NRL Market Watch: Bulldogs to land double blow on South Sydney with Blake Taaffe signing

The Bulldogs are on the verge of securing a double blow on South Sydney after news of forward Liam Knight’s defection to the struggling club. The latest transfer news in NRL Market Watch.

Shane Flanagan is piecing together his Dragons squad for 2024. Picture: Getty Images

Battling Canterbury are on the verge of adding versatile South Sydney utility Blake Taaffe to their addition of his Rabbitohs teammate Liam Knight.

Taaffe, off contract at the end of the season, met Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould last week and is believed to be closing in on a deal for the next two seasons.

His addition would come hot on the heels of the club’s signing of Knight, who could play for the Bulldogs as soon as this weekend.

“We are delighted to have Liam on board,” Gould said.

“He adds depth and experience to our forward stocks.”

Knight has made 76 NRL appearances to date but has struggled to face his way into the Rabbitohs side this season.

Blake Taaffe is on the cusp of joining Canterbury. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

Knight was off contract at the end of the year and given permission by the Rabbitohs to explore his options on the open market.

He found a home at the Bulldogs and will join the club with immediate effect, having told his South Sydney teammates of his decision on Monday morning.

His signing comes as the Bulldogs endure a devastating injury toll that has tested their depth and resilience in recent weeks.

The club is four points clear of the last placed Wests Tigers.

Liam Knight returned from a long injury lay-off in round 19. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

FEARS FOR EELS STAR’S PLAYING FUTURE

The Eels have secured a fast-fix to their hooker crisis with former Australian Schoolboy Joey Lussick headed for Parramatta, as early as Tuesday.

The major roster move by the Eels has emerged amid the revelation that the club have commenced dialogue with the NRL over the potential medical retirement of UK international and champion hooker, Josh Hodgson.

Hodgson has been ruled out for the remainder of the season following the neck surgery.

The 33-year-old still has 2024 on-contract at the Eels and is yet to call fulltime on a stellar career that includes 150 NRL appearances and 129 Super League matches.

However, such is the seriousness of the neck procedure and how he has responded to the delicate operation, Parramatta are preparing for the possibility that medical professionals may deem it too dangerous for Hodgson to return to the brutality of the NRL.

The Parramatta Eels have signed Joey Lussick to fix their hooker crisis.

The injury omission for the rest of the year of Hodgson has left the Eels needing to call on 16-game rookie Brendan Hands to play 80-minutes after beginning the year outside the club’s top-30 contracted players.

Having successfully negotiated an immediate release from St Helens in the English Super League, Lussick, has been signed to the Eels on deal through until the end of 2025 with Parramatta.

The Eels hope to have Lussick in Sydney on Tuesday. It’s 50-50 on whether he lines-up in first grade against the Storm next weekend.

St George-Illawarra’s Moses Mbye will replace Lussick at St Helens.

Lussick, 27, played nine NRL games with the Eels in 2021 before signing with the English Super League giants, St Helens.

His familiarity with the Eels system, the players and the coaching staff is a major lure for Parramatta to try and drop Lussick immediately back into the club’s first grade side.

There are fears Josh Hodgson may have played his last NRL game after having surgery on a neck injury. Picture: Getty Images.

“It’s been tough for Hodgo. He had that neck injury and he had an operation on it,’’ Eels coach Brad Arthur told NRL 360.

“He’s been trying to offer assistance to the boys with his knowledge and help out that way.

“He’s got some specialist appointments over the next couple of weeks. He definitely won’t play this year, what it means moving forward, that’s up to him.

“We are fortunate that we’ve got young Brendan Hands there who probably thought he might not have got a role this year, but he was thrown in the deep end and he did a really good job.

“Now he’s become reliable and is having to play 80-minutes for us week in, week out.’’

The Eels depth at hooker has been tested following a turnover of hookers over the past two seasons.

Reed Mahoney (Bulldogs), Ray Stone (Dolphins) and Mitch Rein (retired) were all used at hooker prior to the arrival of Hodgson and Hands.

