Sport Confidential: Cleary takes a big cut, Jarryd Hayne air-brushed from Parramatta Eels history
When the Penrith Panthers approached the NRL about Nathan Cleary taking a pay cut to benefit the team they were told no way — but that didn’t stop it happening.
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Nathan Cleary took a pay cut to remain at Penrith but only now can Confidential reveal the extraordinary financial sacrifice he was willing to make to ensure he remained part of a squad capable of challenging for a title.
Cleary’s old contract had two years to run — it was due to expire at the end of 2024 — when he first raised concerns over the impact of his salary on the cap.
Confidential understands the final two years of the deal were worth upwards of $2.5 million, making Cleary the highest-paid player in the game.
Sources close to the club say Cleary was worried that his contract was putting financial strain on the cap, leaving them at risk of losing some of his supporting cast in coming years.
So he broached the idea of taking a pay cut in 2023 and 2024 to help the club keep some of the key members of the squad.
Confidential was told the idea went as far as the NRL, although it was quickly shot down because under the salary cap rules clubs are unable to renegotiate contracts to cut one players’s wages in order to keep teammates.
The rule was designed to prevent clubs back-ending contracts and then attempting to deal their way out of trouble.
As a result, Cleary’s contract will continue to pay him top dollar in 2023 and 2024 before it drops again for the final three years, when his freshly-minted extension kicks in.
That said, if the salary cap goes up as part of the next collective bargaining agreement, there are clauses in the deal that cater for increases.
Cleary aside, the real beneficiaries of his contract extension are Penrith and his teammates.
At the end of this season and 2023, Stephen Crichton, Liam Martin, Taylan May, Izack Tao and Brian To’o come off contract. The following year, Isaah Yeo, Jahrome Luai, Dylan Edwards and Moses Leota will need new deals.
Cleary has done his part to make sure they happen.
HAYNE AIR-BRUSHED FROM EELS HISTORY
Parramatta celebrated 75 years with a glittering lunch at Commbank Stadium on Thursday.
A great club celebrated a landmark occasion in front of current and former stars, not to mention some of the game’s most loyal fans. There was also an elephant in the room. The club has no doubt been wrestling with the issue for months.
Jarryd Hayne is one of the Eels’ greatest players. He is also facing sexual assault charges. The club made the decision to not use any footage of Hayne as part of their video presentations on stage. Who can blame them?
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Hayne almost single-handedly won the Eels a premiership, but he is also facing heinous charges. The club would have been hammered for celebrating Hayne.
Instead, they took the smarter and more respectful option.
A Covid test kept coach Brad Arthur away.
About 400 people, including Peter Sterling, Mick Cronin, Nathan Hindmarsh, Nathan Cayless and Ray Price, joined current Eels Clint Gutherson, Junior Paulo and Mitchell Moses as part of the celebration at Commbank Stadium.
“These are important milestones for the club,” Eels boss Jim Sarantinos said. “It’s important that we celebrate them and acknowledge those that have come before us.
“It’s great that we were able to bring together so many people who have shaped the history of this club and provided some of its most memorable moments over the last 75 years.”
The Eels will pay tribute to some of their greatest players at the annual Easter Monday clash against the Tigers. About 12 of the club’s hall of fame members will form a guard of honour as the players run onto the field while a 75-year history package will be shown.
Covid kept Sarantinos away from Thursday’s function.
NRL STAR’S SHOCK DIVE CONFESSION
Players staying down has been a taboo subject but one high-profile star has admitted to taking a dive in a bid to try to have a rival player sanctioned.
Raiders skipper Elliott Whitehead said he laid down in a bid to have Melbourne’s Reimis Smith penalised during Canberra’s loss last Saturday.
While Smith was placed on report, Whitehead was forced from the field to a head injury assessment. He passed and returned to the field. Smith was not sanctioned by the match review committee.
“I got a shoulder to my head — I played it a little bit,” Whitehead told ABC Sport. “I should’ve got up straight away. I thought he was going to get sin-binned or sent-off.”
FRESH PLEA FOR TIGERS TO RELEASE $2 MILLION MAN
North Queensland have reached out to the Wests Tigers in a bid to fast-track Luciano Leilua’s move to the Cowboys.
The Cowboys want Leilua immediately and asked again this week if the Tigers would consider allowing him an instant release.
Leilua has already agreed to take on a rich $2 million three-year deal for next season.
So far the Tigers have knocked back all requests from the Cowboys as they look to salvage something from the rest of the season.
Sport Confidential has learnt that Leilua, who has again been among the Tigers’ best in an otherwise uninspiring season, won’t be reneging on his deal despite some chatter that the joint venture would be keen to keep him on.
It is not the first time the Cowboys have asked if the Tigers would give up Leilua before the end of the season. The two parties engaged in discussions during the pre-season – including a potential player swap for Cowboys hooker Reece Robson– but that was knocked on the head by the Tigers.
The Tigers have since signed two-time premiership winning dummy half Api Koroisau.
Cowboys coach Todd Payten shares a close relationship with Tigers head of football Tim Sheens and recruitment manager Warren McDonnell.
