7th Tackle: Widdop needs more than 2.3m reasons
Gareth Widdop's brilliant form is a double-edged sword for the Dragons.
The better he plays, the more games they win. The better he plays, the higher his asking price – and as such, the likelihood that a rival club will poach him.
We've been told St George Illawarra's current offer is worth $780,000 per season – just above $2.3 million over three years.
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Vying for the early lead in Dally M medal honours, Widdop will need more to stay in Wollongong beyond this year.
His sticking point is comparable income to the Dragons' big-money recruit Ben Hunt, whose reported average salary is $1.2 million over the next five years.
As St George Illawarra captain, Widdop feels he’s entitled to be valued equally at the least.
But those with expectations of a $10 million salary cap are set to be disappointed, so the Dragons will be struggling to afford both halves on huge coin.
Melbourne is the biggest threat. Widdop's partner is from Bleak City; the pair met when he previously played for the Storm.
Meanwhile, Dragons teammate Josh Dugan is waiting for Tigers rival James Tedesco to decide his future before making a call on where he’ll play next.
The Roosters, Tigers and Bulldogs are all competing for Tedesco.
Dugan will most likely chose between the two clubs that miss out, should St George Illawarra not upgrade their initial $800,000-per-year offer.