Phillip Coates, brother of Xavier, headlines list of fresh faces set to hit the NRL transfer market
The younger brothers of a Melbourne flyer and a former Maroons rep, plus a Broncos forward with PNG connections, are among the list of young stars set to send the player market into a frenzy.
Brent Read and
Michael Carayannis
The younger brothers of Melbourne flyer Xavier Coates and former Queensland centre Brenko Lee, as well as a Brisbane back rower with Papua New Guinea connections, are among a handful of young stars who are set to send the player market into a frenzy on Monday.
Brisbane’s Phil Coates is poised to find himself at the centre of a battle between the Broncos and PNG Chiefs, and headlines the list of rising stars who are now free to talk to opposition teams given they are off-contract at the end of the year.
Under NRL rules, young players like Coates who are in the final year of their contracts are banned from signing with another club until round six or until they have played five senior games in either first grade, NSW or Queensland Cup.
That meant some of the game’s emerging stars were off limits through the opening months of this season.
That is about to change this weekend as round six ticks over and rival clubs can begin their poaching raids.
Coates and Sydney Roosters teenage centre Lui Lee – the brother of Maroons centre Brenko – are among the players ready to ignite the lower end of the player market.
Coates is in talks with the Broncos about a potential short-term deal – possibly just for next season – as the PNG Chiefs circle.
PNG would love to have the Coates boys as part of their inaugural squad – Xavier is off-contract at the end of next year while Philip has played two Queensland Cup games for Burleigh this season.
The Chiefs are also believed to be aware of Brisbane back-rower Jared Horne, who was one of the country’s most respected schoolboy players last year and went on to play for the Junior Kumuls.
Horne shapes as a logical target for the Chiefs given his connection to the country.
A handful of other players are set to attract interest.
Sifa Oldfield – who won Manly’s Jake Trbojevic Junior Representative player of the year last year as skipper of their Harold Matthews side – is making big strides and trains one day a week with Manly’s NRL side.
Central Coast product Khyanu Mahon, a forward, is also free to talk to rival clubs having had a pre-season with the Sea Eagles this year.
South Sydney forward Anthony Mailangi is also set to come in the spotlight – he finished the Harold Matthews competition
ranked in the top 10 by this masthead – along with impressive Wests Tigers back rower Mitchell Taotua.
Taotua has made two appearances in the NSW Cup this season along with his brother Max, who is a centre.
The Tigers are well stocked in the back row and Mitchell Taotua is set to attract plenty of interest as he looks to find some clear space at another club in the NRL.
Last year some of the high profile round six players included Aaymon Fitzgibbon – the son of Cronulla coach Craig – and Finau Latu with the pair making a switch from St George Illawarra to Canterbury.
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