Eric
Staff
Parramatta has identified the player who could replace departing forwards Marata Niukore, Ray Stone and Isaiah Papali’i in 2023 – St George Illawarra and NSW star Tariq Sims. Multiple sources say that the Eels have a genuine interest in Sims, who comes off contract after this coming season.
St George don’t want to lose Sims but told the rampaging forward late last season that the club wasn’t in a position to lodge an offer after his current contract expired.
Sims, 31, is playing career-best footy and was among NSW’s best in this year’s 2-1 series win over Queensland.
Parramatta general manager of football, Mark O’Neill, for comment but he declined to return calls.
While unconfirmed, Sims has been previously linked with Wests Tigers, Sydney Roosters, Melbourne, North Queensland, Brisbane, Souths and Penrith, along with English Super League clubs.
Rival clubs will quietly monitor any developments surrounding Sims’ future.
Given Niukore, Stone and Papali’i are leaving, Parramatta wouldn’t need to shed any players to sign a player of Sims’ calibre. He would simply be filling a hole in the club’s roster.
Sims would be expected to accept a pay cut at this stage of his career. He will earn around $600,000 this year, his final with St George Illawarra.
The well-liked Sims admitted to being “devastated” when told he wouldn’t be offered a new contract at Saints.
“We organised a meeting on two separate occasions to see where their heads were at and where they see me in the Dragons,” Sims told the Sydney media in September.
“On both those occasions, we found out there was no offer to be made for ’23 – that was obviously devastating for me. On the second occasion we found out that if I was to be able to find and secure a longer-term deal somewhere else for ’22 and beyond, they wouldn’t stand in my way.
“The conversations with the Dragons didn’t even reach that point, negotiating length of deals or the financial situations. The conversations we had were pretty short and sharp. I was upset at the start – unfortunately that’s football sometimes.”
Like Canterbury, St George Illawarra has enjoyed a robust recruitment drive which has netted George Burgess, Moses Suli, Tautau Moga, Moses Mbye, Francis Molo, Jaydn Su’A and Aaron Woods.
Sims joined St George Illawarra from Newcastle in 2016 after an earlier stint with North Queensland.
I'm a big fan of Sims'. I wish he would accept one more year but unless it were for little money, would be stupid offer him 2 years. That's something McGregor would have done. We need to be ruthless to regain our rightful place at the head of the table.
St George don’t want to lose Sims but told the rampaging forward late last season that the club wasn’t in a position to lodge an offer after his current contract expired.
Sims, 31, is playing career-best footy and was among NSW’s best in this year’s 2-1 series win over Queensland.
Parramatta general manager of football, Mark O’Neill, for comment but he declined to return calls.
While unconfirmed, Sims has been previously linked with Wests Tigers, Sydney Roosters, Melbourne, North Queensland, Brisbane, Souths and Penrith, along with English Super League clubs.
Rival clubs will quietly monitor any developments surrounding Sims’ future.
Given Niukore, Stone and Papali’i are leaving, Parramatta wouldn’t need to shed any players to sign a player of Sims’ calibre. He would simply be filling a hole in the club’s roster.
Sims would be expected to accept a pay cut at this stage of his career. He will earn around $600,000 this year, his final with St George Illawarra.
The well-liked Sims admitted to being “devastated” when told he wouldn’t be offered a new contract at Saints.
“We organised a meeting on two separate occasions to see where their heads were at and where they see me in the Dragons,” Sims told the Sydney media in September.
“On both those occasions, we found out there was no offer to be made for ’23 – that was obviously devastating for me. On the second occasion we found out that if I was to be able to find and secure a longer-term deal somewhere else for ’22 and beyond, they wouldn’t stand in my way.
“The conversations with the Dragons didn’t even reach that point, negotiating length of deals or the financial situations. The conversations we had were pretty short and sharp. I was upset at the start – unfortunately that’s football sometimes.”
Like Canterbury, St George Illawarra has enjoyed a robust recruitment drive which has netted George Burgess, Moses Suli, Tautau Moga, Moses Mbye, Francis Molo, Jaydn Su’A and Aaron Woods.
Sims joined St George Illawarra from Newcastle in 2016 after an earlier stint with North Queensland.
I'm a big fan of Sims'. I wish he would accept one more year but unless it were for little money, would be stupid offer him 2 years. That's something McGregor would have done. We need to be ruthless to regain our rightful place at the head of the table.
