A ST GEORGE Illawarra player has had a pair of his boots frozen in ice as part of a prank war.

We reveal how Brisbane centre Tautau Moga secures a handsome pay increase from 2018.

Plus, Canberra tables Dave Taylor a new deal as Private Ryan takes a look behind the scenes of the greatest game of all.

MOGA’S PAY DAY

Round 20

Tautau Moga has signed a deal with Newcastle but they’ve had to pay up for the boom Brisbane centre.

The club confirmed on Tuesday that Moga has signed a three-year-deal which is understood to be worth around $1 million.

It’s understood the 23-year-old has landed contract worth more than three times the $100,000 he is earning with the Broncos this season.

Tautau Moga of the Broncos is tackled. Source: Getty Images

By paying market value, the Knights have snared an important player.

Not only does Moga provide a big body to complement the smaller men like Nathan Ross and Ken Sio but his post-contact meters are impressive. It’s a clever signing to improve their attack.

Moga had an option in his favour to remain at the Broncos in 2018 but when you consider the figures being thrown around, it was an easy decision for the former Rooster and Cowboy to call time on his stint at Red Hill.

COAL TRAIN EARNS NEW CANBERRA DEAL ... BUT WILL HE STAY?

Dave Taylor has impressed Canberra officials enough to earn a new deal.

But the backrower is yet to sign the paperwork with Super League clubs circling.

While the Raiders let their option on Taylor expire, Raiders recruitment manager Peter Mulholland told foxsports.com.au the club is keen to keep the former Queensland Origin and Test monster at the club in 2018.

Nick Cotric and David Taylor of the Raiders celebrate a win. Source: Getty Images

“We’ve got an offer on the table for him,” Mulholland said.

“Whether he accepts it or not is up to him. I know he’s got a lot of interest from a couple of overseas clubs again.

“We’ve got a limit we can put on the deal. If he accepts it, that’s great, if he doesn’t then we’ve had some part in turning his career around, we hope.”

Ben Ikin, Nathan Ryan and Ben Glover are joined by Raiders recruitment manager Peter Mulholland to discuss an innovative new philosophy behind roster building.

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Having received an NRL lifeline from the Raiders late last year, the 28-year-old has taken some work to get onto the field.

After trailing strongly, injury and a bout of chickenpox has limited his time on the field but Mulholland said the club couldn’t question his commitment.

“I went down and watched a wrestle session Dave Taylor did with Brett White and a boxing session with our strength and conditioning coach,” Mulholland explained.

Dave Taylor at Raiders Headquarters. Source: News Corp Australia

“It was 20 minutes of the most brutal work I have ever seen.

“Brett White is absolutely fantastic with the wrestle. They’d wrestle for two minutes and then get up straight away and box for two minutes and that went on for 20 minutes. Taylor went through the whole system and that has been the making or the breaking, the fact this kid wants to do it.

“He’s 28, it’s a point of no return for him. Everyone looks at Dave like he’s big and fat, Dave Taylor hardly does a weights session because he blows up. He’s working hard on every aspect of his game and Stick has been marvellous for him. The whole club’s been great.”

DID YOU KNOW ...

Melbourne foursome Cameron Munster, Christian Welch, Dean Britt and Joe Stimson call themselves ‘Porterhouse’.

The lads used to live together which is how they came to giving themselves the nickname and some members even have a tattoo.

A 'porterhouse' tattoo on one of the Melbourne players. Source: Supplied

“It was a bit of a joke between me and a few boys,” Munster explained.

“We lived together in Port Melbourne. We thought we were good quality meat so we called ourselves Porterhouse — a good cut of meat. It’s a pretty funny joke when you think about it. I’ve pulled my head in a little bit more now.”

HUSH, HUSH

Which Holden Cup captain is being chased hard by a rival NRL club?

Here’s a hint — these clubs aren’t based in Sydney.

SPOTTED

Euan Aitken's boots frozen solid. Source: Supplied

It’s not very clear from the photo but these are Euan Aitken’s football boots.

They were taken by a teammate and frozen in a block of ice before he had them returned to his locker.

The pranks this season have been quite creative.

Earlier this year Josh McCrone shaved a strip of hair off the back of Jack de Belin’s dog to give the not so furry creature a reverse Mohawk.

It’s safe to say there’s a serious prank war going down at the Dragons.

SPOTTED II

New Knights recruit Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Blake Ferguson hugging in the Roosters’ sheds after Friday’s game.

TREND TO TAKE OUT NO. 1

How do you take the fullback out of the game?

Just ask Brisbane.

They did a stellar job leaving Will Hopoate in all sorts on Thursday night.

The shift play is the best example of that and a trend more teams are implementing.

Will Hopoate of the Bulldogs in action. Source: AAP

The dummy half shuffles it to first receiver who stands to the right of the ruck. The opposition fullback is then forced to track to that side of the field in anticipation of the kick.

But rather than run or pass down the right, the ballplayer quickly sends a pass screaming back to the left side of the field, catching the fullback out of position and allowing a kick through the line without him cleaning it up. Very clever.

A SICK DOG

Newcastle fullback Nathan Ross topped the running metres for the Knights against the Roosters on Friday and did so while sick.

Ross spent Friday tucked up in bed at the team hotel and only left the comfort of his bed covers when the team bus arrived to take the Knights to Allianz Stadium.

Despite battling a severe case of the flu, Ross managed to run for 157 metres, 23 metres more than the club’s next best in Peter Mata’utia.

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