Parra half likely target

Incoming Parramatta coach Michael Hagan wants to sign Finch as the Eels' five-eighth for next season, but the move may ultimately force boom rookie Smith out.

Contracted until the end of 2007, Smith enjoys close ties with caretaker Eels coach Jason Taylor and departed head coach Brian Smith. Taylor will link with South Sydney next season as an assistant coach, while Brian Smith will take up the head role at Newcastle.

Parramatta chief executive Denis Fitzgerald last night rejected suggestions the arrival of Finch might sit uneasily with Smith.

"I think they'll go well," Fitzgerald said.

As of today Smith is open to approaches from rival clubs after club chief executives yesterday voted 14-1 in favour of scrapping the controversial anti-tampering laws.

The move means elite players such as Sonny Bill Williams, Robbie Farah, Paul Whatuira, Jason Ryles and Paul Gallen may become the subject of bidding wars between their current clubs and rivals looking to recruit them.

The club chief executives applauded the move with only Parramatta supremo Fitzgerald voting against it. Under the new arrangement, rival clubs are allowed to approach a player such as Williams and open negotiations provided his existing club the Bulldogs get the final right of reply on retaining him.

St George-Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust last night commended the move, suggesting it would make the previously tainted issue of player negotiations "more transparent".

"At the end of the day, what's wrong with people roundly talking to each other as long as the clubs that they're presently contracted to get a right to be in the equation," Doust said.

"I've got no problem with players thinking and talking about their future going forward provided their current club isn't left out by virtue of a clandestine deal.

"It's a tough issue but this appears to be a fairer way of handling things in the eyes of everyone concerned, especially the fans."

The NRL initially floated scrapping June 30 last month after coming under constant criticism from clubs claiming the rules were being ignored and broken. South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson ridiculed the previous anti-tampering laws surrounding June 30, declaring it was a rule that wasn't policed.

"Any rule that can't be policed isn't a rule so it was a commonsense approach," Richardson said.

"Any system that's clear and open is a positive step forward and this new system looks to be supporting both of those concepts."

The NRL and the Rugby League Professionals Association will continue to workshop new guidelines for player negotiations.

The Daily Telegraph