Titans cash in on Hayne departure
MITCHELL Pearce is reportedly set to sign a four- year NRL deal with Newcastle after rejecting offers from Cronulla and Manly.
In a huge coup for the struggling Knights, the ex- Sydney Roosters and NSW playmaker is poised to sign a deal worth $ 4 million, according to News Corp Australia.
Pearce sought a release from the Roosters following the arrival of Cooper Cronk from Melbourne and looks set to join fellow former Tricolours Aidan Guerra, Shaun Kenny- Dowall and Connor Watson at the Knights.
After coming 16th the past three seasons, the Knights had plenty of room to move in the salary cap and were in a position to outbid the Sharks and Manly. Manly — who are without a recognised halves partner for Daly Cherry- Evans following the departure of Blake Green to the Warriors — confirmed they had missed out on Pearce’s services and he was set to sign elsewhere.
“We put in a very strong offer for Mitchell. We were not going to get in a bidding war with any other club,” coach Trent Barrett said.
After the Knights missed out on marquee recruitment targets Jack Bird, Matt Scott, James Maloney and James Graham, the signing of Pearce is an great milestone in the club’s rebuild.
It would also cap off an impressive signing spree, in which they have netted the likes of Kalyn Ponga, Jacob Lillyman and Tautau Moga. JARRYD Hayne’s departure has gifted the Gold Coast Titans a $ 1.3 million war chest they can use to exploit an NRL loophole and become a premiership powerhouse.
Hayne was yesterday released from his contract to return to Sydney and be closer to his 11- month- old daughter, paving the way for the twotime Dally M Medal winner to reunite with Parramatta.
The Titans are now considering banking a portion of the $ 1 million they have freed up by releasing Hayne, combined with money already reserved in the salary cap, to build one of the NRL’s richest squads for 2019.
Under NRL rules, clubs must spend 95 per cent of their salary cap every season.
However, the NRL last night confirmed clubs were able to pay players in advance for the following year, allowing them to free up funds.
There will need to be some serious off- season player movement for the Titans to land a marquee signing of Hayne’s ilk for 2018.
Instead, the Titans could get through next season with a low- profile fullback and forward pay players, giving them a bumper salary cap to launch a signing spree for 2019.
“We’re not going to rush out and panic- sign someone to fill Jarryd’s space for the sake of it,” coach Garth Brennan said.
“We have a lot of money if the right person becomes available to strengthen our squad. If there is a marquee player out there that ticks the boxes we’re looking for then by all means we’re in a position to speak to them. It’s about bringing someone in that’s going to strengthen our squad, not just for 2018 but 2019, 2020 and 10 years down the track.
“Any decision I make won’t be about 2018. It will be about 2018 and beyond.”
Hayne’s inglorious Titans career came to an end yesterday just 16 months after it started.
It was glaringly clear on August 3 last year that he did not genuinely want to be at the Titans when he was unveiled at Mick Doohan’s hangar at Gold Coast Airport.
The Titans were his fallback after Parramatta could not accommodate his immediate return and the Gold Coast sold their soul to him with a $ 2.4 million deal which gifted Hayne too much power.
He attracted negative publicity after associating with a bikie on Mad Monday and being the centre of a high school pornography gaffe. But it was his mostly poor on- field form in 23 games and dramatic falling out with former coach Neil Henry that hurt Hayne’s reputation the most.
“Everyone would have wished it to have worked out a little better on- field,” CEO Graham Annesley said.
“There were a couple of ( off- field) incidents he preferred hadn’t taken place.”
Hayne met with former Titans chairwoman Rebecca Frizelle on Wednesday night to inform her of his decision to leave and told Annesley yesterday morning.
Hayne said his decision was based on his desire to live closer to daughter Beliviah, who recently relocated to Sydney with mother Amelia Bonnici.
“My decision to return to Sydney wasn’t taken lightly,” Hayne said.