Moves, Rumours,Judiciary, Injuries ...

[Graham]

The Gold Coast Titans have signed Canberra Raiders prop Shannon Boyd on a four-year deal from 2019.

[Irish Saint]

Cronulla centre Ricky Leutele will take up a lucrative offer from the Toronto Wolfpack.

NRL.com has been told Leutele, a member of the premiership-winning 2016 side who has racked up 28 tries in his 113 NRL appearances for the Sharks since his debut eight years ago, will make the switch at the end of the 2018 season.

[Farmduck]

19 minutes ago, Irish Saint said:

Cronulla centre Ricky Leutele will take up a lucrative offer from the Toronto Wolfpack.

NRL.com has been told Leutele, a member of the premiership-winning 2016 side who has racked up 28 tries in his 113 NRL appearances for the Sharks since his debut eight years ago, will make the switch at the end of the 2018 season.

So what will I do with these?

[Irish Saint]

Don't worry Farmduck there are lots of Toronto threads on the main forum.

I for one hope they make Superleague next season.

[Graham]

18 minutes ago, Farmduck said:

So what will I do with these?

There’s a pretty obvious answer to your question FD. You can watch the tv and well I’m not sure about the other utility item....

[Graham]

Melbourne Storm prop Tim Glasby will join the Newcastle Knights at the end of this season on a three-year deal.

[Graham]

Chris Houston (ex Dragons and Knights), currently at Widnes, has announced he will retire ffrom playing the game at the end of this season

[Graham]

Reports cluttering up Facebook from the media discussing Bulldogs’ problems for next season in complying with the salary cap. Talk is of them hawking several expensive players round hoping to release money tied up in them. As it is their sums currently don’t add up. They could be $300,000+ over the limit unless they take decisive action that is bound to upset their fans. There’s talk that they won’t be able to sign any marquee players for at least three years.

 

Edited May 17, 2018 by Graham

[Graham]

Todd Carney is poised to sign a deal to reignite his career with the North Sydney Bears - despite the fact his pathway to first grade has been blocked.

Carney is close to agreeing to terms with the Bears in the NSW Cup, although Norths’ parent club Souths are saying they have no interest in him.

“I just want to be playing footy again,” Carney told WWOS.

“I have a weekday job now and want to play on the weekends to keep my hand in.”

[Graham]

Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita could return to the Origin arena this season, despite recently turning his back on New South Wales.

NSW adviser Greg Alexander confirmed the Blues’ hierarchy have no choice but to consider bringing Fifita in for game one, even though he won’t be available for the second game of the series.

Fifita recently committed to playing for Tonga just days before Origin II, which many thought would have been enough to put a line through him for the entire 2018 series.

However, after the 28-year-old put in a man-of-the-match performance against the Raiders last weekend, Alexander says the front rower has been one of the best in the NRL over the past month.

[Graham]

Parramatta Eels have officially released divisive player Kenny Edwards after completing an internal investigation into his latest off-field incident.

Edwards was involved in a traffic altercation recently that was brought to the attention of the NRL's integrity unit.

It appears that the forward, who has played 70 matches for the Eels since his debut in 2013, gave the Eels no choice but to cut him loose after repeatedly finding himself in the bad books during his short career.

The 28-year-old allegedly fled from police after being randomly stopped last month.

He was let go from Manly's and St George-Illawarra's NYC teams due to disciplinary issues.

In 2015, Edwards was caught taking a urine sample for teammate Kaysa Pritchard and copped a nine-month ban. 

Edwards missed the first seven games of the 2017 NRL season following a domestic violence charge. 

"Today Kenny Edwards, through his management company, requested a release from his NRL playing contract with Parramatta National Rugby League Club Pty Limited," the Eels said in a statement on Saturday.

"This release was granted by the club effective immediately.

[Graham]

Roosters Dylan Napa has escaped sanction for his controversial hit on Brisbane prop Korbin Sims despite being sin-binned on Friday night.

Napa was placed on report for leading with his head in the tackle, which resulted in him being marched at a crucial juncture in their six-point defeat at Suncorp Stadium.

However the match review committee came up with a clean sheet on Saturday.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson vehemently disagreed with the sin-binning after the match, claiming it was merely an accidental head clash.

[Graham]

Storm Centre Curtis Scott has been charged with striking following Melbourne's fiery contest with Manly on Saturday night.

The 20-year old was sent off during the clash after striking Sea Eagles outside back Dylan Walker in the 52nd minute of play. The Match Review Committee handed down their findings this afternoon with Scott able to accept a two match ban with an early guilty plea (thanks to a points deduction due to the number of minutes of play he missed after being sent off) while an unsuccessful challenge of the charge could see the centre miss three matches.

Following the confrontation between Scott and Walker, Apisai Koroisau was also sent to the sin bin for striking. The Manly utility will miss one match with an early guilty plea after also being charged today.

Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped the contest with a $1,500 fine for a careless high tackle in the closing stages of the match.

