NRL 2022 Market Watch: Nikora snubs Tigers to stay at Sharks

The Wests Tigers have made no secret of their desire to lure Briton Nikora away from the Sharks, and the Kiwi international has now given them their answer.

Will the Bulldogs extend the deals of Paul Vaughan and Matt Duffty?

The Wests Tigers hopes of signing Sharks and Test backrower Briton Nikora have suffered a blow with their primary target declaring his allegiance to Cronulla.

Viewed by Tigers officials as the ideal replacement for Cowboys-bound forward Luciano Leilua, Nikora is on the top of the struggling club’s hit-list.

Tigers and New Zealand Test coach Michael Maguire has a relationship with Nikora, having handed the hard-running edge-forward his debut Test jersey in 2019.

Ahead of a clash with the Tigers on Sunday Pointsbet Stadium, Nikora remains off-contract at Cronulla with the Sharks eager to retain the talent they first signed for $5,000 as a 17-year-old.

The softly-spoken Nikora, 24, has joined fellow off-contract Shark Braden Hamlin-Uele (see below) in declaring his priority was to stay in the Shire.

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Briton Nikora wants to stay at the Sharks. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“I’ve been here since I was 17. My partner is from here. I’ve got kids here, we live down the road, so this is my home,’’ Nikora said.

“As I said, I’ve been here since the under-20s so I don’t really want to leave.

“I know we’re facing the Tigers this week, but I’m just focusing on my job and letting the outside noise take care of itself.

“I just need to play good, consistent footy and the contract stuff will take care of itself.

“I’d obviously love to stay here and hopefully we can get it done as soon as possible.’’

To those that have watched Nikora‘s 66-game career closely, his maturation in the key effort areas on the football field, including kick-chase and line-speed in defence, has proven outstanding over the first month of this season.

Nikora admits sharpening his focus compared to that of past seasons is behind his fast-start to 2022.

Nicho Hynes has the right-side attack of the Sharks humming. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“We’ve got a couple of wins in a row and the boys are feeling great,’’ Nikora said.

“Fitzy (Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon) and the staff are really good coaches and they’ve given us the game plan and it’s working.

“Our pre-season was good. We learned a lot from Fitzy and the coaches and preparation is a big one.

“My preparation from a couple of years ago to this year is different, I’m just trying to do all the little things right.

“Eating and sleeping, my preparation against who we‘re playing, all those little things matter.

“Our effort areas are a big focus, doing those one percenters, that’s what matters to us.’’

Nikora added that his right-side combination with Sharks marquee-signing Nicho Hynes was gaining momentum.

“It was sad to see Shaun (Johnson) leave, after building a combination with him,” Nikora said.

“But Nicho has come in and it’s been awesome playing alongside him.

“Just the way he plays, that off the cuff style and you never know what he’s going to do.

“He just pops up anywhere. I’ve loved playing outside him.’’

BULLDOGS CLOSE IN ON DUFTY, VAUGHAN CALL

Matt Dufty and Paul Vaughan are fighting for their Canterbury futures as they settle into their new club.

The ex-St George Illawarra duo arrived at Belmore after being handed a lifeline by the club after their respective stints at the Dragons ended.

Dufty is the more likely of the two to stay on at Canterbury with the Bulldogs already adding forwards Ryan Sutton and Viliame Kikau for next season which makes it unlikely Vaughan will be able to be kept on behind this year.

The pair headline a host of Canterbury players including Max King, Joe Stimson and Brandon Wakeham off-contract at the end of the season. Injured duo Matt Doorey and Raymond Faitala-Mariner are also free agents.

Matt Dufty is the most likely of the duo to extend his stay. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

Dufty has impressed during his first four outings at the Bulldogs. He said he was yet to begin negotiations with the club about extend his stint beyond 12 months.

“I’m loving it here,” Dufty said. “It’s been a fresh start. Just what I needed. I love coming in to training and if we can start winning it will be even better. I want to keep playing good footy and hopefully get some wins. That’s all I want. I just want to put the team first. We’re not too down after the first few weeks.

“It’s a fresh start. I’ve been here for a few months and the boys are good. We’re not too far away from the form we want to find.”

While Dufty, at 26, still has plenty of football left in him, Vaughan is fighting for his NRL future.

