Path clears for Wayne Bennett to sign Cowboys forward Ethan Lowe
A Sunshine Coast trial match could represent Ethan Lowe’s final game in Cowboys colours as the Rabbitohs move to free up space under the salary cap to bring the goalkicking forward to Redfern.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Souths coach Wayne Bennett has upped the ante for Ethan Lowe, holding formal talks with the Queensland Origin hopeful in the strongest sign yet the backrower will quit the Cowboys.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the Rabbitohs have tabled a one-year deal for Lowe, who will turn out for the Cowboys in tomorrow’s trial match against the Titans on the Sunshine Coast.
But the pre-season hitout could represent Lowe’s final game in Cowboys colours as South Sydney move to free up space under the salary cap to bring the goalkicking forward to Redfern.
Bennett has spoken to Lowe, who is keen for a fresh start at Souths, but his move south hinged on the Rabbitohs’ ability to offload winger Roberts Jennings to Sydney rivals Wests Tigers.
The Tigers have attempted to sign Jennings, but recent negotiations hit a stumbling block when the joint-venture club was hit with a provisional $639,000 salary-cap fine in relation to a post-football deal for veteran Robbie Farah.
However, the NRL have finally given the Tigers the green light to sign Jennings, who was released on Thursday.
That clears the path for Bennett to get his man, with Lowe to become the final player added to South Sydney’s 30-man full-time squad.
The final impediment now rests on a compensation deal and whether North Queensland will provide a subsidy to sever ties with Lowe, who fell out of favour with coach Paul Green last season.
The 27-year-old is on around $400,000 at North Queensland, but with the Rabbitohs having limited salary cap room, the Cowboys will have to broker a payout for Lowe to become Bennett’s first Souths signing.
Bennett believes he can reignite Lowe.
The Goondiwindi product was outstanding in 2015, playing all 28 games in the Cowboys’ epic grand final defeat of a Broncos team coached by Bennett.
Lowe went close to clinching a Queensland Origin debut with an impressive 2017 campaign, but he lost his way last year. He drifted in and out of the Cowboys’ top 17, playing 15 games after a mid-season axing to the Intrust Super Cup.
Lowe has played 108 NRL games and would give the Bunnies a handy goalkicking option, plus experience to support key forwards John Sutton and Sam Burgess.
Madge makes a call on Broncos captaincy
Adam Reynolds has made his feelings clear over the Broncos’ contentious captaincy under incoming coach Michael Maguire.
Sport Confidential: Reynolds set to survive captaincy axe
Adam Reynolds’ leadership has come under the microscope following Brisbane’s dramatic 2024 crash, but the veteran appears set to avoid being stripped of his captaincy under Michael Maguire. That and more in Sport Confidential.