Prodigal Eel's pay or play day


Parramatta second-rower Ian Hindmarsh will have a disrupted preparation for tomorrow night's contest with the Wests Tigers, with the hearing into his contract dispute with English Super League club Catalans to be heard hours before he takes the field.

The Rugby Football League hearing is due to be held at 11.30 tonight - Thursday afternoon in Leeds. Hindmarsh will attend a teleconference with Eels football manager Tony Zappia and the player's solicitor at the club's football offices as RFL officials debate whether he should be officially cleared to play in the NRL this season. The hearing is expected to last several hours.
The French Dragons had refused to give Hindmarsh a release after he signed a contract to play this season with the Eels, and had demanded $40,000 in compensation.

They have since dropped that figure to about $16,000, but Hindmarsh said he was still reluctant to pay "on principle".

"They just said, 'We want you to pay this much money,' but there was no reason for it being that much," Hindmarsh said.

"They just pulled that figure out of their arse.

"If they came and said, 'It cost us $2000 to recruit Jason Croker [the former Canberra player who replaced Hindmarsh in the Catalans squad],' then fine, but there's been nothing to say I've cost them money.

"That's why I really wanted to go to the tribunal. If they rule for Catalans, I'd be happy with that. It's not Catalans pulling a number out of their arse and saying, 'We want this,' it's an independent tribunal saying, 'You're in the wrong and you have to pay up."'

The RFL - English Super League's governing body - had given Hindmarsh a temporary clearance to play in the opening three rounds until his case was heard.

Asked about the fact the hearing would likely leak well into the morning of the game, Hindmarsh said: "I sleep pretty well, and I live right next to the footy office so it'll only take me five minutes to get there. Hopefully it won't take too long so I can get back to bed."

Should the RFL rule in the Dragons' favour and order Hindmarsh to pay a transfer to secure a release, the 29-year-old, who cut short a three-year deal with Catalans just one year in to tend to his farm in Cowra, said his could still be forced into retirement.

The Eels had hinted they would pay the transfer fee, but that now seems unlikely because it would have to be included in the club's salary cap.

"I've got to weigh up whether it's worth me playing or not playing, depending on how much money it is," Hindmarsh said. "If they come back and say $40,000, is it worth going on with it? But if they come back and say 10 grand, that might be different.

"But I'm reasonably confident we're going to get out of it. I could give them money and keep them happy, but I don't want to pay them anything, and I don't think I should. Hopefully, I can get out of it and keep the money in the bank."

Meanwhile, Hindmarsh's teammate Eric Grothe is set to end speculation about a possible switch to rugby union by re-signing with Parramatta in a three-year deal. The winger has told the club he will give them an answer on their offer very soon. Rugby sources believe Grothe has decided to stay in league.

Parramatta originally offered Grothe, 27, a two-year deal, and that was a sticking point in negotiations. But last weekend the length of the deal was increased to three years.

The Australian Rugby Union had been interested in Grothe, but last week announced it would not be making him an offer. There was still interest in the representative winger from the Waratahs, but there was no guarantee of a substantial offer being made in the near future.

Cronulla have lost centre Ben Pomeroy (bruised rib) and are almost certain to be without five-eighth Adam Dykes (foot) and forward Lance Thompson (knee) for Saturday night's clash with Souths at Toyota Park, while lock Paul Gallen (ankle) is highly unlikely to make a comeback in the game.