Chris Sandow and Eels part ways

The acrimonious relationship between the Parramatta Eels and Chris Sandow is over, effective immediately.

On Thursday evening the Eels released a statement confirming the club and the player were done.

“Parramatta Eels have agreed to release Chris Sandow effective immediately, pending lodgement with the NRL,” read the statement.

The announcement frees up Sandow to join UK Super League club Warrington, who have reportedly offered him a one-year $450,000 deal.

Warrington chief executive Roger Draper told UK media overnight: “We are very hopeful that we will have secured Chris both for 2016 and 2017 and also for the remainder of the season.”

Sandow is expected to partner Catalans-bound Richie Myler in the halves for the remainder of the season and next year will play alongside Newcastle captain Kurt Gidley, who has also signed with the Tony Smith-coached club.
Sandow’s exit from Parramatta was expected after the relationship between the player and the club deteriorated dramatically in recent weeks.

Sandow and the club were understood to be at odds over third party payments to the halfback, with club legend Peter Sterling also claiming Sandow should never play for Parramatta again after an insipid display against Canterbury last Friday night.

Sterling, an Eels legend unloaded on Sandow on the Nine Network’s Sunday Footy Show.

“I’ve been a critic of Chris for a long time now, he’s easy to fall in love with when we see what he can do on a football field,” Sterling said.

“Obviously I can show you, I’ll put together clips of the things people don’t see, what he doesn’t do in games, and the defence he comes up with.

“You cannot be responsible for setting up two smashing tries, but then be directly responsible for conceding three.”

That spray came just a day after Sandow went on an expletive-laden rant on his Facebook page that was presumed to be about Eels’ coach Brad Arthur, who had earlier told Triple M that Sandow could leave the Eels if the club didn’t give him a severance package.

Sandow then posted the following: “I’m sick of these big mouth c**** down here they think I’m one on my own should we run a muck or what I’m over the bulls***.”

The news brings an end to Sandow’s four seasons at the club after joining from South Sydney at the end of the 2011 season on what was reported to be a four-season deal worth between $1.6 and $2.2 million.

Sandow won the NRL’s Rookie of the Year award in 2008 when playing for the Rabbitohs.