Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
Wests Tigers will head into the Christmas break with huge uncertainty surrounding three of the club’s biggest names.
While the recent focus has centred on Parramatta’s fight to keep off-contract halves Mitchell Moses and the freshly re-signed Dylan Brown, the Tigers’ chase for the Eels halfback has also left them vulnerable, and if they miss out on the No.7, it could easily escalate into another failed contract circus.
It’s just one of the many unresolved sticking points that your club could exploit in the countdown to the 2023 NRL season.
At the Broncos, Herbie Farnworth’s future remains up in the air, while rival clubs are willing to pay Matt Burton in excess of $1 million-a-season to leave the Bulldogs, and the Cowboys’ Jeremiah Nanai, Penrith’s Stephen Crichton and Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona are other big ticket items creating huge interest.
Who do Broncos fans believe here? While Kevin Walters keeps saying the race to wear the Brisbane No.1 jumper remains wide open, Adam Reynolds has already stated the club didn’t buy Reece Walsh to play in the halves. What can’t be ignored is Farnworth is one of the game’s hottest talents still up for grabs, and has indicated he wants a crack at fullback. He would be enormous for a number of clubs, including the Dolphins, Knights and the Tigers.
BULLDOGS
The mail here is rival clubs have pretty much conceded they’ve got Buckley’s of tempting Burton away from the Bulldogs despite monster seven-figure offers that are coming his way. Phil Gould is also closing in on Stephen Crichton, after previously signing Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney on big money deals. It makes you wonder how Canterbury could possibly also fit in Moses under the salary cap. Although it certainly hasn’t stopped them having a crack.
Ricky Stuart has made no secret the Raiders are going hard for David Fifita. But the other big contract situation that is flying under the radar down at Canberra surrounds Jack Wighton, given the star five-eighth also has a player option in his favour for 2024. Wighton is already on massive money, so it is hard to see him leaving, but he is certainly a player who would attract genuine big money interest if he puts himself on the market.
SHARKS
Some big decisions still to be made in the Shire with backline stars Will Kennedy, Jesse Ramien and Sione Katoa all free agents for 2024. Kennedy in particular is an interesting one with so much hype around young Kade Dykes. That battle could become a real talking point in 2023.
DOLPHINS
Wayne Bennett is still searching for a marquee man after Dylan Brown became the latest big name to reject the Dolphins’ massive offer. They are also interested in off-contract Broncos Farnworth and Tesi Niu, although it’s understood they did promise Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow first crack at fullback when the “Hammer” put pen to paper recently.
