Sport Confidential: Titans set to sign Joe Stimson, Golf date to decide Cam Munster’s future
The Titans are expected to land a star Bulldogs forward as their impressive recruitment drive continues.
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Gold Coast are expected to land Canterbury forward Joe Stimson from next season. Stimson, who is without a club, is likely to ink a two-year deal. He adds to the Titans impressive recruitment drive which includes premiership winners Kieran Foran and Sam Verrills.
Stimson was billed as a game-changing signing for Canterbury having joined the club as a rising forward from the Storm. He played 21 matches for the Bulldogs this year after injury restricted him to 13 games in his first two seasons.
THE 18 HOLES THAT WILL DECIDE MUNSTER’S NRL FUTURE
Cameron Munster has a golf date with Braith Anasta on Friday. Once the 18 holes are over and done with, Munster and his partner Bianca plan to sit down with Anasta for the most important conversation of his career.
Anasta confirmed the Storm can expect a response from Munster to their multimillion-dollar three-year extension potentially over the weekend. If not, it will come early next week.
The ramifications are huge not just for the Storm, but also for the clubs circling Munster. The Dolphins lead the way but the Wests Tigers are also interested and prepared to match any offer he gets on the open market.
“He’s been away with his family,” Anasta said.
“Pretty much by next week we will have an answer for Melbourne. The whole idea of him getting away with his partner and Bub [Jaxon] was to come to some sort of conclusion on his future.”
It is believed the extension offer from the Storm is worth upwards of $3 million over three years from 2024.
Munster has another year remaining on his deal at Melbourne, which is worth more than $1 million. The Storm have insisted he will be going nowhere and have been pushing for a decision out of him beyond 2023 as they look to ensure they are not caught short should he decide to go.
The club is considering contingency plans involving the likes of Matt Burton, Dylan Brown and Adam Doueihi.
HOW SAMOA PULLED OFF SUAALII KANGAROOS HEIST
Samoan coach Matt Parish has revealed how he called Joseph Suaalii four or five weeks ago to plant the seed for the great World Cup heist. At no point, Parish said, did he talk about Suaalii playing fullback.
He spoke to the prodigiously-gifted teenager about his coaching staff, the work being done in the Pacific and the chance to play alongside some of Samoa’s other stars.
Parish left Suaalii to ruminate on his World Cup plans and on Tuesday, as Parish was on the tarmac in Samoa readying to return to Australia, he got a phone call from Suaalii.
“He said, ‘can you talk’,” Parish said.
“I said, ‘quickly, I am about to take off’. He laughed and said I want to tell you something, I want to play for Samoa, I want to tell you before I ring Mal [Meninga].
“I spoke to him again on Wednesday morning. I have never spoken to Joseph about positions or what position he would be playing.
“I have never promised him or any other player a position in any team. I want to make that crystal clear.
“I rang Joseph, it would have been four or five weeks ago. I spoke to him about our plans for Samoa.
“I said you need to think about it, by no means am I attempting to turn you away from Australia, but we would love to have you on board.”
Parish first bumped into Suaalii a year ago at an emerging Blues camp. At the time, he had only played a handful of games for the Sydney Roosters but he was on the Samoan coach’s radar.
Talks really heated up last month, leading to Samoa securing one of the coups of the World Cup. Suaalii’s decision to pledge his allegiance to Samoa stunned Kangaroos boss Meninga and strengthened the claims of the island nation, who face England in the tournament opener.
“It is his decision, not mine,” Parish said.
“Talking about Joseph, it is purely on family. I admire these guys. They are not motivated by money.
“They are motivated by representing their family and their heritage.”
Samoa’s World Cup plans may not end with Suaalii. Parish has also spoken to North Queensland back rower Jeremiah Nanai and Brisbane forward Payne Haas.
He also hit back at suggestions the rules around international and State of Origin eligibility should be changed.
“There is nothing wrong with them,” he said.
“There is nothing wrong with the Origin eligibility rules and there is nothing wrong with the international eligibility rules.
“Anyone that wants to tweak them or change them is only thinking about their own self-interest and not the good of the game.
“You go back 10 years …. and there were three teams. Now there are genuinely seven teams if you count PNG.
“How good is it? And the Origin has never been any better - Queensland beat NSW, who were short-priced favourites this year.
“I don’t understand why people want to change something that is working.”
DRAGONS REJECT STAR’S RELEASE BID
St George Illawarra has rejected rising star Tyrell Sloan’s bid for an early release as the club consider making a formal complaint against the NRL’s newest team.
Sloan formally asked St George Illawarra for a release this week from the final two years of his deal.
The Dragons instantly denied the request after telling the 20-year-old local product that they continue to have high hopes for him.
Sloan started the season in the top grade but was dumped after just three rounds. He played five more games this season. There have been suggestions he is not seeing eye-to-eye with coach Anthony Griffin.
Regardless, the Dragons at this stage are not allowing him to move on from his contract. It remains to be seen if Sloan further agitates as he looks for a fresh start at the Dolphins, who continue to circle and would happily pick up Sloan from next season and make him their starting fullback in their opening game.
The Dragons are privately fuming at the optics amid suggestions the Dolphins may be trying to entice Sloan to break his deal early.
They are considering making a formal complaint to the NRL amid concerns that the Dolphins may be flouting anti-tampering rules.
