NRL 2021: Broncos’ Brodie Croft reveals private pain behind Salford move | Sports Confidential
Broncos halfback Brodie Croft has opened up on his mother-in-law’s Covid battle in the UK. That and more in Sports Confidential.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It hasn’t been an easy season for Brodie Croft, but the Broncos halfback has been waging a difficult off-field battle as a family member wages a fight for her life after contracting Covid.
It is a tribute to Croft‘s professionalism that he has competed each week for the Broncos while his partner’s mother, who is living in England, has suffered what doctors have described as one of the worst Covid cases in the UK.
Croft has signed with English club Salford for next season and says his mother-in-law‘s struggle has put he and partner Safina through an emotional wringer.
Watch The 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership Live & On-Demand on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
“Saf’s mum is terminally ill, she has been on life support for the last eight months,” he said.
“That‘s made it even tougher for me. She has been paralysed and hasn’t been able to talk.
“There were plenty of nights where I went to bed thinking we might get a phone call through the night.
“Saf‘s mum got Covid a couple of days before New Year’s, just after our son was born. She has been in hospital on life support ever since.
“She has copped the worst of it really. I haven‘t seen anything like that. The doctors over there reckon she is one of the worst cases they have seen.
“That was another part of the decision to go over there and be closer to Saf‘s family. My partner doesn’t have any family here so that was another major reason to make the move to England.”
OH MO! FIFITA DEAL COULD COST TITANS
The Gold Coast Titans‘ decision to splash $1.2 million on David Fifita is set to cost them at the negotiating table when it comes to retaining fellow Queensland Origin stars Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Moeaki Fotuaika.
Fa‘asuamaleaui and Fotuaika are open to poaching raids from November 1 when they become available for the 2023 NRL season, with Fotuaika already rejecting a contract extension offer from the Titans.
The Maroons duo are both off-contract at the end of 2022, with Fa‘asuamaleaui holding an option in his favour to remain at the Titans in 2023.
But the Gold Coast‘s big spending on Fifita could make it harder for them to retain Fa’asuamaleaui and Fotuaika.
Fa‘asuamaleaui is on a deal worth about $600,000-a-season while Fotuaika is paid less than that, yet you could argue their form is more consistent than Fifita’s.
Fa‘asuamaleaui is also expected to seek a significant upgrade after 2022, leaving the Titans with some big decisions to make on how much they spend on their star forward pack.
Meanwhile, the club is set to slap a ban on player options in contracts after being hamstrung by prop Herman Ese‘ese.
Ese‘ese has been a major flop in his first season at the Titans, playing just three NRL games despite being paid about $450,000-a-season.
The Titans would have happily let Ese‘ese walk at the end of this year, but he had an option in his favour to remain at the Titans in 2022 which he has activated.
The Titans are now stuck with a highly-paid forward who hasn‘t been sighted in the NRL since Magic Round in what could be one of the worst signings of the season.
It will be the last time the Titans agree to a player option in a contract, something the Broncos learnt the hard way with Matt Lodge.
SHOOSH
Which clipboard-holder was filthy to be left out of a News Corporation story on Sunday profiling the next 15 NRL coaches-in-waiting?
NO GOOD WILL HUNTING FOR BRONCOS
The Broncos were keen on Dane Gagai earlier this season but there is one centre with Queensland Origin experience they won‘t be signing - Cronulla’s controversial man-of-the-moment Will Chambers.
Brisbane were linked with Chambers late last year when he was looking to return from Japanese rugby and it is understood the 33-year-old has reached out to Broncos officials to explore a possible career finale at Red Hill.
There is no doubting Chambers‘ pedigree. He has an outstanding NRL resume, having won a premiership at Melbourne, amassed 224 first-grade games, as well as 13 Origin matches for the Maroons and seven Tests for Australia.
The Broncos are crying out for some backline experience, but Brisbane have no interest in one final contract for Chambers. The Sharks veteran has created a firestorm in the NRL over the past fortnight with his sledging tactics, including a savage attack last week on former Broncos prop Matt Lodge, who is now at the Warriors.
Under the new leadership of CEO Dave Donaghy and football boss Ben Ikin, the Broncos are looking to sign not only quality players, but people of the finest character. Brisbane don‘t want destabilising figures at their club in their bid to hit back as a finals force.
STORM SIGN SON OF A GUN
The Melbourne Storm have signed club legend Matt Geyer‘s son, who is also Cameron Smith’s protege.
Sport Confidential revealed in May that the Storm were looking at recruiting Cole Geyer and now it is official.
Geyer has inked a two-year development contract with the Storm starting next year.
Geyer is a crafty hooker, much like his godfather Smith, who has taken him under his wing.
The most-capped player in NRL history and an Immortal-in-waiting, Smith has been spotted coaching Geyer around the Gold Coast and is a keen observer at his games for the Burleigh Bears.
The Storm have high hopes that Geyer can follow in his father and godfather‘s footsteps and become a quality player for Melbourne.
EXPANSION WAR EXPLODES OVER CAPRAS
The NRL‘s expansion battle has exploded following revelations the Firehawks and Jets have both signed agreements with the Central Queensland Capras.
The Firehawks on Tuesday announced a five-year deal with the Capras, contingent upon their entry to the NRL, but the Jets have also secured a feeder-club arrangement with the in-demand Central Queensland region.
