Sport Confidential: Kurt Capewell’s contract call, Corey Parker backs Fletcher Baker

The Broncos want him to stay, but only for a year, the Warriors want him right away – which way will Kurt Capewell jump? That and more in SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.

Warriors target Kurt Capewell appears on borrowed time at Brisbane with the Broncos indicating the inspirational vice-captain will not be offered a new deal for 2025.

Sport Confidential understands Capewell is reluctant to leave the Broncos, but sees major appeal in the security of a longer-term deal to help bring a maiden premiership to the Warriors.

Capewell is off-contract at the end of next season and was spotted dining in Auckland last week with Warriors coach Andrew Webster, who has ties to the forward from their premiership stint at Penrith.

The Warriors are armed with a three-year offer for Capewell and are keen to have the 30-year-old’s services immediately if the Broncos agree to an early release.

The Broncos are torn. They view Capewell as a critical piece in their premiership assault next season, but Brisbane chiefs are also mindful of a salary-cap battle amid pressure to extend or upgrade key trio Adam Reynolds, Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam.

The Broncos are keen to retain Kurt Capewell for 2024. Picture: Getty Images

The Broncos will happily honour Capewell’s deal for 2024, but it appears the final decision will rest with the former Queensland Origin utility, who was left devastated by Brisbane’s grand-final loss to Penrith.

Capewell is desperate to make amends next year with a premiership ring and that could convince him to stay at the Broncos.

However, with no Brisbane deal on the table for 2025, it is understood Capewell is keen to sort out his future promptly and a move to New Zealand is a serious option.

Leaving Brisbane immediately would give Capewell some time to find his feet at the Warriors over pre-season before the premiership begins next March.

BIG BAKER DELIGHTS BRONCOS GREAT

Former Brisbane skipper Corey Parker has anointed Tom Flegler’s front-row successor – declaring Fletcher Baker is ready to join forces with Payne Haas.

Flegler’s departure to the Broncos has opened a vacancy in the engine room and Baker shapes as a frontline contender after his pre-season arrival from Sydney glamour club the Roosters.

Xavier Willison and Corey Jensen are other options to wear the Broncos No. 8 jumper, but Parker likes the look of the 194cm, 107kg Baker, who has played 46 NRL games at age 23.

“The Roosters let Fletcher Baker go and I know Cooper Cronk (former Queensland Origin halfback) has a big wrap on him,” Parker said.

Fletcher Baker, Brisbane Broncos training, Red Hill. Picture: Liam Kidston

“I’ve got a wrap on Brisbane’s young forwards Xavier Willison and Ben Te Kura, but I think Baker is a good signing.

“I’ve seen a bit of Baker playing for the Roosters.

“I like the size of him and while they will miss the aggression of Flegler, from what I’ve seen, Baker’s best football is still ahead of him.

“He might not have the leg speed or footwork of ‘Flegs’, but he is a big body and a different shape to Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan which is important in the make-up of your forward pack.

“There is a real opportunity for Baker to stand up at the Broncos and I think he can do the job.”

TITANS VETERAN RIPS IN

Titans five-eighth Kieran Foran is determined to hit the ground running when he reunites with coach Des Hasler.

The old Manly connection of Hasler and Foran – who won the 2011 NRL premiership with the Sea Eagles – will be leading Gold Coast’s charge next season.

And Foran has wasted no time getting ready for what could be his final NRL campaign.

Despite being on holidays until mid-December, Foran has already been spotted training on the field with his Titans teammates.

He has been popping into Parkwood well ahead of schedule after winning the Pacific Championships final with New Zealand.

Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has also been in the gym after being told by Hasler he can make improvements in his strength testing.

Kieran Foran of the Titans is already ripping into pre-season training. Picture: Getty Images

DOLPHINS SIGN BLUES GREAT

Former NSW Origin halfback Trent Hodkinson has joined Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins.

But, wait a moment, there’s no big NRL comeback brewing for the 35-year-old.

Hodkinson will fill a full-time game development role with the Dolphins in conjunction with their affiliate club in Rockhampton, the Central Capras.

A Junior Kangaroo, Hodkinson played 174 NRL matches with the Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Knights and Sharks, representing the Blues in all six games of the 2014-15 Origin series.

Hodkinson has moved with his family to Rockhampton and his experience was a natural fit for the Dolphins role, in which he will grow the game in schools and clubs while assisting with the Capras’ junior rep teams.

PANTHERS LIFETIME PLAN FOR CLEARY

The Panthers have outlined plans to secure Nathan Cleary to a lifetime deal to avoid a double whammy at the premiers’ scrumbase.

Penrith boss Brian Fletcher wants Cleary to be a Panther for life, admitting Penrith fans will “kill us” if the champion halfback is ever lost to the three-time premiers.

With halves partner Jarome Luai weighing up a monster $4.5 million offer from the Wests Tigers, the Panthers are wary of potentially losing Cleary down the track and having their roster ripped apart.

Cleary is signed until the end of 2027 but Penrith want to take him off the market for the next decade.

The Panthers want to sign Nathan Cleary on a ‘lifetime’ contract.

The 26-year-old is on $1.3 million a season and the potential loss of Luai would give Penrith the fiscal strength under the salary cap to ensure the NSW Origin maestro stays at the Panthers for 2030 and beyond.

“There’s no way we will lose Nathan Cleary,” Fletcher said.

“We will keep him here for life and hopefully the same goes for Ivan (Cleary, Panthers coach).

“Nathan and his father are here until 2027 and there’s plenty of time for us to extend them.

“We’d love to have Nathan here for even longer.

“To be honest, Nathan could play till he’s 40 he is that good.

“With the way the modern game is with training methods and sports science, I believe he could get to 40.

