Moves, Rumours,Judiciary, Injuries ...

[Graham]

Announced at the beginning of November:

Manly Sea Eagles have announced the signing of exciting young half Lachlan Croker for 2018 on a one-year deal.

A former NSW U18s and U20s player, the skilful five-eighth/half-back has also represented the Australian U20s team.

Croker made his NRL debut for the Canberra Raiders in the win over the Sydney Roosters at GIO Stadium in round two of the 2016 season.

A player with a great running and kicking game, Croker will be looking to further his NRL career at the Sea Eagles after playing the past two seasons for Mounties in the Intrust Super Premiership.

A Goulburn junior, Croker is the nephew of former Canberra Raiders forward Jason Croker.

[Graham]

RL Immortal Graeme langlands is in the news, this time it's not good.

He has been charged with six counts of indecent dealing with a girl under 16.

It is alleged the offences occurred on the Gold Coast in the early 1980s.

He lives in a nursing home in New South Wales and is suffering from dementia and other health problems.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

3 hours ago, Graham said:

RL Immortal Graeme langlands is in the news, this time it's not good.

He has been charged with six counts of indecent dealing with a girl under 16.

It is alleged the offences occurred on the Gold Coast in the early 1980s.

He lives in a nursing home in New South Wales and is suffering from dementia and other health problems.

Seems Strange nothing was said for over 35 years and now somebody says something. Langlands has Dementia. Difficult for him to say much.  I hate the press, who are happy to dirty peoples names, just for a story. I will wait before I judge Langlands. IF it is True, then he should be Stripped of being an immortal. But lets want before ripping in to him.

[Graham]

Pearce has contacted Cronk to clear the air between them and apparently tell him the other players in the Roosters squad won't be negative towards Cooper as he replaces Pearce.

[Graham]

 

Reni Maitua and Bulldogs

Quote

 

It's been three years in the making, but Reni Maitua has returned to Belmore for the first time since leaving Canterbury.

Maitua distanced himself from the Bulldogs because he felt the club had “lost its identity” in recent seasons.

Despite the dissatisfaction, he never lost passion for the blue and whites where he played 113 games and won a premiership in 2004.

It’s why Maitua jumped at the chance to rejoin his beloved Dogs when new coach Dean Pay contacted him two weeks ago.

 

Anybody could be confused by this article in DTelegraph(Aus)

Apparently he like other ex players have been welcomed by the new coach to be around the club. It's not as if he'll be playing for them! As far as I can tell any role he has will be backstage 

Edited November 27, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Well Pearce won't get the chance to go to Storm as it turns out, whether he wanted to or not.

Despite positive sounds from cam Smith last week it turns out Storm don't have the money left in the salary cap to go with the Pearce idea.

Quote

Frank Ponissi says the defending premiers have no space in the salary cap to continue their pursuit of the 238-game veteran.

So his options look to have dropped down to Manly, Cronulla or Newcastle.

Wouldn't you have thought that given all his festering and thinking time when he was being advised by all and sundry that he''d have a club to go to sorted out  in parallel with his release from Roosters?

Edited November 27, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Local junior Jayden Brailey has signed a contract extension with the Sharks, committing his future to the club for another two seasons.

Already secured for the upcoming 2018 season, the new two-year deal will see the 21-year-old Brailey remain in Sharks colours until at least the end of 2020.

From the Aquinas Colts Junior League club and a product of the Sharks Academy and development program, Brailey enjoyed an outstanding rookie season in 2017, with his slick service from dummy half and solid defence in the middle of the field a feature of his game.

[Graham]

Penrith Panthers have announced Isaah Yeo has added an additional two years to his contract with the club.

The new deal means the 23-year-old backrower will remain with the club until at least the end of the 2021 season.

“I’m stoked with the situation and how it all panned out,” Yeo said.

“The club has shown tremendous faith in me and I’m looking forward to trying to repay that faith on the field with my performances.

“I think the last two years have been successful, especially given the age of our playing group, and I’m very confident with where this team is heading.

“I’m really excited to be here. It’s where I call home now.”

