Moves, Rumours,Judiciary, Injuries ...

[Graham]

 

Manly have re-signed Addin Fonua-Blake to stay while the end of 2018

Quote

 

Manly coach Trent Barrett said Fonua-Blake will be a key part of the Manly forward pack next season.

"The contract extension is a good reward for Addin. He still has a lot of hard work to do, but we were happy to extend his deal," Barrett said.

 

[Graham]

 

Rohan Smith (centre) with Brian Noble and Paul Rowley

Spare a thought for Rohan Smith (Brian Smith's son) who became Bradford's head coach last May and is going through the club's turmoil together with all the other employees and of course the fans.

 

Quote

"Accordingly the board has agreed that the wider interests of the sport is best satisfied if it offers a place in the Kingstone Press Championship to any new club in Bradford and that such a club start the 2017 season on minus 12 points."

In addition to their handicap, Bradford would receive the lowest funding of all Championship clubs in 2017, just STG150,000, ($AU 300,000) and are thought to have already lost two players, James Clare and Kris Welham, to Super League clubs.

But Smith remains confident he could assemble a competitive team for the opening league game against against Hull KR on February 5.

"I imagine the vast majority of players would want to stay," Smith said. "Many have told me today they are not interested in going anywhere else."

Mmm. Wev'e already signed one of their players at Fev and Widnes have taken another within a day of them becoming free agents. Yes Rohan could be left with some players, but the squad will likely be sadly depleted.

I don't envy him his job in the near future, that is if the club does start up anew again.

[Graham]

Dane Nielsen was sent home from Rabbitohs training after turning up “looking worse for wear”, leaving coach Michael Maguire seething.

Daft 'apeth

[DitheringD]

Beyond stupid when you think about it, a squad player who would struggle to pick up a NRL contract elsewhere turning up to training "worse for wear".

[Graham]

I follow Dane's career as he was a Storm player.

Don't reckon Bellyache would have stood for this. Sending him home with a flee in his ear was the right thing to do.

As for the future it's up to him.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Anyone order a slimline?

Here's what looks like a slimline Sam Kasiano on his wedding day recently.

Real thing or a trick lens? 

[Futtocks]

That's extraordinary!

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/bulldogs/bulldogs-forward-sam-kasianos-incredible-preseason-transformation/news-story/6d28b1fd55e102bcb374aecc46a87218

 

[Graham]

If he really has had a dramatic weight loss, and it's not just that he's had a shave and been photoshopped, then his game will surely be affected either for the better or worse or bits of both. Will he still be effective? Will he still fulfil a useful role? Will he pile it back on?

[Graham]

Parramatta Eels say Semi Radradra will leave the club at the end of the 2017 season, having signed a deal with French rugby club Toulon. 

[Graham]

Ben Matulino (Warriors) will miss the start of the 2017 NRL season due to a knee complaint which requires surgery

[Graham]

Quote

Penrith Panthers pursuing Ben Hunt with Anthony Griffin wanting him back. Penrith more likely than Dragons.

Speculation

[Graham]

Seems Gold Coast coach Neil Henry wants Jarryd Hayne to be lighter in the 2017 NRL season than he came back into the game.

Quote

... with fullback role evolving, Henry wants Hayne to have stripped around 5kg when he returns to the field to take on the Sydney Roosters on March 4 in round one.

"He's come back a bit heavy and we're working on that," 

 

[DitheringD]

Penrith would probably be the last team in the NRL in most need of signing Ben Hunt. Most likely agent talk trying to up his next contract's value.

Parramatta should get rid of Radrara now. If they were a team with a realistic chance of competing for the title in 2017 you could understand keeping him, but they do not so no point keeping him around given his off field behaviour recently and a decent crop of young backs coming up at the Eels worth blooding.

[Graham]

15 minutes ago, DitheringD said:

Penrith would probably be the last team in the NRL in most need of signing Ben Hunt. Most likely agent talk trying to up his next contract's value.

Parramatta should get rid of Radrara now. If they were a team with a realistic chance of competing for the title in 2017 you could understand keeping him, but they do not so no point keeping him around given his off field behaviour recently and a decent crop of young backs coming up at the Eels worth blooding.

Yes, one option is always to stay put after talking up and improving the terms of his contract.

[Sports Prophet]

18 hours ago, DitheringD said:

Penrith would probably be the last team in the NRL in most need of signing Ben Hunt. Most likely agent talk trying to up his next contract's value.

