Inside Mail: Home of all the hottest NRL news and gossip

RABBITOHS livewire set to walk out on Souths to join the Broncos and more in this week’s edition of The Inside Mail – home of the hottest NRL news and gossip

The Courier-Mail’s rugby league team.

Welcome to The Inside Mail: Home of all the hottest NRL news and gossip.

BUNNIES LIVEWIRE BRISBANE BOUND?

ANOTHER crisis has hit strife-torn Souths with key playmaker Cody Walker set to sensationally renege on his new Rabbitohs deal to join the Broncos over a pay dispute.

The Inside Mail can reveal Walker will sign with Brisbane within days unless the Rabbitohs come to the party with an urgent upgrade for the 26-year-old.

Walker will decide his future next week, just days before Souths’ clash with the Broncos at ANZ Stadium.

The Rabbitohs are already battling drama on several fronts with centre Kirisome Auva’a facing a 12-week drug ban and forward utility Paul Carter fighting for his NRL career after an off-field indiscretion.

Now they are in danger of losing Walker, who has become a critical part of Souths’ scrumbase plans following the impending departure of Luke Keary to the Roosters next season.

Walker agreed to a two-year deal with Souths last month but technically remains a free agent as he has not formally inked the contract or had it registered with the NRL.

That has opened the door for the Broncos, who are ready to table a fresh three-year deal worth around $600,000 after their initial bid for Walker failed last month.

Souths boss Shane Richardson was holidaying in Ireland last week when he was notified of Walker’s desire for a pay rise.

The Rabbitohs are desperately trying to put together a revised offer, but if the upgrade does not meet Walker’s asking price, he will be in Broncos colours next season.

Walker has been among Souths’ best players in recent weeks and the Broncos regard him as a valuable utility who can be a Shaun Berrigan-style game-breaker off interchange.

Rabbitoh Cody Walker could be on his way to the Broncos.

CRONK TO INK NEW STORM DEAL

IT has been one of the more drawn out contract negotiations but Cooper Cronk is on the verge of inking a deal to stay at the Storm.

The Inside Mail has been told the Storm are confident of finalising a deal to ensure Cronk remains a one-club player after the Origin series finishes next week.

Cronk started the year a little slow but has been in hot touch recently.

When Dally M voting went behind closed doors he was equal leader with Cameron Smith and Ryan James.

The Storm are also hoping to re-sign young forward Felise Kaufusi who is in Origin camp with the Maroons.

Cooper Cronk will announce a new deal with the Storm next week.

MAROONS TASTE VICTORY ... AGAIN, AND AGAIN

THE Maroons’ celebrations for their Origin series victory this week weren’t just limited to the current group of players.

The Queensland team had a few quiet ones at a South Brisbane hotel on Monday night and again at the team hotel in South Bank on Tuesday.

They didn’t get much of a chance to celebrate after Origin II due to many players having to back up a few days later in NRL matches.

The whole team was together on Tuesday night along with a player who would have been in the side if he didn’t suffer a career-ending injury.

Former Broncos flyer Jharal Yow Yeh was a welcome guest among the playing group.

Yow Yeh played three games for Queensland in 2011 before suffering an ankle injury that ended his career in 2012.

Former Origin and Broncos stars Justin Hodges and Jharal Yow Yeh.

INJUIRY BLOW FOR BRONCOS

IN a blow for the Broncos, it sounds like their super sub Kodi Nikorima could be sidelined for up to six weeks after dislocating his shoulder in last Friday’s loss to the Storm.

A Brisbane official told The Inside Mail that while Nikorima has not been seen this week due to the bye, it was understood he was facing four to six weeks out.

Scans showed he did not need an operation but there was enough damage for him to miss a fair chunk of game time.

This could open the door for a young Intrust Super Cup star to make their way into the side, with Nikorima proving to be Brisbane’s Mr Fix-It in recent weeks.

Kodi Nikorima could be sidelined for up to six weeks with a shoulder injury.

BRISBANE STARS REFRESH FOR TITLE TILT

THE Broncos have given themselves a much-needed refresh this week with the bye.

After losing five of their last six games, Brisbane’s best have escaped the city to spend time with their loved ones and reset.

The likes of Adam Blair, Ben Hunt, Jordan Kahu and Andrew McCullough headed south to Byron Bay while Alex Glenn took his partner and son across the ditch to New Zealand.

Broncos fans will be hoping the break puts them back in the winner’s circle after next week.

