Dureau targets long-term reign
ROBERT DILLON
ROOKIE halfback Scott Dureau is poised to re-sign with the Newcastle Knights for two more years and plans to establish himself in that time as Andrew Johns's long-term successor.
Dureau's manager, David Riolo, said yesterday he was well advanced in negotiations with the Knights and expected a deal would be struck within the next few days.
Knights officials were similarly optimistic that an agreement was imminent.
"I'm pretty confident he'll stay, and hopefully we'll have something sorted out by the end of the week," Riolo said.
"There was a little bit of interest [from other clubs] but he's not really looking at it.
"He wanted to stay in Newcastle.
"Unless that fell down, we wouldn't even look elsewhere."
Dureau, who made his NRL debut last season and has played in six top-grade games this year, said yesterday that re-signing with the Knights would cap off "a big 12 months for me".
"Hopefully we can get something sorted out, sooner rather than later," he said.
"It will be nice to get it out of the way and know what I'm doing for the next couple of years.
"Then I can just concentrate on footy."
Newcastle have used four halfbacks Luke Walsh, Jarrod Mullen, Kurt Gidley and Dureau since Johns retired 13 months ago, and Dureau declared he wants to consolidate himself as first receiver.
"That's my goal to make that No.7 jersey my own," he said. "If I can do that, that'd be good."
Retaining 21-year-old Dureau has become a priority for Newcastle after five-eighth Chris Bailey announced last week that he was joining Manly next year.
Bailey's exit has increased pressure on the Knights to shore up their playmaking options, but coach Brian Smith said last night that re-signing Dureau would ensure there is plenty of depth around the scrumbase.
"We'll have three of them [Mullen, Walsh and Dureau] there in those halves spots, and also we've got Kurt [Gidley] there as well, who can do it at a pinch.
"We'd be pretty confident about our depth around the halves with those four guys there.
"We had to make up our minds a bit with Bails and Scotty Dureau, and it was a tough call."
Smith denied that Bailey's decision had prompted the Knights to fast-track discussions with Dureau.
"Scotty was always in our plans," Smith said. "We've been negotiating with his manager for a couple of months."
The loss of Bailey and the likely retention of Dureau indicates that Mullen will be able to settle into his preferred position of five-eighth.
But the presence of Walsh, who has been stuck in Newcastle's NSW Cup (reserve-grade) team after playing 13 NRL games last season, should keep Dureau honest.
"He's a good player, and he'll bounce back," Dureau said of Walsh.
"A little bit of competition is always good."
Dureau, who has been chosen in the starting line-up at Bailey's expense for Saturday's clash with the Warriors, has proven himself this season as a natural ball-player with a smart kicking game.
Smith had no doubt his best football was ahead of him.
"Scotty's made a heap of improvement, and we think he's still got plenty to go," Smith said.
"The consistency factor, and doing it over and over again, is a big thing. But he's certainly done all that we've asked of him this season, and he's lapped it up."
Meanwhile, the Knights have kicked off negotiations with the manager of prop Jesse Royal and winger Akuila Uate, who are both off contract at season's end.
Royal, 28, has been a mainstay of Newcastle's pack this season, appearing in all nine games.
Uate is yet to make his top-grade debut, but the 20-year-old Fijian is rated a future sensation by many sound judges.
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