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
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
kek, yeah and u are an example of whats wrong with league..
mike .w
Guest
he is going nowhere....they are changin SOO eligibility....EITHER we do that or reduce the interchange to bring the medium and small man back into the game.
Sharkattack
Guest
If it turns out he is just on a holiday and coming back, the Nine network need to string Weidler up !!!! I was looking forward to him not taking his place in that Eels side so my boys could smash them!!!! GRRRR
steveng
Roar Rookie
Headline 'Semi Radradra closer to mid-season move: report'. Australian Test winger Semi Radradra will reportedly play one more game in the NRL before leaving for French rugby union.. This is the latest news as at Tue 21 June. That is why he went back to Fiji to ask his relos what to do. Radradra's elder sister, Vaseva Waqavatu, has told the Fiji Times that the Parramatta winger would return for the Eels' next game against Cronulla in round 17 before signing a nine-month contract in France.
AussieIrish
Guest
At the beginning of this year I travelled with Randwick to watch the first grade boys play a combined rules game against Wests, who are a feeder club for West Tigers and effectively a third grade League side. After the first try we sat back thinking that the Greens were going to run away with the game. By the middle of the first half I knew that Wests were going to win big time. They did by nearly 40 points, in game with rules that seemed to favour Rugby. The level of skills, speed, fitness and simple toughness was far beyond that of Randwick and there are some very very good footballers in the Randwick side. The Randwick boys were really knocked around by the hard tackling by Wests. The speed at which the League boys reacted in the breakdown left the Randwick boys standing. Now this is the lowest rung of League in Sydney and Randwick are a rung and half below Super Rugby. If the third best Leaguies can do this to the second and bit best Rugby boys what would a fully blown NRL side do to a Super Rugby side, let alone the SOO sides? I am sorry but a predictable and as repetitive as League is, the level of player skill, fitness and speed is still above that of the Super clubs. I have been led to believe that may have already happened in combined training between the Roosters and the Tahs. The pool of talent that the NRL is now drawing on is far far larger than the combined Australian/NZ pool. They have this advantage, as well as the money, now, to buy whoever they like. The League commentators complained about the last SOO as being dull and slow. I thought it was dull and predictable but compared to the last two England/Australia tests, it wasn’t slow.
Targa
Guest
It has been hard to see low profile union players like Roger Tuivasa Shek, Simon Mannering and Jared Waerea Hargreaves take the easy option of becoming superstars in the NRL rather than making a NZ Super Rugby team. It is much easier making one of 18 average NRL 1st grade teams than 5 magnificent NZ Super Rugby sides (the top 4 NZ Super Rugby sides are on the same level as the Queensland Origin side while the "Auckland" Blues = the NSW Blues SOO). Nonetheless, they are welcome to make that choice and I'm pleased to see them excel.
turbodewd
Roar Guru
bull back at you old chap you would prefer the NRL doesn't keep its talent?! Get real mate. If the NRL wants to succeed we need big thinkers who run a league which does the reverse, sucks the best talent from around the world into OUR league.
MrJSquishy
Roar Pro
This whole comments section seems to have turned into an argument about Union v League. I personally hope Semi hasn't gone to Union. But, not because I have anything against Union. Simply because he has presented himself as a fantastic personality, and athlete, for the NRL. It would be a shame for him to do an SBW, even if it was for money. As Scott mentions in the article: why now? Why do it when the issues that Parramatta have had came to light recently and presented a Golden opportunity for Semi to go then? Why would he idly sit by and watch Peats get moved on when he could have freed up such a large space in Parramatta's salary cap? I am not a Parramatta fan, and, I am not a fan of the idea of letting Semi play for Australia (just because it is detrimental to all the other nations trying to make League a global game), but, I would be disgusted if he has broken his contract for whatever reason. Especially right now! Contracts are contracts and they should be adhered to...
Cedric
Guest
yep, shocking defence by Souths. Poor Souths one of their chasers was an old Warriors reserve grade back! Maybe their should be a standard clause in everyones contract, you leave early you pay back a large amount of your pay! I think you gotta make a contract a contract! Anyway if Semi does run away or anyone for that matter, well they are not for this game. I say goodbye!
steveng
Roar Rookie
That wasn't incredible, that was p^ss weak defence by Souths! RL is bigger than Radradra, SBW, Hayne or anyone else that comes up. Let him go wherever he wants to and lets just get on with it.
joe
Guest
If he can make a substantial amount more per season playing rugby in France or wherever I can't blame him.Take the $$$$$ These players have a short career.You have to maximize your earning potential while you are able to do so.
smell the fear
Guest
because there is no way someone else was going to do it. and guess what he did and union has suffered ever since
smell the fear
Guest
any response? i guess not
smell the fear
Guest
you are associated everyone in league with the comments of a few bloggers
smell the fear
Guest
you are a nuisance, do you want a medal or a certificate because there is big money in your sport in France?
smell the fear
Guest
actually you are an example of a pretty bad union fan
PNG Broncos fan88
Guest
Hahah...."high profile Union players", cracked me up - nil exist in Aussie Rugby. Rugby domestic competition sucks, even the Super rugby between Oz teams are on the par with League 2nd tier Intrust cup. And your Wallabies backline saviour is Folau - the one time League winger who wasn't even the best during his prime League days. That says are lot about Aussie rugby. Too many over-coached average talents in Rugby to their raw dynamic League counterparts. The whole halves stocks of Aus rugby atm are yet to peak at the heights of Cronk, Thursto, Smith, Milford. Real "high profile Union players", play in NZ or any other place other than Australia!
mike
Guest
Fair enough.
Magic Lyrebird
Guest
I'll be heartbroken if he does leave league, and I'm not even an Eels fan. That try he scored on Friday night was incredible!
jamesb
Guest
Mike, if a union fan didn't dignigrate league, I wouldn't be responding mate.