Griffiths turns to Valium

An FFA-appointed independent arbitration panel will rule on Thursday whether the former Johnny Warren Medallist should be allowed to join the Chinese champions for $350,000 or remain at a club where his position has become increasingly untenable.

The decision, which could come as early as Thursday, is set against the backdrop of revelations from the 30-year-old’s agent John Denison that Griffiths is on prescription medication to alleviate his anxiety over the Jets’ apparent about-face on a written agreement to allow him to cut ties and sign for the club where he spent last season on loan.

“No player should be forced into this situation. It should never come to this," Denison told The World Game. "Joel is eaten up at the moment with stress and worry and he’s on Valium just to calm him down because the club have effectively been messing with his mind.

“You wonder whether they are trying to break him down bit by bit. He’s had problems sleeping and is just struggling with the whole issue.”

Denison is hoping that a letter from the Jets to Beijing penned on December 17 agreeing to release him for $350,000 without any conditions will be the determinating factor, with the Jets countering that they never agreed to sell him for that sum and that he must stay until the end of the A-League season. But the agent admits it is “touch and go”.

Griffiths, who declined to return to training on January 1 as the row escalated, must be registered with Beijing by January 11 to be available for their loommg Asian Champions League campaign.

"There is a deadline with them and they are already looking for other strikers," Denison said. "Joel made a big impression when he was there on loan last season.

"But the way things have evolved they are now ready to pull the pin on the whole thing unless Joel is given a release and Newcastle honour their written pledge to sell him now, rather than later.

"We’re excepting a decision quite quickly – this needs to be sorted out as quickly as possible for all concerned.

"Joel just wants to go back to China but you wonder what Newcastle’s motives are when they continually seem to change the goalposts."

With relations between Jets boss Con Constantine and Griffiths at an all-time low, Denison questioned whether he would be "mentally right" to offer anything tangible to the club, even if instructed to return to Energy Australia Stadium and fulfil his contractual obligations by the arbiter.

"You have to ask what use would he be to them," Denison added. "Joel hasn’t kicked a ball since late October."

Griffiths has three games left on a seven-match ban from China and wouldn’t be available until the last four rounds of the competition.