Warriors offering $400k for Mateo

THE WARRIORS have made an aggressive dash into the player market for 2011, making a $400,000 offer to Parramatta star Feleti Mateo and tabling a fresh bid for his Eels team-mate Krisnan Inu.

But the club says it has almost given up on signing Sonny Bill Williams, despite the Bulldogs softening their demands for a huge transfer fee before handing over Williams' NRL registration.

The Warriors were reluctant to talk about their moves for Mateo and Inu, with chief executive Wayne Scurrah saying only: "Mateo is a classy player, but I can't comment on what negotiations may or may not be in progress."

But recruitment boss Dean Bell confirmed the club was in a position to sign both Parramatta players, not just one, for next season. "We are looking at every option really, but we don't have to sacrifice one over the other," he said.

Mateo said yesterday he would like to stay at Parramatta, which cannot match the money the Warriors are offering. Newcastle and the Bulldogs also want the Tonga captain.

"I'd love to stay at the club," Mateo said. "I'm a local boy and they're keen to keep me, so hopefully we can sort something out. If not, I'll have to move on."

Mateo was flattered by the interest from rival clubs, saying: "It's always good to know that people think good things about you. I just need to sort out my footy and the rest will take care of itself."

With the Eels juggling their salary cap in an attempt to retain the core of their 2009 grand final side, the Warriors hope Inu will be the one squeezed out with Kris Keating, Nathan Cayless and Eric Grothe also off-contract and Daniel Mortimer and Jarryd Hayne newly re-signed.

"I'm aware of the interest from the Warriors and Newcastle," Parramatta CEO Paul Osborne said. "It's one of those things when you've got a successful football team, everyone wants to come and plunder. But Feleti is a Parramatta junior and we're in serious talks with him. We think we can convince him to stay. Clearly there is more money elsewhere but he loves the joint and we love him."

The Star-Times understands the Warriors have mandated Bell to move early on recruitment for 2011, and the bids for Inu and Mateo are not the only concrete offers they've made.

"We have a plan and [list of] targets and I must say a lot of those targets have been re-signed by their clubs, but we are looking at [more] and continue to assess where we are," said Bell.

Meanwhile, Scurrah has signalled the Warriors are dropping the chase for Williams.

"We've stepped right back from the whole Sonny Bill thing at this point, we've just parked it."

The Warriors were originally dissuaded by the Bulldogs' demands for a fee of up to $3 million to release Williams' NRL registration, but yesterday Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said he was willing to drop those demands.

The Sunday Star-Times understands Williams' agent, Khoder Nasser, has been fobbing off his multiple suitors and has told them he won't make a decision on his future for another eight weeks.

- © Fairfax NZ News