Topic: Raiders close on Orford and clinch return to prime time

Archie · « **on:** December 08, 2010, 04:00:13 PM »

Bulls hold up Ox's return with demand for $200,000

DEMANDS for a transfer fee of up to $200,000 from Bradford are understood to be holding up former Manly captain Matt Orford's move to Canberra next season.

Speculation suggesting Orford and the Raiders had agreed on a deal prompted TAB Sportsbet to issue a press release on the club's premiership odds yesterday, but Canberra insisted the move had not been finalised and the agency retracted the release. While the Bulls announced in October that Orford's request for a release from the remaining two years of his contract would be granted, the English Super League club wants compensation for the loss of their chief playmaker and are seeking up to £125,000 ($198,442).

The Herald has been told Bradford owe Orford a similar amount but he is not prepared to forfeit that sort of money and the Raiders do not want to pay it, leaving him in limbo. Parramatta, who had also been interested in Orford, have pulled out of negotiations and are concentrating on finding a centre to replace Timana Tahu.

New Eels coach Stephen Kearney is understood to have contacted Greg Inglis, whom he knows well from their time in Melbourne, but the star centre hopes to honour a deal with Souths once NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert hands down his assessment of the three-year contract.

A bid for former Storm and Australian centre Matt King has also failed, with Warrington refusing to release him from the final year of his deal.

Tahu, who had asked to take leave until February to deal with personal issues, will be formally released from the contract he agreed to several weeks ago but Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne would not close the door completely on the NSW representative playing for the club again. ''He'll sever ties with us and if he wants to sit down and talk to us in February it would be a completely different scenario,'' Osborne said. ''We're have already started looking elsewhere.''

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Archie · « **Reply #1 on:** December 08, 2010, 04:05:33 PM »

$200,000 is a lot to pay upfront for a transfer fee. I would do 100 grand but not 2. I can understand why neither the Raiders or Orford want to pay it. Try and barter with the Bulls I say and get it down to $100-150,000.

AlwaysGreen · « **Reply #2 on:** December 08, 2010, 04:18:20 PM »

What does Bradford think this is? I wouldn't pay over 50 for him on top of what we are already paying him.

Chase94 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 08, 2010, 07:13:09 PM »

What a rort! Orford should pay if he wants to come here why should we have to fork out 200 big ones for him? We are already paying him his salary!

Oh and thank heavens that Matt bloody King is staying where he is. What a disaster that would have been.

GB7600 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2010, 12:27:58 PM »

Raiders should pay $100 and Ox should pay the other half. Would be good if we could get the Bulls down to 100 and just split it 50/50.

CampoFAN · « **Reply #5 on:** December 11, 2010, 03:09:31 PM »

Chase. your a giant douche bag! and orford should be paying us. and yeah it sucks that we didnt get matt king he would have been awesome for the position. whats this world coming too MADNESS!!!!

Chase94 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2010, 11:45:12 AM »

Quote from: CampoFAN on December 11, 2010, 03:09:31 PM

Chase. your a giant douche bag! and orford should be paying us. and yeah it sucks that we didnt get matt king he would have been awesome for the position. whats this world coming too MADNESS!!!!

Why?? Because I think hiring Matty King would be a bad idea? Do tell me then why we should hire Matt King. Why is he so good?

Raidercast · « **Reply #7 on:** December 12, 2010, 01:06:13 PM »

I'm really not sure about this one at all. It's a lot of money to pay for someone who may not live up to the price we pay for him. He could be great for us but it is a bit of a gamble at this stage of his career. If we have the spare 200 grand then I guess it's not an issue. Still would like to see it come down a little more.

Zeus · « **Reply #8 on:** December 12, 2010, 04:52:04 PM »

Well someone has to pay it or there is no deal. We haven't had a real half back like Ox in a long time I reckon it will be great. Just pay it and lets get into it.

AlwaysGreen · « **Reply #9 on:** December 14, 2010, 08:08:40 AM »

Christmas is a coming, Matt.

Renee · « **Reply #10 on:** December 14, 2010, 06:46:09 PM »

well in my opinion i think that spending $200,000 on one player is a silly idea and i think that the other team should be paying the raiders the transfer fee would be a better idea!

Raidercast · « **Reply #11 on:** December 17, 2010, 09:59:34 AM »

Raiders close on Orford and clinch return to prime time
17 December 2010, 1:00 am

Canberra Raiders target Matt Orford is on the verge of securing a release from English club Bradford.The Canberra Times understands the veteran halfback and the Bradford Bulls are close to agreeing on a settlement that would free Orford to return to the NRL.The deal is likely to be completed early next week.Last month Orford formally requested a release one year into his three-year contract with the Super League club. The sticking point was a transfer fee, believed to be about $200,000, which would compensate Bradford for the loss of Orford. However, the Bulls, who are understood to owe Orford a similar amount, are believed to have resigned themselves to not receiving the transfer fee.Raiders coach Dave Furner was yesterday waiting for Orford's contract situation with the Bulls to be finalised.''We are interested, but we can't do anything about it,'' Furner said. ''It's going through legal proceedings over there.''My focus is the players I've got here. I can't prepare, because at the moment he's still contracted with Bradford. I've spoken with him, and he's obviously keen, but we can't do anything.''Orford has been high on the Raiders' radar since star five-eighth Terry Campese had knee surgery in September.Campese will miss the first half of next season.The Raiders are also currently without young halfback Michael Picker, who is recovering from minor knee surgery.That has left Josh McCrone and Junior Kangaroos playmaker Sam Williams as the club's only fit halves combination.Orford, who has made only 13 appearances for the Bulls, is in Australia as he continues rehabilitation from shoulder surgery.If Orford does join the Raiders, he could be part of the club's first regular-season Friday night fixture at Canberra Stadium in almost three years.After 1023 days in exile, the NRL's marquee fixture returns to the national capital when the Raiders host the Brisbane Broncos on March 18.It will be the Raiders' first Friday night home-and-away game at the Bruce venue since they lost to the Manly Sea Eagles 31-18 in round 12 of the 2008 season.

Source: The Canberra Times - Sport - Rugby League

Zeus · « **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2010, 09:25:50 PM »

Williams would do us proud I'm sure. Or will sometime he has got real skill. Life after Ox (assume this deal goes thru) we will need someone like him and it will make McCrone work harder to stay in the side which always helps the hunger to play and better yourself.

Raidercast · « **Reply #13 on:** December 21, 2010, 05:28:47 PM »

Well it's looking more and more likely that we have the Ox. Hopefully he can be all we need him to be while Campo is out. I must say I am excited about the prospect of Orford and Campo together in the halves later in the year. He should also be a great mentor for McCrone, Joshy should be able to get some great tips on how to play a natural 7 game for when Campo is back and Ox retires. At first I was a bit iffy about this whole thing but I'm starting to like the sound of it more and more.

Territorian · « **Reply #14 on:** December 22, 2010, 07:25:35 PM »

Wait why would Bradford pay the Raiders 200 grand? Wouldn't just removing the transfer fee so that nobody pays anything be much easier?

Raiders close on Orford and clinch return to prime time