Former Test prop Shannon Boyd contemplating shock early retirement
A former Test prop and marquee Gold Coast player is contemplating a shock early retirement which could open the doors for the Titans to land star Bronco David Fifita.
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Former Kangaroos prop Shannon Boyd is contemplating walking away from the Gold Coast to become a farmer in a move which would take Broncos gun David Fifita on step closer to the Titans.
News Corp can reveal Boyd is considering quitting the NRL after falling out of favour with Titans coach Justin Holbrook.
The departures of Boyd and off-contract hooker Nathan Peats will help the Titans free up salary cap space to sign Fifita to a $5 million deal.
Jarrd Wallace is another Titans player who has struggled this year but like Boyd has two years left on his current deal. The 28-year-old played the last of his six Queensland matches as recently as last year but hasn’t been able to make the Titans side since round three. The Dragons have inquired about getting Wallace to the club immediately to beef-up their depleted forward stocks. He has been recalled to play the Broncos on Saturday.
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The Titans are in the midst of huge changes to their forward pack. Former Blues hooker Peats is off-contact and can’t find a spot while Jai Arrow will join the Rabbitohs next year.
They have signed Tino Fa’asuamaleaui for next season and are looking at Brisbane’s David Fifita and Newcastle’s Herman Ese’ese.
The 125kg Boyd has struggled to adapt to the fast-paced NRL since the introduction of the six-again rule and is at long odds to pull on a Titans jersey again.
Boyd, who drives a beefed up Toyota Landcruiser ute, is a country boy at heart and wants to return to his hometown of Cowra in New South Wales to work in the family livestock business.
But he has a huge financial consideration to make.
Boyd signed a $2.4 million four-year contract with the Titans from 2019-2022 and is not even halfway through the deal.
He can see out the contract and spend the next two-and-a-half years in reserve grade with the possibility of making the odd appearance in the NRL.
Boyd, 27, is hoping to broker a deal with the Titans to receive a payout to leave the club immediately.
Any payout would be included in the Gold Coast’s salary cap for the next two seasons, leaving the Titans with a delicate decision to make.
Titans CEO Steve Mitchell refused to comment on the situation.
Boyd was one of the NRL’s top props in 2016 and played four Tests for the Kangaroos.
Former Titans coach Garth Brennan splashed out huge money to bring him to the Gold Coast from Canberra, but he has only managed 14 games in two seasons after suffering a shoulder injury last year.
Boyd played one game following the COVID-19 lockdown and hasn’t been sighted in the NRL since.
There was talk he could join the Dragons to replace England-bound James Graham and be closer to home, but that appears unlikely.
HISTORIC 11-A-SIDE FIXTURE
The Broncos and Titans will square off in a double-header on Saturday night with fringe players from both clubs to take part in a novel 11-a-side reserve-grade hit out at Suncorp Stadium.
Sport Confidential can reveal Broncos coach Anthony Seibold and Titans counterpart Justin Holbrook have formulated plans for a ‘scrimmage’ for players who will not feature in the Brisbane-Gold Coast NRL main game.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit rugby league‘s second-tier hard with the cancellation of the Intrust Super Cup making it difficult for players not picked for the NRL to get some quality game time.
But that is about to change with fringe Broncos and Titans players to take part in a Suncorp curtain-raiser that should be dubbed the Seibold-Holbrook Cup.
Under the rules, formulated by Seibold and Holbrook, each side will field 11 players. The traditional field width size of 68 metres will be reduced by 10m to account for two fewer players, with the usual playing time of 80 minutes for a game to be shaved to 45.
Suspended Broncos duo Pat Carrigan and Tom Flegler are expected to take part in the game because it is not an NRL-sanctioned contest.
“We haven‘t quite got the numbers for 13-a-side so we are playing with 11 and bringing the field in 10 metres,” Seibold said.
“It will be full contact but there will be no scrums, it will be a training scrimmage between the two teams.
“We won‘t have penalty goal or conversions, but there will be a referee. The first half will be 25 minutes, then we will have a break and play 20 minutes in the second half.
“Justin and myself spoke about it the other day and came up with some rules. It‘s not an NRL-sanctioned game so we can make up whatever rules we like.
“We are trying to make it as close to an NRL game as we can.
“We don‘t have Intrust Super Cup at the moment so it’s important we give the fringe guys some sort of football.”
FIFITA ON THE RUN
In-demand Broncos superstar David Fifita is on the verge of a comeback with the Queensland Origin ace back running again.
Fifita, who has fielded a massive $5 million offer from the Titans, has thrown away his leg brace after knee surgery in April with the 107kg hulk running on the treadmill in the Broncos gym on Tuesday.
The imminent return of Fifita is a huge boost for the Broncos, who have not won a game in the star back-rower‘s absence, having lost four consecutive matches ahead of the Titans derby this week.
The Broncos will not rush Fifita‘s comeback but he could return as early as round nine for Brisbane’s clash against the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, July 11.
