Tyrone Peachey’s manager confirms Penrith flyer is weighing up backflipping on Titans deal
TYRONE Peachey’s manager Sam Ayoub has revealed the Penrith flyer is having second thoughts about his move to the Gold Coast despite signing a three-year contract.
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TYRONE Peachey could backflip on his Gold Coast Titans deal because his partner is unsure about relocating as the couple plan for their second child.
Peachey’s manager Sam Ayoub revealed the Penrith flyer is having second thoughts about his three-year deal with the Titans.
Ayoub has contacted the Titans and is optimistic he can work through the family issue, but he couldn’t guarantee Peachey will be on the Gold Coast from next season.
“I’m reasonably confident, but I can’t commit to it 100 per cent,” Ayoub told The Daily Telegraph.
“Tyrone’s wife is a bit concerned. A few of the other boys that have gone up to the Gold Coast and their partners haven’t settled in being away from family.
“They are looking to have a second kid and she is worried that it will be difficult for her.
“It is human nature to have second thoughts about things that could have a dramatic bearing on your family situation.
“But we are working through it and it doesn’t mean he is not going to be at the Titans.
“Families have issues from time-to-time that they have to weigh up.
“He (Tyrone) has signed a contract and that is the intent. We are working through a situation there.
“The first thing I did was speak to the Titans to let them know that there is an issue at home, so we could work through it.
“The Titans have been great since I alerted them about the potential issue.”
Titans coach Garth Brennan has labelled Peachey an “honourable man” and claims he will be stunned if the NSW Origin star performs a Daly Cherry-Evans-style backflip on the Gold Coast.
Brennan has sought assurances Peachey will honour his three-year contract with the Titans after hearing rumours the Penrith dynamo wanted to back out of the deal.
Peachey inked a $1.5 million deal with the Titans before the 2018 NRL season kicked off after being released from the final year of his Penrith contract.
The 27-year-old has since gone on to become a NSW Origin player while Penrith sacked coach Anthony Griffin earlier this month following a strained relationship with some players.
The Titans were burned badly in 2015 when Queensland Origin star Cherry-Evans backflipped on a signed $4 million contract to remain in Manly.
The infamous “Round 13” rule which allowed Cherry-Evans to renege on the Titans deal has since been abolished and Peachey would have to be formally released by the Gold Coast if he wanted to remain at Penrith.
Brennan worked closely with Peachey during his time at the Panthers and said the indigenous All Stars representative would honour the deal.
“I don’t have any concerns whatsoever,” he said.
“The clauses for Cherry-Evans getting out of the contract were there then. He was within his rights to do what he did.
“That’s not the case anymore. That clause has been changed.
“One thing I will say about Tyrone Peachey is he is a good man. He is an honourable man.
“He is committed to us. I’d be very surprised if anything changes.”
Peachey is one of Brennan’s big-name recruits for 2019 along with Canberra’s former Test prop Shannon Boyd.
Brennan said he first heard whispers about Peachey getting cold feet during the Origin series and confronted the player and his manager, Sam Ayoub.
“I rang Sam and spoke to Tyrone about it — this was months ago,” he said.
“Both of them reassured me they were looking forward to (coming here).
“I heard Tyrone being interviewed when Anthony Griffin left and he said he had no issues with Anthony Griffin and wasn’t leaving because of Anthony Griffin.
“He was leaving because of salary cap pressure at the Penrith Panthers.
“He was contracted at Penrith and in a perfect world probably would have liked to have stayed there. But unfortunately it’s a business and the salary cap wouldn’t allow for him to stay at Penrith.
“He was aware of that and understood that and he is excited and looking forward to getting up here on the Gold Coast.
“We haven’t heard from Tyrone or his management to say that he doesn’t want to come to the club.
“We’re looking forward to having him here next year.”
Titans captain Ryan James roomed with Peachey in indigenous All Stars camp and was part of the NSW Origin squad this year.
James said Peachey had spoken to him about purchasing property on the Gold Coast, something Cherry-Evans ironically did before reneging on his deal.
“We were talking about where he was looking for houses,” James said.
“He has been up and started looking. He was asking and probing where to buy.
“I probably would be (surprised if he backflipped). He seemed keen at the time but I haven’t talked to him in the past six weeks.”