Jan 29th, 2019

Jan 29th, 2019

The Warriors are poised to take a massive gamble by replacing superstar Shaun Johnson with a youngster who has yet to play an NRL game in 2019.

Unknown Panthers recruit Adam Keighran, 21, is believed to have won the race to wear the number seven jumper for the start of the new season.

The Warriors were rocked by Johnson’s defection to Cronulla midway through the off season but decided against signing an established halfback to replace him.

That leaves the key halfback spot to a race between former Australian Schoolboy Keighran and another rookie, the club’s 2017 NYC player of the year Chanel Harris-Tavita.

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I’m hearing the Warriors have decided to go with Keighran, who like Johnson is also a handy goalkicker, scoring over 200 points for the Panthers in the ISP last year.

While Keighran has been thrown in at the deep end, he will have the help of one of the NRL’s most experienced playmakers in Blake Green to guide him through his baptism of fire.

The spot is his to lose in the Warriors’ opening two trials against the Storm (Geelong, February 22) and Tigers (Whangarei, March 2).

EELS SHOW FAITH IN ROOKIE

Parramatta are another club set to show their faith in a rookie in a key position.

Reed Mahoney, 20, looks like winning the vital hooking spot ahead of the more experiened Kaysa Pritchard for the 2019 kickoff.

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The young Queenslander debuted for the Eels late last season and has impressed club officials in his first full off season with the NRL squad.

The Eels were thinking of signing the experienced James Segayaro but are now showing their faith in Mahoney, a Queensland Under 20 State of Origin representative, with Pritchard as his likely back-up.

BUNNIES KEEN TO OFFLOAD TURNER

Souths are pushing hard to move 2014 grand final winner Kyle Turner to England before the premiership kicks off.

Turner debuted for the Rabbitohs in 2014 and had a fairytale ride all the way through to the premiership win.

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But head and neck injuries have plagued him since then and he made just one top grade appearance last season.

Wayne Bennett has made it clear the the 26-year-old is not in his plans and the club is hoping a Super League club will pick up Turner in coming weeks.

YOUNG PROP IN DEMAND

Half a dozen NRL clubs have been chasing boom St Helens forward Luke Thompson - but he is the man money can’t buy.

A 23-year-old prop who made his Test debut last year, Thompson is regarded as the best young forward in Super League.

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Knights coach Nathan Brown handed him his top grade debut as a teenager in 2013 and is just one of a host of coaches chasing the big prop.

But Thompson is happy to stay in England with money not a factor - his father is a multi-millionaire businessman.