O'Meley to star in Bondi rescue
TEST prop Mark O'Meley has walked out on the Bulldogs and will join Sydney Roosters until the end of 2010 after last night agreeing to a three-year deal worth $1.2 million.
The Daily Telegraph was first to report O'Meley's impending move to the Roosters nine months ago.
Salary cap restrictions have forced O'Meley out of Belmore and a Roosters offer, which was about $70,000 a year more than the Bulldogs.
O'Meley's signing comes at an opportune time for the Roosters, who are battling onfield form and off-field innuendo.
The New South Wales prop has verbally agreed to join the Bondi-based club and, after both clubs swap paperwork, will sign a Roosters contract within days. Roosters management may now have to shed players to compensate for O'Meley.
As O'Meley is yet to officially sign, all relevant parties last night were denying the deal had been completed.
"I've had discussions with Wayne Beavis (O'Meley's manager) this afternoon and he said Mark hasn't signed an agreement," Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad said.
"Mark is still discussing issues with other clubs and is also continuing to talk to us."
Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan said: "He hasn't agreed and hasn't signed. It's in the hands of his manager."
O'Meley added: "I haven't signed anything yet."
The O'Meley coup comes amid reports Roosters coach Chris Anderson was considering walking away from his post mid-season should the club's poor form continue.
The Roosters have lost their first three games and play Brisbane tomorrow night at Sydney's Aussie Stadium.
But Anderson hit back at the claims, by saying: "Why would I walk away? It (the report) didn't come from me.
"It would be nice if all coaches quit after three losses. I'll be out there again doing my best, pal."
Asked was it a matter of pushing through the current "bad period", Anderson said: "A bad period? It's only three weeks."
There are also rumours of discontent within the club but players are vehemently denying this.
"It's nothing like that at all," said star player Craig Wing.
"It's very easy to look for excuses when a team is losing.
"People might think they're true but we don't have a problem. Mentally we aren't down and out. Things will be said that will test us.
"Some fans and certain elements of the media may make out we have big problems but we don't."
The Roosters' defence has been shoddy this year while their ball control has also been questionable.
"It feels like we never have the ball," Wing said.
"We are dropping the ball and giving away too many penalties, that doesn't allow us to mount any pressure."
Wing said he was more than happy with his own form.
"It's only round three, we'll turn things around," he said. "I'm happy with where my football is."