Parramatta star Ryan Matterson inked a four-year, $2.4million contract extension in June with the Eels – but has refused to part with $4000 as a matter of principle.
The backrower, 27, was fined for a grade one crusher tackle from the NRL grand final on Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards – and faced with the prospect of the monetary penalty or a three-game ban starting in 2023, he chose to sit out the start of next season.
Matterson stated he has the support of the club for his controversial decision – but the same can’t be said for furious Parramatta supporters.
NRL great Mark Geyer also felt Matterson’s stance ‘looks like he loves his money a bit too much.’
‘He’s on about $600,000-a-year. To miss three games of footy for $4,000, I don’t get it,’ he told Triple M.
‘That doesn’t say much about his passion to play for the Eels. They could be 0-3 to start, the Eels, after three games, who knows, they need every man on deck.
Parramatta star Ryan Matterson inked a four-year, $2.4million contract extension in June with the Eels – but has refused to part with $4000 as a matter of principle
Matterson was fined $4000 for a grade one crusher tackle on Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards (pictured) – faced with the prospect of the monetary penalty or a three-game ban starting in 2023, he chose to sit out the start of next season
‘The optics of it don’t look really good.’
Matterson wasn’t fussed about external criticism, insisting the on-field penalty for the tackle on Edwards was sufficient.
He also called out for the NRL after Penrith pivot Jarome Luai appeared to kick out at Eels star Isaiah Papali’i in the first half of the decider – yet was cleared by the match committee.
‘I just feel that $4000 is pretty hefty considering I have already paid close to $4000 in (other) fines this year for things (grade one offences) that are absurd,’ Matterson said.
‘At the end of the day I have personal things I need to worry about outside of rugby league. I just don’t think it was warranted.
‘If you do something wrong at work, they don’t take money off you.
‘Considering Jarome Luai is kicking players and he didn’t get cited. It makes you think ‘Where is this game heading?’
Ryan Matterson of the Eels looks dejected after losing Sunday’s NRL Grand Final to the Panthers
While Luai escaped any sanction from the NRL decider, the same can’t be said for his antics post-game.
The drama started when he shared a picture on his Instagram of himself and premiership-winning teammate Jaeman Salmon.
The publicly shared post contained a highly offensive term in the eyes of many and was eventually deleted by Luai.
‘The NRL Integrity Unit is aware of the post,’ an NRL spokesperson said.
According to Daily Telegraph journalist Paul Kent, Luai could be in danger of missing games at the World Cup with Samoa should the NRL come down hard on him.
‘It’s a well known racial term which Penrith claim is a term of endearment, which is ridiculous,’ Kent said on Fox League’s NRL 360.
A proud Samoan, Luai could miss out on World Cup games in the UK if punished by the NRL
Luai continued the cheeky ‘Daddy’ refrain in separate Instagram posts after the Grand Final
‘He [Luai] is a proud Samoan and he’s going to play for Samoa in the World Cup and he’s a big chance of missing games now because again he got carried away with his own greatness.’
‘He [Luai] has now taken this down and the NRL has been made aware of this and I think someone at the club has had a word to him about it and asked him to take it down.’
The Panthers pivot (left) led the celebrations at BlueBet Stadium along with co-captains Nathan Cleary (middle) and Isaah Yeo (right)
Samoa begin their World Cup campaign on October 14, when they take on hosts England in the opening game of the tournament in Newcastle.
Luai also stoked up the rivalry between Parramatta and Penrith in the lead-up to the big dance.
Asked whether the Panthers were the Eels’ little brother, the NSW Blues star responded: ‘You can call us daddy.’
Luai repeated the jibe on Sunday, posting a picture of himself smoking a cigar in the sheds after the Grand Final and captioned it: ‘Daddy loves you’.
In a separate post captioned ‘Talk to me nice #DADDY’ the Panthers star was seen smoking a cigar in the sheds, with NRL premiership trophy by his side.
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