NRL 2022: Brandon Smith to Roosters could force Verrills to Eels, every club’s hooking depth

It’s musical chairs time for NRL hookers, and Parramatta hope that when the song stops it’s they who end up with a new number nine. WE RATE EVERY CLUB’S DEPTH

Sam Verrills has been linked with a move to Parramatta as the NRL’s off-season game of musical chairs takes another twist.

Brandon Smith’s expected arrival at the Sydney Roosters for the 2023 season may leave Verrills the odd man out at Bondi, even though he is contracted at the club until the end of 2024.

It is understood Smith’s decision also came as a huge shock to Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins, who were of the belief they had their man before the Roosters came in at the last minute with an impressive sales pitch.

Sport’s greatest rivalry is just around the corner and you can catch the Ashes live and ad-break free during play. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

Brad Arthur has a big job to find a quality hooker to replace Reed Mahoney. NRL PHOTOS

But that has now created huge uncertainty for Verrills.

Unless the 22-year-old is happy to play second fiddle when Smith arrives, the premiership-winning hooker will need to shift clubs to continue his own development.

Smith has made it clear that he is moving from the Melbourne Storm because he wants to play dummy half, not lock. And it is obvious he doesn’t want to share the role with Harry Grant at the Storm into the future.

This comes after Smith revealed in a podcast interview that the Eels, Panthers and Tigers had all made late plays to sign him as well.

What that shows is that there are now as many as six other clubs on the lookout for a new No. 9 for 2023, given the Cowboys and Titans also had a crack at signing Smith as well as the Dolphins.

Hooker depth chart: Every club rated

Top-30 contracted hookers

Broncos

Jake Turpin (Contracted until the end of 2022)

Kobe Hetherington (2023)

Blake Mozer (development contract)

It’s a developing position for the Broncos with Turpin showing some promise, while young Mozer is the one everyone is talking up like he could be a future Cameron Smith.

Bulldogs

Jeremy Marshall-King (2022 with player option for 2023)

Josh Cook (2023)

It’s a holding pattern at the Dogs ahead of Mahoney’s arrival in 2023. Marshall-King has continued to show improvement while Cook has been brought over as a back-up from Souths.

Sharks

Blayke Brailey (2026)

Cameron McInnes (2025)

Jayden Berrell (2022)

Brailey is one of the best young hooker’s in the game who the Sharks have just done a deal with to  keep long term, while McInnes was initially bought as a lock but could easily tag team out of dummy half.

Raiders

Josh Hodgson (2022)

Tom Starling (2022)

It’s a bit of a guessing game what is going to happen here with both Hodgson and Starling off contract at the end of next season. Long term, Adrian Trevilyan appears to be the one the Raiders will be banking on.

Gold Coast

Aaron Booth (2022 development contract)

Erin Clark (2023)

Desperately wanted Smith. Erin Clark is talented but has a long way to go.

Melbourne Storm

Harry Grant 2022 (Mutual option for 2023)

Brandon Smith 2022 (Will join Roosters from 2023)

Smith’s pending move to Sydney clears the way for Grant to become the club’s main man.

Manly Sea Eagles

Lachlan Croker (2023)

Manase Fainu (Stood down under no-fault stand-down policy, and believed to now be on a development contract)

Croker did a more than steady job but he is a makeshift dummy half, and there is still no certainty when Fainu will be back.

Knights

Jayden Brailey (2025)

Chris Randall (2023)

Brailey has a long-term deal and has really taken on a leadership role at the Knights.

Cowboys

Reuben Cotter (2025)

Jake Granville (2022 - Club option for 2023)

Reece Robson (2023)

Appear to have the talent and depth but the fact they went hard for Smith shows they aren’t entirely happy.

Eels

Reed Mahoney (2022 - Signed with Canterbury for 2023)

Ray Stone (2022)

Mitch Rein (2022)

Why the Eels didn’t fight harder to keep Mahoney is a mystery, though Verrills would be a more than handy replacement. Rein is a back-up these days and Stone is a tough lock, not a dummy half.