He was axed by the Dragons last season with about $1 million left on his deal. The Bulldogs picked him up on a cut-price deal but they may struggle to keep the 30-year-old at the club after this year.

Vaughan said he wanted to sort his future out soon.

Paul Vaughan’s future at the Bulldogs is not secure. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“I wanted to come out and play good footy,” Vaughan said. “I’ve got a lot of improvement. Hopefully we get it sorted sooner rather than later. I had a good pre-season and trained well. I don’t think I’ve played to the way I know I can. I have to show it first that I’m capable of playing good footy.”

The Bulldogs face another test against Penrith on Sunday just a week on after they were embarrassed by Melbourne.

Representative winger Josh Addo-Carr is holding firm in his belief of the side.

“I feel like a broken record bra,” Addo-Carr said. “We’re working hard to where we want to be. I see the potential in the footy that we can play. That’s the frustrating thing.”

TEST STAR’S STUNNING SHARKS CONTRACT CALL

Sharks enforcer Braden Hamlin-Uele has made the frank admission that he’s willing to take a pay-cut to stay at Cronulla.

At a time when rival forward Payne Haas is chasing a $1 million contract, the hard-running Cronulla prop has gone the other way.

Uele, 27, is off-contract at the Sharks – one of 10 key players the football department must make career calls on this season.

The Sharks have indicated their desire to keep the Kiwi International by tabling him a multi-year deal.

A deep-thinker who is passionate about the promotion of men’s mental health, Uele says two major factors are behind his willingness to re-sign at the Sharks for less money.

They are, according to Uele, his faith in the club following his near-sacking at the end of the 2018 season from a fight at a Cronulla Sailing Club and the unity and bond within the current Sharks under coach Craig Fitzgibbon.

“I don’t want to shop myself around,’’ a candid Uele said.

“Everyone is like, you’ve got to go where the money is, but there’s also career progression as well and success.

Cronulla prop Braden Hamlin-Uele is prepared to take a pay cut to stay in the Shire. NRL Imagery

“I would 100 per cent take a bit less if meant staying with this group of players to continue to build.

“I’ll still be getting a lot of money compared to other people, so I’ve got to be grateful for that.

“I’ve been here for five years, I love this place. I love the team, I love the staff and what we’re striving towards.

“I’m at a time where I’m enjoying myself and I don’t want to lose that by having to pack up and start again.

“My priority is to stay at Sharks for as long as I can.

“I want it resolved while I’m playing good footy.’’

Uele – who has produced 11 tackle busts, the most of any Sharks forward this season – explained the tangible impact of Fitzgibbon on his game and the club.

“From day one Fitzy said he was keen to coach me. He says I have abilities that other front-rowers don’t,’’ Uele said.

“From day one, I’ve felt that really happy vibe of the team.

“I feel like it’s a lot different from past years that I’ve been here. Everyone is everyone’s mate and we’re working hard for each other.

“That’s probably Fitzy’s mentality about working for each other. It’s making everything fun.

“I’m always in the group chat saying, c’mon breaky crew and 10 people will turn up.

Braden Hamlin-Uele has played a key role in Cronulla’s strong start to the season. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty

“There’s breaky crews and coffee crews, even the younger boys who aren’t in the team will come and mingle.

“I think that’s what every club needs, from the number one player to the development boys.

“We come in and shake everyone’s hand because you work with each other every day.’’

Uele also spoke candidly about the moment he felt his career at the Sharks was over.

“It’s surreal because there were times where I thought, I don’t want to be here,’’ Uele said.

“The 2018 sailing club drama that happened and me not just giving myself the best opportunity to play first grade, I thought, I don’t want to be here.

“They (Cronulla board) wanted to sack me and I couldn’t blame them either.

“If they were to sack me, I wasn’t going to argue that.

“But when they didn’t, I thought, I’ll come back and put my head down and work hard … it was recognised by (former Sharks teammate) Scotty Sorensen.

“I got a message from him – and I’ll never forget it.

“Scotty, amid all that was happening messaged me and said, everything that has happened you’ve come back and trained the house down – I’m proud of you.

“That meant the world to me. That stuck with me forever, to hear it from one of the boys, I thought, okay maybe I am meant to be here.”

Originally published as NRL 2022 Market Watch: Nikora snubs Tigers to stay at Sharks