[Graham]

Canberra Raiders have announced the signing of former Bulldogs Hooker Craig Garvey on a one-year deal for the 2018 season.

Garvey made his NRL debut in 2013 for the Dragons before moving to the Bulldogs in 2016. He has played a total of 23 NRL matches and has also represented NSW at under 20s level and the Indigenous All-Stars in 2016.

Garvey’s arrival in Canberra coincides with the club releasing both Adam Clydsdale and Erin Clark.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

10 hours ago, Graham said:

Well Pearce won't get the chance to go to Storm as it turns out, whether he wanted to or not.

Despite positive sounds from cam Smith last week it turns out Storm don't have the money left in the salary cap to go with the Pearce idea.

So his options look to have dropped down to Manly, Cronulla or Newcastle.

Wouldn't you have thought that given all his festering and thinking time when he was being advised by all and sundry that he''d have a club to go to sorted out  in parallel with his release from Roosters?

Glad we havent got the money for him as would much rather see us give the young kids a chance after they have stepped in so well last year.

[Graham]

JAMES Maloney will meet his new Penrith Panthers teammates early next week as the club awaits a decision from Leilani Latu about a pending move to the Gold Coast.

The Panthers are yet to lodge Maloney’s $2.5 million three-year contract with the NRL, but the playmaker’s deal is expected to be finally announced by the end of next week.

A $200,000 third-party deal Penrith had planned to transfer from former skipper Matt Moylan to Maloney was officially rejected by the NRL.

And with Maloney’s entire contract to be now included in the Panthers cap, the club needed to move on at least one player by the start of next season to be compliant.

Maloney had a quick tour of the Panthers Academy earlier this month in the lead-up to Australia’s clash against Lebanon, but is yet to be introduced to the bulk of the squad.

He will commence his month-long annual leave before having just one month of pre-season training to build a combination with halfback Nathan Cleary leading into trials against Canterbury and the Sydney Roosters.

[Graham]

Brenton Lawrence has retired.

Despite signing a two-year-deal to return to the Gold Coast, the 32-year-old has made the stunning decision to hang up the boots.

With 102 NRL games to his name, Lawrence has decided his body can no longer deal with the physicality of the NRL.

“Of course we would have loved Brenton to play for the club but he has made a selfless decision and I commend him for that,” coach Garth Brennan said.

“He knows his body better than anyone else so he has mad

[Graham]

Roosters are on the verge of re-signing New Zealand Test star Isaac Liu for a further three years.

The 26-year-old capped off his best season yet with his international debut for the Kiwis 

[Graham]

Fiji prop Ben Nakubuwai won’t be at the Titans next year with the 21-year-old bound for the Super League.

Salford have signed the 108 kilo middle on a two-year-deal.

Having made his first grade debut with the Titans in 2017 after joining from Melbourne, the prop played two top grade games for the Gold Coast.

Edited November 29, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

 

Penrith Panthers have officially signed James Maloney on a three-year deal. 

The 203-gamer joins the Panthers after leading the Cronulla Sharks to an NRL Premiership in 2016. He also won another Premiership ring with the Sydney Roosters in 2013. 

"Panthers has the roster and the resources to achieve success over the coming years and I’m really excited to now be part of that," Maloney, 31, said.

"The squad has a strong forward pack for me to play behind, plus some young and talented players coming through in the outside backs."

The deal was part of a swap with Matt Moylan headed to Cronulla in return for Maloney landing in Penrith. 

Maloney will play alongside exciting Penrith product Nathan Cleary in the halves, and the pair should click well having first met during Maloney's stint with the New Zealand Warriors. 

"I’ve actually known Nathan for a long time because he was my ballboy at the Warriors," Maloney said.

"I’m looking forward to playing alongside him and hopefully helping him take his game to the next level."

[Graham]

Wests Tigers have today confirmed the signing of Samoan international Pita Godinet for the coming season.

Godinet has played 61 career games since making his first-grade debut for the New Zealand Warriors in 2011, moving to Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in 2014 for two seasons before returning to the NRL with the Manly-Warrinhah Sea Eagles.

