Hooker Gorrell says au revoir to St George Illawarra but he'll still be a Dragon
Brad Walter
October 12, 2006
ST GEORGE Illawarra hooker Aaron Gorrell has rejected an offer from Cronulla to sign with French club Les Catalans Dragons and he may be joined in Super League next season by Parramatta prop Michael Vella.
Gorrell, who played 26 games this season but did not have a contract, has agreed to terms for a three-year deal with Les Catalans, coached by former St George Illawarra assistant Mick Potter.
The Perpignan-based club, which finished last in its first season in Super League but is safeguarded from relegation until 2009, has also recruited Dragons fullback Clint Greenshields, Canberra representative duo Adam Mogg and Jason Croker and Brisbane's former Queensland Origin utility Casey McGuire to bolster a side headed by Stacey Jones.
"In the end, Aaron had a number of options but he has decided to go to France," said Gorrell's agent, David Riolo. "It's a fresh start for him."
Signed to an incentive-based contract last off-season, Gorrell was one of the leading tacklers in the NRL this year, scored six tries and kicked 56 goals, including a sideline conversion after full-time to snatch a win over the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
But the 25-year-old Albion Park junior was not offered a full-time contract after the Dragons signed veteran Canberra hooker Simon Woolford and had few other clubs interested in him - until the Sharks weighed in with a late offer following Ricky Stuart's appointment as coach last month.
Meanwhile, Vella is understood to feature on a hit list of up to 16 possible recruits drawn up by newly promoted Super League club Hull Kingston Rovers. Rovers coach Justin Morgan and captain James Webster were teammates at Parramatta with the Australian international, who has a year remaining on his contract.
Hull KR chief executive Paul Lakin confirmed a report in yesterday's Herald that they were interested in another Eels prop, Fuifui Moimoi, along with former Wests Tigers captain Mark O'Neill and ex-Sharks utility Ryan McGoldrick.
"The players mentioned are on a list of about 16 that Justin has inquired about," Lakin told British newspaper The Independent.
O'Neill, who played for Leeds this season, is Rovers' first new signing after agreeing to a one-year deal but another player linked to the club, New Zealand back-rower Awen Guttenbeil, is believed to be headed to Wests Tigers. In other contract news, the Bulldogs have re-signed back-rower Nick Kouparitsas for a further two years.
