HE'S only 18 and hasn't played a minute of NRL footy, but boom centre Karl McNichol has been signed by the Sharks on a staggering deal that could see him earn $600,000 over three years.
Touted as the next Sonny Bill Williams, McNichol was prised from the Bulldogs by Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart in a major coup for the Sharks. The 105kg teenager was being chased by up to six clubs despite earning about $50,000 a year and playing Premier League for the Bulldogs.
McNichol's amazing deal came even though the teenager is expected to miss the rest of 2007 with a chest injury. And it comes on a day when NRL boss David Gallop will front a players forum to discuss concerns that the game's stars are not earning enough money.
The Daily Telegraph has learned McNichol could earn up to $200,000 a season with incentives in a three-year deal. Sharks coach Stuart last night labelled the unknown as the best up-and-coming centre in the game. "I am excited about the signing because I think he has a healthy future," Stuart said. "The research on Karl is all very positive and it is a real good signing for the future of the Sharks."
The Bulldogs are angry that the Sharks got under their guard to snare McNichol. "We're disappointed that his manager Gavin Orr didn't come back to us before he signed. We've been talking to him since late last year," said Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad.
Sharks boss Greg Pierce admitted he was shocked to learn they would have to pay so much to secure McNichol. "It is a lot of money but he is an elite player and if we didn't pay that money we wouldn't have got him. Outstanding players like this don't come along very often," Pierce said.
Raised in Wellington, McNichol was recruited to the Bulldogs from New Zealand as a 15-year-old after a recommendation from Orr. The powerful young centre rocketed through the grades, playing Premier League at just 16. In a recent survey on the Bulldogs website, Test stars Williams, Mark O'Meley and Reni Maitua rated him the best prospect in the game.
In his first interview, McNichol, who is expecting his first child in a month, said he was looking forward to forcing his way into first grade at the Sharks. "It is massive to get the chance to play for Ricky," McNichol said. "He has shown faith in me and that is great. I will have to come up with the goods when I get there. You can't be on good money and be a bad player."
With his family still in New Zealand, McNichol said his gamble to move to Australia had paid off. "It was a sacrifice that I had to take to get the break," McNichol said. "I had to leave my family back home but opportunities like that don't come along often."
