Sport Confidential: Broncos have eye on American hulk, Blake Mozer off-contract at Broncos
The Broncos are keen to give one of the four North American NRL combine winners a chance to make it in the NRL, plus much more in SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
Titans
Don't miss out on the headlines from Titans. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Broncos have expressed interest in giving one of the four American NRL Combine winners a chance to succeed in rugby league.
Ex-Denver Bronco Kris Leach and fellow American football convert Michael Woolridge were chosen as the two best male athletes at the inaugural NRL Combine in Las Vegas last Saturday week.
Canada Ravens lock Megan Pakulis, who has played in the past two World Cups in 2017 and 2022, and USA international MarCaya Bailous were the two women’s selections.
The quartet are being given a chance to train with an NRL team and the Broncos were impressed by Leach, a hulking figure at 195cm and 115kg who impressed NRL scouts by bench pressing 150kg at the Combine.
The 24-year-old was signed as a tight end in 2023 and could go from the Denver Broncos to the Brisbane Broncos for a two-week cameo at Red Hill.
“As a club we want to support what the NRL are trying to achieve,” said Broncos recruitment boss Simon Scanlan, who attended the NRL Combine.
“At the moment, we are open to talking to the NRL on who the players selected are from the Combine and giving them the option of training with us.
“The expectation isn’t that they progress and get a full-time contract or they play for us in the NRL. This is a starting point and we’ll try and help the NRL tap into the American market.
“We’re definitely open to giving an American athlete some time in our system.”
Leach says he is serious about making it in rugby league and is willing to move to Australia full-time, but Scanlan says the prospect of an American cracking the NRL is slim.
“Would an American player go through and play NRL?” Scanlan mused.
“It’s very unlikely but this is a starting point and we’ll be open to the idea of an American coming over here to train for two weeks.
“I think where the women’s game is, American females could certainly make the transition to the NRLW.
“But the leap into professional rugby league for a man who has never played the sport before, it’s a massive one.
“I witnessed some very good athletes there, but the next step is teaching them the fundamentals of rugby league.”
An absolute massive congratulations to Ontario Ospreys and Canada Ravens Meg Pakulis (pictured with Ravens Head Coach Mike Castle) for being selected from the @nrl combine, Meg will be heading to Australia to show the @nrlw her Canadian skills. pic.twitter.com/4n5ubZyTcd
— Canada Rugby League (@CanadaRL) March 3, 2024
BRONCOS WILL BATTLE TO RETAIN MOZER
The Broncos are facing a fight to retain emerging hooker Blake Mozer, with a former Brisbane player looming as the club’s greatest threat.
Mozer is off-contract at the end of 2025 and expected to be one of the game’s most in-demand young players if he hits the open market.
At 19, Mozer’s best years are ahead of him and he has long been touted as one of the game’s future star No.9s after starring in the junior grades.
The Broncos rate Mozer highly and will make moves to retain him, but former Broncos prop Keenan Palasia shapes as a key figure in the Queensland under-19s Origin representative’s future.
Titans recruit Palasia and Mozer live together on the Gold Coast.
“I’m living with Blake Mozer. I’ve got him tucked under my wing,” Palasia said.
“At the moment we’ve got a fair few good hookers (at the Titans) and he’s still a young fella.
“In the future we’ll see how he develops and I’ll get into his ear.”
Titans hookers Sam Verrills and Chris Randall are contracted to Gold Coast until the end of 2026 and out to prove to new coach Des Hasler they are the answer at dummy-half.
Palasia and Mozer would be one of few NRL rivals living under the same roof and there’s plenty of banter being thrown among the house.
“He is into me, letting us know the Titans didn’t make the finals last year,” said Palasia, who played in Brisbane’s grand final team.
“I get back into him and let him know he’s only played one NRL game.”
Immortal Meninga parts ways with Titans
Immortal Mal Meninga has formally severed ties with the Gold Coast Titans following a five-year relationship.
