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Unless you have blocked your ears, closed your eyes and completely avoided all media in the last 24 hours, you would know that Parramatta Eels star winger Semi Radradra is supposedly leaving the club.
As first reported by the Nine Network and Danny Weidler yesterday, Radradra was on a plane to Fiji – having told the Eels he ‘didn’t want to play for them anymore’ and ‘wasn’t coming back’.
The end goal for Radradra is supposedly a French rugby contract – which in the eyes of many meant he had not only betrayed the NRL, but the Eels and the Australian colours.
Since then, the Eels have come out and made a statement saying Radradra is on a family holiday during the bye round, rather than walking out on the club and he will be back in time for the Eels next match – when they play the Cronulla Sharks.
The Parramatta Eels can confirm that Semi Radradra has been granted permission to return to Fiji for a short family visit during the bye round.
He is expected to return to Sydney in time to prepare for the club’s next NRL game against Cronulla.
Semi Radradra is contracted to play for the Parramatta Eels until the end of the 2017 season, and has given no indication that the contract will not be honoured.
The Nine Network report didn’t make any effort to hedge its bets by saying that a Radradra walk out ‘could happen’, rather they told the story as a certainty. If they’ve gotten it wrong, they’re going to look a bit silly.
However, what if its the Eels’ statement that is off the mark? Nine were extremely confident they had their story confirmed, so maybe there is absolutely more to this than meets the eye.
Radradra has been rumoured to be leaving the club for much of the year, but after playing for the Australian National team the rumours had dropped away. When fellow Fijian winger Marika Koroibete signed with Australian Super Rugby club the Melbourne Rebels though, it opened a whole new line of rumours.
As the saying goes, ‘where there’s smoke there’s fire’ – and with consistent rumours, it’s hard to deny there is something not happening between the Eels and Radradra, however the statement from the Eels last night – that Radradra is still contracted to the end of 2017 – means it’s also hard to see him going anywhere.
It has already drawn comparisons to Sonny Bill Williams’ infamous walkout on the Canterbury Bulldogs all those years ago to go and play rugby union in France, but one has to ask why Radradra would walk out on a club and country that he has grown to love.
The fact he was been given his big break by the Eels, and a majority of fans love him – in fact you could argue no other player in the competition has the power to unite a club’s fans in their support quite like Radradra.
Then you have to consider he was given a shot to play for Australia, and he has been able to help his family back home – something that means the world to him – and it’s hard to see any reasons for him to leave the Eels and rugby league.
The other reason to believe he isn’t leaving the Eels is the salary cap drama. Now, while you would think that would make most players want out, surely if there was any inkling of him leaving the Eels would have been smart about it and told Semi to walk then, and not now.
After losing a guy like Nathan Peats – who is one of the hardest workers you are ever likely to meet and gave his all to the club week in and week out, not to mention his future State of Origin credentials – it would be a crushing blow for the Eels to lose both players.
Not just a crushing blow either, but an absolutely stupid one. If the Eels were to lose Radradra now, it is like spitting in the face of Peats for sacrificing his position in a team he loved so others could stay.
For that reason, you can’t believe Radradra is leaving the club.
At the same time, Radradra has his roots in rugby union, and if he wants to play a game he is more familiar with, in an environment where he could get paid more… I’m not going to say it’s right, but what player isn’t going to at least explore the option?
Radradra has played for Fiji in rugby union through the junior ranks, and so he quite clearly knows the game inside out, where as he has only been playing rugby league for a few seasons. An opportunity to live and play sport in Europe as well also must be a massive temptation.
For now though, the speculation about why Radradra is in Fiji will continue, and probably won’t be answered until we see the Eels’ team list for next weekend’s clash against the Cronulla Sharks.
It’s hard to see him leaving though. It really is.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde