NRL 2021 transfer news: Luke Thompson future, Bulldogs ponder move for Mitchell Pearce
Luke Thompson’s Canterbury teammates are hoping their English enforcer will remain a Bulldog, while the club is weighing up making a move for a former Origin playmaker.
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Luke Thompson’s Canterbury teammates are hoping the English enforcer will remain a Bulldog as rival teams manoeuvre to sign the contracted star.
Responding to reports Thompson was exploring his options after having an extension request knocked back, Bulldogs players declared they want the club to keep the $850,000-a-year prop in the kennel for the remaining two years of his deal.
“We haven’t really spoken about it much,” Bulldogs forward Corey Waddell said.
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“I know that he still has two years left here at the Bulldogs and he is a quality player. We all know that and we love having him around the club.
“From what I know, he still has two years here and that is all we know. There is always going to be talk when it concerns a high-quality player.”
Wests Tigers and North Queensland have expressed interest in signing Thompson should he secure an early release at the Bulldogs.
Both clubs have indicated they will only sign Thompson if the Bulldogs pick up part of his contract – even though Canterbury are adamant that they are not attempting to offload the star prop.
“I’m not too sure about the rumours and I didn’t know until now,” Jackson Topine said.
“But he is a massive part of our team and our big man going forward.
“He has ballplaying, footwork and he runs hard. I love playing with the bloke and I can’t wait to play with him some more over the next couple of years.”
WILL BULLDOGS HUNT CHAMPION HALFBACK?
By Dean Ritchie
They must overcome heavy salary cap constraints but Canterbury is expected to shortly start discussions about whether to approach Newcastle halfback Mitchell Pearce.
The Bulldogs claim Pearce hasn’t yet been formally discussed but The Daily Telegraph has learned internal meetings within the next fortnight will debate the merits of trying to lure the champion halfback to Belmore.
Pearce, 32, has a contract at Newcastle for next year with Canterbury believing he could want to play in Sydney for 2023 and possibly 2024.
Leading NRL player agents have been discussing the Canterbury-Pearce link during the week.
New Canterbury general manager of football Phil Gould continues to reshape the club’s tight salary cap.
Gould has long held an enormous opinion of Pearce, who has played 19 matches for NSW.
At present, Canterbury doesn’t have the cap space for Pearce but the club is open to freeing up some cash by moving on players. Whether that’s enough to make a competitive offer for Pearce remains uncertain.
News Corp reached out to senior Bulldogs officials on Thursday but the club denied interest in Pearce. But other well-placed sources indicate there is definite curiosity in Pearce.
One player manager even suggested the Bulldogs would make a heavy play for Pearce in November when the former Roosters star officially comes into the open market.
Should Canterbury secure Pearce, it would rank among the biggest signings in the club’s recent history.
A potential roadblock could be Canterbury’ current playing roster which includes four halves – Kyle Flanagan, Lachlan Lewis, Brandon Wakeham and Jake Averillo – with Penrith’s Matt Burton to join the club from next season.
Flanagan, Wakeham and Averillo are under contract for next season.
Pearce has created a new, happy life in Newcastle but wouldn’t be alarmed by a return to Sydney.
Luring Pearce for 2023 would complete a stunning Bulldogs’ buying spree which already includes Burton, Tevita Pangai, Brent Naden, Matt Dufty, Josh Addo Carr and Paul Vaughan for next season.
Given their halves depth is modest, Newcastle would not consider granting Pearce an early release for next year. The Knights also lost halves back-up Connor Watson to the Roosters this week.
News Corp reported on Thursday that Bulldogs prop Luke Thompson had attracted interest from rival NRL clubs after his British manager failed to secure his client a new, long-term deal with the Bulldogs.
Thompson is earning $850,000 a season – a large chunk of the club’s salary cap.
News Corp has been told Canterbury is right on its salary cap limit for next season.
While wanting him to complete his deal at Belmore, Canterbury would consider releasing Thompson early should he secure a long-term deal elsewhere.
DRAGONS CHASE ORIGIN ACE
St George Illawarra has started pursuing Gold Coast and Queensland State of Origin forward Moeaki Fotuaika – an acquisition which would further ignite a new-look Dragons forward pack.
Fotuaika, who has played five games for Queensland over the past two years, is off contract after next season with rival clubs permitted to lodge formal offers from November 1.
Titans’ management is aware of St George Illawarra’s interest.
Sources close to the Dragons say the club has spoken internally about the Maroons prop and preliminary contact has been made with Fotuaika’s manager.
Fotuaika has told friends he would prefer to remain at the Titans but would consider leaving for a superior offer.
Some club recruitment managers rate Fotuaika among the top three front-rowers in the game.
