Sport Confidential: Brandon Smith reveals backstory to Whitehead hip drop furore, Knights set to lock down Leo Thompson
Newcastle have taken the first significant step towards retaining one of their key enforcers by tabling a contract extension amid interest from rivals. That and more in SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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Newcastle have taken the first significant step towards keeping prop Leo Thompson out of the clutches of their rivals after tabling an upgrade and two-year extension to the New Zealand international.
Thompson, off contract at the end of next season, is on a miserly deal given he has become a fixture in the Knights side and a Test player for the Kiwis.
It is understood he is on less than $300,000 this season and around $350,000 in 2025, well below market value for a player with his resume and reputation.
The Knights have made it one of their priorities to negotiate a deal but it won’t be easy - Thompson is believed to be leaning towards testing the open market and a host of clubs are clambering to make a bid for the 24-year-old.
Newcastle have a battle on their hands but Knights recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan has fired the first salvo in the fight for Thompson after offering a deal to the Kiwi International and his manager Daniel O’Loughlin.
“We put something to Leo,” O’Sullivan said.
“I have had two good meetings with Leo and Daniel, clearly told them where I think the club is heading and they have been really receptive.
“Leo is entitled to wait. If he wants to test the market or see what his value is, that is his right. That never worries me or scares me.
“We will have a figure for Leo moving forward that is sustainable and within our grasp of financial responsibility.”
O’Sullivan sees Thompson as a key part of the club heading forward, particularly with the prospect that Daniel Saifiti may be on the move at the end of the season after being granted permission to test the market.
However, he knows that Thompson will have the final say.
“We want him to stay but it is an open market,” O’Sullivan said.
“I never get too worried about someone who leaves or someone you don’t sign, it its more about someone you shouldn’t sign in the scheme of things.”
TIMMINS’ TIME UP
St George Illawarra great Shaun Timmins is the latest club legend to have his role significantly scaled back following the Dragons’ decision to axe 2010 premiership winner Jamie Soward as their NRLW coach.
Timmins has been told there is not a full-time position for him at the club next season ending a near unbroken 30-year permanent association with the club.
The former NSW and Australian star has been on-staff at the Dragons in a range of roles in recent seasons. This year he coached Illawarra’s under-19 SG Ball team. He was also assistant NSW Cup coach and was a Dragons pathways coach.
Next year he was only offered a part-time job as the SG Ball coach.
“I am forever grateful for what the club has done for me but I am obviously a little bit shattered by this,” Timmins. “I just love the club so much. It’s been a family to me for so long.
“I have nothing but good things to say about the club. I’ll be staying in a part-time capacity but I would have liked to have continued full-time because I enjoyed the job so much. It was very rewarding.”
Since his retirement in 2006, Timmins has had a range of different roles at the club including sponsorships, coaching and recruitment.
The decision comes after the Dragons told Soward he would not be coaching their NRLW side once this season ends.
SMITH SIMMERS HEAT ON WHITEHEAD HIP DROP
Sidelined Sydney Roosters star Brandon Smith has absolved Elliott Whitehead of blame for his season-ending knee injury, conceding it was an accident and remarkably suggesting he himself was partly at fault.
Smith is expected to undergo surgery in about a month after tearing the MCL and ACL in his knee during the Roosters’ loss to Canberra on Sunday afternoon, the devastating injury suffered when he was caught by Whitehead in a hip drop tackle.
The incident ended Whitehead’s tenure at Canberra – he was suspended for three matches – and prompted a war of words after Roosters coach Trent Robinson accused the Englishman of being a serial hop drop offender.
Smith said he could understand both sides of the argument and revealed he had been in contact with Whitehead.
“He messaged me,” Smith said on The Bye Round podcast with James Graham.
“There was a bit of banter. It’s rugby league and I know he didn’t mean it. No-one goes out there and does it and means it – it was an accident.
“It is actually a little bit of my f..k up – I didn’t really know the rules. When I dove on the ball, no-one touched me. I thought Elliott was trying to do a sneaky because he is a little cunning bastard.
“I got up and tried to get away so he wouldn’t tackle me again. Then unfortunately that happened.”
Smith also praised Robinson for his reaction to the incident – the Roosters coach rejected an attempt by Whitehead to apologise on the field after the game.
“He has rung me about three or four times since it has happened to check up on me,” Smith said.