The Central Queensland area is the Sunshine State‘s No.1 breeding ground, home to more than 8000 registered players, so it’s no surprise expansion feathers are flying in the battle between the Jets and Firehawks for the fertile footballing nursery.
It is understood the Jets negotiated a deal with the Capras before the Firehawks but the reality is only one proposed second Brisbane team can ultimately service the region.
“We‘ve spoken to Peter White (Capras boss) and the Central Queensland team for several years well before the Firehawks,” Jets official Nick Livermore said.
“But there is no point touting the arrangement because we don‘t have an NRL licence yet.
“It‘s up to the Firehawks if they want to make an announcement, but we have also identified the Central Queensland area and the reality is only one winning bid will be able to work with them.
“Shane Richardson (Firehawks bid chief) knows rugby league better than most and he has identified the same thing as we have - that Central Queensland is an important area for rugby league to service.
“Central Queensland is the largest nursery for participation in the state. The good part of having a new NRL team in Queensland is the ability to service that area.”
CONTRACT HEARTBREAK FOR LEVI
Danny Levi‘s wish to remain at the Broncos has suffered a blow with Brisbane deciding not to sign the hooker to a new deal.
Just 24 hours ago, Levi appealed for the Broncos to hand him a new contract as he prepares to start in the No.9 jumper in place of injured Jake Turpin against the Roosters on Friday night.
But Sport Confidential understands Levi‘s appeal has fallen on deaf ears with the Broncos having no room for the 25-year-old under the salary cap for next season.
The former New Zealand hooker has impressed in his short time at the Broncos, but Levi may have to emulate Brisbane teammate Brodie Croft and chase a fresh start in the English Super League next season.
NRL CLUBS URGED TO POACH PNG‘S NEW OLAM
Melbourne Storm centre sensation Justin Olam has urged more NRL clubs to take a punt on Papua New Guinea‘s untapped talent, including one of the fastest players in the Intrust Super Cup.
Olam has been a revelation for the Storm over the past few seasons and could now be regarded as one of the NRL‘s top centres.
He has made tremendous progress since debuting for the Storm in 2018 and become a cut-price strike weapon for Melbourne.
Now Olam wants to see more PNG talent given a chance in the NRL.
“There are heaps of players that are better players over there,“ he said.
“Unfortunately for PNG players there’s not enough pathways to come to the NRL.
“In saying that, the PNG Hunters are doing a really good to expose some of the players there.
“There is a lot of talent that needs to be tapped. The players need exposure.
“The big thing coming from PNG is we don’t have the good system to teach us about rugby league.
“They play the game with pure talent. They just need a good system and good coaching like at Melbourne to get help.
“That’s what happened to me. When I first came here I felt like I had to learn rugby league all over again.“
Olam said PNG Hunters flyer Solo Wane could set the NRL alight if given the opportunity.
With six tries in six games this season, Wane has produced a remarkable highlights reel this year with his scintillating speed.
“The winger is playing really well,“ Olam said.
“He is really fast and someone whose highlights I love to watch.
“He is a big guy and runs really quickly. I like his speed.“
ROOSTERS ARE COVID BOOSTERS
The Sydney Roosters‘ attitude during the Covid crisis underlines why they are one of the most impressive clubs in the league.
While they are a powerhouse on the field, off it the Bondi glamour club demonstrated their compassion by supporting the wives and children of Roosters players during their time in Queensland‘s Covid quarantine.
“The last few weeks have been tough on the wives and families, so we sent them hampers with a bottle of wine, cheeses and chocolates,” Roosters supremo Nick Politis said.
“We got some fruit, toys and games for the kids. We‘ve also done that for the wives who can’t travel to Queensland.
“We do these things because that‘s our culture at the Roosters, we love to look after our people.”
DARIUS KICKS ON IN RETIREMENT
Former Broncos skipper Darius Boyd continues to make huge strides in his post-footy career with his corporate mental health programs now in demand.
Boyd delivered a workshop with Altus Traffic last Friday week just before lockdown, using the lessons from his own mental health challenges mixed in with significant study Boyd has done in recent years.
Boyd’s program is called “The I in Team” — based on the premise that an individual can’t contribute to a work team unless they have positive mental health.
Boyd’s program includes a fascinating breakdown of the cultures inside the many winning teams he played in during his 15-year career, examining the standards, personalities and performance factors and relating those to the corporate sector.
NRL HOLDS FIRE ON RULE CHANGES
The NRL has no plans to test more new rules in the back end of the season.
With a host of meaningless games between bottom eight teams to come in the final four rounds, there is an opportunity for the NRL to experiment with different rules.
But after mass changes this year, the NRL does not have any plans to further mix up the game.
“There’s been no discussions about that,“ NRL head of football Graham Annesley said.
“Our focus is on getting the season complete.
“We’ve got teams living away from home, we’ve had lockdowns, teams on protocols. Our focus is on having a great finals series and getting to the grand final.“
More Coverage
Originally published as NRL 2021: Broncos’ Brodie Croft reveals private pain behind Salford move | Sports Confidential
Gus’ ‘doctored’ claim ignites NRL conspiracy
The NRL Grand Final’s controversial no try scandal has taken a wild turn despite the game releasing the angle the decision was based on.
Kangaroos selection shocks: NRL legends’ Test careers appear over
Mal Meninga has dropped a major selection bombshell by overlooking both James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga for Kangaroos selection, with the list of surprise omissions and debutants not ending there. See the full squad.