NRL 2021: Transfer news, train and trial deals for every club

Train and Trial: Sons of Bulldogs legends are on the cusp of achieving their NRL dreams, while other former stars are hoping for a career lifeline.

Cooper Talau and Riley Price.

Two Bulldogs pups are chasing their NRL dreams — but only one of them in Canterbury colours.

Cooper Talau has joined Trent Barrett‘s Belmore revolution, looking to cement a roster spot at the club where his father, Willie, played 101 games.

Riley Price, the son of Bulldogs legend Steve, is aiming to unleash his own rugby league career in Townsville with the Cowboys.

The pair are among a host of NRL hopefuls slogging it out this summer on train-and-trial contracts — a list that includes former NRL players Albert Kelly, Jayden Nikorima and Ata Hingano.

The latest in the Talau production line, Cooper, 19, is one of eight train-and-trial players at the Bulldogs hoping to impress new coach Trent Barrett.

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Cooper Talau is on a Train and Trial contract at the Bulldogs. Source: Instagram

Unlike his father and older brothers — Wests Tigers centre Tommy and former Canterbury under-20s utility Lachlan — Cooper Talau is a skilful front-rower with developing ball skills.
“He’s different to his brothers, he’s a big body. If you look at Lachlan and Tommy they are more slight. Whereas Cooper is a big boy. He has a very good motor,” Troy Weeden, head of rugby league at Westfields Sports High, said of the former Australian Schoolboys captain.
“He’s also a very intelligent footballer and intelligent kid all-round. He’s studying engineering and commerce at The University of Sydney.”
Meanwhile in Townsville, 19-year-old Price is already showing signs of his father, stacking on 10 kilograms of muscle over the COVID break, as he aims to become a powerful front-rower.

He has been living with his uncle and Test and Maroons centre Brent Tate since he was snapped up by the Cowboys in 2019 following his performance for the Sunshine Coast Falcons under-18s.
Tate has already spotted the similarities between father and son, with Riley showing signs of NRL potential.

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The son of Bulldogs legend Steve Price is looking to secure a spot at the Cowboys in 2021. Picture: Evan Morgan

“He’s going to be a big boy like his dad,” Tate said.
“He’s not overly big just yet but his dad was just like that before he hit a certain stage and his dad is a huge man.
“He’s definitely got more skill and speed than his father, that’s for sure.
“I genuinely think he’s going to be a really good player going forward and the Cowboys have got themselves a really good kid.
“He’s been champing at the bit just to spend a few weeks with the Cowboys and you can’t wipe the smile off his face which is what it’s about.”
Another forward making his mark this pre-season is rugged Queenslander Jaiyden Hunt, who has been training in Wollongong with St George Illawarra. Hunt spent time with the Easts Tigers in the Intrust Super Cup and has made an impression on new Dragons coach Anthony Griffin.
Griffin told The Daily Telegraph that Hunt was doing all the right things to earn a more permanent spot in his squad.
“He is one of those guys who frustratingly didn’t get to play too much footy when they called off the Queensland Cup. I got a tip on him from some people I respect up there. He’s also been in the Melbourne system,” Griffin said.
“He’s a big boy, he is about 111 kilograms and is still only young. He’s doing everything right at the moment.

“Jaiyden is on a train and trial until the end of February so we’ll wait and see how he plays in February.”

Jaiyden Hunt didn’t see much footy in 2020 due to COVID, but has earned a train and trial contract at the Dragons.

Elsewhere, the New Zealand Warriors have handed Jayden Nikorima a lifeline and possible path to a NRL comeback. The Junior Kangaroo and Queensland under-20s representative hasn’t played in the NRL since 2016, when he featured in seven games for the Sydney Roosters. His Roosters contract was torn up after failing a second drug test.

