Wakefield drops Jessie Joe Parker’s contract

By KEVIN TEME
SUPER League club, Wakefield has dropped a bombshell on the future of PNG Telikom Kumuls utility back, Jessie Joe Parker after cancelling his new signing.
Parker, who supposed to have left last month, did not travel after his travelling arrangement was not done by new club, the Wakefield Wild Cats and also with the club’s financial standing was not healthy to have signed on new players from England and NRL in Australia.
Parker revealed that those two problems might have led to the cancellation of his contract.
Parker, speaking from his home at Gerehu, said he was disappointed in the manner the Wakefield Wild Cats had promised him a better deal resulting in him leaving his former team Featherstone Rovers to sign that deal.
 “I would have been given other opportunities by the local clubs in Australia had it not been for that signed contract, which was a proper signing contract I had with the Wild Cats,” Parker said.
He said: “The club also promised me better deals and because I also wanted to play in the Super League I trusted the club and took the offer.”
“Now they have delayed in sending paper work on my contract to the British High Commission and that has further stopped me from going.”
Parker also confirmed with his agent, David Howes, who is in talks with the Wild Cats management adding that a good explanation by the club was proper before cancelling his (Parker’s) contract.
Wakefield has also released one of its prop forward Richard Moore citing that it will only make rooms for the club’s salary cap that will also accommodate new signings.
But Parker was informed that the club had financial problems and that could be one of the reason why they had cancelled his contract.
The Wild Cats announced the capture of Papua New Guinea international Parker on a two-year deal in September but his arrival in England had been held up by red tape and the club had run out of patience.
On the club’s website, chief executive James Elston said: “When Parker was recruited, there was a timescale to his arrival here at Wakefield.
“Owing to administrative problems, he was unable to meet the timescale and, therefore, will not be joining the club. We wish Parker every success in the future.”
Parker, 25, scored 17 tries in 15 appearances for Featherstone Rovers this year before returning home to PNG to attend to his sick son.