The Sea Eagles are set to terminate Josh Schuster’s contract in the coming days and it has been revealed the club will have to pay the 24-year-old around $1 million just to cut him loose.
The initial figure reported last week that Manly was set to pay was $600,000, however Channel Nine’s Danny Weidler says that figure will be near seven figures.
“The widely reported figure has been around $600,000 for the contract to be terminated so he can move on, but I’ve been told it’s actully closer to $1 million,” Weidler said Tuesday on the Big Sports Breakfast radio show.
“Manly are going to have to pay him $1 million to leave his deal and move off to another club and that million will all go under the salary cap I’m told.
“I believe the bulk of it ($400,000) will be in the current deal that he’s got, and then it’s been reported it’s about $200,000 a year for the next three years.
“I can’t imagine Manly is happy about having to fork out $1 million considering they aren’t getting any return from it however, we here about players all the time getting shipped off by clubs and being cut and not cared for, so there’s a level of care there from Manly.
“But, it’s a significant cap pinch for them isn’t it.”
Schuster’s Manly exit is set to be formalised within days, which will see his deal worth around $800,000 per-season terminated.
The Sea Eagles have also reportedly organised for the Rugby League Players’ Association to be involved in meetings with Schuster.
Manly bosses reportedly want to act in a manner sensitive to the player’s personal issues, despite breaches of clauses in his contract.
The Sea Eagles reportedly believe they have enough contract breaches that they could terminate him immediately, however they have made it clear they don’t want to do so.
Schuster signed a contract extension with the Sea Eagles worth a reported $2.4 million last year, which included pre-season weight clauses.
He reportedly reached a career-low 112 kilograms over the summer before his fitness once again slumped after a bout of chickenpox before Christmas.
Schuster then also battled a broken finger and a calf injury which saw him miss the start of the season and end up in reserve grade.
