THE James Maloney deal at Penrith has been stalled in bizarre fashion.

Paul Kent revealed on NRL 360 the NRL is now scrutinising a third-party deal which is part of the contract, after Maloney accidentally let slip to media the nature of the sponsorship.

It means he could lose $200,000 on the contract and it puts the entire move in jeopardy.

Round 20

“James Maloney actually got himself in trouble there ... he came out the other day and said he’s waiting on the club to organise a third-party deal to come through,” Kent said.

“It can’t be club-driven, it has to be player driven.

“Unfortunately he’s let the cat out of the bag so the NRL is now looking at it.

“It’s a $200,000 Keno sponsorship, and I daresay the NRL is about to knock it back.

“That would make it very interesting to see what happens there.”

Maloney has made no secret that the reason for seeking a release from Cronulla and a move to a rival club was to secure his financial future.

Should such a significant portion of the deal not be available to him it could potentially throw the door open for other clubs, such as Newcastle, to make a play.

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Lady Luck finally shines on Lebanon

Lebanon didn’t get a lot of luck in their narrow quarter final loss to Tonga but fortune finally came their way in the most incredible fashion as the players prepared to finish their World Cup journey.

Writing for Fairfax Media, Andrew Webster reported a phenomenal punters’ win the Cedars had after placing a bold bet on a horse race at Christchurch airport.

According to the report, just before the Lebanese players were about to board their flight to Sydney they decided to put the last remaining $1100 from the team’s expenses kitty on the sixth at Canberra, letting it ride on Orange Time, a seven-year-old mare, at $7.50.

“So here they are, a group of 20 or more men crowded around a phone, yelling and screaming and then high-fiving after Orange Time — bless her — charges home and delivers a windfall of $10,500,” Webster wrote.

What a way to finish a phenomenal tournament.

Hayne’s Eels deal already done

Jarryd Hayne has already agreed to join Parramatta for the 2018 season but is stalling on telling Gold Coast, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The Telegraph claims Hayne has shaken hands with the Eels and will request a release from the Titans in January, when he is due to return for pre-season training.

But he hasn’t yet informed his current club of the switch because he can still claim contract payments until he officially requests the release.

Hayne will earn $90,000 for each of November and December — paid on the 30th of each month and totalling $180,000 of salary — before he even returns for pre-season on the glitter strip.

He’s currently preoccupied representing Fiji at the World Cup and will take a holiday following the tournament. The Telegraph said the “holiday pay” would help Hayne with the pay cut he will cop to join the Eels, where he’ll get much less ($500,000 per season) than his $1 million Titans salary for 2018.

Parramatta has continually refused to comment on the Hayne speculation, while the man himself has publicly denied he will leave Gold Coast.

Jarryd Hayne celebrates a win with Fiji. Source: Getty Images

WHY PEARCE COULD STILL JOIN KNIGHTS

Manly hasn’t yet announced the signing of Mitchell Pearce and the NRL 360 panel believe there’s still other clubs in with a shot at signing the halfback.

The Sea Eagles appeared in the box seat when they announced the release of Blake Green just minutes before the Roosters released Pearce on Monday.

But Daily Telegraph senior reporter Phil Rothfield told NRL 360 Newcastle is very much in the frame.

He says coach Nathan Brown has about $2 million left to spend under the salary cap.

“He will blow anyone else out of the water as far as his cheque goes,” Rothfield said.

“The other interesting thing I heard this afternoon is the three clubs ... Manly, Sharks, and Knights, have spoken to Pearce’s manager Steve Gillis. The Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm I believe have directly contacted Mitchell and said we’re monitoring the situation.

“Whether that eventuates or not — they haven’t been mentioned with the candidates so far, but there has been a sneaky little approach.”

... AND WHY LEAVING CHOOKS WAS A MISTAKE

NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent is one person not in Pearce’s corner when it comes to his messy exit at the Roosters.

Pearce walked out on hi Chooks contract after the club signed Cooper Cronk to steal his No. 7 jumper, pushing him to five-eighth or possibly hooker.

But Kent says Pearce was wrong to ditch the club.

“I just think the Roosters had good intentions, they wanted him to stay, that’s important,” Kent said.

“I think while Mitchell is a good halfback he could be a better halfback, I think that was proved in this year’s finals series. There’s still another level he needs to get to if he wants to be the dominant halfback he intends to be.

“I think he had a chance to do that playing alongside Cooper Cronk.”

Kent believes Pearce would have become a much better player if he had stayed at the Roosters and worked with Cronk.

“I don’t think Mitchell Pearce is a scholarly learner, I don’t think he sits down and reads and learns.

“I think Mitchell gets out there and learns by actually doing it, and having Cooper Cronk on the field and seeing how Cooper Cronk reactsin certain situations, how he plays his game and how he thinks on the field, Mitchell can start to get it.”

POM CHASING NRL DREAM

England winger Jermaine McGillvary says an NRL contract would be a dream come true.

McGillvary has scored six tries in four World Cup games and is in the running to be named player of the tournament.

And he’s caught the eye of plenty of people Down Under.

“If it comes I’ll definitely look at it because it’s something I want to do,” McGillvary told Channel Seven of a possible NRL offer.

“I like a big test, and to try myself out against the best players in the world would be a dream come true.

“See what happens after the World Cup.”

McGillvary has three seasons to run on his Huddersfield contract and has a young family in England.

NZRL OPEN TO PASIFIKA SERIES

New Zealand Rugby League boss Alex Hayton has backed calls for a Pasifika tournament.

In the wake of stunning performances from Tonga and Fiji at this year’s World Cup, many experts and punters believe a Pacific Test series could help develop the nations further and grow the game internationally.

Hayton said he’d like to see it as part of the rugby league international calendar.

“It would be part of the international calendar,” Hayton told TVNZ.

“I guess it’s just the concept of bringing back the Pacific Cup given the competitive nature of the teams, it’s just where that could be put into the calendar.

“We’d certainly be open to it.”