Tom Flegler snubs Sydney mega-deals to stick with Broncos
You wouldn’t have blamed Tom Flegler for leaving Brisbane for a eye-watering offer from Sydney NRL clubs. But instead, the rising prop has committed his future to the Broncos.
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Boom prop Tom Flegler has sacrificed a staggering $1.8 million to stay loyal to Brisbane as the Broncos struck the first retention blow in the face of poaching raids from cashed-up Sydney rivals.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Flegler has agreed to terms on a 12-month extension - rejecting three-year mega deals worth $2.4 million from Sydney clubs to remain at the Broncos until the end of 2021.
With Flegler secure, the Broncos will now ramp-up plans to secure his forward cohort David Fifita, who is being chased by four Sydney clubs and has fielded $1 million interest from the Warriors.
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Flegler was off-contract at the end of next season, meaning he was able to field formal offers from November 1 last month, triggering a bidding frenzy with up to 11 NRL rivals lodging expressions of interest.
Flegler’s management met with the Cowboys and Titans, while two Sydney clubs threw down the gauntlet to the Broncos by offering the 20-year-old front-rower multi-year contracts worth $800,000 annually.
But the Broncos have staved off big-money poaching raids, with Flegler advising he wants to stay at Red Hill as a precursor to inking a one-year upgrade worth around $600,000.
The Broncos are expected to formally announced Flegler’s retention in the next 48 hours.
The Tully product could have earned more money by quitting the Broncos but the raw-boned bookend had other motivations.
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Fifita made his State of Origin debut this year and Flegler is the next Bronco tipped for Maroons honours, making his NRL debut in round one last season against the Melbourne Storm.
Flegler showed rare mental toughness for a fledgling front-rower, playing 23 games in his rookie 2019 season, including his finals debut in Brisbane’s shock 58-0 sudden-death loss to Parramatta in September.
Cashed-up NRL rivals are attempting to pick the eyes out of Brisbane’s batch of wonder kids but Flegler is the latest young gun to display the loyalty that saw Tevita Pangai Jr, Payne Haas and Matt Lodge sign new deals.
Now the Broncos will move to retain Fifita and are privately confident the Maroons and Test hulk is going nowhere.
Originally published as Tom Flegler snubs Sydney mega-deals to stick with Broncos