Wests Tigers' Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses delay call on future
Brad Walter
Published: November 17, 2015 - 6:15PM
Boom Wests Tigers halves Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses have been given permission to delay a decision on whether to take up an option to extend their contracts until next June.
Brooks and Moses are free agents at the end of next season but have a clause in their contracts entitling them to a further 12 months extension if they activate it by the end of January.
However, Brooks and Moses have asked to defer a decision until June and the Tigers have agreed to do so in a move that ensures coach Jason Taylor will have to contend with speculation about the futures of the pair at the start of next season.
The Tigers, who recently released star forward Martin Taupau to Manly in a bid to free up money for Brooks and Moses, have been linked with Sea Eagles prop Brenton Lawrence as the club looks to clear room to add South Sydney centre Dylan Walker to their rosters, but there are concerns about the back injury that limited him to one match this year.
Peta Hiku, Jamie Buhrer and Josh Starling have also been mentioned as players who Manly would consider releasing to sign Walker.
Lawrence, Buhrer and Starling are all off contract at the end of next season, while Hiku re-signed earlier this year until the end of 2017.
It is understood that Buhrer has already rejected an approach from Newcastle but Parramatta may be interested in Hiku, who has a relationship with coach Brad Arthur from his time as an assistant at the Sea Eagles.
The New Zealand Test back would be an ideal replacement for Will Hopoate, who is expected to join Canterbury once he resolves a legal dispute with the Eels over an offer for a new contract.
Hiku, whose former Manly teammates Kieran Foran, Anthony Watmough and James Hassen have already joined Arthur at Parramatta, is understood to have some issues with previous Sea Eagles management over third-party deals.
It is believed that Souths may seek a player swap for Walker, who is contracted for one more season but has been given permission to negotiate with rival clubs for 2016.
Fairfax Media has been told that Walker's contract with the Rabbitohs is worth about $250,000 and they would seek to replace him in their roster with a player on the NRL's minimum wage of $80,000.
By doing so, Souths would save $170,000 under the salary cap, which would help accommodate the return of Sam Burgess.
With Issac Luke released to the Warriors and Glenn Stewart to Catalans, the departure of Walker may be enough to cover the inclusion of Burgess, who the NRL have agreed to register for the value of his contract before leaving the Rabbitohs after the 2014 grand final triumph to play rugby union for Bath.
However, there is also speculation that Queensland Origin second-rower Chris McQueen and former Blues prop Tim Grant may also be released. McQueen has been linked to Gold Coast, who have room under their salary cap for more signings.
This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ses-delay-call-on-future-20151117-gl15fu.html
