NRL transfer: Lachlan Lewis eyes Super League chance, Wests Tigers hose down Scott talk
Bulldogs playmaker Lachlan Lewis fields a big money offer from the UK while Wests Tigers hose down Curtis Scott rumours — latest NRL player movements.
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Bulldogs fan favourite Lachlan Lewis is considering a rich offer to join an English Super League club.
Lewis was forced to make way for Kyle Flanagan this week as the Bulldogs continue to chop and change their halves despite recent strong showings.
It is unlikely that Lewis will remain at the Bulldogs as he now weighs up if he wants to move to England.
While England is an option, Lewis is hopeful of remaining in the NRL.
He is just 24, and has played 42 top grade games since making his debut in 2018.
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TIGERS CLEAR UP SCOTT SIGNING TALK
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has closed the door on Raiders centre Curtis Scott joining the club this season.
The enigmatic Scott, seemingly on the outer with Canberra, had been linked with a move to the Tigers before the August 1st trade deadline.
But Maguire shut down any chance of the 23-year old replenishing the Tigers backline stocks.
“We’re approached as a club by many, we seem to get linked to most players across the game. At the present moment we’re not going down that path,” Maguire said.
“He’s contracted with the Raiders. I’m not quite sure where the Raiders sit with him, but they’ve got him now and I don’t understand why they’re not utilizing him at the present moment.
“But they also have him signed for next year – where that goes, that’s up to the Raiders.”
Scott was not part of the initial Raiders bubble in Queensland but is expected to resume training with the Green Machine on Friday.
ROOSTERS SIGN BRONCOS CENTRE
The Roosters have signed Broncos centre Dale Copley for the remainder of the 2021 season.
The 29-year-old will link with the Roosters ahead of the August 1 transfer deadline which is due to expire on Sunday.
It will be Copley’s second stint at the tri-colours having played a season under Roosters coach Trent Robinson in 2016.
Copley has been signed by the Chooks to help the injury-crisis in their outside backs that includes Brett Morris (retired), Billy Smith (foot), Joseph Suaalii (foot) and Matt Ikuvalu (ankle).
WARRIORS’ HAKA FOR DEPARTING RTS
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been farewelled by his Warriors teammates with a rousing rendition of the haka.
Tuivasa-Sheck is flying home to New Zealand to beat the border closure with Australia, ahead of taking up a rugby contract.
Tuivasa-Sheck, who is joining the Auckland Blues, leaves the NRL as one of the most celebrated players of the last 10 years.
WATCH THE VIDEO IN THE PLAYER ABOVE
DOGS HALF LAUGHS OFF SUPER SWITCH
By Nick Campton
Canterbury halfback Kyle Flanagan has hosed down any potential move to Super League as the Bulldogs halfback prepares for another return to the NRL.
Flanagan has endured a difficult season at Belmore after being dropped from the top squad twice, but the 22-year-old rubbished claims he had been offered up to clubs in England for next season.
“That was a funny one,” Flanagan said. “I know there was a report they were trying to get my old man (Shane) over there. But there’s nothing there.
“I didn’t really worry about it. Sometimes you have to laugh about the things that get put in the media. I know where I am on my journey of my football career and I want to keep improving each week.
“I’ll always back my own ability and I know where I stand here at the Bulldogs.”
Flanagan is under contract until the end of 2023 but could find it difficult to crack Trent Barrett’s backline given the wealth of recruits they’ve already landed for next year.
With Matt Burton set to take up the five-eighth spot and Jake Averillo impressing through this season, Flanagan could be on the back foot.
But the former Rooster and Shark has a chance to press his claims over the rest of the season, starting this week when he partners Averillo in the halves against the Titans.
However, Flanagan says he’s not looking at it that way and is focused solely on helping the luckless Bulldogs string some wins together.
“I’m on my own journey in my own part of my career,” Flanagan said. “I’m just trying to improve each week and not worry about (next year). I want to continue on with my journey as a football player, I want to win games for this footy club.
“Sitting at the bottom of the ladder doesn’t sit well with me. There hasn’t been any chat about that (the wooden spoon). Everyone knows where we sit on the ladder but there’s six weeks left. We string a few wins together it’ll take care of itself.”
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Flanagan over the past two years but the talented halfback is set on making his mark over the final stretch of the competition.
Not too long ago he was counted as one of the best up-and-coming halves in the competition — and Flanagan is confident he can make the best of his latest recall to the top grade.
“Baz just wants me to go out there and enjoy my footy,” he said. “Sometimes we can overcomplicate things quite a bit, he just wants me to go out there and enjoy myself and play my natural game, get myself into the game as best I can.
“I think I said it before, that’s probably been the hardest part of my career. I’m a positive person and I train so hard, and I had a goal in mind to get back into this footy team.
“My moment is here now and I can’t wait to get on the field on Sunday.”
Bulldogs throw Vaughan NRL lifeline
By Michael Carayannis
Paul Vaughan will resurrect his career as a Bulldog after agreeing to join the club next season.
It is understood Vaughan will accept a 12-month deal as he tries to re-establish himself as an NRL player.
He was banned for eight games, fined $50,000 and eventually sacked by the Dragons after hosting his now infamous BBQ.
It is expected the games he misses this year will count towards his suspension despite not being a registered NRL player.
The NRL will consider an application from the Bulldogs in order to have him available for round one.
The Dragons ripped up the final year of his deal worth about $800,000. He will join the Bulldogs for less than half of that.
Ex-Dragons teammate Matt Dufty, who was also suspended for attending Vaughan’s house, will join him at Canterbury next year.
