Newcastle splash the cash in bid for premiership glory

The Newcastle Knights have begun a spending spree as they look to challenge for a premiership.

Dane Gagai is on his way to Newcastle as they splash the cash. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Gagai just the start for the Knights

Newcastle struck a major blow in the player market on Friday when they landed Dane Gagai — and they are far from finished.

Weekend Read understands the Knights are on the verge of retaining Lachlan Fitzgibbon for a further two years and have planned talks with utility Connor Watson for next week.

Fitzgibbon’s retention in particular saves the Knights a headache or two. He was dropped this week by coach Adam O’Brien and his manager Chris Orr had gone to market to explore whether he had any options in the NRL.

The response was apparently lukewarm. Yet Fitzgibbon was regarded as important signing for Newcastle for several reasons. One, he is a solid player who has been part of their squad for several years now.

Crucially, he was also a key retention because of his family’s longstanding relationship with the club. Fitzgibbon’s father Mark is the managing director of the club’s major sponsor, NIB.

He is also a former Newcastle board member and NIB’s support of the club is crucial to its financial success and stability. Talks with Lachlan were notably sensitive but the parties appear to have reached a palatable conclusion, much to the relief no doubt of Fitzgibbon and the Knights.

As for Watson, he made no secret of his disappointment with Newcastle’s original offer. He had begun personally calling coaches at other clubs to see if there were alternative options.

However, he is expected to sit down with the Knights later this week to thrash out a deal. Again, Watson’s future is a sensitive issue for the Knights. He is a quality player and a popular figure with supporters. He also has a close relationship with their biggest star — Kalyn Ponga.

Hence, the Knights desire to return to the table to try to strike a deal, having strengthened their ranks with the signing of Gagai for the next three seasons.

Gagai was in the sights of a handful of clubs but the Knights won the day with a lucrative contract and an opportunity to play a role in their work in the indigenous community.

Gagai informed Souths coach Wayne Bennett of his plans on the team bus on Friday, a blow not just to the Rabbitohs but also to their coach.

It was also a setback for the Brisbane Broncos, although Weekend Read understands they never got to the point of tabling an official offer to Gagai.

Despite the churn in their squad — big-money players Tevita Pangai Junior and Matt Lodge are among those who have already parted ways this season — they still didn’t have enough spare cash to make Gagai a suitable offer.

That left the Knights in the box seat and they swooped. As for Bennett, he is expected to join the 17th team as coach when it comes into the competition — either in 2023 or 2024 — and Gagai was a potential target. Not any more.

“He spent a lot of his career at Newcastle and he has some family there, I think he’s pretty happy to be going back,” Bennett said.

“I think he’s playing his best football at the moment. Each year I’ve been here he’s gotten better.”

Bennett also endorsed Anthony Milford’s potential move to Souths, which is expected to gain traction now that Gagai has departed.

“I think he’d be a great acquisition for South Sydney, but that’s a decision that’s not on my watch now, it’s on Jason (Demetriou) and the rest of the club,” Bennett said.

“But I would have no hesitation if the market value was there and it would benefit South Sydney, which I believe it would.

“But it’s just about the price they can pay and what they can’t do.”

_____________

Sharks bracing for Bellamy disappointment

Cronulla is bracing for a phone call this weekend from Craig Bellamy. The Sharks pursuit of the Storm coach is about to come to a conclusion and the Sharks are unlikely to like what they hear, although they have had plenty of time to prepare for the outcome.

Bellamy is finally ready to commit to the Storm for at least one year, and potentially longer. The Sharks had an inkling things were headed that way but the news will be a blow to incoming coach Craig Fitzgibbon regardless.

So too chief executive Dino Mezzatesta, who led the pursuit of Bellamy. Mezzatesta deserves praise for setting the bar high as he attempted to turn the Sharks into perennial powerhouses.

In the end, the chance to coach for a 20th year at the Storm has proved too powerful for Bellamy, as has the chance to work with a squad that continues to set the standard across the game.

The news is expected to become official in coming days, also ending hope of the Broncos bringing Bellamy back to Brisbane. Broncos powerbrokers knew they were fighting a losing battle some months ago.

Yet their interest would have been there had Bellamy reciprocated.

_____________

Wait goes on for Fainu and Manly

Nearly two years after he was first charged over the stabbing of a man outside a church dance, forgotten Manly hooker Manase Fainu was scheduled to go to trial next week.

Fainu has been stood down since the start of the 2020 season under the game’s no-fault stand-down policy but he still has a contract with the Sea Eagles for this season and next.

There was every chance had he been successful in court, he would have returned for Manly for the run in to the finals. What a boost that would have been. Fainu was fast becoming one of the game’s best hookers before falling foul of the law.

He has continued training with the Manly squad and been around the side on game day. However, he didn’t travel to Queensland when the competition relocated because he was preparing for his date in court.

Instead, his career is again in limbo after his case was deferred.

“This latest delay only adds even more stress and anxiety for Manase,” Manly chief executive Steve Humphreys said.

“His football career but more importantly his whole life has been on hold for the better part of two years now. Thankfully he continues to receive great support from his loving and close knit family as well as his teammates and the club.”

His unavailability comes as the Sea Eagles prepare to welcome back Curtis Sironen from long-term injury.

Sironen is off contract at season’s end and in his absence, Josh Schuster and Haumole Olakau’atu have become fixtures in the back row.

Sironen may struggle to force his way back into the picture.

____________

D-Day for Arrow as act of stupidity threatens to cost him nearly $100,000

Jai Arrow will learn his State of Origin fate at a meeting of the Queensland Rugby League board next Friday. Arrow was banned from the third Origin game this year and heavily fined after bringing a woman back to the team hotel.

The QRL is set to keep the sanctions coming as they discuss whether to ban Arrow for next year’s series. The sense is that is where the conversation will land, meaning Arrow will pay a hefty price for his act of stupidity.

His decision has already cost him $50,000 — he was fined $35,000 by the NRL and missed out on an Origin match payment of $15,000.

Should he miss next year’s series as well, that would mean another $45,000. All up, he stands to lose nearly $100,000.

____________