There are fears the Titans may struggle to lodge a competitive offer with big-name stars David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui already on their books.
Gold Coast has also just bought Sydney Roosters forward Isaac Liu for 2022. Fifita is on an annual contract worth around $1.2m.
The Daily Telegraph has been told Fotuaika, 21, would be worth between $600,000 and $650,000 a season.
St George Illawarra has already recruited three big forwards for next season - Jaydn Su’A, George Burgess and Francis Molo.
Molo and Su’A are also Queensland State of Origin representatives while Burgess is an English international.
The Titans want to retain Fotuaika and the two parties are understood to have started preliminary negotiations.
Burgess has signed a two-deal from next season while Molo has a three-season contract from 2022.
Su’A will also join the Dragons on a three-year contract. The Dragons recently re-signed Tyrell Fuimaono.
St George Illawarra has also signed Wests Tigers utility Moses Mbye for 2022 and 2023.
The Tigers will still chip in for Mbye to play at the Dragons for 2022.
“Moses is a player we discussed in detail and while it has taken some time for the club to reach a position where we‘re comfortable in recruiting him, we couldn’t be happier bringing in a player of his experience,” said Dragons general manager of football Ben Haran.
“Moses‘s ability to play multiple positions was something we identified as needing in order to strengthen our roster.”
RISING RAIDERS STARS LOCKED IN ON NEW DEALS
By David Riccio
The Raiders have continued their focus on future-proofing their roster by re-signing two of their rising stars.
Green Machine duo Harley Smith-Shields and Trey Mooney have both agreed to new deals that will keep them at the club for at least the next two years.
Despite predominantly featuring as a centre coming through the grades, the powerful Smith-Shields has found a home on the wing for the Raiders in their last three matches.
Such has been the nature of his solid early performances, coach Ricky Stuart has kept the 21-year-old in the side to face Manly ahead of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad who will return from injury from the bench.
Smith-Shields has signed a contract through until the end of 2023.
Mooney - the former Eels under-18’s captain who moved to Canberra in 2019 - has also been named on the bench to face the Sea Eagles.
A powerful middle-forward, Mooney, 19, was on contract next year, but has agreed to an extension until 2024.
The re-signing of the Raiders two younger squad members are in addition to the recent contract extensions of Xavier Savage, Hudson Young and Sebastian Kris.
DOG FIGHT EMERGING OVER STAR ENGLISHMAN
By Dean Ritchie
Canterbury prop Luke Thompson has attracted interest from rival NRL clubs after his English-based manager could not secure a new, long-term deal with the Bulldogs.
While wanting him to complete his contract at Belmore, Canterbury would consider releasing Thompson early should he procure a lengthy deal elsewhere.
The Bulldogs know there is interest in Thompson.
Thompson has two years remaining on his current Bulldogs deal but his agent, Andy Clarke, has been contacting NRL clubs trying to gauge their interest in the giant British forward from 2024.
News Corp has been told Wests Tigers have shown a keenness in Thompson, who earns around $850,000 a season.
Clarke wants to nail down Thompson’s long-term future in Australia. He contacted Canterbury hoping the club would agree to an extension.
Yet with a crammed salary cap, Canterbury was unable to tell Clarke they could extend Thompson beyond his current deal. Thompson has an option his way for 2023.
If he can obtain a four-year deal for Thompson, Clarke may ask Canterbury for a release.
The Daily Telegraph has been told Canterbury is right on its salary cap limit for next season.
Rival clubs would want Canterbury to pay around $350,000 a year to take Thompson.
Canterbury can send out its new-look squad next season with any financial pressure but would struggle to sign any new players - or even upgrade a player - given how tight their salary cap has become.
New Bulldogs general manager of football, Phil Gould, is closely monitoring and reworking the club’s cap. Thompson leads the club’s stats every week but an early departure would free up some cash.
Canterbury is adamant Thompson is not being shopped around - it’s more Clarke trying to settle his client’s long-term NRL future.
Clarke is said to be looking “at all options”.
There are no guarantees Canterbury would allow Thompson to leave early but the club would carefully consider any approach.
There is at least one other Sydney club which has been approached about Thompson.
Thompson has told friends he wants to stay at Canterbury and be part of the expected revival next season.
The Bulldogs are open to moving a player or two while they work to reshape their salary cap. Canterbury has one spot open for next season.
Thompson has established himself among the finest forwards in the NRL desire playing in a wooden-spoon side. He overcame a bout of homesickness just last year.
In September last year, Thompson said: “I’m fully committed to the Bulldogs.”
Thompson will play prop in Canterbury’s match against Newcastle this Saturday on the Gold Coast.
