Eels in new contract fight over Hopoate

A week after salvaging the signature of marquee NRL recruit Kieran Foran, Parramatta are reportedly locked in a similar contractual dispute with NSW State of Origin player Will Hopoate.

The Eels have twice tried to change the extension Hopoate signed after months of negotiations with former CEO Scott Seward before he stood down, according to Fairfax Media.

The unsigned offers are a result of an investigation of what a club spokesperson says “was the small number of player contracts” negotiated by Seward, who was also in charge of the Foran deal, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Hopoate’s agreement still hasn’t been registered with the NRL.

His manager, former New Zealand international Tyran Smith, is refusing to go into details but told Fairfax Media on Thursday: “A contract is a contract, an agreement is an agreement.”

The Foran saga finally came to a close when it was confirmed late last Friday he would join the Eels from next season on a four-year deal worth $4.8 million.

A $1 million get-out clause has been removed, however Foran is free to walk should Eels coach Brad Arthur be sacked.

The club was also recently fined $465,000 for salary cap breaches, with the NRL additionally threatening to dock them four premiership points unless they undertook an independent governance review.

Stay up to date with the latest sports news
Follow our social accounts to get exclusive content and all the latest sporting news!