IAN Watson has revealed he wanted Todd Carney to assure him his bad days were behind him before signing him for Salford.
The Australian half-back is still applying for a visa to be allowed to work in the UK.
But club sources believe there will be no problem – unlike in 2009 when he was refused one, scuppering a move to Huddersfield.
And coach Watson has revealed he sought assurances from Carney that he would stay on the straight and narrow before signing him on a one-year deal.
Carney, 30, has a history of off-field problems that saw him dumped by Canberra, Sydney Roosters and Cronulla, the latter of which he is understood to be appealing further through the courts Down Under.
But a £50,000 bond, which Catalans Dragons had to put up to allow him to join them, is not likely to be needed.
Watson said: “We spoke with Todd about his history and he was very open about it, he was a lot more honest about it than maybe I thought he would’ve been.
“We spoke with Todd over Christmas as we were looking for players in Australia – Kevin Naiqama was one we spoke to.
“So that appealed to us as well. He said he was glad I phoned him to speak about it.
“Our owner Marwan Koukash spoke to him and asked me what I thought. I said, ‘The first thing I’d need to do is speak to him about the group we have here.’
“I’ve told him what I expect from him when he comes over, things like what kind of shape he has to get in.
“Todd gives us a bit of security should anyone break down as he can play at full-back as well as in the halves.
“We had a good chat with him and he was really positive – we even spoke on Monday about our game at Halifax on Sunday.
“And he’s told me he’s ready to come over as soon as his visa is sorted – his bags are packed and waiting at his mum’s!”
Leave a comment