Parramatta should get rid of Radrara now. If they were a team with a realistic chance of competing for the title in 2017 you could understand keeping him, but they do not so no point keeping him around given his off field behaviour recently and a decent crop of young backs coming up at the Eels worth blooding.

Parra we're competing for the top four last year until the points were stripped

[Graham]

One to watch out for:

 

Whoever scores the first try for Broncos in Round 1 this season will have scored the club's 3,000th try

Edited January 12, 2017 by Graham

[DiddyDave]

On 1/12/2017 at 10:02 PM, Graham said:

One to watch out for:

 

Whoever scores the first try for Broncos in Round 1 this season will have scored the club's 3,000th try

Hmmm,well I don`t think it`ll be James Roberts then. He`s been a naughty boy again and could be history at the Broncos after the shenanigans at some nightclub on the Gold Coast on Saturday night. I think many people will say to Wayne Bennett,"told you so",Roberts definitely a high risk,but then again,it`s still up to the individual. Some blokes never know when they`re well off. 

[Graham]

Wests Tigers have re-signed young forward Josh Aloiai for two more seasons.

Quote

 

In 2016, the 21-year-old became the first ever Wests Tigers player to feature in every match in a debut season, subsequently winning the Club’s Rookie of the Year Award.

Aloiai joined Wests Tigers leading into the 2016 season from the Parramatta Eels, where he played two seasons of Holden Cup and represented the Junior Kiwis.

 

 

[Graham]

Jackson Hastings has has a hospital stay for an ankle operation.

As a result he'll miss the Auckland 9s

[Graham]

On 18/01/2017 at 5:10 AM, DiddyDave said:

Hmmm,well I don`t think it`ll be James Roberts then. He`s been a naughty boy again and could be history at the Broncos after the shenanigans at some nightclub on the Gold Coast on Saturday night. I think many people will say to Wayne Bennett,"told you so",Roberts definitely a high risk,but then again,it`s still up to the individual. Some blokes never know when they`re well off. 

Quote

 

Trouble Broncos flyer James Roberts' rugby league career is set to crash and burn after a young woman he is claimed to have manhandled in a Gold Coast nightclub spoke to NRL Integrity Unit investigators.

Roberts not only faces the sack from Brisbane but also the prospect of being de-registered by the NRL for his latest alleged off-field indiscretion.

 

 

[Vichyssoise]

Korbin Simms goes from a $350,000-400,000 / year contract at Newcastle to a $85,000 / year contract at the Broncos.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/teams/knights/nrl-2017-knights-prop-korbin-sims-cops-monster-pay-cut-to-join-wayne-bennett-at-broncos/news-story/41b3938d1c23a9b378fc0bb58930fffc

Assuming the figures aren't wrong, it smells of salary cap circumventing to me. What happened to the "market value" component of the contracts?

 

Edited January 20, 2017 by Vichyssoise
spelling

[Davo5]

40 minutes ago, Vichyssoise said:

Korbin Simms goes from a $350,000-400,000 / year contract at Newcastle to a $85,000 / year contract at the Broncos.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/teams/knights/nrl-2017-knights-prop-korbin-sims-cops-monster-pay-cut-to-join-wayne-bennett-at-broncos/news-story/41b3938d1c23a9b378fc0bb58930fffc

Assuming the figures aren't wrong, it smells of and salary cap circumventing to me. What happened to the "marked value" component of the contracts?

 

Do the Broncos have a salary cap ? Must be rolling out the old 3rd party payment routine again.

[Vichyssoise]

Who knows... I seem to remember the NRL vetoing Folau's contract with Parra (years ago) based on his perceived market value.

[Graham]

On the subject of Newcastle Knights:

Pauli Pauli has been involved in a multi-car crash and has a dislocated hip.

First NRL round March 3rd.

Will he make it?

Doubtful surely???

His injury comes just a few days after Jarrod Mullen was provisionally suspended for testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

 

Edited January 20, 2017 by Graham

[Graham]

Geoff Toovey has been appointed Bradford Bulls new coach.

By Matthew Shaw

Quote

Toovey, 47, was previously the head coach of NRL side Manly Sea Eagles before being sacked midway through the 2015 season.

He will take charge with immediate effect, and will arrive in the country in the next couple of days.

Joint Bradford owner Graham Lowe said: “Everybody is going to like Geoff. He’s a proud person and he’s not coming here to muck around.”

In a press conference, the new owners also confirmed that Leon Pryce would by the club captain, while West Yorkshire deputy lieutenant Jas Athwal will be the club’s chairman.