Cowboys star John Asiata attracting plenty of interest from NRL clubs
With the countdown on to Jai Arrow’s departure for Souths, Gold Coast Titans are among a host of clubs in the mix to land North Queensland forward John Asiata. PLUS, no coach dreams for Cam Smith.
Titans
Don't miss out on the headlines from Titans. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The race for John Asiata is hotting up with seven NRL rivals, including the Titans, keen to prise the clever utility out of North Queensland.
Asiata remains off-contract at the Cowboys and while he is happy in Townsville, the 27-year-old wants a regular starting spot as he weighs up the most important contract of his career.
That has opened the door for the Titans, who are searching for a No.13 to replace Souths-bound Jai Arrow next season.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership, returning Thursday 28th May. Watch every game Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Asiata’s preferred position is lock but that position is occupied by hulking Jason Taumalolo at the Cowboys for the next seven years.
Asiata toured the Gold Coast’s Parkwood headquarters in the pre-season and said the COVID-19 shutdown had stalled contract talks.
“COVID has thrown a spanner in the works,” he said.
“It doesn’t really change my approach to the way I go about things in life and footy.
“I’m going to turn up every week and put my best foot forward.
“Hopefully I can do that this week and let the footy do the talking.”
EXPANSION HOPEFULS SNAP UP TITANS PIONEER
Former Queensland Origin lock Scott Sattler helped build the Gold Coast Titans from the ground up and now he is behind a push to bring a second NRL team to Brisbane to rival the Broncos.
Sport Confidential can reveal Sattler has joined forces with the Brisbane Bombers expansion bid, with the Penrith grand-final hero to play a key role in setting up structures in preparation for the NRL’s tender process.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys remains committed to expansion despite the COVID-19 saga and the Bombers have ramped-up plans by recruiting Sattler.
Sattler is one of the most accomplished figures in the code. Now 48, he played 203 NRL games, one Origin game and won the 2003 premiership with the Panthers before returning to Queensland to become the Titans’ foundation football manager in 2007.
Sattler helped construct the Titans’ inaugural squad, negotiating deals for the club’s Big Four – Luke Bailey, Scott Prince, Preston Campbell and Anthony Laffranchi.
Sattler watched the Titans’ surge to make the grand-final qualifier in 2010 and is relishing the prospect of helping the Bombers become the fourth NRL team in Queensland.
“This is a great chance to be a part of another expansion team,” Sattler said.
“I’ve been involved in start-up clubs as a player and involved in start-up clubs as an administrator, so not much changes in the landscape of start-up sporting franchises.
“I am helping the Bombers with what a football-operations department may look like. I’m providing advice from a number of perspectives including recruitment and building a roster.
“The club would need people who understand the importance of a strong work ethic of those around them.
“Ability can get you so far but if you don’t have some attributes around a hard work ethic to get you through tough times, you won’t succeed as a club.”
MAL’S TITANIC SIGNING EFFORT
The Gold Coast Titans have not given up hope of poaching David Fifita from Brisbane, with Mal Meninga confirming he has spoken to the boom Broncos forward.
The Titans are desperate to land a marquee signing for 2021 and have identified Fifita as their prime target.
While Meninga has shown interest in Raiders lock John Bateman, Fifita is the man he wants to join the Gold Coast.
Privately, the Broncos have no concerns about Fifita leaving Brisbane and do not see the Titans as a threat.
But Meninga, the Titans’ head of performance and culture, is pursuing the Queensland Origin sensation.
“David knows we are interested, I’ve spoken to him a couple of times,” Meninga said.
“He’s got to get over his knee injury and focus on that. He wants to get back playing and take his time in regards to making a decision.
“We understand all of those things.
“It’s important he knows we’re really interested in him. We believe he would be an ideal player to come to the Titans.
“We are talking to him and his manager.”
BRONCOS BANTER
Broncos legends Gorden Tallis and Kevin Walters departed Brisbane on a 10-hour road trip to Sydney for the NRL season relaunch.
Tallis and Walters decided to drive down to Sydney to fulfil their commentary commitments with Fox Sports and will drive back to Sydney next week.
Sport Confidential is tipping there was plenty of banter and stories being told on the trip.
