St George Illawarra have emerged as a major threat for the signature of young gun Parramatta local junior Blaize Talagi.
The Eels have tabled a three-year deal well in excess of $1 million to retain Talagi but the Dragons have been working hard behind-the-scenes to try and get a deal done for the last couple of months.
With Red V flyer Zac Lomax set to switch clubs and join the Eels to play in the centres next season the Dragons have told Talagi there’s a clear pathway straight into the Red V NRL side in the centres.
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The development will set off alarm bells for the Eels who can ill-afford to lose the 19-year-old Westfield Sports High product.
For of all Parramatta’s blunders in the recruitment and retention space dating back to 2022 losing another local junior off the back of Ethan Sanders joining the Raiders would be a cruel blow.
The agent holding all the cards in this Eels agitation is Isaac Moses who manages the affairs of NRL rookie Talagi and also did the deal for St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan to join the Red V.
Moses is well-known for aiming at hostile takeovers at NRL clubs and it appears he’s trying to make life as uncomfortable as possible for Eels coach Brad Arthur on this one.
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Moses and Arthur are barely on talking terms at the moment meaning any negotiations on a Moses client is left to Eels chairman Sean McElduff.
It’s well-known Moses has a monopoly on the juniors coming through in the Parramatta area where he’s had lifelong strong ties.
One extremely powerful figure in the game often jokes about how Moses views NRL clubs like McDonald’s franchises.
Once he can get a head coach in at the helm then the rest of the top 30 playing roster is open for business.
Currently Moses acts as the agent for NRL head coaches Flanagan (St George Illawarra), Todd Payten (Cowboys), Adam O’Brien (Knights), Anthony Seibold (Manly) and Andrew Webster (Warriors).
Could McDonald’s Parramatta be the next item on the Moses menu?
EELS READY TO SHOP WINGER
The Parramatta Eels are quietly looking to move winger Maika Sivo.
Currently on a deal worth around $550,000-a-season, Sivo has been a shadow of the player who took the NRL by storm when he debuted back in 2019.
We’ve heard the Cowboys are interested in trying to strike a deal to bring big Maika to Townsville but have virtually no wiggle room to move in the salary cap.
Sivo was axed to NSW Cup earlier this season before being sin binned against Manly for a brain snap.
The Eels flyer has still managed to score six tries in four games this season but with Zac Lomax arriving next year Parramatta are looking to buy themselves more room in the salary cap.
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ROOSTERS’ RECRUITING MISSES
For the first time in a long time the Sydney Roosters have been dealt some hard cards at the negotiating table.
In the past month the Chooks have missed out on the signatures of big-name players Shaun Johnson, Dane Gagai and now David Fifita.
We’ve been told the Chooks discussed offering Johnson an eye-watering $850,000-a-season two year deal only for the Warriors halfback to reject the big-money play because at the age of 33 the playmaker wants to remain at home in New Zealand.
The Johnson approach was made the week before Luke Keary announced his retirement at the end of this season with the money offered the equivalent of Keary’s contract next year.
The Warriors halfback is currently on a deal worth around $550,000-a-season so you’d think the Roosters offer may have turned his head.
But when Johnson informed the Warriors of the Chooks offer he was adamant he wanted to remain at home in Auckland and ended up on a deal worth around $700,000.
The lower tax rate in New Zealand means the Roosters needed to bump their offer up to try and entice the playmaker.
Where the Roosters are tipped to have a win in the roster department next year will come in the form of gun centre Joey Manu.
Manu has signed a one year deal to play Japanese rugby next year but his commitments in the Land of the Rising Sun will be finished by the end of May.
That means the Roosters can bring him back into their set-up midway through next year.
The other situation worth monitoring is the Joseph Suaalii rugby contract.
With rugby union cash-strapped and struggling for relevance we’ve heard there’s a few people getting jittery about the $4.8 million deal.
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DOLPHINS’ NEXT DILEMMA
One of the best talent scouts in the game, the Dolphins’ Peter O’Sullivan, has a major decision to make.
The recruitment guru who unearthed the likes of Greg Inglis, Boyd Cordner, Roger Tuivasa-Scheck, Joey Manu, Latrell Mitchell and Isaiah Katoa is off contract with the Dolphins.
O’Sullivan has met with St George Illawarra chairman Andrew Lancaster and the Red V have tabled an offer to try and land the NRL talent scout.
The Dolphins are also at the negotiating table and working their way through whether O’Sullivan remains at the club or pursues another opportunity.
It would be a homecoming of sorts if O’Sullivan lands back at St George Illawarra with the recruitment guru starting his career with the St George Dragons many moons ago as an SG Ball coach.
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BLOCKER’S CALL ON NSW ORIGIN EDGE
Few people understand the battle in the middle of the field in State of Origin like champion front-rower Steve “Blocker’ Roach.
And with the Maroons missing proper enforcers Tino Fa’suamaleaui and Tom Flegler along with backrower Tom Gilbert big Blocker reckons Michael Maguire can gain a clear advantage by selecting the right forward pack.
“We can’t finesse on our way to victory, we’ve got no halves,” Blocker told us.
“We’ve got to brutalise and go after the game through the middle of the field.
“Payne Haas picks himself. The same goes for Api Koroisau.
“I still think Reagan Campbell-Gillard is the best play one front rower in the game.
“Parramatta might be struggling but it’s not his fault.
“In the backrow I’d go with Liam Martin who’s a proven, tough, big game player and Angus Crichton who’s back in form.
“The lock is Isaah Yeo every day of the week with Cameron Murray out injured.
“Then on the bench I’d go tough and uncompromising with a little bit of skill.
“I’d have Mitch Barnett, Haumole Olakau’atu and Spencer Leniu on my bench. I’m still not sure who the best no.14 is.”
Source Agencies
