Sport Confidential: Roosters set to sign Jake Turpin, Payne Haas opens up on jailed mum, Adam Reynolds sledges Souths
Unwanted Bronco Jake Turpin may have finally found a new home for 2023, as the Roosters consider throwing a lifeline to the gusty hooker.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Roosters have thrown a lifeline to Matt Lodge and now another unwanted Bronco, Jake Turpin, could find himself at Bondi.
Turpin was given an emotional send-off at Brisbane’s presentation night on Tuesday and the 25-year-old has yet to find a home for next season, fuelling fears the gutsy hooker could be forced into early retirement.
But the Roosters are watching Turpin closely as they look to bolster their hooking stocks following the loss of first-choice rake Sam Verrills to the Titans next season.
While Brandon Smith will be their star recruit in the No.9 jumper, the Roosters do not expect the former Storm ace to play 80 minutes every week and they are exploring the open market for a back-up.
Turpin could tick that box. A veteran of 60 NRL matches, Turpin is tough as nails and his workrate and experience would complement Smith’s match-winning brilliance.
Meanwhile, the Broncos are set to secure Billy Walters to a new deal.
The Broncos have one full-time spot left on their roster for next season and Brisbane have allowed salary-cap room for Walters, the son of Broncos coach Kevin, to remain at Red Hill.
Walters was one of Brisbane’s most consistent players this season, playing 23 of 24 games and impressing with his utility value, starting at hooker and five-eighth or coming off the bench as the Broncos’ Mr Fixit.
WORLD OF PAYNE FOR BRONCO OVER JAILED MUM
Broncos prop Payne Haas has spoken for the first time about the jailing of his mother.
The Brisbane bookend was left devastated a fortnight ago when his mother Joan was hit with a nine-month jail sentence for assaulting casino security guards.
The incarceration of his mother was one major reason Haas withdrew from Australia’s upcoming World Cup campaign in England. The 22-year-old revealed he has been unable to make contact with his mum since the court’s verdict.
“I haven’t really been able to speak to her the last couple of weeks,” Haas said.
“All I know is my dad has been able to talk to her and apparently she is in high spirits at the moment. It’s been pretty tough. Like anyone, if it was their own mother (that went to jail), you would be pretty shattered.
“It has been pretty tough, but I have my partner and my little brothers and they have been a good support system for me. I am pretty close to my mum and it sucks to see what has happened. It has been a tough couple of weeks but it’s happened now and I have to move on with things.
“You love your family more than anything and you do anything for them. My family is tight knit, we do everything together and we have each other’s back all the time.
“Things are OK and hopefully I will get to see her soon.”
REYNOLDS’ NOT-SO-SUBTLE RABBITOHS SLEDGE
Broncos captain Adam Reynolds has professed his love for Brisbane after South Sydney failed to back their former star halfback.
Reynolds rounded out a stellar first year at the Broncos by claiming the clubman of the year award at this week’s presentation night.
Reynolds impressed Broncos leaders by turning up early for pre-season training and contributing across all levels of the club.
He also shone on the field, finishing third in the Paul Morgan Medal voting behind Payne Haas and Corey Oates.
Reynolds said he had fallen in love with Brisbane after the Rabbitohs only offered him a one-year deal to remain at Redfern.
“This club backed me for three years when another club wouldn’t,” he said in his acceptance speech.
“I didn’t know many people when I came up here to Brisbane. They’ve made me and my family welcome. They made it so easy for us.
“It’s something I’ll cherish forever. I love this club and it’s something I’ll hold dearly to my heart.”
After playing 231 games for Souths, Reynolds still has a soft spot for his beloved Rabbitohs and said his replacement Lachlan Ilias had done an admirable job to help them to a preliminary final.
“It’s a tough ask against Penrith,” he said.
“I’ve still got a lot of mates there and want to see them succeed.
“I’m happy for young Lachy. He’s had a tough season with all the pressure on him but has handled it second to none.
“I wish them all the best.”
MAL’S SIMPLE MESSAGE TO ROOS DEFECTORS
Australia coach Mal Meninga has called for an urgent review of State of Origin rules as he took aim at NRL stars who have turned their backs on the Kangaroos for the upcoming World Cup.
Meninga has a simple message for Australia’s band of World Cup defectors — if you don’t want to wear the green and gold, we don’t want you.
Roosters young gun Joseph Suaalii became the latest NRL top-liner to brush Meninga’s national team on Wednesday, dropping a World Cup bombshell by pledging his allegiance to Samoa.
Suaalii joins NSW Origin trio Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton, who have also rejected Australia to play for Samoa.
Former Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita was the first major defector at the last World Cup, rocking Meninga on the eve of the tournament when he advised the Test coach of his plans to represent Tonga.
Suaalii contacted Meninga to inform him of his decision and the Australian coach says there is one silver lining from the World Cup tug-of-war — it weeds out those who don’t truly dream of wearing green and gold.
