NRL 2023: Gold Coast Titans sign Payne Haas clone Alex Leapai jnr | Sport Confidential
The Titans have ambushed the Sydney Roosters, pulling off a poaching raid to secure a rising star, already the size of Payne Haas at just 17-years-old. See the full SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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The Titans have ambushed NRL glamour club Sydney Roosters to pull off a poaching raid for the monster son of Australian heavyweight boxing legend Alex Leapai.
And Titans ambassador, Queensland Origin legend Gorden Tallis, was a pivotal figure in the Bondi heist.
Sport Confidential can reveal Alex Leapai Jnr has signed a three-year deal with the Titans, knocking back a fresh contract offer from the Roosters to start a new chapter on the Gold Coast.
At just 17, ‘Alex the Great’ has biceps like Hulk Hogan and is already as big as Broncos enforcer Payne Haas.
The teenage prop is 193cm and 115kg – Haas stands 194cm and weighs 117kg – and was one of the most in-demand emerging forwards in the country.
Six NRL clubs – the Roosters, Broncos, Canberra, Souths, Manly and new franchise the Dolphins – expressed interest in Leapai Jnr, but the Titans won the battle.
The Titans young gun’s famous father, ‘Lionheart’ Leapai, famously fought for the heavyweight world title in 2014, only to suffer a fifth-round TKO loss to Ukraine superstar Wladimir Klitschko.
And while Leapai Jnr is just as talented in the boxing ring, the Mabel Park State High School product has his heart set on dominating in the NRL.
“It was a hard decision for us to make,” Leapai Snr said.
“We really appreciated what the Roosters did for us, and they offered Alex another two years, but travelling to Sydney was a long way to go for Alex.
“We got approached by Gorden Tallis and the big fella said would you be keen to come to the Titans.
“We had a good talk about it with Gordie and the Titans are 30 minutes down the road from where we live in the Logan area.
“We had a meeting with them and looked at their facilities. Alex had a stack of other clubs chasing him, but we were impressed with Gordie and I would love to see my son have a long career in the NRL with the Titans.”
Leapai Jnr is related to Canberra hardman Josh Papalii. While he wants to succeed in the NRL, the teenage man mountain plans to juggle football with boxing and has a long-term goal to win a world title.
“I couldn’t be happier signing with the Titans,” said Leapai Jnr, who turns 18 in November.
“The Roosters were great to me, but I can stay home and I’m so grateful for the opportunity at the Titans.
“I love boxing but rugby league is my priority now and I want to do the best I can.
“One day I’ll give boxing a real go and I’d love to fight for a world title just like my dad.”
Leapai Snr says his son, who stars for Souths Logan in the Mal Meninga Cup, is driven to succeed.
“Alex was 128kg last year, so he worked his ass off to get his weight down,” he said.
“I’m not just saying this because he’s my son, but I genuinely believe he can be a star in the NRL.
“For a kid his age, he is so powerful and strong and he has a great work ethic. Every day he gets up before school to run 6km or 8km. I don’t have to push him. He just has this dedication.
“He is like Payne Haas at the Broncos, he is a huge boy but also has the fitness to do well.”
BENNETT-WALTERS UP ANTE IN BRISBANE BATTLE
Kevin Walters may have got the chocolates over Wayne Bennett in the inaugural Battle of Brisbane a fortnight ago but there’s an interesting showdown happening off the field.
Walters and Bennett held their pre-game press conferences at the same time last Friday before the Broncos-Tigers and Dragons-Dolphins round 5 matches.
While Red Hill is just a few minutes from Brisbane’s CBD and the Broncos have long been the biggest club in the game, Bennett drew just as big a crowd of media out to Redcliffe for his captain’s run presser.
Bennett’s press conferences can throw up any number of themes, with the seven-time premiership-winning coach usually having an opinion on most hot topics in the game.
Meanwhile, Walters usually prefers to keep his press conferences controversy-free.
BRONCOS GET THE WIGGLES
Reece Walsh celebrated his star performance against the Tigers last weekend by taking his daughter Leila to see The Wiggles.
