NRL 2021 teams: Josh Aloiai to Manly, Joe Ofahengaue to Wests Tigers
The fallout has been swift and public but the Josh Aloiai saga is over - see how the Tigers and Sea Eagles packs stack up in 2021.
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The Josh Aloiai saga is over with the representative prop to officially join the Sea Eagles this week.
Aloiai could be at Manly training as early as Monday with paperwork delaying the official announcement. It caps the end to a turbulent month for the 25-year-old who went from a potential Tigers captain to wanting out of the club he played 90 top grade games for. Aloiai will sign a three year deal with the Sea Eagles as their replacement for Addin Founa-Blake, who quit the club to join the Warriors.
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An announcement could come as early as Sunday once the Tigers have the official release from Brisbane to secure Joe Ofahengaue. It is understood Ofahengaue’s deal with the Tigers is for two seasons and an option for the third. The Broncos will contribute about $200,000 for Ofahengaue – who had two years remaining on his contract – to play for the Tigers. Ofahengaue has already shown his hand by listing his social media profile as an “ex-Broncos player” and following the Wests Tigers on Instagram having unfollowed the Broncos earlier this month.
Aloiai has also recently started following Manly on Instagram.
The arrival of Ofahengaue avoids a potential embarrassing showdown between Aloiai and the Tigers. Aloiai was due to return to pre-season training with the rest of the Tigers squad on Monday and had been warned he faced being fined if he skipped the planned session. He was told he would have to mow the grass at Leichhardt Oval or paint the dressing sheds if he did not want to fulfil his contract but the standoff won’t eventuate with the Samoan international now a Sea Eagle.
The saga sets up a blockbuster round seven showdown between the two club’s on Anzac Day at Bankwest Stadium.
A planned player swap between Luke Garner and Curtis Sironen is now unlikely to eventuate although the Sea Eagles remain keen on Garner’s services for 2022 and beyond. Sironen is off-contract at the end of the season.
The Tigers will need to now turn their attention to securing crowd favourite David Nofoaluma who told The Daily Telegraph he was about to “explore all my options and weigh up what’s the best decision for myself and more importantly my future” after receiving a three-year contract extension from the club last week.
The Sea Eagles have remained active in the player market adding outside backs Jason Saab and Christian Tuipulotu to go with former Eels back-rower Andrew Davey and veteran half Kieran Foran.
HOW THE PACKS STACK UP
TIGERS
8 James Tamou
9 Jacob Liddle
10 Joe Ofahengaue
11 Luke Garner
12 Luciano Leilua
13 Alex Twal
Others: Stefano Utoikamanu, Zane Musgrove, Thomas Mikaele, Shawn Blore, Russell Packer, Jake Simpkin.
SEA EAGLES
8 Josh Aloiai
9 Cade Cust/Lachlan Croker
10 Martin Taupau
11 Jack Gosiewski
12 Curtis Sironen
13 Jake Trbojevic
Others: Andrew Davey, Taniela Paseka, Morgan Boyle, Sean Keppie, Toafofoa Sipley, Haumole Olakau‘atu, Manase Fainu (unavailable until at least July)
Originally published as NRL 2021 teams: Josh Aloiai to Manly, Joe Ofahengaue to Wests Tigers
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