Meninga quietly finished up in his role as the club’s high performance consultant over the summer after being frozen out of the decision to sack Justin Holbrook as head coach and appoint Des Hasler.
The Titans did not publicly announce Meninga’s departure, but CEO Steve Mitchell confirmed to Sport Confidential his contract was not renewed.
“That has run its course,” he said.
“Mal’s relationship with the club is very strong and he’s got a great relationship with Des.
“I believe he speaks with Des. The contract has run its course.”
The Kangaroos coach, 63, played a key role in signing Holbrook following Garth Brennan’s sacking during the 2019 wooden spoon season.
Meninga’s role changed over time and he became a consultant after moving back to Canberra, but remained in close contact with Holbrook and across the club’s recruitment decisions.
Meninga played key roles in signing Queensland Origin stars Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Storm) and David Fifita (Broncos), but wasn’t able to help the Titans taste NRL premiership success.
Meninga was Holbrook’s greatest ally at the Titans, which may explain why he was excluded from the clandestine move to sign Hasler last June.
At the time, Meninga said he felt “ostracised” by the club’s decision to leave him out of discussions.
“I didn’t know until today which disappoints me a little bit,” he said following the Holbrook-Hasler machinations.
“The club rang me this morning and I don’t know how to feel about it to be honest. I feel ostracised a little bit.
“I’ve got a bit of thinking to do about what I do in the future … I don’t envisage being part of the club moving forward.”
Meninga was right.
While he maintains a long-term relationship with Hasler, that could include informal mentoring of Titans players, his formal ties to the Gold Coast are over.
“Mal’s got a good relationship with Des,” Mitchell said.
“He has stayed in contact with Des as far as I know. They have a good relationship that goes back over time.”
Origin goes global
The ARL Commission took a chance with NRL in Las Vegas and now they are exploring another overseas venture – State of Origin in New Zealand.
Sport Confidential can reveal ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has held talks with New Zealand authorities about taking New South Wales and Queensland across the ditch for a historic Kiwi Origin clash.
Perth’s Optus Stadium has been locked in as the neutral venue for 2025 and 2028, but the 2027 calendar has yet to be finalised.
There is a push for Auckland’s 50,000-capacity Eden Park, which formerly staged the NRL Nines, to host State of Origin’s first offshore game since the Blues-Maroons clash in America in 1987.
It is understood the New Zealand government would have to come up with at least $5 million to secure the event.
“It’s still on the books,” V’landys said of a State of Origin debut in New Zealand.
“We are in discussions with people in New Zealand about State of Origin.
“They will come back to us with a proposal.”
One impediment is the time zone. Auckland is two hours ahead of Sydney, meaning an Origin game in New Zealand could start as late as 9pm or 10pm local time.
“It can absolutely work,” V’landys said.
“We are looking at it, but there has been a change of government, so there’s a new government we have to deal with.
“We have to give them some time and once we do, we can talk to them about an Origin game over there.”
Derby poaching feud erupts
The Cowboys have issued a hands-off edict to the Dolphins as a derby feud erupts between the Queensland clubs over boom forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
Finefeuiaki is off-contract at season’s end and has caught the eye of Dolphins recruitment chiefs and super coach Wayne Bennett with his powerhouse charges and tackle-busting ability on the edges.
The 20-year-old plays his 14th NRL game against the Knights on Saturday and the Cowboys insist Finefeuiaki is going nowhere, tabling a new offer for the forward young gun.
“We’ve got a plan to keep him, absolutely,” Cowboys coach Todd Payten said.
“We have given him our best offer.
“He is still only 20, he doesn’t turn 21 until the end of the season (in December).
“Kulikefu is still learning his trade and understanding what it’s like to be professional.
“He has an abundance of ability so we’re excited and hopeful that we can keep him.”
Tate’s Titanic tip sinks
As a footy tipster, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate makes a pretty good politician.
