Dragons eye Broncos duo Matt Gillett and Kodi Nikorima but teammates don’t want them to go
BRISBANE stars have appealed for Wayne Bennett to keep two off-contract players after it emerged they have been shopped to the Dragons.
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BRONCOS stars have appealed for Wayne Bennett to keep Matt Gillett and Kodi Nikorima as it emerged the off-contract duo have been shopped to the Dragons.
The in-form Gillett and supersub Nikorima have a chance to increase their bargaining power when they confront the Dragons on Thursday night at Suncorp Stadium.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Gillett will have to sacrifice $200,000 to stay at the Broncos, while Nikorima is testing his value on the open market after his sizzling solo try against the Titans last week.
The Dragons are one NRL rival desperate for firepower. The joint venture club has the worst attack in the league after five rounds, having scored just 40 points, and would relish the offensive punch offered by Gillett and Nikorima.
The Broncos are battling salary cap pressures as they look to broker an extension for skipper Corey Parker and if Gillett opts to stay, there is a fear the club could lose Nikorima.
Coach Bennett has privately spoken to Gillett and Nikorima about their futures at the club. Broncos fullback Darius Boyd won a title alongside Bennett at the Dragons in 2010, but hopes the duo shun the Red V to chase a premiership ring at Red Hill.
“I’m really hoping we can keep them (Gillett and Nikorima),” Boyd said.
“Kodi is our Mr Fixit and he’s not just a fill-in player, he can actually play really well in several positions.
“When Benny Hunt couldn’t play in England (during the World Club Series in February), Kodi scored a few tries and didn’t look out of place at halfback. His try (against the Titans last Friday) was pretty special.
“It looked really sharp, the way he came out and dummied, he has a lot of speed and skill and to score from 30m out, it really lifted the boys. That’s what Kodi does for this team, he’s something special.”
The Broncos remain confident of retaining Gillett, who is settled in Brisbane and reluctant to shift his young family to NSW.
But with several Sydney-based clubs offering $700,000 a season, the Maroons ace has bargaining power as the 27-year-old weighs up the most important contract of his career.
Broncos prop Josh McGuire knocked back more lucrative offers last year to remain at Red Hill and urged Gillett to put potential premierships ahead of pennies.
“Gillo is a massive part of this club and I’d hate to see him leave,” McGuire said. “It’s up to the club to keep him, but we have a great culture going on here and a successful team of blokes.
“It’s always hard to see a good player and friend leave and I wouldn’t begrudge ‘Gillo’ if he wanted an opportunity elsewhere, but you want to keep your best players together. ”
The Broncos named an unchanged squad to the team that beat the Titans 24-16, with Bennett hoping Nikorima can continue his game-breaking brilliance off interchange.
“That’s what we’ve got him there for and that’s what we want him to produce,” Bennett said.
“He can’t do it every week but he is playing with a bit more confidence now than when he started the season. ”
Originally published as Dragons eye Broncos duo Matt Gillett and Kodi Nikorima but teammates don’t want them to go
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