Rival club targets Parramatta enforcer

3 years ago 342

The Warriors are starring the contention to motion versatile Eels guardant Marata Niukore for 2023.

With 11 players escaped to speech to rival clubs from November 1, Parra cognize they can't support them each for 2023 - and Niukore is 1 who looks acceptable to beryllium sacrificed.

The Eels privation to support Niukore - but person higher priorities similar skipper Clint Gutherson, NSW Origin prop Junior Paulo, Maroons hooker Reed Mahoney, improved guardant Isaiah Papali'i and accordant back-rower Ryan Matterson.

Niukore had a good play successful 2021, starting successful the centres earlier stints astatine prop, second-row and connected the interchange bench.

Final rotation of the dice for Leilua

Controversial centre Joey Leilua is moving to the quadrate ringing successful a hopeless bid to prevention his rugby league career.

The 29-year-old was sacked by the Tigers precocious aft an indifferent play and rival clubs are reluctant to motion him.

There person been questions astir his subject and fittingness successful caller years, with nary nine consenting to motion him contempt his evident ability.

So Leilua plans to combat connected the upcoming Josh Aloiai - Paul Gallen nether paper - and those adjacent to him accidental helium has ne'er trained truthful hard.

"He rides the motorcycle for 90 minutes and past does boxing grooming for 2 to 3 hours each day," a root adjacent to Leilua told Wide World of Sports.

"He is lone 29 and wants to beryllium helium tin inactive clasp his ain successful league - if helium gets acceptable and looks trim successful the fight, it mightiness beryllium his mode backmost in."

Leilua is apt to combat either Titans hard antheral Jarrod Wallace oregon erstwhile Manly prop Darcy Lussick.

There is nary questioning Leilua's quality erstwhile acceptable and focussed - helium doubly was named Dally M centre of the twelvemonth and has played successful 2 NRL expansive finals.

Souths weapon connected the move

Souths are successful information of losing 1 of their champion young forwards to Canberra.

Brock Gardner - who was promoted to the Rabbitohs' apical squad past summertime earlier tragically tearing his achilles successful grooming successful January - is connected the Raiders' radar.

The 21-year-old has been moving steadily connected his rehab each twelvemonth and volition beryllium bully to spell astatine the commencement of 2022 - and it's looking similar helium volition beryllium successful lime green.

Dragons pursuit roar rookie

A promising back-rower from Melbourne is adjacent to gaining a improvement declaration with the Dragons for 2022.

Shalom O'Ofou, aged 20, began his vocation with the Storm but has been successful the Dragons strategy for the past 2 seasons.

Big and fast, helium played successful the COVID—shortened NSW Cup for the Dragons this year.

But the youngster showed capable to impressment the NRL coaching unit and is connected the verge of a fulltime woody for adjacent season.

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