BRONCOS RUMOURS ARE JUST THAT

IF YOU believe the Broncos rumours, Brisbane will field a 2018 team featuring Greg Inglis, James Segeyaro and Semi Radradra.

All those players have been named as being Broncos bound in the past month and the rumour mill is in overdrive.

Anything is possible in rugby league but it is unlikely any of them will end up in a Broncos jersey.

Inglis will retire in Brisbane and could have a swan-song season with the Broncos but that is three years away.

His management is asking for too much money for the Broncos to be a consideration for next season or 2018.

Radradra has connections to Brisbane through recruitment manager Peter Nolan who discovered him playing sevens but he would have to take a drastic pay cut to play for Brisbane who don’t spend money on wingers.

Segeyaro is simply not on their radar.

Rumours that Greg Inglis will sign with the Broncos just won’t go away.

HOLMES IS WHERE THE SHARK IS

A MORE likely target for Brisbane is Cronulla Sharks sensation Valentine Holmes who is being singled out by the Queensland Reds.

Holmes is off contract at the end of next season and wants to return to Queensland so he is only one flight away from his Townsville family

This is why he is entertaining the Reds interest.

Brisbane again though will not pay big dollars for wingers, which Holmes who turns 21 this month, would be at the Broncos.

The Broncos are unlikely to re-sign Jack Reed and when they shift Jordan Kahu to left centre for 2018 they will need genuine speed on the right wing.

The Reds are gunning for league talent because there simply isn’t enough union talent to support five teams.

They are keen on Cowboys prodigy Kalyn Ponga, Broncos winger Lachlan Maranta and Holmes among others.

The Broncos meanwhile are looking for outside back depth for 2017 but have ruled out interest in Cowboys centre Javid Bowen who is set to stay in Townsville.

Cronulla Sharks player Valentine Holmes could be on his way home to Queensland.

COWBOYS TO LOSE KEY MAN?

NORTH Queensland’s premiership success could cost the Cowboys one of their key clipboard holders.

Assistant coach Dave Furner is attracting plenty of interest from Super League clubs.

Furner was a key figure in last year’s premiership, providing an experienced sounding board alongside John Cartwright for head coach Paul Green.

Cartwright, the former Gold Coast Titans coach, headed to Manly this year to assist Trent Barrett.

Huddersfield is one club on the lookout for a new head coach. Andy Kelly is currently stand-in coach of the Giants.

Furner coached Canberra from 2009-13 before making way for Ricky Stuart.

Green made a conscious effort to surround himself with experienced coaches and it paid off as the Cowboys collected their first title.

FOOTY SHOW TAKES A HIT

THE impact of 60 Minutes’ disastrous story on Sally Faulkner has spread to rugby league with Channel Nine now unable to secure NRL talent because of budget constraints.

The Inside Mail can reveal Nine had been trying to sign NRL stars in the past month to appearance deals for Nine News and The Footy Show but were unable to come through with the deal because head office were reluctant to spend more money following the Beirut stuff up.

Nine’s legal fees resulting from the Beirut affair are set to stretch past two million dollars.

SHALLOW MAROON TALENT POOL A CONCERN

THERE are genuine concerns in the Queensland hierarchy about the outside back strength in under age ranks.

Gehamat Shibasaki.

The Queensland under 20 team named an 18-year-old and a playmaker in the centre for their clash with New South Wales.

Those who watched the under-20s and under-18’s can’t remember the last time they saw such a shallow pool of outside backs.

The under-20s are not meant to pick players who represent Queensland under-18 but had little choice but to name Broncos prodigy Gehamat Shibasaki because there’s little else around.

PANTHERS ON PROWL FOR YOUNG TITAN

PHIL Gould has launched an audacious bid to snare one of the Gold Coast Titans’ brightest young talents.

Gould is hoping to lure gun junior centre Brian Kelly to Penrith.

Kelly was the standout prospect of the pre-season for the Titans but has not been able to crack the NRL this season.

Rabbitohs recruit John Olive is ahead of him in the pecking order and Kelly couldn’t get a start after Nathan Davis suffered a season-ending injury.

Karl Lawton’s broken leg may open the door for Kelly when the Titans return to action against St George-Illawarra after the bye.

Gould has been monitoring the situation and has made a play for Kelly, who represented the Junior Kangaroos earlier this year.

Kelly is contracted to the Titans in 2017 but has also attracted interest from Cronulla.

On Thursday he was named in the NSW under-20 team. Last year he scored four tries in the corresponding game.

Titans young gun Brian Kelly.