The Bulldogs have added some real star power to their forward stocks. Vaughan, Tevita Pangai Jnr will be new additions to a pack which has Josh Jackson, Adam Elliott, Luke Thompson and Jack Hetherington already at the club.
Souths favourite on Sharks’ radar
By Dean Ritchie
After signing new coach Craig Fitzgibbon, the Sharks have also nailed down high-profile recruits Dale Finucane, Cam McInnes and Nicho Hynes.
Could South Sydney’s Braidon Burns be next?
Burns, 25, comes off contract at Redfern after this season and has been targeted by the Sharks. Souths are keen to retain Burns and talks between his manager Allan Gainey and club officials are set to accelerate this week after fellow centre Dane Gagai joined Newcastle.
“Braidon’s first preference would be to stay but he really has to look at where the best opportunity is for him to play regular first grade,” Gainey said. “Because he is a genuine, week-in, week-out, first grader.
“There was a genuine interest in a centre (at Cronulla) and his name was mentioned. I will follow that up. I don’t know how Cronulla’s dollars are right now because they have spent a bit in the last week. We will follow it through if required. Braidon lives in Cronulla.”
Gainey said Burns has returned strongly after his career was stalled and disrupted by several significant injuries.
Rabbitohs coach-in-waiting, Jason Demetriou, is known to be a fan of Burns, who is immensely popular at Souths. Burns played well in last weekend’s big win over the Warriors.
“Braidon is now injury-free and is really starting to hit his straps,” Gainey said. “He has been a bit starved of footy but that is only natural given the team Souths have at the moment.
“It was always on the basis that we would talk more seriously when we knew what Gagai was doing because I think Braidon’s best position is centre. There isn’t any urgency but it is one that needs to be put away.”
South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly is hopeful a deal can be struck with Burns.
“Braidon has been with us for five seasons now and has impressed everyone at the club with his character, humility and tenacity to recover from a number of serious injuries,” Solly said.
“It has been great to see him getting regular NRL football over the last few weeks and we will get an opportunity to discuss his future with Al (Gainey) in the coming weeks”.
Gainey is hoping to secure Burns a two-year contract.
“Hopefully he is through all those injury problems he had,” Gainey said. “Among those was a dislocated knee cap. That was just bad luck.”
Why RTS pulled pin early on Warriors
By Fatima Kdouh
Facing the reality of being stuck in Australia “indefinitely”, Warriors skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has ended his NRL career and will return to New Zealand on Thursday.
After six seasons and 111 games for the Warriors, Tuivasa-Sheck was set to switch to union at season’s end.
But with New Zealand shutting its borders to Australia, as the country’s Covid crisis escalates, the superstar fullback requested an early release to head home immediately.
The New Zealand government has given Kiwis seven days to return home, quarantine free, before closing the border for at least eight weeks.
“I was a real tough decision,” Tuivasa-Sheck said.
“I was trying to get my family to come back over to Australia so we can be here for eight weeks and go about our business but, unfortunately I wasn’t too sure when we would be able to return home and that was the issue.
“It was a tough decision to leave this group and leave this club.
“It’s a sad way to end my time at the club.”
RTS returning home.
— Vodafone Warriors (@NZWarriors) July 26, 2021
Sorry #WarriorNation, not the kind of news you need on a Monday 🥺
Read: https://t.co/HXZkm3wvwwpic.twitter.com/HKvZSpvZmx
Tuivasa-Sheck, who is joining the Auckland Blues, leaves the NRL as one of the most celebrated players of the last 10 years.
After winning the title with the Sydney Roosters in 2013, where he made his debut and played 84 games, Tuivasa-Sheck became the first Warriors player to win the coveted Dally M Medal in 2018.
Fellow Kiwis Issac Luke, Jazz Tevaga, Jordan Rapana and Jamayne Isaako famously performed an emotionally charged impromptu Haka to honour Tuivasa-Sheck’s achievement.
There was also tears on Monday morning when the 28-year-old broke the news to his Warriors teammates in their team room at the Mecure Resort on the Gold Coast.
“It was tough to hold back the tear, the boys were disappointed even though they are supportive,” Tuivasa-Sheck.
While Tuivasa-Sheck has certainty over his immediate future, Warriors teammates are once again limbo.
Warriors CEO Cameron George revealed the earliest quarantine spots for players to start returning to New Zealand won’t be for at least eight weeks. There is a possibility the Warriors are forced to stay in Australia until December.
“The movement of Covid in Australia has been rapid … the Prime Minister of New Zealand announced the pausing of the trans-Tasman bubble for eight weeks. That takes affect from this Friday,” George said.
“Our situation is we can’t travel for the next eight weeks because there are no quarantine spots available, which means we’ll stay well beyond the footy season.
Not the kind of news but RTS gave everything to the Warriors and showed real character whenever he donned the jersey.
— Rugby League ON-REPORT! (@rl_report) July 26, 2021
When fans talk about great club ambassadors, Roger's name will be one of the first said.
“It doesn’t give us clarity with what happens beyond the eight weeks, the first available option is early December, we’re hopefully things work in our favour and we’re on a plane on the 25th of September.”
The Warriors have been based in Australia since March last year, unable to get home given the continued uncertainty around Covid.
Last year, homesickness meant four players, David Fusitu’a, Ken Maumalo, Agnatius Paasi and King Vuniyayawa, travelled back to New Zealand.
George said no other player than Tuivasa-Sheck would be returning home immediately but the option is available.
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