“The fans would kill us if we let Nathan Cleary go – it won’t be happening on my watch.”

(L-R) Andrew McCulloch, Stephen Kearney and Valynce Te Whare

LEAGUE LEGENDS BAND TOGETHER TO HELP VAL TE WHARE

Embattled Dolphins rookie Valynce Te Whare has shed 4kg in 10 days as two NRL legends rally around the Kiwi cult hero in a bid to save his NRL career.

Former Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough and ex-Kiwi Test star Stephen Kearney have been key figures in Te Whare’s battle to lose weight.

Sport Confidential was invited to participate in ‘Operation Val’ on Thursday after Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett ordered Te Whare spend a fortnight being put through a rigorous personal boot camp with decorated trainer Mark ‘Chopper’ Burgess.

McCullough and Kearney did a session with Te Whare last week, joining the Dolphins hulk as they climbed up and down the punishing stairs at Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point cliffs.

Te Whare, who at his heaviest was 125kg, is keen to get down to 113kg and Burgess – who has trained Broncos legends Darren Lockyer, Gorden Tallis and Wendell Sailor – praised his attitude.

“I am seriously happy with him. He has given me 100 per cent and that’s all I can ask,” Burgess said.

“He started with me at 121.4kg on our first day and now he is down to 117.9kg, so he’s lost almost four kilos,” Burgess said.

“We are doing two sessions a day and we are talking about nutrition all the time.

“Weight loss is 70 per cent nutrition, 30 per cent training.

“It’s basically been ‘Fight Camp’ for Val. We have been doing a lot of boxing and sparring and something different to get his heart rate up.”

Dolphins NRL centre Valynce Te Whare sweats is out.

Watching Te Whare from close range on Thursday, it is clear he is having a red-hot crack to trim down and avoid being sacked by the Dolphins.

The 23-year-old started at 7am with two 1km runs up the grinding, steep hills of Mt Coot-tha. He stopped the clock at six minutes and 59 seconds for his first effort, a personal best by four seconds.

Te Whare then completed a series of 150-metre hill sprints. He showed incredible explosive power as he surged uphill to victory in 28 seconds, beating an ageing Sport Confidential hack in the process.

Incredibly, Te Whare revealed his personal best in the 100-metre sprint is an even 11 seconds ... at a weight of 115kg.

By the end of the hill sprints, Te Whare is blowing hard and cools down with some stretching, knowing he has a second session of boxing every afternoon.

While Te Whare knows he has a long way to go to prove himself to Bennett, his application suggests he is determined not to end up on the NRL scrap heap.

“This is his last chance. He has to perform,” Burgess said.

“I am ramming that home to him every session. He hears that from me and the other mentors who have been helping him the past two weeks, like Steve Kearney and Andrew McCullough.

“This is do-or-die for his NRL career and I can’t say Val hasn’t given me 100 per cent.

“He’s having a real crack and he’s a lovely young man – I can’t fault him.”

Valynce Te Whare is all smiles during a pre-season road run.

Burgess – a current masters heavyweight boxing world champion – has also been helping with Te Whare’s dietary choices.

“Val is an unbelievable athlete. He is very explosive. He doesn’t have a great endurance base, but he is going to play centre and wing and Wayne wants him lighter and more involved, so he needs to be in better shape.

“I got a phone call from Wayne saying, ‘I have a project for you Chop, I want you to help Val lose some weight’.

“I have known Wayne Bennett since our police days and when he rings up, I’m always happy to help.

“Wayne initially wanted me to work with him for two weeks, so we finish up on Friday. Jeremy Hickmans (Dolphins high-performance chief) is part of this too, so we’ll reassess and see if we continue the boxing training for Val.

“He is certainly making better lifestyle choices and it’s important he keeps it up.”

WAHS EYE SIN CITY

The Warriors are keen to add an international flavour to the NRL by eyeing a trip to Las Vegas in 2025.

Warriors CEO Cameron George confirmed the Kiwi club is putting their hand up to be one of the four clubs chosen by the NRL for the second instalment of rugby league’s trip to Sin City.

The Broncos, Roosters, Manly and Souths are the NRL’s pioneers next season, but the Wahs hope to be ‘Coming to America’ the following year.

“We’d certainly love to go to Vegas in 2025,” George said.

“They are promoting the first one as ‘Australia Week’, so I’m not stupid enough to think that they will want a New Zealand team over there during Australia week.

“But moving forward I think we would be a great addition to the Vegas venture over there because it gives that a further international reach and flavour.

“Next year was never of interest to us because we had just got home after Covid, we wanted to play in New Zealand as much as we could and connect with our fans.

“I’m sure down the track we would love to be a part of the journey.

“I think they should look to take NRL teams with names of existing brands in the US.

“For example, there’s the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, the Cowboys and Dolphins in the NFL, so there’s a few cross-promotional opportunities if the Warriors went to Vegas.”

BRONCOS BOSS UNEARTHS FLYER

Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy hasn’t had to look far to find a potential new speedster for the club in the 2030s.

Donaghy’s son Hugh has become a sprinting sensation, representing Queensland at the School Sport Australia Championships in Tasmania last weekend.

Hugh finished sixth in the boys 10-year-olds 100m sprint final with a super impressive time of 14.05 secs. The winner clocked a blistering 13.12 seconds.

Hugh’s sprinting talents were discovered when he started recording some encouraging times at school and he has run with it – literally.

He may even look up to his old man for inspiration.

Donaghy Sr ran the Gold Coast Marathon earlier this year in 3 hours and 54 minutes, but he may tear a hamstring trying to keep up with his young fella on the track!

Originally published as Sport Confidential: Kurt Capewell’s contract call, Corey Parker backs Fletcher Baker