Dragons winger Tyrell Sloan a signing target for Darren Lockyer’s London Broncos
New owner Darren Lockyer is targeting big names in the NRL to strengthen the London Broncos squad as they prepare for Super League, with a St George Illawarra star in his sights.
St George Illawarra winger Tyrell Sloan looms as a likely target for the London Broncos as Brisbane legend Darren Lockyer prepares to take over the club.
Lockyer and his long-time business partner Grant Wechsel have made it clear that they want Jason Demetriou to be their inaugural coach and told a podcast in England this week that they were targeting big names in the NRL to strengthen their squad as they prepare for Super League.
Sloan has been given permission to explore his options by the Dragons and he shapes as a logical target for the London franchise if Lockyer and Wechsel succeed with their takeover plans.
The Dragons flyer is yet to attract any concrete interest in the NRL but Super League looms as a compelling option given plans for London to be part of a revamped competition.
STORM STAR SHOPPED TO NRL RIVALS
The future of Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona in Melbourne continues to be a discussion point after it emerged that the Warriors were asked whether they harboured any interest in the powerhouse New Zealander.
Sport Confidential was told that a third party contacted the Warriors asking whether they would be open to taking Asofa-Solomona.
It is understood the Warriors were scared off by Asofa-Solomona’s price tag - he is on a contract worth more than $800,000 a season at the Storm.
Asofa-Solomona’s future is set to be one of the most intriguing stories of the offseason given talks have also been held with breakaway rugby union competition R360 over a potential switch of codes.
Asofa-Solomona is believed to be a hit-list of potential NRL signings should R360 come to fruition.
“I’m not worried about it,” Storm captain Harry Grant said of R360.
“If any player wants to chase that opportunity and do that, good on them. Why do we hold them back or ridicule them?
”I think if that is the opportunity they want to chase, go for it. I think it’s more of a wakeup to put more time and effort into grass roots.
“Let’s put some more time and effort into development into rural and regional Queensland and NSW. There’s so many kids out there.
“There’s so many players out there that want to play NRL.”
BLUES MENTOR DALEY REJECTS SEA EAGLES COACHING GIG
Manly coach Anthony Seibold has explained why he wanted Laurie Daley to join his coaching team after the NSW mentor rejected an approach from the Sea Eagles.
While Daley indicated he was keen to work alongside Seibold he was unable to make it work because of his existing commitments.
It is understood Daley met with Seibold this week to talk through the potential role.
“I have known Laurie for a long time,’ Seibold said.
“We played together at Canberra in the 90s and have stayed in touch. We had a casual catch up. At the moment while he is doing Origin - as well as the radio stuff - he just doesn’t have the time.
“It wasn’t an assistant coach role. It was more a little bit of a sounding board for myself and the coaches.
“It was just someone with a different perspective.”
Given his jobs with NSW and as co-host of the Big Sports Breakfast, Daley was unable to find the time required to complete the role.
Daley said earlier this week he was keen to pursue the opportunity.
“We spoke about whether I would be interested in that role and I said ‘yes no doubt’,” Daley said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
Daley also said his No.1 priority was coaching NSW and would not do any other job that would interfere with that.
Manly remain on the look-out to add someone to their staff who will compliment Seibold. Daley would not have been a replacement for Mick Ennis who left the club to join St George Illawarra as an assistant to Shane Flanagan.
FOX LEAGUE EMBRACES AI
Fox League is about to embrace the world of artificial intelligence. Starting this week with the opening week of the finals, Fox League has partnered with Measurem to introduce an AI-generated system that will measure player impact and produce positional rankings for every player across the finals series.
Sport Confidential understands that some clubs have already embraced the technology to measure momentum in games and gain a tactical edge on their opposition by tracking individual player tendencies.
Now Fox League will feature it as part of its analysis of the finals, starting on Friday night with Melbourne hosting the Bulldogs.
“Our extended finals pre-games will feature Fox AI positional rankings and AI head-to-head analysis,” Fox Sports executive producer Joe Bromham said.
“At full-time we will have a projected score value for each player, which is an attacking metric for their impact on the team score.
“The AI is a continuous learning model trained on thousands of player actions from thousands of games.
“Fox AI doesn’t just count metres, tackle and kicks, it measures each action with the ball in play and that actions influence on the score.