Fifita is desperate to play some football. The contract circus swirling around him has added to Fifita‘s injury frustrations and the Maroons monster wants to get some continuity with his football again before he makes a final call on his future.
The Titans are privately confident of securing Fifita‘s signature, believing their $1 million-a-season offer will blow the Broncos out of the water.
FAN SNUB
Gold Coast Titans fans will be heavily outnumbered in Saturday’s derby against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
Sport Confidential can reveal the bulk of the 10,000 tickets have been reserved for Broncos members as part of the capped crowd for them to attend their first home game of the season.
The Broncos gave the Titans a small allocation after their members were offered first crack at the tickets and will have a band of loyal supporters in the stands.
The Titans will play in front of home fans for the first time this year next Saturday when they host Cronulla at Cbus Super Stadium.
COACH’S BAD BBQ
When NRL players get together for a team BBQ, you know it means the bullet is coming for their coach. North Sydney players famously held a BBQ in 1999 which led to the demise of coach Peter Louis. Then there was the Broncos BBQ saga in 2018 which preceded Wayne Bennett‘s sacking.Now another sacking could be on the horizon.
Which group of players at an NRL club met last week for a weekend feed and bagged their coach mercilessly? The coach in question has lost the dressing room and board members should heed the message.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Queensland Rugby League has a major headache. Their chief sponsor Intrust Super, which pays around $700,000 for naming rights to the Queensland Cup, is set to seek compensation following revelations Channel 9 has snubbed the state‘s premier league competition.
As part of its cost-cutting, Channel 9 is set to scrap full-time coverage of the Intrust Super Cup from next year in a disgraceful slap in the face for Queensland rugby league. The network has discussed showing the finals and grand final only, but that has gone down like a lead balloon with Intrust Super, which has been an outstanding supporter of rugby league and the QRL.
Should the network scale back its coverage, Intrust will go to the QRL demanding a major reduction in its sponsorship fee. At worst, Intrust may walk away altogether in what would be a crippling financial blow for the QRL.
TOUGH AS AN ARROW
Titans lock Jai Arrow is receiving painkilling injections every week to play with a rib injury.
Arrow suffered rib cartilage damage in the Gold Coast’s drought-breaking win against Wests Tigers three weeks ago.
He has carried the injury into the Titans’ past two games against the Rabbitohs and Dragons yet still managed to be one of the team’s best players.
Arrow will face former club Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday and said he didn’t know how long it would take the injury to heal.
“I get it needled every game,” he said.
“I can still feel it tender in there. As soon as that stops I won’t have to get needled any more.
“In the Rabbitohs game I had to go off and get it jabbed again in the sheds.”
LEGEND PARTS WITH MOSES
High-profile NRL agent Isaac Moses has lost his first client following moves to strip him of his accreditation.
Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters has severed ties with Moses to link up with rival manager Chris Orr.
Moses has lodged an appeal against his proposed ban which will allow him to continue to practice in the NRL.
PEATS STANDING FIRM
Titans hooker Nathan Peats has not given up hope of extending his career in the NRL.
Peats will not play in the Gold Coast’s derby against Brisbane on Saturday after being overlooked for selection for the third straight week.
Mitch Rein and Tanah Boyd will share the dummy-half duties for the Titans, leaving Peats to play in a pre-game scrimmage with the reserves.
Off-contract at season’s end, Peats has started exploring his options in the Super League ahead of a potential move to England.
But the former NSW Origin No. 9 is determined to remain in the NRL and is hopeful of picking up a contract at a rival club for 2021.
“We’re only six rounds into the season,” said Peats’ manager Sam Ayoub.
“He still wants to play in the NRL and there will be clubs that show interest in a quality player like Peatsy.
“Peatsy will pick up something because he is valued by coaches in the game and brings a lot to a team.
“If that value isn’t at the Titans then it will be elsewhere. We’re looking at all of his options.”
CONTRACT IS DUNN!
Cowboys utility Mitchell Dunn has gone through the wars in recent years with a series of shoulder injuries. But the promising 23-year-old has received a boost after agreeing to terms on a new two-year deal. Dunn has played 17 NRL games and has impressed with his versatility and toughness in the back row. He was off-contract this year but the Cowboys have high hopes for him and have signed off on a two-year upgrade.
JERSEY CRISIS
The NRL’s leading jersey supplier is fighting for survival in a multimillion-dollar development that could have ramifications for the Broncos and Queensland State of Origin team.
NRL bosses are aware that top apparel supplier ISC is attempting to stave off bankruptcy due to the coronavirus pandemic which has ripped the heart of out of thousands of businesses across Australia.
The NRL has been told ISC may not last beyond this season. That would be a crushing blow as ISC produces jerseys for half the code, including the Broncos, Melbourne, Canberra, the Cowboys, Parramatta, Souths, Roosters and the Tigers.
The mighty Maroons also have their jerseys delivered by ISC and would have to go in search of a new supplier if their current client goes to the wall.
Originally published as Former Test prop Shannon Boyd contemplating shock early retirement