7th Tackle: Eels and Watmough make peace
Anthony Watmough’s long-running battle to receive a decent pay-out from Parramatta has finally been resolved.
After almost a year of bickering, we can reveal the retired forward and the Eels reached an agreement two months ago.
Parramatta officials have refused to comment on the specifics, but we understand Watmough was able to negotiate around 70 percent of the remaining two years of his deal with the Blue and Golds.
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After suffering a serious knee injury during the 2016 pre-season, Watmough was persuaded to hang up the boots last May to get Parramatta back under the salary cap and in position to compete for competition points over the second half of last year.
But any goodwill between the two parties evaporated when the Eels baulked at paying-out the final year of Watmough’s contract, which was set-up as an option in the forward’s favour.
There was a disagreement over whether Watmough was capable of activating the option while retired, and at one point the former Manly star even threatened to return to training to get his money.
That’s no longer an issue – and the news might get better for Watmough as the Eels continue to fight the insurer’s verdict that his injury was not ‘career-ending’.
Parramatta have engaged lawyers in a bid to recoup their pay-out, some of which might also go to Watmough if the club succeeds.