Players such as Dane Gagai, Jake Friend, Ash Taylor may be attractive targets for new Brisbane franchise
Players taking one-year extensions could leave a who’s who of NRL talent on the market for the new Brisbane franchise to make instant gains into Broncos territory.
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Off-contract NRL stars will be told to consider signing just one-year contract extensions to prepare for the possibility of being headhunted by the big-spending entry of a second Brisbane side.
It is the secret plan to ensure the second Brisbane side combat the mighty Broncos.
Player agents have informed club recruitment officials that multiple big-name players – primarily Queenslanders – could opt for short 12-month deals after 2021 to ensure they’re available for Brisbane’s 2023 start-up season.
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Prime candidates would include Queenslanders Dane Gagai, Anthony Milford, Dylan Napa, Corey Norman, Jake Friend, Ash Taylor, Lachlan Lewis, Brenko Lee, Andrew McCullough, Tom Dearden, Xavier Coates, Jake Granville, Jaydn Su’A, Kurt Mann and Sam Walker, who all come off contract after this season.
The second Brisbane club will be desperate for immediate success and traction to stare down their glamorous neighbours. And they need a red-hot roster to be instantly competitive.
Three consortiums are vying for the NRL’s 17th franchise with the Brisbane Jets a clear favourite. The new club is expected to apply to the NRL for salary cap exemptions.
Other champion players off contract after this season include Adam Reynolds, Nathan Brown, Daniel Tupou, Blake Ferguson, Maika Sivo, Braiden Burns, Latrell Mitchell, Mitchell Pearce, Angus Crichton, Aaron Woods, Will Hopoate, Josh Dugan, Matt Moylan, Shaun Johnson, Jahrome Hughes, Dale Finucane and Matt Dufty.
Recruitment officials from the three consortiums have been in constant contact with leading NRL player managers for the past six months.
Each consortium has already drawn-up a secret wish list of players. The race to sign gun players has well and truly started.
Behind-the-scenes negotiations is becoming intense.
While under contract until the end of 2023, Melbourne and Queensland superstar Cameron Munster is on top of virtually every hit list, not far ahead of Maroons hooker Harry Grant.
“A lot of players will sign for ’22 only – maybe with a one-year option in their favour,” said one accredited NRL agent.
“Why sign for $300,000 a season when you might get $500,000 to $600,000 a year with the second Brisbane team with third parties. We all expect they will get some sort of salary cap exemptions.
“We will suggest 12 month deals and then move on. It’s something I have thrown up for the players to consider. It may drive a players’ price up even he doesn’t go to Brisbane.
“If you’ve got an elite player – or a very good junior – it would be wise to consider a 12-month option. It appears as though the second Brisbane club will now go ahead – and they will have at least $10m to spend.
“Some Queensland-born players might just want to go home.”
NRL management will look to finalise plans for a second Brisbane side by June this year before a final decision would be reached by the ARL Commission.
The successful consortium will seek permission to negotiate with players within the next 18 months. The NRL is yet to reveal when the new club would be allowed to start registering contracts.
Another leading NRL manager said: “If the consortiums continue to work the phones, telling us who they were interested in, then we’d listen.
“They would looking for marquee signings. If we had hat player in our stable, we would certainly consider doing a shorter deal.
“There is probably more chance of it being a Queenslander who might want to go home. Some might be around 26 years old, kids who arrived and have grown up in Sydney but come from Queensland.”
Another player highly respected by all consortium officials is Melbourne forward Christian Welch, who is well spoken and tough.
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