Meanwhile, Luke Brooks has not been the only major positional switch at the Tigers. Luke Garner has made the move to the centres after playing a large chunk of his career in the backrow.
“I’m loving it,” Garner said. “Although I’ve played here and there at centre it’s a bit different. It’s a bit easier on the lungs compared to the backrow.”
MUNSTER MOTIVATED BY CONTRACT TALK
Cameron Munster says he is “feeding off” the speculation surrounding his future as he considers a surprise exit from the Storm.
Munster has already rejected the Storm’s first offer – a deal worth about $300,000 less than his current contract. The Dolphins and Canterbury are among the clubs circling him when his contract expires at the end of 2023.
The Dolphins are expected to offer Munster a long-term deal worth more than $1 million in a bid to build the new franchise around the Maroons and Australian star.
“I feed off it,” Munster said of the speculation. “It’s motivation. I need to play for my career. I’m still contracted next year. I’m only 28 but if I want to stay long-term in this game I need to be consistent.
“It’s something I can’t control. There is a lot of speculation about myself if I’m leaving or staying but I’m enjoying all the things with my footy at the moment. Everything will pan out for itself. That’s life. I’m excited to see what happens in the future.”
The Bulldogs are considering offering Munster a deal which could see him switch to fullback. The Storm have already locked in fellow spine players Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen long-term.
ALL EYES ON CIRALDO’S NEXT MOVE
With Ivan Cleary under lock and key for the next five years, attention at Penrith will turn to one of his assistants, the highly-regarded Cameron Ciraldo.
Ciraldo has bided his time behind Cleary at the Panthers, honing his craft, perfecting his trade and winning plaudits from players for his attention to detail.
He has slowly built a reputation as the game’s next first grade coach but it won’t be at Penrith after Cleary extended until the end of 2027.
Ciraldo’s contract with the Panthers runs until the end of this year and the Panthers will look to extend the association, even though it means staying as an assistant.
He is unlikely to be in a hurry. Ciraldo won’t be short of options.
The Dolphins are keen to recruit Ciraldo — the plan would be for him to sit behind Wayne Bennett for two years before taking over the reins when Bennett moves into another role.
In Brisbane, he would have a clear path to head coaching. The other option is to cool his heels and wait to see how the year pans out elsewhere.
Craig Fitzgibbon’s success at Cronulla has only helped his cause, demonstrating that in the right environment a rookie head coach can be a raging success.
So highly is Ciraldo regarded, his future may dictate how the head coaching situations play out at other clubs. The Wests Tigers, Canterbury and St George Illawarra may all be on the search for a new coach in coming months.
Ciraldo would be at the top of all their lists. It may be a case of first in, best dressed.
AMONE BACK IN THE MIX
Frustrated Dragons fans may not have to wait long to watch Talatau Amone return to the starting side. Coach Anthony Griffin is once again considering playing Amone in the halves alongside Ben Hunt. That would switch Jack Bird into the forward pack ahead of the Dragons clash against Newcastle on Sunday.
Griffin has been criticised since dropping Amone and Tyrell Sloan two weeks ago.
TAAFFE FULFILS GOOD FRIDAY DREAM
Blake Taaffe is preparing to play in front of his family and friends in the Good Friday game against Canterbury for the first time.
It will be a special moment for all concerned and Taaffe won’t be short of support. He reckons he will need to organise about 40 tickets for the game.
“I have one brother and one sister — I have heaps of cousins though,” Taaffe said. “I have supported the club since I was 10 years old. For them to support me and the club, fantastic.
“I have always dreamed of playing Good Friday. I used to come out with the old boy.”
Taaffe’s father Darren played some lower grades at Souths. For a time, Darren was Blake’s coach. For even longer, he was his hardest marker.
“Those long car rides home it was never what I did good, but what I did wrong,” Taaffe said. “He is a bit easier on me these days.”
As excited as he is about playing on Good Friday, Taaffe admits there were some lingering concerns about the surface at Accor Stadium after teammate Latrell Mitchell injured his hamstring last weekend at the ground.
“It was a bit weird,” he said. “There were some hard and some soft spots. It was different I will admit. We have the pleasure of playing on the great field so I am sure they will do their best to get it fixed.”
SIMPKIN’S CHANCE TO SHINE
Jake Simpkin has been recalled as part of the Wests Tigers ever-changing spine.
The 20-year-old started at hooker in the opening two sides before being cast aside for Jacob Liddle. But Simpkin is back in for the Tigers to play the Eels on Monday.
“(I need) to get back to my running game and making my tackles,” Simpkin said. “I had a disrupted pre-season with my shoulder injury. I have to get my match fitness back up.”
The Tigers have four hookers in their top 30 next season given the impending arrival of Api Koroisau on a three-year deal. Simpkin and Jersey Flegg hooker Rua Ngatikaura are contracted until 2024. The hooker log-jam continues with Liddle also contracted next season.
Simpkin said he had no intention of leaving.
“I had a few conversations with the club before (Koroisau) signed,” Simpkin said. “I was aware of it. He is a lot older, I’m still pretty young. It will be good for my development. I can’t wait to have him here and learn.
“I’m committed to the Tigers long-term. I want to help turn the club around.”
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