Off Season Rumours and Talk..

[Macarthur Saints]

Let's keep this forum active and keep your eye out for off season talk and strong rumours.

Dragons signed Stuart Webb this week and have raised the bar in trying to lure The Storms Jeremy Smith with a increase in the original offer made to him..

English Club Hull have taken a interest in him also. So the tug-o-war begins..


Post Post Post awayyyyyyyyy

[yeenar69]

wests Tigers denied Robbie Farah for playing for Lebanon after being yet again snubbed by the Australian team yet they allowed a number of players to play for the kiwis ... not wise IMO they cannot afford to loose Robbie

[Macarthur Saints]

Dragons have appeared to have signed The Storms Jeremy Smith..

That would have to make us strong in attack, that would be the biggest signing we have done since Martin offiah many years ago..

[dogsact]

It doesn't matter who leaves the Storm. We take everyones discards and turn them into stars. Bellamy is the best coach around at the moment. I bet we turn up another star next season as well. And we will beat you all again! Especially your team Yeenar! ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Scorger Man]

Excuse me dogsact, if you are refering to the West Tigers (WT), I can inform you that WT was one of the only teams to beat the storm this year and even though it was a WT home game, it was played at Gosford (and we lost B. Marshall in the first 5 minutes)

If i'm spewing about anything, it was letting Chase Stanley go the Dragons - imagine the halves combination of Marshall and Stanley?? They went to school together, both kiwis and we let him go.......ohh well, we all make mistakes

[yeenar69]

Other Wests Tigers players let go over the last few years were Cashmere, Lima, Ben Roberts, Rangi Chase , DeGoise and the winger for the Warriors sad sad sad ... BTW

[Beaussie]

It doesn't matter who leaves the Storm.

Surely talk of Falou leaving would be a worry for the Storm.

[dogsact]

Falou? Whos he? Is he any good? ha ha

He will be here next year. But yeah, it would be a real shame if he left. But if his heart is telling him to undertake his mission, far be it for the club to stand in the way. He sounds like he really loves it at the Storm, but who knows. I hope he stays.

[yeenar69]

but he is a wets tigers junior btw Minto hehehe

[Macarthur Saints]

JARRYD HAYNE, Israel Folau and Krisnan Inu - the three emerging superstars who grew up together in Minto - are set to be the most sought-after names on the NRL transfer market when clubs can begin negotiating with rival players next week.

Under changes to the anti-tampering laws introduced this year, November 1 has become the new June 30 and clubs are queueing up for talks with the trio for 2009 if Parramatta hasn't secured Hayne and Inu beyond and Folau isn't committed to Melbourne before Wednesday.

With all three having broken into Test football this year, the Eels are likely to struggle to retain both Hayne and Inu, while Folau will command offers worth up to 10 times the $35,000 contract the 18-year-old centre was on at the start of the season when his ambitions were simply to play first grade for the Storm.

"Izzy could have played in the SG Ball [under-18s] competition this season but he ended playing for Australia," Folau's manager Isaac Moses said.

Inu, 20, also made his NRL debut this season. Hayne was the 2006 rookie of the year - an award that Folau won this season.

"I will be meeting with [Melbourne CEO] Brian Waldron in the next week or two and we'll see what happens after that," said Moses, who also manages Inu.

Whether or not Inu stays at Parramatta may depend on what Hayne does, and the 19-year-old NSW and Australian winger's manager Wayne Beavis yesterday emailed Eels boss Denis Fitzgerald to arrange a meeting.

South Sydney CEO Shane Richardson confirmed his club's interest in the son of former Rabbitohs player Manoa Thompson, while Cronulla has also been strongly linked to Hayne following the appointment of long-serving Parramatta football manager Tony Zappia as the new Sharks chief executive.

"We certainly have an interest in Jarryd, he's a great young player and his father has got a history with our club," Richardson said. "But I'm sure there will be 15 other clubs just as keen on him."

Fitzgerald said the Eels, who also have five-eighth Brett Finch coming off contract next season, planned to meet with Beavis and Moses within the next month.

While clubs can approach rival players from November 1, contracts can't be registered with the NRL before round 13 of next season's premiership without the consent of the player's current club, but there will be no shortage of activity over the coming months as several big-name players come off contract next year.

Among them are North Queensland fullback Matt Bowen and St George Illawarra centre Matt Cooper, whom the new owners of Wigan have reportedly targeted as their first high-profile recruit for next season.

When contacted by the Herald, Cooper said he had not received any approach and speculated that if Wigan were interested in his services, it may be for 2009.

Newcastle captain Danny Buderus, his Wests Tigers counterpart Brett Hodgson and Bulldogs halfback Brent Sherwin are other players expected to be in the sights of big-spending Super League clubs.

The Tigers also have Benji Marshall off contract next year, but his agent Martin Tauber said that after undergoing a fifth shoulder operation mid-season, the talented playmaker wanted to get some games under his belt before worrying about a new deal.

"Because he has been seen a few times on the Gold Coast, because he went to school on the Gold Coast and because [former Tigers halfback] Scott Prince plays for the Gold Coast, some people have speculated that Benji might be going there, but we have not spoken to anyone about his playing future," Tauber said.

In contrast, Beavis yesterday met Cowboys officials to start negotiations for Bowen, and he is expected to begin speaking to other clubs from Wednesday.

Manly's Test fullback Brent Stewart is also a free agent after next season if he chooses to exercise a clause in his contract, but the Sea Eagles are negotiating to sign him to a long-term deal.

Other stars off contract next season include Souths winger Nathan Merritt and captain Peter Cusack, Melbourne's Test lock Dallas Johnson, Roosters internationals Braith Anasta and Anthony Tupou, Bulldogs centre Willie Tonga, Penrith's Trent Waterhouse, Luke Lewis and Luke Rooney, Cronulla prop Luke Douglas and Dragons twins Brett and Josh Morris.

Big names on the market

Braith Anasta (Roosters)

Matt Bowen (Cowboys)

Danny Buderus (Knights)

Matt Cooper (Dragons)

Brett Finch (Eels)

Israel Folau (Storm)

Jarryd Hayne (Eels)

Krisnan Inu (Eels)

Dallas Johnson (Storm)

Luke Lewis (Panthers)

Benji Marshall (Tigers)

Nathan Merritt (Souths)

Brett Stewart (Manly)

Willie Tonga (Bulldogs)

Taniela Tuiaki (Tigers)

Anthony Tupou (Roosters)

Trent Waterhouse (Panthers)

Carl Webb (Cowboys)