“I am comfortable with where we are now. We will pick a squad and all those players have indicated they want to play for Australia,” Meninga said.
“If those guys make a decision that they want to play for their ancestral nations (such as Tonga, Samoa and Fiji), that’s good for me, because I don’t want them going away in the green and gold and second-guessing themselves as to whether they want to be here or with another footy team.
“I am comfortable with the fact that the people we have picked want to play for Australia.
“The people who pull on the green-and-gold jersey will give a good account of themselves playing for their nations and they are the type of people I want.
“When we pick an Australian team, do they want to be there and play for their country?”
Meninga says it’s time for ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys to conduct a forensic review of eligibility rules to ensure those who play State of Origin want to represent Australia.
“We need to have a look at how we clean it all up, the eligibility rules,” he said.
“It’s like Origin, we need to start clean again and have a base and foundation.
“Those that are born in Australia, in NSW or Queensland, are eligible and then we look at all the different caveats off the back of that.
“It’s not a mess, but from my point of view and the Kangaroos’ point of view, we have done really well making judgments on what comes first.
“We are open to players playing for whoever they want to play for, but we have to start picking an Australian team we want to win a World Cup with.
“We don’t want to jeopardise Australia’s chances by allowing (NSW and Queensland) players to go play for other nations.”
DEARDEN CLEARS AIR ON NUTS CLAIM
Cowboys star Tom Dearden has clarified suggestions he was willing to sacrifice a testicle for North Queensland’s premiership quest.
Dearden suffered an injury all men fear after sustaining a ruptured testicle during the Cowboys’ round 23 win against the Warriors.
The injury threatened to rule Dearden out of the finals series, with coach Todd Payten later revealing his five-eighth was willing to “chop it off” to get back on the field.
Dearden said it wasn’t that clear cut, but he was desperate to feature in the play-offs.
“I think Todd is telling a few porkies there,” he said.
“I wasn’t definitely fair dinkum about chopping it off. The surgeon was pretty clear with what happened and what the surgery was.
“It was a nervous time because the finals were coming up and Toddy knows how much it means to me to play in the finals series after the year we’ve had.
“That was the worst part, that nervous few hours before talking to the surgeon. Toddy made me seem tougher than I am, but it shows how much it means to me to want to be part of the finals.”
Dearden said the injury was a surprise after he played most of the game with it.
“I didn’t know something was wrong,” he said.
“I did get hurt there, but the next day, there was a lot of swelling and the doctor had a look and said go to hospital.
“I didn’t know what was happening, but the surgeon said I had ruptured my testicle. I had never heard of such an injury, but thankfully it was only a quick recovery.
“I was very lucky to come back as soon as I did. There’s no problems. I have 100 per cent confidence in it.”
KING ARTHUR’S COWBOYS REVENGE
It was the Sliding Doors moment that gives Parramatta coach Brad Arthur every reason to bring down the Cowboys in Friday night’s grand-final qualifier.
News Corp can reveal how close Arthur came to once coaching the Cowboys, only for North Queensland bosses to reject him in favour of Paul Green.
In October 2013, Arthur was short-listed by the Cowboys, reaching the final four candidates, joining Green, Trent Barrett and current Broncos coach Kevin Walters for interviews with North Queensland hierarchy.
Arthur was regarded as the front-runner to succeed Neil Henry, but he lost out to Green, who vindicated the Cowboys’ decision by delivering the club’s maiden premiership in 2015.
While Arthur was overlooked by the Cowboys, it opened the door for him to join the Eels, for whom he has served nine seasons since his appointment in 2014.
Now, almost a decade later, Arthur can return to haunt the Cowboys by shattering their grand-final dreams and propelling Parramatta to within one victory of the Eels’ first title since 1986.
Arthur’s manager confirmed the 48-year-old was pipped at the post by Green for the Cowboys job.
“Brad was very close to joining the Cowboys,” said Chris Orr of PSM.
“He was short-listed for the job and it was down to him and Paul Green for the job.
“From what I understand it was a split decision. The Cowboys were very impressed with both of the pitches from Paul and Brad, but they ended up going with Paul because of the Queensland factor and his links to the club and the area.
“Brad was ready to take the next step from assistant coaching to NRL head coaching and he liked the look of the Cowboys roster.
“They had Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott on their books and Brad thought they had a roster ready to win a premiership.”
Orr blasted suggestions he secretly shopped Arthur to rival clubs midway through this season.
“The talk about Brad being shopped around was rubbish,” he said.
“There were suggestions we were shopping him to the Bulldogs.
“With due respect to Canterbury, why would I consider taking Brad Arthur out of a premiership contender and send him to a club that won the wooden spoon last year?
“Brad has done a brilliant job at Parramatta. He has been through some really tough periods but he has consistently evolved and he has very close relationships with his players.
“Brad is contracted to the Eels for another two seasons and there’s no reason for him to leave.”
COWBOYS LUCKY TO HAVE MICHEAL
Gorden Tallis might think the head of football is a made-up title but try telling that to the North Queensland Cowboys.
