Rabbitohs hunt Crocker
By Brad Walter
June 2, 2005
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South Sydney have expressed an interest in Queensland Origin second-rower Michael Crocker and are set to lead the bidding for Bulldogs five-eighth Braith Anasta once the June 30 anti-tampering deadline expires.
The Rabbitohs, who have more than $2 million to spend on player recruitment, have also been linked to Great Britain winger Brian Carney, who hopes to get a release from the remaining year of his contract at Wigan.
Crocker, who also has a deal with the Sydney Roosters for next season, has a get-out clause in his contract enabling him to begin talking to rival clubs from yesterday until July 31, when he must decide to stay or leave.
The clause is in Crocker's favour and gives him the option of signing elsewhere, doing a deal with Gold Coast for 2007 and playing next season at the Roosters, or negotiating a new contract with the Bondi club.
The 24-year-old international's agent, Jim Banaghan, is expected to meet Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan today in relation to Chris Flannery and will discuss Crocker's playing future. However, he revealed that a number of other clubs were also interested. Souths chief executive Shane Richardson confirmed the Rabbitohs were among them and said he had contacted Banaghan to express an interest.
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AdvertisementWith Anasta expected to today reject an offer from the Australian Rugby Union, he will also become a target for Souths - the club with which he played all his junior football before joining the Bulldogs when the Rabbitohs were expelled from the NRL after the 1999 season.
NRL chief executive David Gallop last night confirmed he had been involved in talks aimed at keeping Anasta in league. But there is no guarantee the five-eighth will remain at the Bulldogs, and his uncle, George Piggins, has stated he would be a priority for Souths.
Carney is contracted to Wigan for next year but reports from England suggest he has asked the club for a release so he can play in the NRL. The Irish winger has a close relationship with Richardson and Shaun McRae, who lured him to the Super League to play for Gateshead and then took him with them to Hull.
Gold Coast managing director Michael Searle is another expected to talk to Carney in England next week, and might also speak to Great Britain forwards Jamie Peacock and Stuart Fielden, along with Jamie Lyon, whose agent, George Mimis, last night confirmed the new club might be an attractive proposition for the former Kangaroos centre.
St Helens teammate Darren Albert is out of the frame, however, after he re-signed until the end of 2007.
Mimis said Matt Orford and Matt King were both eager to stay in Melbourne and he was working towards finalising new deals for the pair before June 30.
In other news, Cronulla prop Jason Stevens pleaded guilty to knee lifting at last night's judiciary after having indicated he would fight the charge. Stevens will miss Saturday night's clash with North Queensland.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/League/Rabbitohs-hunt-Crocker/2005/06/01/1117568262149.html