You can read how it went in Crash Craddock’s Sunday Session in The Sunday Mail.
FIGURES ON NRL DIGITAL REVEALED
With the NRL now up and running, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys will turn his attention to stripping millions of dollars from the code’s digital arm.
The NRL’s digital operations could be facing cuts of more than $15 million with Sport Confidential exclusively obtaining a leaked NRL document which shows the governing body’s projected spending for the coming years.
The document shows the governing body planned to spend $20 million for the 2019-20 on its digital platform, NRL.com. That figure was set to rise to $28 million next year, $31m in the 2021-22 financial year and $27m in 2022-23.
Over the next three years, the NRL’s budgeted spend on its digital platform was a staggering $86 million, a huge investment when weighing up the perceived benefits.
The COVID-19 saga has laid bare the code’s exorbitant spending and V’landys is ready to take the axe to a number of areas, including the NRL’s digital arm.
There were fears the NRL could offload its digital platform completely but V’landys sees great value in that area if the business runs in a more streamlined fashion.
“Our digital network can help us grow our fan base,” he said. “I would rather look at cost inefficiencies before we look at job cuts.”
STORM FAIL TO STEAL BRONCOS STAR
The Broncos have successfully staved off a poaching raid on Greg Inglis-lookalike Xavier Coates from the mighty Melbourne Storm.
The 19-year-old Coates is off-contract at the end of 2021 but that hasn’t stopped a number of clubs, including the Storm, making inquiries with his management.
The Storm are on the lookout for hulking wingers and the lean-and-mean Coates fits the bill perfectly with his 194cm and 100kg frame.
But Sport Confidential understands Coates, already a Papua New Guinea international, is keen to stay with the Broncos after making his NRL debut last season.
The beautifully balanced Coates is capable of playing wing and centre and is eyeing the backline position Darius Boyd will leave open when he retires at the end of the year.
CAM RULES OUT COACHING
Cameron Smith was always touted as a future coach of the Melbourne Storm but the former Queensland Origin skipper insists he has no interest in walking the path of master mentor Craig Bellamy.
The headache confronting the Storm in the coming years is how on earth they replace Bellamy, who is tipped to retire when his deal expires next year at the age of 61.
Smith is viewed as a born coach with his tactical brain and on-field experience, but the Storm skipper has seen what the job has done to Bellamy and it doesn’t excite him.
Asked if he will coach in the NRL one day, Smith said: “Not at the moment. Not full time, no.
“I have put a lot of time into playing and haven’t had a lot of weekends over the last 20 years, particularly with three children and a wife and the kids now getting older.
“I have been in the position where I have seen Craig Bellamy and the way he has gone about his job for his entire career.
“I don’t know if I have the same commitment. I think there are a lot of people who could throw their hat in the ring to be a coach. If you want to do something you want to do it to the best of your ability. At the moment I don’t have that drive to want to become a full-time coach.”
FIRE AND BRIMSON
Injured Titans fullback AJ Brimson is having a tough time on a number of fronts.
Brimson is sidelined until at least August with a fractured back and hasn’t been able to train with the team.
Instead, he was spotted running water at training during the week, albeit not to coach Justin Holbrook’s standards.
“I had to chip him because he came on with the Powerades and we hadn’t finished,” Holbrook said with a laugh.
“He was a bit too keen.”
SAFETY FIRST FOR BRONZED KING
Even The King is prepared for the return of the NRL in the post-COVID world.
Wally Lewis’ bronze statue outside Suncorp Stadium was spotted with a mask on just hours before the Broncos-Eels blockbuster.
The statue sported a snorkel and goggles during the 2011 floods and the mask brought some light to what’s been a tough situation.
Masks might be a familiar sight when crowds are allowed back into stadiums.
Hunt’s Dragons future up in air as Queensland rival circles
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has broken his silence on a scathing post-season review of Ben Hunt that could see the under fire star offloaded to an Queensland rival.
Hasler eyes more changes at Titans after another horror finish
Des Hasler is adamant the Titans have shown signs of growth in 2024 despite finishing in the bottom four for the third straight year. But he is eyeing more changes at the club.