[Farmduck]

I didn't know Kenny Edwards had such a long history of issues. There's no way Fifita gets to pick NSW and Tonga. Either he's available for all 3 Origins or he isn't.

[Graham]

Well if picked for Origin 1 he says he will donate his $30,000 fee to charity.  He wouldn’t be available for Origin 2 as he will play for Tpnga instead. 

He may be an in form player who’d be picked, but he surely can’t be allowed to dictate when he will and won’t play.

More against him though is his opting for Tonga.

If he plays Origin it would open the door to Kiwis and U.K. players.

Edited May 21, 2018 by Graham

[Graham]

NORTH Sydney have ignored the wishes of the Rabbitohs and signed Todd Carney in a move likely to end the Bears’ 11-year relationship.

The Bears have been circling Carney since he returned to Sydney to be closer to his family as his mother battles illness and the Intrust Super Premiership club will reportedly announce the controversial player’s signing today.

The Rabbitohs last week publicly warned the Bears that signing Carney would put their feeder club status at risk but according to the report, the Roosters are prepared to swoop in and link with North Sydney.

[Irish Saint]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/05/20/cronulla-sharks-to-consider-ben-barba-as-replacement-for-toronto-bound-ricky-leutele/

As long as he leads the Saints to Grand Final victory at Old Trafford.

[Graham]

Ricky Leutele?

You mean FD's favourite comedy image?

Well here's mine for him.

Must use it before he leaves NRL:

[Farmduck]

11 hours ago, Graham said:

Well if picked for Origin 1 he says he will donate his $30,000 fee to charity.  He wouldn’t be available for Origin 2 as he will play for Tpnga instead. 

He may be an in form player who’d be picked, but he surely can’t be allowed to dictate when he will and won’t play.

More against him thought is his opting for Tonga.

If he plays Origin it would open the door to Kiwis and U.K. players.

Clearly he should shut his mouth before his words choke him to death. If he thinks Origin is about the money then I definitely don't want him anywhere near a Blue jumper.

25 minutes ago, Graham said:

Ricky Leutele?

You mean FD's favourite comedy image?

Well here's mine for him.

Must use it before he leaves NRL:

He better give us plenty of opportunities to use them up this year. I don't want to have to start posting in SL threads. (and definitely not in Champs threads. Some of those Champs club threads are like the cover on a septic tank. I'm too scared to open most of them up. I think half the posters on there have Irish Alzheimer's - they forget everything except the grudges!) Nothing personal Irish Saint.

[Vichyssoise]

1 minute ago, Farmduck said:

Clearly he should shut his mouth before his words choke him to death. If he thinks Origin is about the money then I definitely don't want him anywhere near a Blue jumper.

He better give us plenty of opportunities to use them up this year. I don't want to have to start posting in SL threads. (and definitely not in Champs threads. Some of those Champs club threads are like the cover on a septic tank. I'm too scared to open most of them up. I think half the posters on there have Irish Alzheimer's - they forget everything except the grudges!) Nothing personal Irish Saint.

Come on, FD. Money is a big incentive, you can't deny that.

I think Fifita shouldn't be selected however.

[Farmduck]

Just now, Vichyssoise said:

Come on, FD. Money is a big incentive, you can't deny that.

I think Fifita shouldn't be selected however.

I do deny that. If I was the NSW Coach and I thought players were only there for the money, I wouldn't pick them. Either way, it just makes Fifita look worse: he'll play for Tonga for bus fare but he won't play for NSW unless he gets 30K.

[Vichyssoise]

7 minutes ago, Farmduck said:

I do deny that. If I was the NSW Coach and I thought players were only there for the money, I wouldn't pick them. Either way, it just makes Fifita look worse: he'll play for Tonga for bus fare but he won't play for NSW unless he gets 30K.

Point taken. We, fans, look at things one way. Players however have their own motivation.

Who knows what Fittler's thinking anyway?

[Graham]

5 hours ago, Farmduck said:

I don't want to have to start posting in SL threads. (and definitely not in Champs threads. Some of those Champs club threads are like the cover on a septic tank. I'm too scared to open most of them up. I think half the posters on there have Irish Alzheimer's - they forget everything except the grudges!) Nothing personal Irish Saint.

Yes, FD, the only one you are safe with visiting is the Featherstone Rovers Forum where balance and fair play are the order of the day. I agree with you that the other club forums may not be so stimulating and enjoyable as our Fev one.

Edited May 21, 2018 by Graham

[Graham]

Blues surely, surely won’t pick Fifita, surely?

They don’t need him dictating terms and it would set a dangerous precedent.

[Farmduck]

12 minutes ago, Graham said:

Yes, FD, the only one you are safe with visiting is the Featherstone Rovers Forum where balance a fair play are the order of the day. I agree with you that the other club forums may not be so stimulating and enjoyable as our Fev one.

One thing I found bizarre was all the Haven fans post on the Worky section all the time and vice versa. If one of those clubs folded the other one would have no reason to continue, even if they had $10 million in the bank and had just signed Ponga, Latrell Mitchell and Tom Turbo.