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Roosters happy for Carney to stay in NRL

By Ian McCullough 08/09/2011 07:10:12 PM Comments (0)

Sydney Roosters chief executive Steve Noyce says the club won't stand in the way of Todd Carney joining another NRL team after granting the troubled playmaker a release from the final year of his contract.

The 2010 Dally M Medallist walked away from the Roosters on Thursday following a litany of off-field incidents this year.

Having narrowly avoided jail for drink-driving in April, Carney was stood down by the club two weeks later after a boozy night out with team-mate Anthony Watts having promised he would steer clear of alcohol.

The final straw for coach Brian Smith came last month when the 25-year-old was photographed leaving a Sydney hotel in the early hours of the morning with Nate Myles and Frank-Paul Nuuausala.

Smith was furious that the incident came just days after his squad agreed to not drink until the end of the season and he subsequently banished serial offenders Carney and Myles from training and playing and heavily fined Nuuausala.

With Myles joining the Gold Coast next season, Carney is now free to start negotiating with other clubs following his departure.

Unlike Canberra, who asked the NRL to prevent the five-eighth from joining a rival team immediately after sacking him in 2008, Noyce is happy for Carney to find new employers.

"I am not sure what he is going to do, what we agreed to do today was to release him from the final year of his contract," Noyce told AAP.

"He and his manager will explore whatever options are available so Todd can continue his rugby league career and I wish him well."

The Australian international had been linked with a switch to French-based Super League club Catalans, but coach Trent Robinson confirmed he had no interest in linking up again with Carney, who he worked with at the Roosters.

"Todd is someone I had the pleasure of coaching," Robinson told PA Sport in England.

"I've talked to him but more as a friend.

"We're not in a position to sign Todd, although he is the sort of player we should be bringing to Super League. We need world-class players in our competition."

Noyce admitted he was disappointed that Carney's career with the Roosters ended in such controversial fashion but believed it was beneficial for both parties.

"Obviously you prefer these things have a happy ending so to speak, but we thought it was best for all parties to end the partnership," Noyce said.

With a move to England also out of the question after he was denied a UK working visa to join Huddersfield in 2009 due to a criminal conviction, Carney must now hope the NRL agree to ratify a playing contract, should a club offer him another shot at redemption.

NRL Chief executive David Gallop insists any club wishing to sign the 25-year-old would need to outline a plan of action to control the wayward star.

"Like I have said before, if a club wants to sign him, we would want to sit down with Todd and understand what their plan is to avoid him finding himself in the spotlight again," Gallop told AAP.

"I have no idea if anyone is interested in signing him, but we would have to be involved in listening to what they have to say before agreeing to anything."

Carney's manager David Riolo failed to return calls.

Brought to you by AAP AAP © 2024 AAP

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