NRL Market Watch: Angus Crichton signs new deal as Roosters lock in three key contracts

The NRL transfer market continues to heat up with the Roosters locking in three key contracts — keep up with all the latest player movement news.

Melbourne local junior and brothers Sione (left) and Haele Finau have signed with the Dragons. Photo: Brisbane Tigers

The Sydney Roosters have bolstered their top 30 roster with a trio of stars, headlined by Australian Test forward Angus Crichton, committing to the club.

As well as securing Crichton, the Tricolours have lured young outside back Jaxson Paulo away from archrivals South Sydney on a two-year deal and confirmed the signing of former Brisbane dummy half Jake Turpin.

Crichton, who is currently on Kangaroos duty for the Rugby League World Cup in England, has agreed to a two-year extension, keeping him at Bondi until the end of season 2024.

“I’ve made no secret of the love I have for the Sydney Roosters. This is my home and I’m really excited to have re-committed to the club for the next two years,” Crichton said.

“I know I have so much more to give and that my best football is in front of me, and I’m looking forward to continuing to play my role for this great club.”

Angus Crichton has agreed a two-year extension with the Roosters. Picture: Getty Images

The NSW Blues forward defected from the Rabbitohs back in 2019 and has played 86 games in the Tricolours, winning the premiership in his first year at the club.

Roosters head of recruitment Daniel Anderson confirmed the extension on Monday after months of speculation about Crichton’s future at the club.

“Angus is a valued member of the Roosters squad for the role he plays both on and off the field and we’re pleased to have secured his services for a further two years,” Anderson said.

Anderson said the addition of Turpin, who has agreed to a one-year deal, would add depth in the hooking position and support to incoming No.9 Brandon Smith. The former Melbourne Storm utility forward will join the Roosters on a three-year deal from 2023.

Jake Turpin.

Jaxson Paulo.

“Jaxson is a skilful outside back whose best football is still ahead of him, and Jake is a specialist hooker who will provide some terrific depth to our squad,” Anderson said.

“We look forward to welcoming Jaxson and Jake when they officially join the club at the start of pre-season next month.”

Turpin played 60 games for the Broncos between 2018-2022.

Winger Paulo played 43 games for the Rabbitohs since making his debut in 2020.

DRAGONS POACH RISING STORM DUO

By Fatima Kdouh

Victorian raised local juniors are a rare find at the Melbourne Storm and now St George Illawarra have landed a blow, poaching rising brothers Haele and Sione Finau.

The Storm were eager to retain the duo, having invested in their development, but an opportunity to earn top-30 rosters spots together, and one day play in the NRL side-by-side, was an offer too hard for the brothers to refuse.

Hooker Haele, 22, has signed a one year full-time training deal that will turn into a top-30 spot in 2024.

While veteran rake Andrew McCullough has opted against retirement and will play out the final year of his deal, dummy half is a position that the Dragons have tried to shore up in the off-season.

Wests Tigers hooker Jacob Liddle was released to join the Red V on a one-year deal in 2023.

Player agent Michael Cincotta from Crown Sports Management, who represents both brothers, said Haele is viewed as a long-term prospect for the No.9 jumper.

Melbourne local juniors and brothers Sione (left) and Haele Finau have signed with the Dragons. Photo: Brisbane Tigers

“Haele manipulates the ruck really well. He is quite explosive out of dummy half. He sees the game really well. I think he is going to be one of those players that can game manage from the hooker position,” Cincotta said.

“At the under-20s level he played halfback for Melbourne, too. He’s an exciting prospect because he can get over the line too.”

Outside back Sione, 20, has scored a development contract that will be upgraded to an NRL deal in 2024.

“Sione is a powerful runner, big, tall, rangy and he’s really quick when he hits his top speed. He’s got a really strong fend and good late footwork,” Cincotta said.

Haele captained the Thunderbolts Jersey Flegg side in 2020 before the competition was cancelled due to Covid 19.

That’s when Haele moved up north to join Melbourne’s feeder side, the Brisbane Tigers, where he made his Queensland Cup debut in 2021.

Sione joined his older brother 12 months later and impressed in the under-21s Hastings Deering Colts competition this year.

It’s understood two other Queensland clubs showed interest in the pair and Melbourne made an offer to retain the youngsters.

But the Dragons’ multi-year deal gave Haele, who had spent his time in Melbourne stuck behind some of the best dummy halves in the game, the best chance at making an NRL debut.

“For Haele, the hooker situation given Harry Grant, Brandon Smith ... even if you go as far back as Cameron Smith... that’s what he was dealing with for three years or so. It made sense to pick the Dragons, even though McCullough isn’t retiring. We just viewed it as a good avenue for him to play NRL,” Cincotta said.

Melbourne product Haele Finau has signed with the Dragons. Photo: Brisbane Tigers

“There were a few clubs that were interested, obviously Melbourne wanted to keep them, they knew the boys well and everything about them. Both had already done some pre-season work with the NRL side at different stages.”

Last week the Dragons added Zane Musgrove to their pack after the Tigers released the forward from the final year of his contract at Concord.

Musgrave agreed to a two-year deal with the Red V after veteran prop George Burgess was released from his contract.

Northern Pride front-rower Nick Lui-Toso has also been added to the Griffin’s top-30 for the 2023 season.