The Cowboys have heralded football boss Micheal Luck as the unsung hero of North Queensland’s remarkable resurrection.
Luck has played a key role behind the scenes in tandem with coach Todd Payten to piece together the Cowboys’ revival.
After serving a lengthy apprenticeship alongside former football chief Peter Parr, Luck stepped into the top job in late 2020 and has flourished.
“Parry put a lot of time and effort into Micheal throughout their time working together,” Cowboys chairman Lewis Ramsay said.
“For Parry to leave in the manner he did and do the handover properly with the right support and cooperation meant nothing got dropped off or fell between the cracks.
“Micheal is a very good operator but had a perfect handover as well. He’s put his own stamp on the role and Peter never stood in the way of that.
“Micheal has been instrumental. You ask Todd to talk about Micheal and he is the first one to attribute praise to his assistants and Micheal and the football department.
“Todd develops a strategy and helps the players believe in themselves, but he can’t do what he does so well without Micheal’s support.”
RETURN OF THE MAC FOR COWBOYS
Jordan McLean is poised to sign a new deal with the Cowboys in a boost for North Queensland ahead of Friday night’s grand-final qualifier against the Eels in Townsville.
News Corp can reveal McLean will not be shown the door by North Queensland coach Todd Payten, who is keen to ensure the towering prop remains on the Cowboys’ roster for the 2023 season.
Despite being one of the code’s most senior forwards, McLean remains among a group of NRL players still without a club for next season entering the NRL’s new contracting period on November 1.
The 30-year-old has played a key role in the Cowboys’ revival this year, chalking up 21 appearances in arguably the best season of his career, but goes into the Eels’ sudden-death preliminary final without his future sorted.
Payten, however, is determined to keep McLean in Townsville, with the Cowboys confident they have room in the salary cap to extend the former Test enforcer on a one or two-year deal.
BRONCO IS A STYLISH MAM
Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam has emerged as Red Hill’s new fashion icon.
Mam not only claimed Brisbane’s rookie of the year honours at Tuesday night’s Paul Morgan Medal count, but he was also the unofficial best dressed of the Broncos.
Sporting a thick black skivvy, velvet-look suit and nose ring, Mam turned heads on the red carpet and on stage as he looked more like pop star The Weeknd than a rugby league player.
Mam was easily Brisbane’s best rookie this year and is facing a big season in 2023.
GOOD KNIGHT TO BRODIE
He is the newly-crowned Man of Steel – but Brodie Croft is unlikely to find himself in the Steel City.
Croft’s superb Super League form has sparked interest from three NRL clubs. He has been linked with an NRL comeback at the Knights, but Sport Confidential understands Newcastle bosses have no intention of throwing a lifeline to the former Storm and Broncos playmaker.
Croft has been a revelation since moving to the Super League this year and has clinched Super League’s equivalent of the NRL’s Dally M Medal after his brilliant debut season at Salford.
Still only 25, Croft is contracted to Salford for another season and has attracted the interest of Super League giants Wigan.
Newcastle are desperately short of playmakers following Anthony Milford’s move to the Dolphins, but Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks is in the sights of the Knights.
GALLEN WARNED: LODGE WILL BASH YOU
One of Australia’s longest-serving amateur boxers believes Matt Lodge will destroy Paul Gallen.
Former three-time Australian amateur heavyweight champion Mark ‘Chopper’ Burgess has worked with both Justin Hodges and Lodge and has urged Gallen to retire now - or risk losing his retirement fight.
Lodge has been sounded out to take on Gallen in the NSW Origin’s swansong bout in December. Burgess, who now works as a trainer at the Broncos, says Lodge will be a far more dangerous opponent for Gallen than Hodges.
“I’ve done some pads with Matt Lodge and my goodness, he can whack,” Burgess said.
“He punches a lot harder than ‘Hodgo’ and at 118kg, Lodge would do some damage to Gallen.
“I have enormous respect for what Paul has done in the ring, but he has gone into a steep decline since fighting Justis Huni.
“I’ve done 30 rounds of sparring with Hodgo and never been hurt or dropped, yet Hodgo dropped Gallen.
“Lodge is a much bigger man than Hodgo and he is much younger than Gallen.
“I wish Paul would stop now. I’d hate to see him suffer serious damage after the great career he’s had.”
Watch every match of the Rugby League World Cup LIVE & Exclusive to Fox Sports, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
More Coverage
Originally published as Sport Confidential: Roosters set to sign Jake Turpin, Payne Haas opens up on jailed mum, Adam Reynolds sledges Souths
Panthers slammed over ‘pathetic’ move
The Penrith Panthers are the all-conquering NRL champions but the club has abandoned their bid to claim the one trophy that’s eluded them.
Panthers celebrations switch from party to formal mode
Penrith Panthers players have ditched their sunglasses and shorts for suits and ties as the premiership party switches to formal mode for their end-of-season presentation night. SEE THE PHOTOS.