From Zero Tackle. Now Gardner is someone I don't really want to lose, he's highly rated and was tipped to make his debut this year by many before he suffered that injury.
Rabbitohs poised to lose young gun to interstate club
South Sydney youngster
Brock Gardner is tipped to depart Redfern this off-season in favour of a move to the Raiders.
Gardner, who missed the 2021 season with an Achilles injury sustained early in thw year, is believed to be in the sights of Canberra ahead of next season.
The 21-year-old is yet to feature for the Bunnies at NRL level after joining their senior squad in the pre-season, having shown plenty of promise as a forward for the future at the Burrow despite facing ongoing setbacks.
Now, with the Raiders looking to bolster their attack, Gardner is believed to be on the move to the nation's capital, according to
Wide World of Sports' The Mole.
Gardner remains off-contract for the 2022 season and is among several Rabbitohs facing an uncertain future in South Sydney.
The Bunnies will bid farewell to veteran duo
Adam Reynolds (Broncos) and
Dane Gagai (Knights) in the coming weeks, while
Joshua Cook (
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs),
Joe Lovodua (
Hull FC),
Patrick Mago (
Wigan Warriors),
Braidon Burns (Canterbury) and
Jaydn Su'a (
St George Illawarra Dragons) also find new clubs.
The Raiders are yet to confirm their first signing for the 2022 season despite having five list spots open on their roster for next year.
The Green Machine has enjoyed a strong season of retentions this year, with a plethora of
key names inking new deals in 2021.
Also from Zero Tackle,
Bennett to Redcliffe all but a lock
Although an official announcement to welcome Redcliffe into the NRL fold is yet to be made, Monday's multi-million dollar commitment by
News Corp now sees the Dolphins' bid for the league's 17th licence as a fait accompli.
And even though outgoing Souths steward
Wayne Bennett has yet to publicly throw his hat in the ring for a role with the expansion side, many within the media believe that a deal to do so has already been made.
Speaking to
SEN 1170 on Tuesday morning, Michael Carayannis of
The Daily Telegraph explained that it would not be long before the competition's oldest coach and its youngest side will walk hand in hand down the aisle.
“I think Wayne’s already had discussions with Redcliffe,” the journalist divulged.
“Amongst the two other potential bidders, it will be Redcliffe, once expansion gets the green light this week it’ll be the Redcliffe Dolphins.
“You’ll find that
Wayne Bennett will be the coach, it’ll be interesting to see what he does next season.”
While still shrouded in the thinnest veil of secrecy, the impending announcement will mean that Bennett is without a permanent role for the 2022 season, as the Dolphins will only enter the competition 12-months later.
However, Cararyannis explained that although Bennett will call
Queensland home next year, the seven-time premiership coach will likely work as a consultant for the Rabbitohs whilst also establishing Redcliffe's inaugural roster.
“He’ll spend time piecing together that squad, but I think the Rabbitohs might be open to the prospect of keeping Wayne at the club for another 12-months until he steps into another full-time day-to-day role,” he expounded.
“He could be there as an official mentor and leadership coach to
Jason Demetriou and the rest of the coaching staff.
“Wayne could have two roles next season and not coach an NRL club.”
Though this may appear some what of a conflict of interest on first glance, but given that the Moreton Bay-based club has yet to be granted first-grade status, Bennett will lurk safely within a murky gray area.
With the league set to meet with the heads of the 16-clubs already within the competition this Thursday, a declaration to award Redcliffe their golden ticket has already been slated for Friday afternoon.
Whether Bennett's impending dedication directly follows the league's growth is yet to be determined.
But as he was not prepared to rule out the possibility of another full-time post when speaking after his former side's Grand Final defeat on Sunday, it seems as if it's only a matter of time before Bennett will coach his sixth NRL club.
