THE Newcastle Knights appear set for more disappointment on the recruitment front after Parramatta sources predicted last night that promising forward Justin Horo would stay with the Eels.
The Knights have tabled a three-year deal to Horo reported to be worth $150,000 a season and gave him a tour of their Mayfield training base on Tuesday.
But Eels officials responded with a counter offer yesterday, and the Newcastle Herald was told last night that a two-year deal was "as good as done" and would be confirmed this week.
Knights officials said if that was the case, they had not been told that by Horo's manager, Gavin Orr, and were still waiting for a decision.
"His management was likely to get back to us in the next couple of days," Newcastle Knights coach Rick Stone said yesterday.
"Whether that's today or tomorrow . . . we haven't heard anything.
"We'd like some sort of indication in the next 48 hours."
Horo is the latest in a long line of forwards Newcastle have tried to recruit from rival clubs.
The Knights have held negotiations with Willie Mason, Trevor Thurling, Luke O'Donnell and Jeremy Smith, all of whom resisted Newcastle's overtures.
Horo, 23, a Parramatta junior, made it obvious his first preference was to stay with the Eels if they could compete with Newcastle's offer, which was a generous one for a rookie with 20 NRL games to his name.
If Horo was to turn Newcastle down, it is understood the Knights would have enough room under their salary cap to sign two more experienced players.
Having already enlisted former Test prop Antonio Kaufusi from the North Queensland Cowboys, Queensland forward Neville Costigan from St George Illawarra and under-20 prospects Beau Henry (Dragons), Siuatonga Likiliki (Warriors) and Kyle O'Donnell (Cronulla), Stone said he was satisfied with Newcastle's recruitment.
"If we'd missed out on everyone that you'd supposedly reported that we've made an offer to, well we'd be massively disappointed," Stone said.
"But being realistic, we've probably missed out on three players that we've had a crack at.
"To be honest, in our position and given our finances, we've probably made them the best possible offer and we believe those offers were more than fair.
"If they decide to go somewhere else that was up to them.
"We're happy to do our recruitment on our terms . . . we're not going to go crazy and pay overs just because that's what the manager thinks he can get out of Newcastle."
Stone will assess fullback Shannon McDonnell (hamstring) at training today to judge whether he will be fit for Saturday night's do-or-die clash with St George Illawarra at EnergyAustralia Stadium.
"The physio is quietly confident but obviously we're going to have a look at him[today] and see how he runs," he said.
"We probably need him to get up to about 80 per cent of full speed to give him some hope of playing.
"I reckon if you had to put a number on it, he'd be 60-40 at the moment."
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