NRL train and trial list: Josh Reynolds chasing a new top-30 contract

He was being paid more than $16,000 per week when playing for the Wests Tigers, now Josh Reynolds is sweating it out for a fraction of that.

A host of players are fighting for NRL contracts over the summer

A former State of Origin star, the sons of some great players and those clinging on to their NRL dream. A host of players will spend the next few weeks auditioning for a full-time contract.

Among those looking to keep their NRL careers alive include Josh Reynolds (Canterbury), Austin Diaz (Manly), Kurt De Luis (Roosters) Tui Katoa (Roosters), Junior Pauga (Roosters) Jordan Rankin (Eels) and Tristan Sailor (Brisbane) who will be on the same footing as virtual unknowns.

They will earn $1000 a week in a bid to prove themselves as part of a train and trial deal. Some will last until Christmas while others will get a shot into the new year in the hope of landing a full-time contract.

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Josh Reynolds is trying to resurrect his NRL career with the Bulldogs. Picture: Mark Evans

A host of famous surnames also make the list of more than 100 players. Former St George skipper Mark Coyne’s son James will give it a crack at the Roosters while Tom Rodwell (son of Brett) is at Cronulla, Jack Stringer (son of Paul) at Canterbury, Max Plath (son of John) at Brisbane and Haizyn Mellars (son of Vince) at South Sydney.

Manly have thrown ex-Warrior and Eel Nathaniel Roache a lifeline. The luckless Roache spent this year working in a warehouse and rehabilitating his knee after sustaining his third ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his only top grade game for the Eels last year.

“I’m going to give it one last crack,” Roache, 26, said.

Nathaniel Roache has been thrown a lifeline by the Sea Eagles. Picture: NRL Photos

Roache will be joined by former Eels teammate Ryan Matterson’s brother Dean at Manly.

Last year the likes of Ash Taylor, Tyrone Roberts, Michael Molo, Alec McDonald, Edrick Lee and Shaq Mitchell were among the players who started the summer on a train-and-trial deal and went on to secure NRL deals.

With no restrictions on how many train and trial players they can have, some clubs have more than a dozen. Others have kept the list to a handful.

Originally published as NRL train and trial list: Josh Reynolds chasing a new top-30 contract