Eels ease pressure on Arthur with crucial win over Cowboys despite Lussick's bizarre 'doozy' of a blunder
Parramatta eased the pressure on coach Brad Arthur with an upset 27-20 win over the Cowboys at CommBank Stadium on Saturday night despite an…
Rising rugby league star Jamil Hopoate, the younger brother of NSW Origin representative Will Hopoate, has been sacked by Parramatta who were unhappy with his off-field behaviour.
Hopoate, 18, was axed on Tuesday after a club investigation found he’d contravened instructions not to leave the official NRL rookies camp in Sydney, which was designed to educate the game’s young stars on their responsibilities.
The club said he also did not attend formal presentations scheduled at the camp.
It means he will not be able to play alongside his brother, former Manly star Will Hopoate, who will join the Eels on a lucrative deal in 2014 after he completes a two-year Mormon mission which has taken him away from the NRL.
Jamil Hopoate last month had his driver’s licence suspended for six months for mid-range drink-driving.
The son of former Manly and Wests Tigers bad boy John Hopoate, he is a highly-rated back-rower and Eels chief executive Ken Stephens admitted losing such a talent was disappointing.
“While the club regrets losing such a talented player, the club has made it very clear that we expect high standards of behaviour across all grades,” Stephens said.
“All who play for the Parramatta Eels need to understand that we are focused on and committed to recruiting players who put the team first.
“We are committed to educating our players and fostering a culture that exemplifies the NRL’s core values of respect, excellence, inclusiveness, courage and teamwork.
“… Unfortunately Jamil has failed to respond to ongoing support, tutoring and mentoring from our dedicated coaching staff as well as our welfare and education department.”
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Parramatta eased the pressure on coach Brad Arthur with an upset 27-20 win over the Cowboys at CommBank Stadium on Saturday night despite an…
Josh Schuster's days at Manly could be numbered after the big-money second-rower was granted permission to open negotiations with NRL rivals. Just 10 months…
The Raiders were given a trademark “Sticky spray” after their pathetic collapse against Cronulla last Sunday. Seven days later they did coach Ricky Stuart…
Playing talent is always important, yet creating a winning culture even more so.
NRL football boss Graham Annesley has hit back at frustrations over the obstruction rule, saying the current interpretation was designed to prevent milking for…
Aiden Sezer has delivered a famous Easter Monday victory to the Wests Tigers with a last-minute field goal to upset Parramatta 17-16 on an…