He has also played 10 Tests for Samoa, having recently featured in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup campaign.

Wests Tigers Head Coach Ivan Cleary welcomed Godinet to the club.

[Graham]

Inglis is in training and due to make his return to the Bunnies side for the start of the 2018 season.

Reckon he has plenty of work to do judging by this photo:

[Graham]

Predictable?

It seems that Trent Hodkinson could be on the move back to the club where his NRL career began with his management set to meet with Manly officials on Tuesday to discuss his future.

At his current club Newcastle, the signing of Mitchell Pearce and Connor Watson and the emergence of young halves Brock Lamb and Jack Cogger at the Knights has left the former Origin playmaker with a mountain of competition in his position at the club.

[Graham]

Sydney Roosters have announced the signing of outside back Reece Robinson.

Robinson joins the Club with immediate effect on a one-year contract which sees the 30-year-old make his return to rugby league after two seasons with Super Rugby franchise NSW Waratahs.

“Reece is a strong finisher with impressive footwork, and with over 100 NRL games under his belt, he will add some great depth to our squad,” said Roosters recruitment manager Adam Hartigan.

[Graham]

I wonder if the irony is lost on Mitchell Pearce?

He has tried to persuade Brock Lamb to remain at Newcastle, even though the 21-year-old has the same reasons to leave that led to Pearce's departure from Sydney Roosters.

As Pearce began pre-season training with Newcastle on Monday, Lamb has been linked with an early release from his NRL contract to join Manly.

Pearce elected to move to the Knights after Cooper Cronk signed with the Roosters, effectively shunting him out of their starting side.

With Pearce expected to team up with fellow ex-Rooster Connor Watson as part of a new-look Knights scrum base, Lamb seems likely to suffer the same fate and be forced either onto the bench or out of Nathan Brown's 17 entirely.

It would be a stiff blow for the Maitland junior who proved in the back end of this season he was a gun in the making.

[Graham]

Widnes have terminated the contract of new signing Will Matthews on compassionate grounds.

Having signed for Widnes Vikings in September, Matthews and his family ultimately struggled to make the move from Australia, with a number of personal family factors meaning they felt unable to leave their homeland.

“I would like to apologise to the staff and supporters of Widnes Vikings for any inconvenience that the cancellation of my transfer causes,” he said.

“This decision has been made purely for family reasons, and I am sure that I will always feel an element of regret that I will not be able to play for Widnes in Super League. Many people have spoken highly to me about Widnes, and my interactions with its staff, both before signing the deal and since making this difficult decision, have all shown why the club holds this respect.

“For family reasons, we have chosen to move back to the Gold Coast area, where I will pursue my career. Whilst we were excited to move to the Vikings, we have ultimately reflected that we need to remain close to our family and support networks, which are important to us at this time. I signed my contract with Widnes in good faith and the circumstances we face are entirely unforeseen. Once again, I apologise to the club for what has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, and would like to wish the Vikings and their supporters all the best for the future.”

[Graham]

Interesting fact for today:

In 2016, Australia’s National Rugby League became the first sport in Australia to have a majority of non-white professional players. Aboriginal players accounted for 12% of elite players and Polynesian players a further 40%.

[Farmduck]

I don't know what happened to Matthews. I remember a former Dogs/Cows forward who went to Bradford a few years back and had a very unhappy time and came home ASAP. Fans were very unhappy but they didn't know that his wife had miscarried their first kid and had gone into serious depression which had made his working life virtually unworkable so he needed to come back to the wider family network for the good of all concerned.

These things happen.

[Graham]

His apology alludes to his family’s needs and circumstances. Widnes understood and  of course family comes first.

I hope things turn out okay for them.

[Graham]

It appears Dylan Napa won’t be going anywhere.

Rumours were  last month that he was moving from the Roosters despite only recently re-signing.

Apparently not.

Supposedly several NRL clubs heard these rumours and investigated the possibility of luring Napa to their clubs but were met with a definitive no by the Roosters after asking the question.

Do you want Brock Lamb at your club?

According to form, clubs interested in signing Newcastle playmaker Brock Lamb are being asked for a three-year commitment.