Mitch Barnett's contract found!

[Toviii]

Canberra Raiders explore 'legal avenues' over Mitchell Barnett NRL contract dispute

The Canberra Raiders are involved in a messy contract dispute with promising second-rower Mitch Barnett and are prepared to take the matter to court.

Barnett has told the Raiders he won't be returning to Canberra to honour the final two years of his contract after his management discovered it wasn't lodged with the NRL.

It is understood Barnett is attempting to get out of the written agreement he made with the Raiders so he can sign a more lucrative deal with the Gold Coast Titans.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-l ... kqahl.html

Not a good situation...

[simo]

This is horrible. Really rate him

[Toviii]

Was this the forward we were tipped to release by any chance? Disappointing if so

[gerg]

**** the Mounties coaching staff must be wondering who is going to pull on a jumper next season.

[mattystorm1987]

It's time the 2nd furner leaves raiders..

[Raidersrawesome]

Not a good situation

Also not healthy keeping someone who doesn't want to be here

Hope we sort it out and he changes his mind and wants to stay

[Organised Chaos]

Why don't other clubs seem to have a problem keeping fringe first graders?

[Raidersrawesome]

They do.

Fringe players are the ones that move the most.

There would be only a few we wanted to keep and lost

[zim]

If that's true... what a debacle. It's almost a sackable offence to not have properly registered a contract that leads to a player leaving.

[-TW-]

How do you **** that up..

What a bunch of useless pricks

[LP Raider]

I heard from a Mounties players a couple of months ago that not all was/is well with Raiders management.

Wouldn't elaborate.

[Kermit]

Amateur hour again.......

[Bay53]

The obvious question is why wasn't this lodged with the NRL?

The next question is did a former Raiders employee who is now with the Titans know that it wasn't lodged? Otherwise why were they putting an offer to a player who had a two year contact.

[Supershamrock]

I thought Mitch debuted well in first grade this year and was looking forward to giving it a real shake next year.

Truly disappointing to see an incompetent administrative error may be causing us to lose a promising young player for no good reason!

[-GD-]

If only there was some avenues for Don and Ricky to explain their baffling decisions.......

[dubby]

The obvious question is why wasn't this lodged with the NRL?

The next question is did a former Raiders employee who is now with the Titans know that it wasn't lodged? Otherwise why were they putting an offer to a player who had a two year contact.

Smells like Hamilton?

[Supershamrock]

The obvious question is why wasn't this lodged with the NRL?

The next question is did a former Raiders employee who is now with the Titans know that it wasn't lodged? Otherwise why were they putting an offer to a player who had a two year contact.

Smells like Hamilton?

Spot on, stinks of inside knowledge of the situation!

[-TW-]

But yet I'm sure they can lodge Jeff Lima's contract correctly..

[Botman]

Lots unknown here
I'll be keen to see how this plays out

This off season has been very strange. The whitehead and Sezer signings are obviously huge but we've had 15 odd blokes walk out the door, our depth has been decimated and now this

Christ, what a fiasco

They should relocate us to Adalaide

[edwahu]

Let the lawyers sort it out.

[Matt]

Lots unknown here
I'll be keen to see how this plays out

This off season has been very strange. The whitehead and Sezer signings are obviously huge but we've had 15 odd blokes walk out the door, our depth has been decimated and now this

Christ, what a fiasco

They should relocate us to Adalaide

[edwahu]

Im just as worried that the article suggests Kennedy and Whitehead will be in competition for a bench spot. Hopefully thats just the reporters opinion.

[VictorTheViking]

So... If it wasn't lodged with the NRL then we really don't have a leg to stand on do we?

[Supershamrock]

If we did get moved to Adelaide would that make us the Ram Raiders?

[-GD-]

So... If it wasn't lodged with the NRL then we really don't have a leg to stand on do we?

Nope.

[Matt]

Im just as worried that the article suggests Kennedy and Whitehead will be in competition for a bench spot. Hopefully thats just the reporters opinion.

An international backrower competing with avg Joe NRL backrower, P-lease

[VictorTheViking]

So... If it wasn't lodged with the NRL then we really don't have a leg to stand on do we?

Nope.

In that case whomever is responsible for it needs to hang... That is deplorable

[Bay53]

The obvious question is why wasn't this lodged with the NRL?

The next question is did a former Raiders employee who is now with the Titans know that it wasn't lodged? Otherwise why were they putting an offer to a player who had a two year contact.

Smells like Hamilton?

Spot on, stinks of inside knowledge of the situation!

Possibly or the manager could have instigated it.

What would have happened if Barnett broke his leg Justin Carney style in the last couple of games? Could the raiders have said we are not going to honour the contract. Works both ways.

How do the clubs keep track of the contract situation of all the players in the NRL. Do they keep a database, does the NRL provide a central list or do they just talk to managers?

Been interesting watching the Hayne situation. In the US they some strange ways of doing things but the process is very transparent.

[dubby]

Transparency is a four letter word in rugby league

[David]

Cue the 'Benny Hill' music!

Im tipping by Christmas we'll have a dozen players left at pre-season!

[Botman]

If we did get moved to Adelaide would that make us the Ram Raiders?

Sounds good to me.
Burn this to the ground in canberra and salt the earth

So... If it wasn't lodged with the NRL then we really don't have a leg to stand on do we?

If the manager is to be believed, the NRL have made their ruling, the contract wasnt lodged, we don't have a binding deal. Hard to imagine the courts over-ruling and setting a precedent against the way the NRL handle contract registrations. Never know though.

That being said, as the article is careful to point out, Barnett signed his deal before making his NRL debut, and he was fairly impressive in his time in FG. I wont at all be shocked if the manager has picked up on our error and is now using it and the Titans as leverage to get more money

Given we should have plenty available, and the fact we screwed this up so badly, i wont be shocked to see a new deal signed with more money and this all winds up to being much ado about nothing.

[Green eyed Mick]

Clearly the club ****ed up but the bigger issue is Mitch appears to no longer want to play for the club.

I say let him go. He was at best our 5th best back row option for 2016 and I doubt he is worth the time, money and the distraction.

[Beejay]

This is the exact scenario with Hopoate, just the opposite party is trying to renege.

[edwahu]

One thing I have never understood is whether players are actually contracted to the NRL or the club. I can understand that the NRL can say they are not registered to play in the competition, but I don't understand how they can overrule that a player has come to an agreement that a player will be employed by a particular club to play. Anyway, as I said it's one for the Lawyers.

[kiwi raider]

6 months to lodge his contract? what a monumental piece of incompetence.
Having said that the nrl have said they haven't had a contract lodged, I take it we have the signed contract so cant we just lodge it and the deal is done?