Walsh joined Broncos teammates Payne Haas, Tom Flegler, Corey Oates and Billy Walters at the Eatons Hill Hotel on Sunday morning.
The players and their families were special guests of The Wiggles after inviting the hit children’s group into their inner sanctum at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
While The Wiggles were guests of the Broncos, Blue Wiggle Anthony Field proudly wore an old Balmain Tigers jersey into Brisbane’s dressing room.
Field is a lifelong Tigers supporter and must have been cringing watching his team get flogged 46-12.
Walsh was once again on fire for the Broncos, setting up three tries despite battling cramps for most of the second half.
Cramp has been a recurring problem for Walsh, who is still searching for a solution to the annoying problem which strikes most weeks.
“It’s just cramps, I don’t know what’s going on,” he said.
“I need to find a formula during the week to see what works.
“I thought it found it last week, I didn’t get too many cramps, but I was cramping up again.
“I’m trying to drink stuff and have salt tablets. I’m trying, but I haven’t found that formula yet.”
‘BADGE’S BLAST: DON’T SACK RICKY
Canberra legend Gary Belcher has scoffed at suggestions Ricky Stuart should be sacked as Raiders coach.
Stuart arrives at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night under pressure with the Raiders languishing in second last with just one win from five games amid fears their star player, Jack Wighton, could quit the club.
The Raiders last year extended Stuart’s contract until the end of 2025 and Belcher urged Canberra hierarchy to keep the faith.
“I don’t think it’s time for a change,” said Belcher, who won Canberra’s maiden title in 1989 with Stuart.
“Ricky knows what he is doing, he is working hard and has good people around him.
“Not everything lands perfectly for you. Look at the Broncos, a couple of years ago they were at rock bottom and now they are on top of the comp.
“Sometimes I sense that there are players who are restless and have a push for the coach to go, but you can’t do it with Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy and Trent Robinson and I would like to think Ricky is one of those guys as well.
“A few years ago there was a push to get rid of Ricky and within 12 months or so the Raiders were in a grand final, so he is the right man for the job.”
HAMMER TIME FOR NRL SPRINT RACE
Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has no idea if he’s the fastest man in the NRL, but he would like to find out.
‘The Hammer’ says he would relish the opportunity to take part in a NRL 100-metre sprint race to officially crown the fastest man in rugby league.
Tabuai-Fidow recalls breaking the 11-second barrier as a teenager at a Northern Pride training session and would love to put on the spikes to test himself against NRL speedsters Josh Addo-Carr and Jason Saab.
“I’m not sure if I’m the fastest guy in the NRL,” he said.
“Josh Addo-Carr is very fast and I reckon Jason Saab would go close, Saab has those long strides.
“It would actually be good to do a race one day between the quickest players in the NRL to see who is the best.
“I was last timed when I was 16 years old and I ran 10.85.
“We had a training session at Barlow Park with the Pride, we decided to have a race and they were timing it. I ran the race in bare feet.
“I was never really into athletics. I did some school carnivals. I knew I was naturally pretty quick, but I stuck to league growing up and that was always my passion.
“I’m not too sure how fast I would run on a track, but it’s something I wouldn’t mind a crack at.”
SLATER IN EYE OF STORM
Melbourne have identified Billy Slater as a possible successor to Craig Bellamy. And Slater is keeping an open mind.
The Storm fullback legend has refused to rule out coaching in the NRL as Melbourne sweat on Bellamy making a definitive call on his future in the coming weeks.
Storm chairman Matt Tripp believes Bellamy could retire at season’s end and he is keen to talk to Slater, who was outstanding in his coaching debut last season with the Queensland Origin side.
Asked if he would consider coaching the Storm in the post-Bellamy era, Slater said: “Look, that club means a whole heap to me and I’m already contributing to the Storm in a part-time capacity.
“I am living in the now and what I have in front of me and that’s the 2023 Origin series.
“That’s where I’m at and that’s what I’m focusing on at the moment.