“Obviously I understand both sides. That is what I would want from my coach – I would want him to stick up for me, whatever he thinks happened or whatever his judgement is, if it came from a place of respecting and caring about me first.
“He is quite a private guy and I think that conversation could have stayed between those two. But it didn’t.”
Smith revealed he was waiting for the MCL to repair before he underwent surgery on his knee.
“I am not too sure when I am getting it,” Smith said.
“It is looking like more of a wait around., I think it is to prevent two operations.”
FLASHBACK
Wayne Bennett and Jamie Soward made headlines on this day 15 years ago. In their first year of their partnership, Dragons coach Wayne Bennett declared Soward could channel Broncos great Allan Langer.
RICHO REVEALS BIG RED RATIONALE
Wests Tigers boss Shane Richardson has revealed the rationale behind the club’s recruitment drive as he braces for an answer from Canberra and Queensland forward Corey Horsburgh as early as Friday.
Richardson has been working hard to upgrade the club’s roster for next season as he looks to provide coach Benji Marshall and star recruit Jarome Luai with the artillery to take the side up the ladder.
The Tigers have announced the signing of Cronulla forward Royce Hunt and St George Illawarra utility Jack Bird was seen touring Tigers headquarters this week, having been offered a two-year-deal for next season.
Horsburgh has also toured the club and been sold the vision by Marshall and Richardson.
“What we’ve talked about is really targeting three players,” Richardson said.
“We really didn’t go to the marketplace until we lost Stefano (Utoikamanu) because we didn’t know what we really wanted - Stefano made a big difference to how much money we had to spend and the quality of player you will replace them with.
“Once Stefano left, then we sat down and said what do we need and what do we require going forward. We felt we needed a couple of forwards, which we can get for the same price as Stefano.
“If you look at where we sit on the ladder getting out of our red zone, we’re 17th. Some people have been critical of Benji, that we move the ball too early and we make some mistakes.
“The bottom line is, we were never going to get out of our 10m or 20m (zone) if we didn’t use the ball. We didn’t have the size.
“We really focused on getting that right for next year with (Sunia) Turuva and (Jared) Skelton from the Bulldogs.
“And then what you don’t want to do is you don’t want to block off the opportunities for the young kids. We have some young backs.
“So what we need is somebody who can play multiple positions. Jack Bird fits that because he is able to play multiple positions and he’s good for the side.
“Again we’re not blocking the opportunity for a young guy. So it’s been a plan from the start of the year, not something we just come up with now. We don’t need a lot.
“We got one. So we need two more.”
SEA EAGLES THROW FORGOTTEN HALF A LIFELINE
Manly are set to throw a lifeline to injured half Ronald Volkman with the parties close to agreeing to a deal for next season.
The Sea Eagles are keen for Volkman to join the club next season – potentially on the supplementary list – in a bid to strengthen their halves depth.
Volkman wants to resurrect his NRL career after this season was a complete write-off following a shoulder injury which needed to be repaired. He had agreed to join St George Illawarra from the Warriors this season but the injury scuppered the deal.
Volkman, 22, played five NRL games for the Warriors in 2022-23.
The Sea Eagles have stars Luke Brooks and Daly Cherry-Evans locked in for next season while back-up half Jake Arthur hasn’t played first grade this year and has not featured in NSW Cup since round 12 because of injury.
The Sea Eagles lose half option Jamie Humphreys to South Sydney next season.
OFF-LIMIT WISHART ON WISH LISTS
Expect Tyran Wishart to be a man in demand when he enters what could be the final year of his contract with Melbourne at the end of next year — but that has not stopped clubs from asking the question earlier about his availability.
It is understood the Raiders asked the Storm earlier this year if there was any chance they would consider releasing the utility before his deal expires.
Canberra had earmarked Wishart as a candidate to become their long-term starting hooker. However, the Storm responded with an emphatic no given Wishart has proven to be a valuable asset for Melbourne this year.
He has 12 months left on his deal but the Storm have an option in their favour for 2026 and are certain to take it up - he could easily command a big pay day on the open market given how good his form has been this year.
SPOON BOWL SUBS
Kayo are bracing for subscription numbers to boom heading into Friday’s spoon bowl contest between Parramatta and the Tigers.
It is understood there has already been a surge in people signing up to the service in order to see the match exclusively on Fox League.
The Spoon Bowl is expected to be one of the highest rating Friday 6pm matches in history given the size of the respective supporter bases and what is at stake for both the Tigers and Eels.
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