“It isn’t about volume, it is about impact. Not all 10 metre runs are the same. Fox AI values the actions that swing the scoreboard.
“It will also score negatively for poor involvements. Positional rankings and fulltime score values give our viewers the best insight and analysis available.”
The analysis was used earlier this year when the Brisbane Broncos came from the clouds to beat the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium.
The win was inspired by Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam and his impact was reflected in his score using the AI system - he was judged the most influential attacking player on the park.
GRANT FOCUSES ON FINALS RATHER THAN FUTURE
Melbourne captain Harry Grant has put contract talks on the backburner while he focuses on leading the Storm to the first premiership of his NRL career.
Grant was on loan at the Wests Tigers the last time the Storm won a title in 2020 and his only priority right now is helping Melbourne break a five-year title drought.
“I have wanted to focus on footy,” Grant said.
“I feel like I had a bit of momentum going and I didn’t really want to disrupt that. They are so respectful with that.
“We all have good relationships with where that is. For me it is the finals. We’ll get to it but for me now, the main thing is finals.”
Grant is off contract at the end of next season and last thing the Storm can afford is for their skipper to hit the open market on November 1.
His next deal is likely to pitch him into the million-dollar club regardless of whether he stays or goes. The smart money is on Grant inking a long-term extension at Melbourne.
METCALF TALKS RESUME
The Warriors have resumed contract talks with injured half Luke Metcalf as they look to lock up one of the stars of their season and keep the Perth Bears at bay.
Metcalf, off contract at the end of next season but able to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1, hasn’t played since injuring his knee against the Brisbane Broncos in round 17.
The Warriors had already tabled an extension to Metcalf but put talks on hold while the young playmaker underwent surgery and worked on his rehabilitation.
Sport Confidential understands that talks resumed again a fortnight ago as the Warriors tabled a revised offer to the 26-year-old aimed at ensuring he extends his time at the club.
Metcalf was one of the form players of the competition before suffering his latest knee injury - the second on his right knee.
He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready to play again next season. Before then, the Warriors want to get a deal done to ensure he stays in Auckland.
HUGHES TARGETS MIRACLE RETURN
Storm superstar Jahrome Hughes has revealed that he hopes to make a miracle comeback and return in time for the preliminary final after undergoing surgery on the wrist he broke against Brisbane last weekend.
Hughes’ season was initially expected to be over when he left the field against the Broncos but the Melbourne maestro says that he walked out of surgery with optimism that he will play again this year.
“I had surgery obviously on the wrist - fractured my forearm,” Hughes said on the 167 podcast he shares with Cameron Munster and Ryan Papenhuyzen.
“Came back (to Melbourne) on Friday after the game and got a scan. Then pretty much went into surgery straight away.
“Andrew Oppy, he is a great dude. He gave me the time - 5pm. He rocked up, golf kit on. He reckons he just came off the golf course - he only got to play 10 holes.
“He fully had his polo, golf hat on. He was like I had one of the best rounds ever. Then I sort of felt bad. No way he has brushed his golf game to come and do me.
“I was super grateful to Oppy. Then got surgery, stayed overnight and back home the next morning. It all went well.”
Hughes insisted coach Craig Bellamy had made the right call to play him against the Broncos as he worked his way back from a shoulder injury.
“I saw a few things like why would Bellayache risk me to come back early,” he said.
“I was sweet. It was just so unlucky just to cop a knee - that is when I thought I did it. I just have to drink more milk.
“But it’s going good now. Hopefully a chance in the next two weeks maybe. If I can play this year I owe him (Oppy) a couple more golf games.”
LAUNDYS LOVE DOGS FUTURE
The Laundy family had some pretty specific clauses put into their multimillion dollar sponsorship deal with the Bulldogs when they extended a few years ago.
One of the most important was surrounding the key personnel at the club. Sport Confidential understands that the Laundys made sure they retained the right to terminate their deal if they weren’t happy with the people in power at the Bulldogs.
It’s another reason why the club’s decision to extend the contracts of head of football Phil Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo was a masterstroke by key officials.
The Laundys have always made it clear that where Gus goes, they go. They also have a tight relationship with Ciraldo and the decision to keep the pair guarantees the Laundys will continue their relationship with the Bulldogs for years to come.
