Keep your hands off Semi: Arthur tells rivals
Semi Radradra in action and (inset) Brad Arthur. (Getty and AAP_
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur has warned rival clubs to keep their hands off Semi Radradra, declaring the Fijian flyer "doesn't want to go anywhere".
With the Eels forced to shed players to stay under the salary cap, NRL clubs have begun circling the Eels like vultures with Radradra in high demand.
In the wake of the salary cap scandal, Parramatta must shave $570,000 off their spending to be cap compliant and be allowed to play for points this year.
But Arthur insists new Kangaroos winger Radradra will not be released by the club under any circumstances.
"They are not having him," Arthur told News Corp.
"Semi doesn’t want to go anywhere. He is staying. He doesn’t want to go and we don’t want him to go."
The declaration comes as the Eels face a battle to cut their salary cap overspend in time for their round 10 clash with South Sydney on May 13 after being stripped of 12 points and fined $1 million for salary cap rorting.
Parramatta officials are working closely with the NRL to fast track a resolution with the under fire club seeking approval for Anthony Watmough to make an injury-forced retirement.
Watmough has two years to run on a $750,000-a-year contract with around $407,000 to be excluded from the cap this year if NRL doctor Paul Bloomfield agrees his injury occurred after arriving at Parramatta from Manly in 2015.
Should that happen the Eels will then have to shave off another $163,000 by moving on one or two other players.
Arthur said the team had made a pact to stick together, which has been backed up by several social media posts by squad members since the salary cap punishments were announced on Tuesday.
The Eels are desperate to resolve the issue before their clash with Souths with the club now needing to win 12 of its final 15 games to have any hope of playing finals football.