The Dragons are expected to face a similar problem with Jayden Sullivan who is likely to ask for a release once Ben Hunt recommits to the club. The Bulldogs want Sullivan from next season but the Dragons have already indicated their reluctance to let him go.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins have received assurances from the NRL that they will receive access to the veteran or developed player allowance next season.
The players’ union is pushing for exemptions of up to $500,000 for long-serving and homegrown players as part of their negotiations with the NRL over the collective bargaining agreement.
That could have put the Dolphins at a severe disadvantage given their first year in the premiership will be in 2023.
However, it is understood Dolphins officials have raised their concerns with head office and been told that they will receive the average of the exemptions across the NRL.
BURTON’S DREAM COMPLETED EARLY
Matt Burton did not include an Origin debut let alone an Australian jumper when he sat down to write out his goals at the start of the year.
But the Bulldogs five-eighth is now on the verge of being part of the Kangaroos’ world cup squad as he pushes his case for selection in the PM’s XIII side to take on PNG on Sunday.
“I do usually set goals but I would not have thought I would’ve played in the PM’s match and I certainly didn’t think of the World Cup,” Burton said. “It wasn’t one of my goals but always something I wanted to reach. I didn’t expect to get picked in Origin so that was unreal.”
Burton is in the mix alongside Cronulla’s Nicho Hynes for a utility spot in Australia’s 24-man squad having shown his ability to handle the halves and centre roles. He only just met Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga this week when the players entered camp in Brisbane.
Burton has used his time away from the field to reflect on his first season at the Bulldogs.
“I thought of things I could work on,” Burton said. “Attacking more is the main one. I’ve come in from centre and changed to five-eighth.”
A World Cup appearance would delay Burton from reuniting with new Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo. The pair grew close during Burton’s time at Penrith and have spoken since Ciraldo’s appointment.
“It’s going to be great to have that stability at the club,” Burton said. “He is a smart man and will bring a lot. He is pretty up front with players and that’s what you want.
“I had a little chat to him a while back. It was when he signed and we had a chat about next year. “There wasn’t too much to it but I’m looking forward to meeting up with him in person.”
SOUTHS SCOT’S KANGAROOS SHOCK
A month ago, South Sydney centre Campbell Graham was preparing to play for Scotland at the World Cup. Those plans look set to go up in smoke.
Confidential understands that Graham is on the radar of Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga and the national selectors after an outstanding month of rugby league for the high-flying Rabbitohs.
Graham’s form surge has coincided with the decision by Joseph Suaalii to pledge his allegiance to Samoa, which comes after Penrith and NSW winger Brian To’o did the same.
Graham confirmed to Confidential a month ago that he had been contacted by Scottish officials and pledged his allegiance on the proviso that Australia didn’t come calling.
“I will be playing for Scotland, if I don’t make the Aussie squad,” Graham told Confidential last month.
“My dad is from Glasgow. It is a huge honour for myself. I have always got a lot of pride and love for my heritage, being Scottish.
“I have great relationships with my Scottish family back home. I have only been out there once, when I was young.
“To go over there and see where my dad grew up, and get among my family and my heritage, will be really cool.”
He can still visit Scotland, only it is likely to be as a member of the Kangaroos.
SEA EAGLES BOOST
Morgan Boyle is set to remain at the Sea Eagles despite an injury ravaged few seasons. He is expected to ink a one year deal with the club. Boyle, 26, has played just 10 matches in the past three seasons.
JUNIOR AT THE DISHLICKERS
Former Kangaroo turned ARL commissioner Wayne Pearce will swap the boots for the microphone when he headlines the entertainment at the richest greyhound race in the world, The TAB Million Dollar Chase Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Pearce and his band will belt out some famous covers after catching up with Fox League duo Bryan Fletcher and Nathan Hindmarsh to promote the big race on Thursday.
One dog will win $1 million in the fifth running of the big money race.
Fans who attend will also have the chance at winning $1 million with every person who buys a ticket going into the draw to win on Saturday night.
RUGBY LEAGUE - THE MUSICAL
Rugby league funny man Denis Carnahan is back at it with a host of new songs when he hits the stage next week as part of his “Rugby League - The Musical” show. The man who came up with the famous “That’s In Queensland” jingle has a whole new showcase of songs.
“I haven’t been able to do the show for two years and so much has happened,” Carnahan said. “So it’s pretty much a whole new show. With coach blow-ups, coach sackings, crackdowns, mass sin-binnings, lines in the sand, injury dramas and brain explosions – there’s so much new material.
“The hardest part was working out what to leave out not what to put in.”
Carnahan will perform at The Bridge Hotel Rozelle on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night. Tickets: rugbyleaguethemusical.com.au
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One of the forgotten men for South Sydney is their mid-season recruit Daniel Suluka-Fifita. A minor back complaint has robbed the ex-Rooster of lining up for the Rabbitohs in the opening weeks of the finals. He is expected to be fit to play the grand final but with Tom Burgess also eligible for the grand final it would take multiple injuries for him to push his way back into the side.
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Rabbitohs winger Taane Milne has watched rivals struggle under Nathan Cleary’s big boot in recent weeks. But Milne told the Panthers halfback to kick them his way on Saturday night.
“I better be ready,” Milne said. “I’ve been practising a bit this week. Let him chuck it up and see how I go.”
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