But the likes of Talau, Hunt and Nikorima aren’t the only train-and-trial players to keep an eye on:
* Also at the Dragons, Connor Muhleisen is a sharp dummy half who captained Illawarra’s SG Ball side in 2019 and helped steer them to the premiership alongside young gun Jayden Sullivan and the highly rated Feagai twins;
* Josh Coric is a tough prop who is signed to St George Illawarra for the next four years;

* Issac Luke is keeping alive his dreams of an NRL lifeline with the Broncos. Luke, who played 12 games for Brisbane in 2020 after switching from the Dragons mid-season, is hoping to win over new coach Kevin Walters.
* In Canberra there is one spot vacant in Ricky Stuart‘s top squad with likes of Sebastian Kris and Elijah Anderson looking to show their wares’
* At the Tigers, there is excitement about Brandon Tumeth and Henry O’Kane. The duo will train with the top squad but are likely to play Jersey Flegg in season 2021.

Souths Corey Allan was linked with a move to Melbourne but the Storm, but the speculation is wide of the mark. Picture: Brett Costello

STORM SWOOP OFF THE MARK

Wild speculation went through rugby league land this week that South Sydney’s Corey Allan could be headed for the Melbourne Storm.

Souths have given Allan, 22, permission to find a long term deal elsewhere if he could land one, as they manage their salary cap.

But talk the Storm had entered the fray is wide of the mark, despite the fact they’ll be losing Josh Addo-Carr to Canterbury at the end of next season.

At this rate, Wayne Bennett and the Rabbitohs will be happy to keep the Queensland State of Origin representative on their books for the 2021 season after he provided more than adequate back-up when fullback Latrell Mitchell went down with a season-ending hamstring injury.

Josh Addo-Carr will join the Bulldogs in 2022 on a four-year deal. Picture: David Swift.

LOCKED and LOADED

Bulldogs: Storm flyer Josh Addo-Carr will be a Bulldog in season 2022 after agreeing to join the Belmore club on a four-year deal worth around $2 million dollars.

Raiders: Winger Jordan Rapana has agreed to a one-year extension in the nation’s capital which will keep him in the lime green until the end of season 2021.

Roosters: Drew Hutchison has signed a one-year extension until the end of season 2021. Rising forwards Tuku Hau Tapuha and Naufahu Whyte have both signed on until the end of season 2022 at the Bondi club.

Broncos: After 128 games as a Cowboy, versatile forward John Asiata has linked with the Brisbane Broncos on a one-year deal for season 2021.

Dragons: Parramatta forward Daniel Alvaro was released from the final year of his deal with the Eels to join the Dragons effective immediately on a two-year deal until the end of season 2022.

TRAIN AND TRIAL CONTRACTS

BRONCOS

Albert Kelly

Logan Bayliss-Brow

Brendan Frei

Calum Gahan

Ben Nakubuwai

Leivaha Pulu

Issac Luke

BULLDOGS

Bailey Biondi-Odo

Kane Jackson

Javvier Pitovao

Mosese Pope

Aaron Schoupp

Cooper Talau

Penisimani Teaupa

Kane Kalache

Reubenn Rennie

COWBOYS

Riley Price

Kyle Laybutt

Ata Hingano

Josh Stuckey

Javid Bowen

Jack Bowyer

DRAGONS

Jaiyden Hunt

Josh Coric

Connor Muhleisen

EELS

No train-and-trial players

KNIGHTS

Brayden Musgrove

PANTHERS

No train and trial players

RABBITOHS

No train and trial players

RAIDERS

Sebastian Kris

Elijah Anderson

ROOSTERS

Joshua Bevan

Ronald Volkman

Tom Deakin

Tuku Hau Tapuha

Zac Montgomery

Brad Abbey

SEA EAGLES

Jersey Flegg players Daniel Ala, Jack Birt, and Jonah Palota-Kopa trained with the NRL squad in the lead-up to Christmas

SHARKS

Jack A. Williams

Monty Raper

Josh Carr

Kayleb Milne

Tom Hazelton

STORM

Daniel Atkinson

TITANS

Andre Niko

Cory Denniss

Lloyd Perrett

Will Brimson

Brent Woolf

Brayden McGrady

WARRIORS

Jayden Nikorima

Nathan Watts

Lachlan Timm

Pride Peterson-Robati

Taniela Otukolo

Valingi Kepu

Otukinekina Kepu

Leyton Finau

Jeremiah Asi

William Fakatoumafi

WESTS TIGERS

Brandon Tumeth

Henry O’Kane

Allan Fitzgibbon

Ky Rodwell

Edene Gebbie