Ryan Matterson now talking to South Sydney as Tigers exit looms
A second NRL club has joined Parramatta in the race for Ryan Matterson’s signature, as the future Origin gun searches for a new deal and a way out of the Wests Tigers.
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South Sydney are now genuine players in the race to sign out-of-favour Wests Tigers utility Ryan Matterson.
The Daily Telegraph understands the Rabbitohs are planning a preliminary meeting with Matterson’s management as early as Thursday as they look to replace retired club legend John Sutton.
No offer has been made but Souths are interested in Matterson, who wants to quit the Tigers two years before his deal concludes.
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Matterson has already met with Parramatta officials this week, while Canterbury, Newcastle, St George Illawarra, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Cronulla and Penrith are also keeping a keen eye on the movements of the player who was 18th man for the Blues this year.
Matterson is known to be interested in joining Penrith but a hurdle could be the fractured relationship between the Panthers and Tigers over the Ivan Cleary coaching drama.
The Rabbitohs believe the ball-playing Matterson can be a perfect replacement for edge playmaker Sutton.
However, the Tigers will complicate any Matterson negotiations with a request for compensation — either financial or in the form of a player in return.
Souths football manager Mark Ellison is overseeing recruitment while head of football Shane Richardson is overseas and head coach Wayne Bennett is coaching England in the World Cup Nines.
Matterson left the Sydney Roosters after last season to sign a three-year deal with the Tigers worth around $350,000 a year.
The Parramatta junior now believes he can secure more money elsewhere, and the interest in him suggests he is right.
His Tigers teammates are understandably angry with Matterson over his desire to quit the club mid-contract.
There are those at the Tigers who don’t want him back, even if he can’t do a deal with another club. Just last week, retired Tigers legend Robbie Farah said Matterson’s dispute with the club was “beyond the point of return”.
It is understood Matterson will fly to the Gold Coast next week to meet new Titans coach Justin Holbrook.
However, insiders claim Parramatta are the early favourites to sign the 25-year-old.
Fed-up with his attitude, the Tigers gave Matterson permission last month to negotiate with rival clubs. Now Tigers coach Michael Maguire has now lost two of his better players from this season in Matterson and centre Esan Marsters, who has signed with North Queensland.
The Tigers are keen to have the Matterson drama concluded before the new NRL financial year starts on November 1.