Rumoured Targets 3

[HarVeeGee]

He’s a an underrated player. Has improved a lot in his few years at Cronulla. Would be a good pick up.

Yeah he’s a proven starting calibre prop & I think he makes around $400K. Probably gives you about 80% of Leo at less than half the price, plays very physical and has good lateral mobility, & leaves space to sign another guy too.

Not an excitement machine, but you need solid, consistent, experienced forwards to give you a week to week baseline - and then the hope is that someone like Cody Hopwood can ascend and become your alpha dog, your elite Yeo/Carrigan tier middle. Still only 25 so best days should be ahead of him.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

According to zero tackle here are the off contract props who would be available to be signed for 2026.

PROP​

Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Paul Bryan, Mat Croker, Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui, Viliami Fifita, Wiremu Greig, Emre Guler, Tuku Hau Tapuha, Thomas Hazelton, Jack Hetherington, Jaiyden Hunt, Corey Jensen, Tui Kamikamica, Oregon Kaufusi, Josh Kerr, Josh King, Kaiden Lahrs, Ben Liyou, Jordan McLean, Shaquai Mitchell, Davvy Moale, Michael Molo, Mark Nicholls, Josiah Pahulu, Josh Papalii, Alex Seyfarth, Toafofoa Sipley, Sebastian Su'a, Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Ryan Sutton, Martin Taupau, Leo Thompson, Sam Tuivaiti, Lazarus Vaalepu, Michael Waqa

36 players off contract

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Of that list, the main ones who would interest me would be:
Hazelton
Jensen
Kaufusi
Sipley

 

[Allstar Knights]

Greig would be handy

 

[Knight Tales]

Big Tom Hazelton would be good business. However it his motor where the questions lie. Is he a little too big for a long on field stint with the ever increasing mobility of the game across the park. Upside is he is only 25 or thereabouts.

 

[aqua_duck]

Of that list, the main ones who would interest me would be:
Hazelton
Jensen
Kaufusi
Sipley

Jensen will be 32 in 2026 so I’d be a little cautious there, wouldn’t say no to any of the others

 

[Special K]

Max Bradbury still a free agent? Time to come home?

Haven't seen any announcements but have seen photos of him in the 2025 Sharks polo and doing community work. Here he is doing the visit last week - https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2024/12/10/score-sharks-kicking-goals-with-help-from-nrl-pals/ . Perhaps a train and trial that you could squeeze him out of.

Hazleton would be good for anyone but he is still a while off being counted on week in and week out. The barge over tries cover up a lot. Tuku Hau Tapuha(basically the same size) from us could do more for 1/4 of the price with more aggression. Plus probably 1/6th the price of Leo. Kaufusi is reportedly on 400k as mentioned. Something has to give from our middle.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Jensen will be 32 in 2026 so I’d be a little cautious there, wouldn’t say no to any of the others

Jensen on a 2 year deal for around $500K per year would be good business imo. You know what you’ll get from him, hard running and hard tackling for around 30-40 mins per game week-in week-out.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Obviously with any potential signings the key is the $ per year and the length of the deal to get the right value. At least prop is a position where there’s plenty of guys off contract so I’d be surprised if we didn’t pick up one or two of those players for 2026 onwards. A couple of real solid props for around $400K-$500K per year would do the job imo.

 

[aqua_duck]

Obviously with any potential signings the key is the $ per year and the length of the deal to get the right value. At least prop is a position where there’s plenty of guys off contract so I’d be surprised if we didn’t pick up one or two of those players for 2026 onwards. A couple of real solid props for around $400K-$500K per year would do the job imo.

I think front row is the best position to use a money ball strategy in terms of recruitment.
There’s certain front rowers like Payne Haas, AFB and Joe Tapine that bring a particular skillset that you just can’t replace or replicate, most other front rowers don’t have unique attributes.
If someone like a Oregon Kaufusi can give you 90% of Leo’s output for 70% of the price then that’s a win

 

[slotmachine]

‘We just couldn’t afford to keep paying him’: Tigers explain Sullivan Souths switch

Jayden Sullivan has become the second player to exit the Wests Tigers in as many days after the club decided it was “bad business” to keep him on as understudy to Jarome Luai on $700k a year.

www.smh.com.au

After all the hysterics looks like Leo going to Raiders on 750k a year.

 

[Haffa]

Expensive replacement for Emre Guler.

 

[perverse]

‘We just couldn’t afford to keep paying him’: Tigers explain Sullivan Souths switch

Jayden Sullivan has become the second player to exit the Wests Tigers in as many days after the club decided it was “bad business” to keep him on as understudy to Jarome Luai on $700k a year.

www.smh.com.au

After all the hysterics looks like Leo going to Raiders on 750k a year.

Did they update the article or something? There's no dollar figures mentioned in the link that I can see.

Having said that, good on him. He's getting a huge payday, and I hope the Raiders keep fishing out desperate contracts like that.

 

[Burwood]

Did they update the article or something? There's no dollar figures mentioned in the link that I can see.

Having said that, good on him. He's getting a huge payday, and I hope the Raiders keep fishing out desperate contracts like that.

And Canberra remain hopeful they can entice Newcastle forward Leo Thompson to the nation’s capital on what rival clubs believe to be a four-year deal worth around $3m.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Imagine after all this he just ends up re-signing with us lol

 

[Apey]

750k is obviously relying on/hoping he will continue to improve, because it's overs for where he's currently at. I think I'd rather another club take that gamble than us for a change. We might regret it down the track but I'm not sure we're in a position to be taking the gamble on a prop right now. A halfback, on the other hand.

 

[Knight Tales]

Imagine after all this he just ends up re-signing with us lol

Have we not pulled the offer?

 

[perverse]

@Burwood thank you sir i'm just blind.

 

[Yosh]

750k seems okay for the Raiders. Wonder how much we offered. 600k?

Still worried we not making any signings while losing half our cap in 2026.

 

[Burwood]

If those dollar amounts are accurate, by the time you consider that he’s getting paid peanuts this year and turned down an upgrade for 2025, he’s not really getting too much extra money by signing with another club for 2026 and beyond.