Stephen Crichton’s contract standoff costs Penrith a pretty penny
Many thought Stephen Crichton was crazy to walk away from a $500K handshake deal, but the move is about to pay off big time.
The NRL’s next millionaire could be made this week with
the Penrith Panthers set to table a deal that will make
Stephen Crichton rugby league’s richest centre.
The NRL’s next millionaire could be made this week with
the Penrith Panthers set to table a deal that will make
Stephen Crichton rugby league’s richest centre.
Crichton will be offered a $10,000-a-game upgrade to his existing contract as part of a new deal that is expected to be worth $2.25 million over three years.
Hoping to end the contract saga that began with a revelation that “the next big thing” reneged on a $500,000 handshake deal, the Panthers confirmed that a revised contract had been finalised and would be put to Crichton as early as this week.
“It has been a bit of a process since the grand final but we are almost there,” Penrith coach Ivan Cleary (inset) said.
“It has been a bit of a process since the grand final but we are almost there,” Penrith coach Ivan Cleary (inset) said.
“It (managing the roster) has been a challenge for us after a successful year that came as a bit of a surprise, but we are confident that he won’t be going anywhere.”
It is understood the $2.25 million will include a $250,000 upgrade to his current contract which is set to expire at the end of this year.
The $750,000-a-year deal will leapfrog Crichton over Roosters powerhouse Joey Manu ($700,000) as the NRL’s highest-paid full-time centre in a stunning achievement for a 20-year-old who has played just 26 NRL games.
The Panthers are confident the new deal will be enough to fend off interest from a long line of rival clubs, led by the cashed-up Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
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