Mar 2nd, 2020

Mar 2nd, 2020

The Storm have set their sights on a player rated among the best young centres in England.

Jake Wardle, a powerhouse 21-year-old speedster from the Huddersfield club, has caught the eye of Storm scouts in the UK.

The Storm are believed to be set to make Wardle an attractive offer to join them for 2021.

Huddersfield are keen to retain the talented ball runner, but are unlikely to be able to match the Storm in a bidding war.

It will boil down to whether Wardle wants to leave his family - including older brother Joe, a Scottish international who is also at the Giants - to come Down Under.

Huddersfield Giants star Jake Wardle could be headed to NRL powerhouse Melbourne Storm. (Getty)

BOOM KIWI IN BULLDOGS MIX

Kiwi prop Renouf To'omaga is shaping as a bolter to make the Bulldogs' top squad for round one.

To'omaga has played just 13 games in his two years at Belmore but has done the hard yards over the summer and dropped several kilos.

He shone in the Bulldogs' 30-18 win over Cronulla in PNG a couple of weeks ago, scoring one try and setting up another, and was also solid in the loss to the Raiders last weekend.

With a couple of more experienced players not showing as well in the trials, Bulldogs coach Dean Pay is thinking of giving To'omaga his chance.

Bulldogs prop Renouf To'omaga takes a run against the Broncos last season. (Getty)

ROOSTERS IN BOX SEAT FOR SAVEA

There's been plenty of speculation in New Zealand that All Blacks superstar Ardie Savea is seriously thinking about a switch to league - but sadly for the Warriors, they aren't his club of choice.

A loose forward with 44 Test caps, 26-year-old Hurricanes loose forward Savea is a legend in Kiwi-land and signing him would be a great coup for league.

Savea is believed to be looking at a change of management before he switches codes and his close friendship with Sonny Bill Williams puts SBW's handler Khoder Nasser in the box seat to pick him up.

Savea has said he wants to win a comp in league if he makes the jump - and if you do the maths, SBW and Nasser's close links to the Roosters put them in the box seat to sign him.

Ardie Savea (R) with Sonny Bill Williams during the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup campaign in 2019. (Getty)

MAJOR SCALP IN REFS RANKS

After another year of blunders, there has been a major change among the top brass in the refs, with the assistant referees coach parting ways with the NRL.

Steve Carrall, who holds the record for most games as a first grade touch judge with more than 300, left over the summer in yet another shake-up.

He has been replaced by Steve Chiddy, another man with plenty of experience running the line in recent years before eventually hanging up his flag.

The change indicates referees bosses are still feeling the heat, with continual 'howlers' from the bunker and the men in the middle only adding to the pressure.