NRL 2021: Andrew McCullough set to leave Broncos, join Dragons

Andrew McCullough’s time at the Broncos has all but come to an end, after Kevin Walters told him not to show up at training on Thursday.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 04: Andrew McCullough passes the ball during a Brisbane Broncos NRL training session at the Clive Berghofer Centre on February 04, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Andrew McCullough’s Broncos career is all but over after the veteran hooker was told to not show up to Brisbane training.

McCullough was a shock absentee at Red Hill on Thursday morning as he edges closer towards a move to St George Illawarra.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters wants McCullough’s future sorted and told the No. 9 to sit out training.

McCullough has been at loggerheads with the Broncos over the past few weeks, but now he is set to get his wish by being released from the final year of his deal and joining the Dragons on a three year deal. He will reunite with close friend Ben Hunt and St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin.

Griffin has made it known McCullough is the player he wants to start at dummy half. The move will shift Cameron McInness into the lock position. McInness will wear no.13 when he joins the Sharks next year.

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Andrew McCullough looks set to be playing south of the border again this season.

Sources close to negotiations say Griffin could snare McCullough’s services as early as February 15, when he is due to receive another instalment of his $50,000 monthly wage from the Broncos.

That would mean the Broncos have paid McCullough $200,000 over the past four months since the new November 1 contracting period, leaving the Dragons to pick up the remaining $400,000 of his $600,000 contract this season.

The Dragons have been desperate to bolster their forward stocks given the departures of Tyson Frizell and James Graham.

The Broncos have Issac Luke on a part-time deal with the veteran hooker an option to be pushed into the top 30 while former Manly and Newcastle rake Danny Levi has signed with Queensland Cup side Norths Devils.

McCullough, who had a short stint with the Knights last year before rejoining the Broncos, also offers the Dragons some much-needed experience.

Hunt endorsed the McCullough signing.

“We’ve had a couple of conversations,” Hunt said. “I’d love to back with Macca and I’ve told him that. We understand each other pretty well. We played 10 years of footy together.”

The Broncos may have to look elsewhere for their round one hooker.

McCullough is off-contract at the Broncos and wants the security of an extended deal at the Dragons, whose coach Anthony Griffin mentored the rugged rake more than a decade ago in Brisbane’s under-20s.

While Walters is a huge fan of McCullough, the Broncos can free-up more than $500,000 in their salary cap by releasing him to the Dragons.

Walters wanted McCullough to play a significant role this season but admits the Broncos are not in a position at this stage to match the Dragons’ longer-term deal.

“Like a lot of our players who are off-contract, we want to see them play some football and then we will go from there,” Walters said.

“Andrew is no different. I want him to play the football I know he is capable of and if he does that, he puts himself in the frame to get a new deal.

“We’re going to have a meeting about his future and to be honest I’m not sure where it’s going to end.”

Walters said the prospect of releasing McCullough is agonising given his outstanding contribution to the Broncos.

“Look, I’ve made it clear I want to keep Andrew,” Walters said.

“We’ve had some discussions and I want to keep him here this season, he’s a Broncos legend.

Jake Turpin could now be in the box seat for the Broncos No.9 role.

“I know how I feel about it and I want him to stay. He has a big role to play under me and he has a contract with us for this season.”

Former Broncos skipper Gorden Tallis believes McCullough has more to offer the club after falling out of favour with former coach Anthony Seibold last season.

“It‘s a tough decision for the Broncos,” he said.

“They have Jake Turpin on their books and McCullough has a longer-term offer from the Dragons.

“Macca has been a great player for the club for a long period of time, but the Broncos have supported him coming back from his hamstring injury.

“It‘s a big decision for Kevvie and the recruitment-and-retention committee.

“Turpin seemed to have the jump on him last year but now that ‘Macca’ is back, he has a huge fan in ‘Kevvie’.”