HAVING A BLUE
Origin clause has Peachey and Titans not seeing eye to eye
TITANS coach Garth Brennan and Tyrone Peachey are at loggerheads over a $50,000 payment dispute that has the NSW Origin star weighing up his move to the Gold Coast.
Under the terms of Peachey’s current contract with Penrith, the 27-year-old was entitled to a $50,000 pay rise on his deal with the Panthers next year if he played State of Origin this season.
Peachey was subsequently chosen for the Blues in May. The only problem was that, two months earlier, Penrith agreed to release Peachey to the Titans on a three-year deal starting next season.
Remarkably, it’s the same Origin-incentive payment that ultimately cost the club James Roberts amid the contract forgery saga in 2015.
Peachey believed his Origin selection would trigger a $50,000 bonus with the Titans, but no payment clause was included in his Gold Coast contract for the 2019 season.
Peachey’s deal with the Titans for 2020 and 2021 does contain rep-bonus incentives. And with his total Titans deal worth around $1.5 million, the Gold Coast won’t budge on the initial terms they struck with Peachey’s management.
In any event, Peachey’s salary at the Titans for 2019 is $50,000 more than what he would have earned at Penrith next season – effectively covering the rep-bonus payment.
If Peachey attempts to renege, Penrith can’t afford to keep him. Panthers supremo Phil Gould agreed to release Peachey initially to help Penrith’s salary-cap position.
Titans coach Brennan doesn’t want bad blood with Peachey but has explained the club’s position to him.
“Tyrone will be coming here,” he said. “We won’t be moving on our position and I’ve explained that to Tyrone’s manager.
“Tyrone will not be out of pocket coming to the Titans.
“Under the new rules, Tyrone can’t backflip anyway. The only way he’s not going to be here is if we decide we don’t want Peachey here anymore and we have a better alternative, but that isn’t the case.
“I’m not concerned. He signed six months ago and we have done our recruitment based on Tyrone being here.”
It is understood another factor is Peachey’s partner being unsure about relocating as they plan for a second child.
Peachey’s manager Sam Ayoub has contacted the Titans and says he has detailed some welfare concerns to Gold Coast chairman Dennis Watt.