Gould and Ciraldo won’t have come cheap, but their retention guaranteed the club kept the Laundys and their multimillion dollar backing on board.
“The clause centred around options for us basically if they had the wrong personnel in the football department or coach,” Craig Laundy said.
“”Or if we’re not happy with what the board is doing moving forward. But we’re thrilled. We’re extremely comfortable with where the club is heading.
“We are determined to be long-term partners of the Bulldogs but we needed to know that the director of football and people involved in the decision-making are people we are comfortable with.”
The Laundys’ passion for the Bulldogs remains as strong as ever. So much so, family patriarch Arthur Laundy cut short a recent holiday to ensure he was back for the opening game of the NRLW season, honouring a promise he made to the female players to be there for their maiden game.
“He came back two days early to make sure he was at their first game,” Craig Laundy said.
“He had made a commitment to the girls and he wanted to be there.”
FLASHBACK
The highflying Panthers were in full flight against Parramatta on this day five years ago. Winger Josh Masnour scored a try as Penrith beat Parramatta 20-2. It allowed the Panthers to celebrate their 13th consecutive win.
INJURED CAMERAMAN EYES NRL RETURN
Fox League cameraman Gary Gare is hoping to be back on the sidelines before the end of the NRL season despite suffering a serious leg cut last weekend.
Gare has been a constant on sidelines at NRL games for years with almost four decades worth of experience behind the lens. He took his usual place patrolling the touchline for Fox League during Manly’s clash with the Warriors at 4 Pines Park last Saturday.
Gare was seriously injured when the boot of Lehi Hopoate clipped his shin as Hopoate tried to stop a flying Dallin Watene-Zelezniak from scoring in the corner.
It left Gare needing urgent medical attention in the dressing sheds at Manly before being taken to hospital.
“My son drove me to Northern Beaches Hospital on Tuesday to get a new bandage and the wound washed,” Gare told Sport Confidential. “It was the most excruciating pain. I never want to go through it again.
“I am going in on Friday for the skin graft surgery which I am not looking forward to. Two operations in one week.
“In my time as a cameraman I have been smashed or just on the job quite a few times but this one is up there.
“Hopefully I am back at it in three or four weeks.”
WHICH FANS ARE BUYING GRAND FINAL TICKETS
Canberra and Brisbane fans have dominated purchasing grand final tickets while the Sharks and the Roosters supporters are yet to be excited enough to stump up the cash for the premiership decider.
Canberra and Brisbane face off on Sunday and their fans are already showing their rock solid support. The Raiders faithful lead all finalists in terms of grand final tickets purchased with 22 per cent, one per cent more than the Broncos.
Canterbury are next best with 18 per cent before a significant drop-off for Penrith fans (seven per cent).
The Storm (six per cent) and the Warriors (five per cent) are next on the list.
The Roosters make up just two per cent of tickets purchased while Cronulla fans make up just one per cent of tickets purchased.
The NRL will run its annual grand final fantasy festival at the Overseas Passenger Terminal. The two day event will see the NRL grand final teams arrive on Thursday and the NRLW sides on Friday. Legends and players from across every club will also appear throughout the two days.
Buy grand final tickets here.
CLEARY’S SELFLESS SACRIFICE
Nathan and Ivan Cleary took time out of their finals preparations to help support a western Sydney program which helps the homeless.
In a busy week which included a NRL finals launch, Merv Cartwright Medal night, travel to New Zealand and training for their clash against the Warriors on Saturday, Nathan was joined by his dad Ivan at Mama Lana’s Community Foundation in Penrith.
PM’S TIPPING POINT
Loyalty is essential in the brutal world of politics.
But when it comes to footy tipping it can cost you dearly.
Just ask Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who diligently submitted his tips in each week… and just as diligently made sure he tipped South Sydney each week.
And that remained the case if Souths were playing or not.
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“Please remember I get 2 points for the bye,” was one note we received from the PM.
While Souths’ struggles played a large part in Albanese’s last-place finish, even if he’d tipped against them each week he still would have finished third last.
It was a three-way tie at the top of the ladder, with SEN’s Joel Caine, Fox League’s Cooper Cronk and Newswire’s Martin Gabor on 132.
Originally published as Dragons winger Tyrell Sloan a signing target for Darren Lockyer’s London Broncos
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