Bailey Simonsson has finally been granted his wish after Parramatta agreed to allow him to negotiate with other clubs.
The parties came to the arrangement on Monday, in the surest sign Simonsson has made his last appearance in blue and gold. Simonsson was given a leave of absence after a fallout with coach Jason Ryles, a situation that prompted multiple release requests.
The latest came after he was overlooked as the replacement for injured centre Shaun Russell, with Ryles instead opting for Dylan Brown. Brown himself was on the outer over his decision not to leave early to join Newcastle, where he starts a 10-year, $13 million deal from next season.
Brown made just the third appearance of his career in the centres in the Eels’ win over the Cowboys on Sunday. Simonsson had previously indicated a preference to play on the wing, but was disappointed to be overlooked in favour of Brown.
Simonsson signed a new two-year contract just after Ryles was announced as coach, but has made just six NRL appearances this year.
Bailey Simonsson is free to speak to rival clubs.Credit: Getty Images
On the eve of the clash against North Queensland, Ryles said it was unclear whether Simonsson would get another crack in first grade for the club.
“Bailey made that decision to stay away for a couple of days, which we fully supported,” Ryles said.
“He’ll get himself sorted, then we’ll get him back into training as soon as we can … It has been a little bit of a shock, but it’s footy and it’s all part of it. We’ve got to manage the players as best we can.”