Outside back Tautau Moga, who played 10 games for the Red V this year, has signed a one-year extension with the club.

WALTERS WINS TWO-YEAR EXTENSION AT BRONCOS

- Travis Meyn

Billy Walters has expressed relief after securing a two-year contract extension at the Broncos and insists father Kevin is ready to prove he can snap Brisbane’s 17-season premiership drought in 2023.

Walters has capped the best NRL season of his career by securing his future at Red Hill until at least the end of 2024.

Walters, 28, has been rewarded with a two-season extension after playing 23 out of a possible 24 games this year in his debut campaign at the Broncos.

The new deal brings some security for Walters, who has floated between the Storm, Tigers and Broncos over the past four years as he looked to prove his worth as an NRL player.

Billy Walters is happy to secure a two-year deal with the Broncos. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I’m happy with the club offering two years,” Walters said.

“I’m not old but it’s nice to secure as many years as you can while you can. It’s going to be a big two years for me to hopefully extend that for a longer period.

“I was really happy to only miss one game. I was happy to get in a full year with no injuries.

“Until about round 19 we were on top of the world. Then it was a disappointing way to end the season.

“We’ve still got to take the positives out of what we achieved and the potential we’ve shown.

“We have got a lot of young boys in the squad that will learn from this year. Hopefully we can improve on that for next year.”

After making his NRL debut for Melbourne in 2019, Walters had only played 12 games across three seasons before moving to Brisbane.

His 2021 campaign at Wests was crushed by a serious knee injury and he arrived at Red Hill with plenty to prove as critics questioned the coach signing his unproven son.

Coach Kevin Walters copped some heat for recruiting his son Billy. Picture: Liam Kidston

Walters made his Broncos debut in round 1 at five-eighth and played a handful of games in the halves before being shifted to hooker in round 7.

He remained in the No. 9 jersey for the rest of the year before starting the last three games of the season off the bench.

With Jake Turpin moving to the Roosters, Walters will enter 2023 as Brisbane’s first-choice hooker and said he would benefit from having a pre-season to learn the position after chasing the No. 6 jersey this year.

“I came to the Broncos and ‘Kevvie’ has always been a big fan of me at nine,” said Walters, who refers to his father as “Kevvie” when talking footy.

“I told him I wanted to try for the six jersey first and we’d talk about nine later. I was lucky enough to play a couple of games at the start of the year at six but didn’t really cement my spot there.

“He spoke to me about moving to hooker. It was either that or go back and play Queensland Cup.

“I obviously jumped on board playing hooker and I thought I showed some good things at points. Other times I felt like a bit of a passenger that was just there to pass. I need to be more than that if I want to be a good hooker.

“I didn’t train at all at hooker in the last pre-season so I was pretty happy with what I did at nine having not done a pre-season there.

Billy Walters with Rachel Ownsworth, at the Broncos Awards night. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“I’ve got a chance this pre-season to focus on the position. You have to have fitness to make a lot of tackles and then be able to produce something in attack.

“I have to get some more combinations with the middle forwards and halves. We didn’t have much chance to work on our combinations during the year.”

TAMOU HEADING ‘HOME’ TO THE COWBOYS

James Tamou has shelved retirement plans and will become the oldest player in the NRL next year after agreeing to a one-season contract to finish his career with the North Queensland Cowboys.

Tamou will return to Townsville for a fairytale swan song with the Cowboys club he played 170 games for – including North Queensland’s maiden NRL premiership in 2015.

After coming through the Roosters’ junior system, Tamou made his NRL debut for the Cowboys in 2010 and went on to become a Test and State of Origin player at North Queensland.

James Tamou is coming back to the Cowboys. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

He spent seven seasons with the Cowboys before linking with Penrith in 2017, playing four years for the Panthers before spending two seasons with Wests Tigers.

Given he turns 34 in December, Tamou was expected to sail off into the NRL sunset.

But he sat out the NRL’s retiring players’ parade on grand final day after speaking to Cowboys coach Todd Payten about a possible Townsville swan song.

Now, that will become a reality with Tamou to mentor North Queensland’s emerging brigade of young and talented forwards that helped the club to a preliminary finals berth this year.

The Cowboys have been able to sign Tamou after releasing fringe forward Ben Condon to Manly this week.

James Tamou poses with the match ball after playing his 300th NRL game in round 19 of 2022. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Tamou’s manager Sam Ayoub confirmed the 12-Test prop would finish his career with the Cowboys.

“We have agreed,” he said.

“I’m really happy for Jimmy to finish his career at a good club. He will plan the move over the next week or two.

“He is really happy and excited to take his young family up there where he spent a really successful 10 years. He played Origin and for Australia while he was up there so it was a great period for him.

OLDEST PLAYERS IN THE NRL

James Tamou – 33 years, 10 months, 9 days (13/12/88)

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves – 33 years, 9 months, 1 day (20/01/89)

Jake Granville – 33 years, 8 months, 15 days (07/02/89)

Daly Cherry-Evans – 33 years, 8 months, 2 days (20/02/89)

Jesse Bromwich – 33 years, 5 months, 19 days (03/05/89)

Elliott Whitehead – 33 years, 1 month, 18 days (04/09/89)

Originally published as NRL Market Watch: Angus Crichton signs new deal as Roosters lock in three key contracts