Former captain Moses Mbye has been granted permission to speak to rival clubs despite having a year to run on his Wests Tigers contract, telling the club he does not feel he is giving them value for money.
Mbye, who stood aside as captain in 2021 to allow new recruit James Tamou to take the reins, has been with Wests Tigers for the past four seasons after starting his career at the Bulldogs.
"Let's be brutally honest, I don't think the club would be thrilled that their marquee player is being used off the bench for half an hour a week," the 27-year-old told the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.
"I'm not ashamed to admit that the club is not getting value for money out of me. I have a big opinion of the club and want to be part of its success. It's why I have no intention of leaving this year or leaving the club in a hole."
The Tigers released a statement on Wednesday night confirming that Mbye had been granted permission to discuss his playing future with other clubs from the 2022 NRL season.
Mbye is currently under contract at Wests Tigers until the end of 2022 and the club said he had not asked for a request to be released from his contract.
"Moses has expressed his firm commitment to the club and its playing group for the 2021 season, with the request to discuss his playing future pertaining to his preference to secure a long-term deal elsewhere," the Tigers statement said.
"Moses remains an integral part of the club’s squad for the 2021 season and the club has reiterated its position that his significance remains as such following this move."
