The tense saga between Australian Schoolboys captain Karl Oloapu and the Brisbane Broncos remains ongoing as he refuses to train with the team.
The issues began in November, 2021 when Olapu signed a three-year deal to run from 2023, a contract the youngster says came with promises the club has failed to meet.
Speaking to WWOS last year, Olapu said he was “between managers” when he signed the contract and stated he was promised a spot in the top 30 and a guarantee he would play his preferred position of five-eighth; he also highlighted the difficulty he had signing without help.
Randwick (Wellington) junior Karl Oloapu cooking in Queensland #KiwiNRL pic.twitter.com/PeHlsn6FI1
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) October 27, 2022
“I was between managers when I signed with the Broncos. I only went to see them with my older brother Joe for advice,” Olapu said.
“They gave me a document that was more than 60 pages long and told me to sign it.
“I tried to read and understand it all in 30 minutes, but without a manager or legal advice it was very hard.
“The club told me I'd be in the Top 30 full-time players next year and that I'd be playing my preferred position of five-eighth and that I'd meet Kevin Walters, so I was happy.
“They gave me a chicken sandwich and that was it, we were shown the door. It didn't feel right.
“Since then I have been told I'm not a part of the full-time squad and they want me to play at lock or hooker and change the shape of my body.
“I've never met Kevin and barely heard from the club. When my new manager asked to see their letter of offer to me, the club told him they'd lost it. How does that happen?”
Yr12 student Karl Oloapu has his sights firmly set on establishing himself as the @NRL's best new talent off the back of being named #1 schoolboy in AUST following his stellar performance for QLD this year.He will commence as a FT contracted player upon graduating in a few weeks! pic.twitter.com/i1SCJgRuoi
— Wavell SHS (@WavellSHS) October 18, 2022
Now WWOS is reporting the Broncos are prepared to let Olapu go side but only if a sizable fee is paid in return.
The 18-year-old's most likely land spot appears to be in Redcliffe to join Wayne Bennet's Dolphins, but the report also states that he met with the Bulldog's Phil Gould this week.
It seems a matter of when not if Karl leaves Brisbane, after declaring "I will never play for Brisbane as long as I live" to WWOS last year.
