NRL transfers: Tautau Moga signs with South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney has lauded the arrival of its "destructive" new centre, who will be out to put a run of injury troubles behind him next season.
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MOGA'S SWITCH CONFIRMED
South Sydney has hailed the arrival of international centre Tautau Moga.
The Soman international has signed with the Rabbitohs - his fifth NRL club - for the 2021 season.
The 26-year-old has played 73 games across stints for Newcastle Knights, Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys and Sydney Roosters.
“Tautau is a great addition to our squad next season as we look to add some experience to our backline depth," Rabbitohs head of football Mark Ellison said.
“A couple of injuries have stalled him throughout his career but when he has been fit to play he has proven that he can be one of the most destructive outside backs in the game.
“He has been part of winning squads throughout his NRL career and has played Test football.
“We’re looking forward to having him join our squad this pre-season and seeing him push for first grade selection
on a weekly basis.”
KNIGHT HEADING TO ST HELENS
Newcastle’s Sione Mata’utia is expected to take up a long-term contract in England which paves the way for the Knights to step up its pursuit of North Queensland’s Jake Clifford.
Mata’utia is close to agreeing to a deal to link up with former Knights coach Kristian Woolf at St Helens which would end his seven-year stint at the club.
A one-time captain of the Knights, Mata’utia is just 24 despite already playing 124 top-grade games.
He is the youngest player to represent the Kangaroos after making his Test debut at 18 and 129 days after just seven NRL matches.
Mata’utia played his first finals game this year.
The Knights are keen on signing Clifford for 2022, but will now be able to accommodate the Cowboys playmaker for next season. North Queensland will not release Clifford until it finds a steady replacement to work as an understudy to Michael Morgan and Scott Drinkwater.
Morgan played just six NRL games this season with his shoulder problems an ongoing concern.
Wests Tigers veteran Benji Marshallis the preferred option but those close to Marshall say he is reluctant to move to Townsville.
The Cowboys want Marshall and have reached out to his management. Marshall has a close relationship with new Cowboys coach Todd Payten, having won a premiership together at the Tigers in 2005. Discussions have also taken place with the Sharks although they do not have the cap space to accommodate Marshall.
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Injuries restricted Moga to just 73 matches in nine seasons, including only 14 games for Knights in three years. He played just four this year.
Moga has ruptured the ACL in his right knee three times and his left knee once.
The Rabbitohs will officially announce James Roberts’ exit next week.
NUMBERS TO DECIDE STATE OF ORIGIN SCHEDULE FATE
The NRL has left the door ajar for the State of Origin series to remain at the end of the season if television ratings surge for rugby league’s showcase event over the next three weeks.
While the NRL has tentatively commenced plans for the three-game series to return to its normal mid-season slot next year, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys was open to changing that if the November series is a ratings success on Channel 9.
“We are going to see how this goes,” V’landys said.
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“There is a school of thought people want it back in the middle of the season but if it rates the roof off — we just have to see how it works out.
“It could be a dismal failure and the ratings are bad and we just go back to the middle.
“If it’s getting you significant increase in people then you have to look at it.”
If Origin is played after a normal scheduled NRL season, it could be wrapped up by the end of October.
“We can still have international games in November if you wanted,” V’landys said.
“No one likes change, but if it’s successful why would you not keep it?
“State of Origin viewers have gone down. We want it to go back up.”
There were plans to reboot the NRL competition with Origin this year, but V’landys led the push for it to be played at the end of the season to protect the integrity of a shortened year.
SHARK OUT OF WATER
Travel restrictions have loomed as a major hurdle in Englishman Brian McDermott joining Cronulla’s coaching staff next season. McDermott was set to be announced as John Morris’ assistant coach but the ongoing uncertainty in the boarders has now made the move problematic. Morris now needs to look elsewhere with ex-Shark and interim Cowboys coach Josh Hannay now a potential target.
ORIGIN TEAM SELECTOR: PICK YOUR MAROONS SIDE HERE
ORIGIN TEAM SELECTOR: PICK YOUR BLUES SIDE HERE
PARTY HEADS SOUTH
The party heads to Byron Bay for the premiers. Players, staff and families said their goodbyes after being released from their Sunshine Coast bubble on Wednesday. Some will head to Byron to keep the title celebrations — and amusing Instagram videos — going. While players travelled to holiday hot spots, it was safety first for the Provan-Summons trophy with a face mask slapped on it as it made its journey to Melbourne.
NOT SO DANK
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank.
Dank failed to appear in a Northern Territory court on charges of fraud, forgery and causing serious harm last week.
FRIDAY FLASH BACK
Sam Burgess’ NRL comeback meant a high profile player had to exit Redfern to seal the deal. Test centre Dylan Walker was first linked with a move from Souths on this day five years ago. Walker eventually signed with the Sea Eagles, leaving his junior club with a premiership and Kangaroos jersey.
BLUES YO-YO
Penrith back-rower Isaah Yeo sent a scare through the Blues camp when he was photographed in a moon boot earlier this year. Scans cleared Yeo of any serious damage and the moon boot was put on as a precaution. He joined the Blues in camp on Wednesday.
ROBBIE TO THE RESCUE
Robbie Farah has put up for auction 10 framed and signed 2017 Lebanon Cedars World Cup jerseys to help support a teammate whose family home was destroyed in the Beirut explosion. Farah and then coach Brad Fittler have signed the jerseys with all proceeds going to the family. To bid search @robbiefarah on Instagram.
THAT ORIGIN MOMENT
robbie Ross
(3 Origins for NSW in 1999)
You could have fewer dramatic Origin series than Robbie Ross did in 1999. He scored the fastest Origin try, has taken some responsibility for the Blues’ infamous bonding mishap and was confused when the series ended in a draw.
The Storm fullback was picked during Melbourne’s premiership year to play his first game in Queensland’s 9-8 win at Lang Park. But the Blues were left in disarray when just days before the Origin opener, forwards Bradley Clyde and Robbie Kearns were seriously injured and ruled out of the game after falling off horses.
“We were in the Blue Mountains on a bonding session,” Ross said. “We were all in a snail-trail and not going at any speed.
“We turned the corner and Freddy (Brad Fittler) and I were like ‘let’s kick them into gear’. They were just like sheep, when one went, the others went.
“I remember taking off and going up the hill, there was a bit of commotion behind us. We got to the top and no one was there. We turned around and there were guys on the ground, horses everywhere and we were thinking ‘what is happening’.
“It took me about 17 years, but a few years ago I told Kearnsey ‘you know that horse accident, I think I may have started it.”
With Kearns and Clyde ruled out, the Blues lost the opener.
“The bus driver deliberately stopped outside the Caxton before the game,” Ross said. “I was on the window side and I wasn’t sure if it was a ploy by the driver or (coach) Wayne Pearce trying to pump us up. They were hurling cans and slapping the window.”
The Blues had a dream start in Origin II when Ross scored the fastest Origin try, completing an 80m movement to score after just 41 seconds.
“That was a planned move,” Ross said. “We’d been working on it all week to do from the first kick-off. We went one to the middle, two to the left and then one to the right before a wide shift left to get Ryan Girdler on the outside of Darren Smith.
“We wanted to catch them off guard.”
The Blues won 12-8 in game two the final game of the series ended in a 10-all draw.
“When that match finished it was chaotic,” Ross said. “We thought we had extra time. I do remember the only guy jumping around was Gorden Tallis – he was the only one who knew the rule. There was no extra-time and they retained the shield.”
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