Simmo On The Market
Newcastle Herald
Friday July 7, 2006
ORIGIN star Steve Simpson has activated a clause in his Knights contract and will consider offers from other clubs before signing the biggest deal of his rugby league career.
Simpson has a three-year deal at the Knights which expires at the end of 2007. But he is now free to leave the club after this season because he has played six Origin games during the life of his current contract.Simpson and manager George Mimis will meet Knights operations manager Stephen Crowe in Sydney tomorrow."I think we are having a chat with Crowey in Sydney on Saturday and we'll see how that goes," said Simpson, who will turn 27 in September."I suppose the ball has started rolling. I'd love to stay at the club, and they are definitely my first preference, but in saying that you have got to open your options up as well and have a look and see what's out there."Simpson has played his entire career in the Hunter Valley after starting in Broke and playing in the Singleton junior competition.He joined the Knights in 1997, made his first-grade debut in 1999 and played his 150th first-grade game on June 3 against the Bulldogs.Simpson first played for NSW in 2002 and represented Australia in 2002 and 2003.He has been battling a chronic groin injury this season that is likely to need surgery at the end of the year.But he has not ruled out playing for the Kangaroos in the Tri-Nations series against New Zealand and Great Britain from October 14 to November 25 if selected.His priorities before then are to get the Knights into the best possible finals position and to get his future sorted out."If I sign a four-year deal now, it will take me until I'm 31, so this is the biggest contract I think I'll sign," he said.Continued Page 79 Simmo elects to test market From Page 80 "It is something that I've got to sit down and sort out with my family and work out what is really best for us."Simpson returned to Newcastle yesterday sporting a corked calf muscle in his right leg but is confident he will play against Parramatta at Parramatta Stadium tomorrow night.Blues skipper Danny Buderus will join the team in Sydney today.He is also confident he will play the Eels despite sporting some bumps and bruises."Mentally I'm probably a bit unstable," Buderus joked after Wednesday night's shattering 16-14 loss that gave Queensland a 2-1 Origin series win when they scored two late converted tries."I've just got a few corks and things, but I'll be right."The Knights ended a four-game losing streak last Friday night when they scored a 26-12 win over Manly at Brookvale Oval without Simpson and Buderus."I'm really looking forward to Saturday night's game after the boys won last week," Buderus said. "We watched it in Melbourne and I was over the moon when we won."The Knights had a day off training yesterday and will have a ballwork session this morning before heading to Sydney."I'd love to stay at the club, but you have got to open your options up as well and see what's out there." Steve Simpson
© 2006 Newcastle Herald
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