KIKAU WON’T ENTERTAIN RIVALS, FOR NOW
By Fatima Kdouh
Penrith’s Viliame Kikau wants to stay at the Panthers but has conceded “rugby league is a business” as NRL rivals prepare to make a play for the powerhouse forward.
Kikau has one more year on his Panthers deal but can start fielding offers from November 1 and has already been linked to St George Illawarra Dragons.
“No, that’s probably my answer for now,” Kikau said when asked about entertaining offers from potential suitors.
“I’m focusing on winning a premiership here, all the stuff is for my manager.
“I’m not sure where the news is coming from. All that stuff behind the scenes, I just leave it to my manager. That’s his job. That’s what players pay their managers to do.
“I just want to make sure I perform well and let my performance do the talking.”
Penrith are facing a battle to keep Kikau plus soon to be off-contract stars Api Koroisau, Moses Leota and Dylan Edwards.
Coach Ivan Cleary is looking to lock in the bulk of his 2020 grand final outfit and the likes of Nathan Cleary (2024), James Fisher-Harris (2026), Jarome Luai (2024), Stephen Crichton (2023) and Isaah Yeo (2024) have already extended their time at the foot of the mountains.
“For me, I’d love to stay at Penrith,” Kikau said.
“I love this club, it gave me the opportunity to play in the big stage in the NRL. I made my debut here, I’d love to stay here for the rest of my career but as you know rugby league is a business.
“You never know what can happen.”
Cleary has named props James Fisher-Harris and Tevita Pangai Jnr on the extended bench for Friday night’s blockbuster clash against South Sydney.
Kikau is expecting Pangai Jnr to have an immediate impact for Penrith as the side’s newest enforcer.
“Not too sure [about] the team that is going to play this weekend. We just know what he can bring. He is strong and aggressive and that’s what all we need him to do when he wears that Panthers jersey for us … have that aggressive mentality and lead from the front in the forward pack.,” Kikau said.
Penrith has slipped into a semi-finals “mindset” in preparing to take on the third placed Rabbitohs.
Kikau said his side is preparing for a Wayne Bennett orchestrated ambush on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.
South Sydney have not dropped a single match since Penrith dished out a 56-12 thrashing in round 11 in Dubbo.
“I think they will be coming this weekend to hunt us down as well. We’re ready for the challenge,” Kikau said.
“The last time we played them was in Dubbo and we put a few points on them.
“They have improved since then, they have been piling on points on every team since then.
“They can score from anywhere. That’s one of the things we are studying, our defence.
“Defence wins all these big games leading into the finals.”
BULLDOGS SNARE A RABBITOHS HOOKER NAME COOK
—James Phelps
The Bulldogs have agreed to sign a South Sydney hooker named Cook – but it isn’t Damien.
In what could prove a recruitment masterstroke, the Bulldogs have continued their multimillion-dollar spending spree by reaching an agreement with rising Rabbitohs star Joshua Cook.
News Corp Australia can reveal Canterbury have struck a deal with the other Cook’s South Sydney understudy after identifying the 22-year-old as the player who could solve their hooking woes.
In another Bulldogs mark made by Phil Gould, the rugby league mastermind was instrumental in getting yet another Canterbury deal done.
“Gus did his homework and helped identify him,” said a source close to the deal.
“He saw a lot of upside in the kid who would have been playing NRL this year if not for an injury.”
A former NSW under 16s-star, Cook’s 2021 season was derailed by a shoulder injury and then Covid.
Despite seeing little football this year, Cook has been earmarked as an NRL player and is expected to be announced as the Bulldogs next signing later this week.
A South Sydney junior who has rifled his way through the junior grades, Cook was touted as a future star by former Rabbitohs boss Shane Richardson during his tenure at the top.
“All Josh has needed over the past few seasons to represent at higher levels is luck with injuries, something which unfortunately hasn’t come his way,“ Richardson said.
“However we are seeing his game improve every week in the Canterbury Cup and Jersey Flegg competitions this year and there is still plenty of improvement in him.
“His best football is definitely in front of him.”
His latest Bulldogs signing, Gould is fast making his mark at the Bulldogs after being appointed the club’s General Manager of Football.
Taking a hands-on approach in the Bulldogs rebuild, Gould was pivotal in signing both Tevita Pangi Jr and Paul Vaughan.
Following an eight-year horror show that started in 2013 under former coach Des Hasler, Gould has vowed to return the Bulldogs to a final’s force.
And with the club’s long list of signings including Josh Addo Carr, Matt Burton, Brent Naden and Matt Dufty, all is on track.
The hooking role was seen as the last recruitment hurdle to clear.
Having used Jeremy Marshall King as a makeshift No. 9 and Sione Katoa at dummy half this year, the Bulldogs have not had a game breaking hooker since losing Michael Ennis to the Sharks.
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