Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne says the Eels signed halfback Chris Sandow to a four-year deal for a "reasonable price", slamming South Sydney for their handling of the issue.

Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe tweeted early this morning, before his club's press release was issued, that Sandow had signed with the Eels for $550,000 a season.

In the subsequent Rabbitohs media release, their chief executive Shane Richardson made the backhanded statement that: "Unfortunately for us he has met his Alan Bond."

It was a reference to the late Kerry Packer after he sold Channel Nine to Bond for $1 billion in 1987 and then bought it back from him in 1990 for $700 million as Bond's business empire crumbled.

"You only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime and I've had mine," Packer was quoted as saying at the time.

Osborne criticised the Rabbitohs and denied he was rugby league's version of the failed business tycoon.

"I might look like Alan Bond, but I don't feel like him, no," Osborne told the media on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm not going to comment on individual amounts and we won't do that now or at any time, but we're very pleased we've got Chris and we think we've got him at a reasonable price for a player we think is a wonderful athlete and someone we think will bring what we need to this club."

The Eels have missed out on a long line of players in recent seasons, but Osborne said he would never react bitterly in the way Souths have done.

"We're obviously a professional club ... it's probably not the way we would have reacted and it's something other people will judge, but we're just pleased we're able to get Chris on a long-term contract," he said.

"It's been interesting and we've missed out on some players this year and we've been disappointed, but I certainly haven't tweeted and I certainly haven't speculated about what kind of money we've missed out on.

"But we're very happy to have Chris on board and we're looking forward to him being here for at least the next four years."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP