Bulldogs expecting quick end to Idris saga - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Bulldogs expecting quick end to Idris saga

By Steve Jancetic and Joe Barton 24/03/2011 07:42:01 PM Comments (0)

Canterbury expect the media circus that has become Jamal Idris' contract negotiations to be over inside a fortnight, with the Bulldogs to table their offer to the in-demand star next week.

The hottest property coming off contract this season returned to Bulldogs training on Thursday, having completed a two-day tour of Gold Coast's facilities.

The Titans were the second NRL club to wine and dine the NSW Origin representative after his meeting with Newcastle officials last week, with both clubs believed to be dangling $400,000-a-year carrots.

Now it is the turn of the Bulldogs to put their best foot forward, though chief executive Todd Greenberg was adamant his club would not be entering a bidding war.

"The decision for him needs to be more than simply commercial terms - I've always said that anyone who makes a decision in business or in life based purely on money will make a wrong decision," Greenberg told AAP.

"He's made it really clear to me that he wants to stay at the Bulldogs, we've said to him that we see him as a long-term part of the club - as potentially a one-club player.

"The challenge for us now is to make sure we come up with a strong offer to make sure he stays."

That offer will be put to Idris and manager Sam Ayoub by the end of next week, and while loath to put a deadline on a decision, Greenberg didn't expect the process to drag on.

"I think we can wrap it up in the next couple of weeks," said Greenberg.

"We encouraged him to have his meeting with both the Knights and the Titans ... we said it was important for him to do that.

"... it effectively comes down to making sure we put an offer to him that's strong and bulletproof enough to make sure he stays."

A week after embarking on a three-hour tour of Newcastle's Ausgrid Stadium headquarters alongside Knights coach Rick Stone, Idris reportedly dined with Titans chief executive Michael Searle and coach John Cartwright before sharing another meal with several Gold Coast players.

Idris' teammates claim they had no problem with the 20-year-old centre hawking himself around to NRL rivals - so long as it didn't impact his on-field performances.

"It was his day off and he can do what he likes on his day off," skipper Andrew Ryan said.

"If he's still producing on the field and on the training paddock and he's in the right head space, that's all we can ask.

"... at the moment it's not affecting him. He's playing outstanding and that's all the signs we want to see.

"As long as he's doing his job for us, and he's certainly doing that, (we're fine with it)."

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