Parramatta believe Lussick will be a good fit, having played 9 gams for the club in 2021.

FLANAGAN CLOSES IN ON FIRST DRAGONS SIGNING

—Michael Carayannis and David Riccio

Shane Flanagan’s Red-V rebuild shows no sign of stopping.

The incoming St George-Illawarra coach has been lauded for commencing one of the game’s biggest overhauls, which includes stealing one of South Sydney’s key forwards.

Having already secured a large majority of his backroom staff, including appointing assistant coach Dean Young, The Sunday Telegraph can also reveal Flanagan’s next moves include:

* Prizing former Dragons junior Hame Sele out of the Rabbitohs to a multi-year deal.

* A potential play for off-contract Eels backrower Bryce Cartwright

* Releasing prop Zane Musgrove to UK Super League club Warrington

Hame Sele could be on his way back to the Dragons. Picture: Getty Images

The fresh development has emerged in the wake of utility Moses Mbye being released immediately. Mbye flies to the UK to take up a deal with St Helens on Monday.

Other major roster moves by Flanagan includes approving the mid-season release of Josh Kerr to The Dolphins, meeting with halfback Ben Hunt to confirm he will be at the club in 2024 and equally centre Zac Lomax.

Sele is seriously considering joining the Dragons next year as Flanagan steps up his pursuit of strengthening St George Illawarra’s forward pack.

The St George junior’s potential return to the club comes after a five-year absence, having made his NRL debut for the Dragons in 2017.

He lasted just 18 games before being shown the door by his junior club.

Sele played for Kingsgrove Colts – the same junior club Flanagan spent some time at.

South Sydney’s Hame Sele has established himself as a frontline NRL starting prop. Picture: NRL Photos

Flanagan told 2GB on Saturday why he wanted the hard-running prop.

“We’re in for Hame Sele, we need to boost our middle forwards and I feel he’s a good player,’’ Flanagan said.

“He’s 26-years-old, he’s originally from the Dragons and we’re in negotiations and hopefully it all comes off.’’

After leaving the Dragons, Sele spent one season at Penrith before reigniting his career at South Sydney where he has established himself as frontline NRL starting prop.

It will be the first of Flanagan’s growing wish list as he continues to be active in helping re-jig a St George Illawarra roster in desperate need of some injection of talent.

Yet to re-sign with Parramatta and knowing the Dragons are short of depth in the back row, Cartwright is a player that Flanagan is keeping a close eye on.

As previously reported, Flanagan has already met Canterbury’s Luke Thompson and remains keen on the English international while he has expressed a desire to chat with Titans duo David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, even though it remains unlikely that the club could land either.

Flanagan has continued to meet with player agents and potential recruits.

Flanagan’s son Kyle is also in contention to join the Dragons amid the potential departure of Jayden Sullivan at the end of the season.

Shane Flanagan is piecing together his Dragons squad for 2024. Picture: Getty Images

DRAGONS STAR GIVEN PERMISSION TO LEAVE

By Phil Rothfield

St George Illawarra have granted highly-rated halfback Jayden Sullivan permission to negotiate with rival clubs effectively immediately.

Sullivan met incoming coach Shane Flanagan on Wednesday and was told he was free to look elsewhere.

Sullivan’s manager Mario Tartak is now shopping the Dragons local junior to rival clubs, including Canterbury, Wests Tigers, and Newcastle.

While the Bulldogs appeared certain to sign him, coach Cameron Ciraldo has eased off after securing Toby Sexton from the Gold Coast.

Jayden Sullivan has been linked with a move to the Tigers, after being given permission by the Dragons to explore his options. Picture: Getty Images.

The Tigers are now odds-on favourites to secure him.

Sullivan’s pay packet is in the $500,000 a season range and the Dragons may have to contribute to his next contract to make the halfback a more attractive option to rivals.

He had two more years left on his current deal.

Originally published as NRL Market Watch: Bulldogs to land double blow on South Sydney with Blake Taaffe signing