similarly, the Sharks know that at his best, Moylan can be an integral member of their backline in 2020.
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However, on each occasion that the Tigers indicated an interest to meet Moylan, the discussion was cancelled — presumably as the Tigers prioritised the signing of Latrell Mitchell over the former NSW Origin player.
There remains a sense within the Tigers that Mitchell could still sign with the Sydney club.
Suggestions of the Tigers interest in Moylan have been bubbling for the past month and was spiked again by Tigers captain Moses Mbye on Wednesday.
Mbye said he wanted the Tigers to sign both Mitchell and Moylan — a recruitment drive that will now no longer eventuate.
“Obviously they’re both really quality players, there’s no doubting that,” Mbye said.
“If they're available and we can get them, I don’t see why you wouldn’t. If I was running the team I’d be doing the same thing.”
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However, any hope of the Tigers signing Moylan is now dead in the water.
The Sharks playmaker has told both his teammates and his management that he has no interest in joining the Tigers and he's committed to remaining in the Shire.
On the comeback trail from a hamstring injury that plagued his disappointing 2019 season, Moylan is back at Sharks training acutely aware of how critical his pre-season build-up is for next year.
The Sharks have also eased significant pressure on their salary cap by the departure to the English Super League of Matt Prior.