Panthers

Api Koroisau (2022)

Mitch Kenny (2022)

It appears the Panthers will struggle to come up with the money to keep Koroisau and it is the right time for a dummy half to be up for sale.

Roosters

Sam Verrills (2024)

Freddy Lussick (2022)

Ben Marschke (2022)

Connor Watson (2023)

Verrills would have to be feeling a little gutted after the news of Smith’s signing.

Rabbitohs

Damien Cook (2023)

Peter Mamouzelos (2024)

Siliva Havili (2023)

Really well placed with Cook contracted for two more years and young Mamouzelos looks a huge talent.

Dragons

Andrew McCullough (2023)

Moses Mbye (2023)

Ben Hunt (2023)

Under Anthony Griffin the Dragons seem content with McCullough and Mbye could be an option to tag team off the bench. Going forward young Connor Muhleisen is the only other hooker at the club but doesn’t get a development contract until 2023.

Tigers

Jake Simpkin (2024)

Jacob Liddle (2023)

Liddle had his best season in 2021 but would have to be questioning where he stands, while Simpkin has shown he has a decent future if he gets the right support.

Warriors

Wayde Egan (2022)

Taniela Otukolu (2024)

Egan is off contract at the end of next season. A solid performer but at this point probably hasn’t lived up to the early raps, while Otukolu is spruiked as an exceptional youngster.

In Parramatta’s case they are on the lookout for a replacement for Reed Mahoney who last week announced that he will be joining the Bulldogs in 2023.

Verrills would seem the perfect fit and probably come at a reasonable price.

At his best Verrills is already a rock solid dummy half who would rate up with the best when his confidence is up, and everyone who knows him says he is also a quality human.

But he has had some shocking luck over the last two seasons.

He suffered an ACL knee injury in 2020 and when he returned this season he was just starting to find his groove when he suffered a detached retina.

Verrills agent Steve Gillis did not want to discuss hypotheticals when contacted, but restated that the young rake has a three-year contract at the Roosters.

But while the Eels can’t make public their interest at this point, it has been speculated privately that they would be keen if Verrills does seek a release.

Sam Verrills is shaping as the man to replace Reed Mahoney at the Eels. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

It’s been one of the craziest off seasons in memory when it comes to the uncertainty surrounding the hooking stocks at many clubs.

Api Koroisau is the other big name who comes off contract for 2023 with the Tigers showing initial interest, but they wanted him for 2022.

Canberra’s Josh Hodgson had also been linked to the Tigers but that deal couldn’t get done, with the Raiders preferring to keep Hodgson for the final year of his existing deal to play tag team with Tom Starling.

But Hodgson is still off contract at the end of next season so his name will continue to be linked elsewhere.

Josh Hodgson was linked with moves out of Canberra, but has another season to go on his contract at the Raiders. Picture: Getty

Meanwhile, Starling is also off contract at the end of 2022 and is currently facing police charges for another alleged off-field incident.

The Raiders also have a quality youngster on their books named Adrian Trevilyan who is touted as a future star.

The situation at the Tigers remains equally confusing, given they have Jacob Liddle signed until the end of 2023 and Jake Simpkin until the end of 2024, but that still didn’t stop them making a play for Koroisau, Smith and Hodgson.

Jacob Liddle could also be on the move, with the young rake quietly shopped around by the Tigers. Picture: Getty

Liddle is the player who has been quietly shopped around, with Canberra at one point half interested in a swap deal with Hodgson before that fell through.

Up at the Cowboys it was also reported that they were willing to trade Reece Robson if the Tigers granted Luciano Leilua an early release.

The Titans and Dolphins are also chasing a quality hooker after missing out on Smith.

Elsewhere the Sharks have tabled a new three-year deal to Blayke Brailey whose contract expires at the end of next season, while the Warriors’ Wayde Egan is also up for grabs for 2023.

Originally published as NRL 2022: Brandon Smith to Roosters could force Verrills to Eels, every club’s hooking depth