Tate met with Titans CEO Steve Mitchell and new coach Des Hasler last week ahead of the 2024 NRL Premiership season.
In a video posted to the Titans’ website, Tate declared the Titans would thump the Dragons in their round 1 clash.
“I wanted to wish you all the best,” Tate said to Hasler.
“The whole city is behind you. As soon as we knew you were coming it was like, ‘We now have a chance to get to the top eight’.
“I know what you’re going to do – put them (Dragons) to the sword.”
As it turned out it was the Dragons that put the Titans to the sword, embarrassing Gold Coast 28-4 on home soil.
Tate will be hoping he fares better in this weekend’s council election, where he is a raging favourite to secure a fourth term.
Lock him in
Former Broncos skipper Corey Parker has urged coach Kevin Walters to abandon using star lock Pat Carrigan in a forward Mr Fixit role.
As a rookie in the Broncos Academy, Carrigan was being groomed to one day succeed Parker, the former Origin and Test lock who played 347 games for the Broncos.
Carrigan is now Brisbane’s standout No.13, but Walters has been forced to sometimes move the vice-captain from the middle to the edge as insurance during an injury setback.
Carrigan filled in for Jordan Riki last year in the back row and he was moved to the edge last Sunday week when Brendan Piakura suffered a head knock in Brisbane’s season-opening loss to the Roosters.
The Broncos lost all sting in midfield when Carrigan moved to the edge and Parker believes he must stay at lock as a key linkman for Brisbane’s forward pack.
“I can understand why they moved Carrigan to the edge against the Roosters, but I wouldn’t be doing it moving forward,” Parker.
“He is so important to their team as a 13 with his workrate.”
Todd’s got the look
Cowboys coach Todd Payten’s new look has divided opinion in the tropics.
The 45-year-old has opted for a cleanskin image going into the new premiership season, doing away with beard or goatee look that gave him an intimidating edge as one of the code’s leading emerging coaches.
Cowboys players are having a field day with their baby-faced coach. He’s copping all sorts of nicknames from Voldemort, the shaven-headed character in Harry Potter, to American rapper Pitbull. We’ll settle for the latter.
Made of Steele
Look out Corey Oates. There could be another winger pushing for an NRL berth at the Broncos – in the form of their media manager.
Broncos communications chief Steele Tallon stole the show at last week’s Australian touch football championships. His Brisbane-based Arana side took out the over-45s title, winning the final 7-6 over a Central Queensland outfit containing Justin Loomans, the former Souths and Cowboys winger.
The flying Tallon, who won the touch World Cup with an Australian masters team in 2019, finished the tournament as the second top tryscorer with 13 tries from nine games, including a double in the final.
Good sporting genes run in the Tallon family. The Broncos media boss has blood ties to former Australian cricketer Don Tallon, who played 21 Tests between 1946-53.
Women’s champs go international
Teams from PNG and Fiji will participate in the Harvey Norman Women’s National
Championships on the Gold Coast next week.
The inclusion of the two Pacific teams in the tournament from March 21-24 for the first time has been made possible by the PacificAus Sports Program.
“The tournament is an important part of our pathways and it is great to see the addition of PNG and Fiji,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said.
“The tournament has always been about providing an opportunity for our emerging talented female players to be discovered and developed.
“The opportunity for players from the Pacific to participate as well as the support of Experience Gold Coast will ensure the National Championships continue to grow as a major pathway for the women’s game.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Sport Confidential: Broncos have eye on American hulk, Blake Mozer off-contract at Broncos
Hunt’s Dragons future up in air as Queensland rival circles
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has broken his silence on a scathing post-season review of Ben Hunt that could see the under fire star offloaded to an Queensland rival.
Hasler eyes more changes at Titans after another horror finish
Des Hasler is adamant the Titans have shown signs of growth in 2024 despite finishing in the bottom four for the third straight year. But he is eyeing more changes at the club.