“Footy is footy, I’m very fortunate to do what I do, the coaching and the commentary. I’m very lucky to be doing what I’m doing and my immediate focus is the Queensland side.”
TITANS KILL DOLPHINS MOVE
The Titans were quick to block any thoughts of out-of-favour playmaker Toby Sexton joining the Dolphins.
The Dolphins are lacking halves with Sean O’Sullivan (pec) and Anthony Milford (hamstring) sidelined.
The idea of Sexton, who spent the first month of the season in the Hostplus Cup, being loaned to the Dolphins was floated to the Titans, who quickly hit it on the head.
Sexton has been recalled for Sunday’s clash against the Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium but his long-term future at the Titans is unclear.
He is off-contract at the end of 2024 and has to fight his way back into the spine after Tanah Boyd scored the No. 7 jersey.
NRL HEAVYWEIGHTS READY TO RUMBLE
Former Roosters prop Sio Siua Taukeiaho is making a return to the boxing ring ... and the Tongan torpedo is eyeing off Samoan rival Junior Paulo.
Sport Confidential can reveal Taukeiaho is in talks with Australia’s No.1 boxing promoters No Limit to stage a Polynesian heavyweight blockbuster against Paulo this December.
The 31-year-old won his professional boxing debut on the undercard of the Paul Gallen-Justin Hodges re-match last November, defeating Jaiman Lowe via unanimous decision.
Now Taukeiaho is ready to rumble again and he will not take a backward step if Paulo is looking for a heavyweight rival.
“Sio is in talks with No Limit to have another fight and one option is Junior Paulo,” said Taukeiaho and Paulo’s boxing manager Dennis Keane.
“Sio definitely wants to have another fight and No Limit are keen to put him on another card later this year.
“Junior’s immediate priority is playing well for Parramatta and when the season is over, he will commence talks on his next fight.”
No Limit is on the hunt for a big-name NRL drawcard to succeed the retired Gallen and Paulo shapes as a headline act.
At only 29, the 123kg monster could be a pay-per-view smash hit for many years.
TITAN TAKES ONE FOR TEAM
Former Titans centre Patrick Herbert’s decision to depart the Gold Coast has helped the club bolster its 2023 premiership quest.
Herbert was mysteriously released from the remainder of his contract at the Titans last month and hasn’t popped up at another NRL or Super League club.
That’s because he was given a pay-out by the Titans to depart, which helped soften the blow of being unavailable to play until later in the year.
Herbert underwent a knee reconstruction in September last year and is still in rehabilitation, having returned to Wollongong to live.
He wasn’t going to be back on the field for another few months and was at long odds to get a contract extension from the Titans.
In accepting a release, Herbert freed up another spot in the Titans’ top 30 for the club to sign a fit player.
The Titans have been the most active club in recruitment since the season started.
They have now filled their top 30 after signing former Tigers duo Ken Maumalo and Thomas Mikaele along with Super League import Kruise Leeming in the past fortnight.
HUNI’S WARNING TO GALLEN
Australia’s heavyweight king Justis Huni has urged Paul Gallen to consider his health amid speculation the Sharks legend could come out of sporting retirement to fight Sonny Bill Williams.
Sonny Bill is eyeing a return to the ring later this year after his loss to Mark Hunt and Gallen has been floated as one possible opponent.
Two years ago, Gallen bravely went 10 rounds with Huni, who gave the ex-Origin star a hiding, and Australia’s rising star says the 41-year-old should think twice about facing SBW.
“I have no idea if he wants to fight again, but the smartest thing would be for ‘Gal’ not to take the Sonny Bill fight,” Huni said.
“One thing I will say is that Paul Gallen was bloody tough when I fought him, but I feel like since that fight, he has gone downhill a bit.
“He has copped a lot of punishment since that fight and I don’t think it’s the same Gal anymore.
“I have no idea who would win a fight between those two. If they fight, good luck to them.
“I wish Gal well if he does it, but sometimes you can have one fight too many.
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