Can someone please clear this up for me and confirm I'm on the right track, as I've seen some conflicting info recently regarding contracts.
If Pearce has requested and been granted a release by the Roosters, does that mean that he is free to negotiate a new contract with anyone, or are there still requirements that the new club take over some portion of the old contact, with the old club footing some of the bill as well, a'la Barba when he left and the broncs were stuck with part of the bill.
The difference in my mind, is that Barba was unwanted by us rather than him wanting out. Therefore in that scenario I can understand why the old club would be paying towards his future salary at another club.
If it is the case that Pearce is free to go with no strings attached and no requirement for a new club to take over an existing contract, then it makes sense that the broncs could make a play with a heavily back ended contract. We might not have much space left in 2018, but by all accounts we were making a play for Taylor in 2019, so would have some space left there. We wouldn't have been offering him peanuts, even if it wasn't at the level that the titans were throwing about.
Thanks...
Edited to correct the dates.