THE Wests Tigers’ so-called ‘big four’ could be reduced to just one with rival NRL clubs likely to poach three of the members.

Meanwhile, Penrith skipper Matt Moylan has broken his silence after being dropped.

And who Melbourne are set to chase following Cooper Cronk’s shock announcement.

Catch all the latest rugby league news in Media Watch!

Round 19

TIGERS LEFT WITH ONE?

The Wests Tigers’ could lose three star players with NRL clubs circling the club’s ‘big four’.

Following the news that Luke Brooks had committed to a two-year deal with the club, it’s been revealed five-eighth Mitchell Moses has asked for an immediate release to join Parramatta.

The Tigers released a statement on Wednesday night saying Moses’ request had been denied.

“Due to the current uncertainty surrounding the salary cap for 2018 and beyond the club has decided to prioritise the re-signings of captain Aaron Woods and James Tedesco,” the statement read.

“As a result the current contract offer that was with Moses’ management was taken off the table by Wests Tigers.

“After being made aware of this decision Moses’ management requested an immediate release from the remainder of Moses’ current contract; this request was denied by Wests Tigers.”

But the bad news for the Tigers could indeed continue.

Canterbury are favourites to snare captain Aaron Woods, while the Roosters have emerged as a genuine contender for superstar fullback James Tedesco.

Luke Brooks has agreed to a two-year deal with the Tigers. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

“As it stands at the moment Luke Brooks has agreed to a two-year deal,” Fox Sports’ chief NRL report James Hooper told NRL Tonight.

“I think you’ll find that’s worth around the $1.5 million mark which for a player of Luke Brooks’ standing that’s really good money.

“That’s in the 10-day cooling off period at the moment.

“In relation to the Tigers’ captain he’s been linked heavily to the Bulldogs over the course of the last two weeks ... I think you’ll find most likely Aaron is going to head to Canterbury and play under Des Hasler.

“In relation to James Tedesco all the talk over the last couple of days has been that the Sydney Roosters have come in at the 11th hour and made a late play to try to lure Tedesco.

“Anthony Minichello, one of their champion fullbacks, has a strong rapport with James so I wouldn’t be surprised.

“It looks like the big four could end up being the big one at the Wests Tigers.”

Ben Ikin, Nathan Ryan and Ben Glover are joined by Storm football manager Frank Ponissi to discuss the bombshell Cooper Cronk news and what it means for the club.

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FORAN TO STORM?

Fairfax Media reports Melbourne are considering chasing Warriors five-eighth Kieran Foran to replace the outgoing Cooper Cronk.

Cronk’s announcement that he’ll be moving to Sydney at the end of the season has come as a shock and the representative star will leave a huge hole in halves.

According to Fairfax, Storm officials will meet on Friday to discuss how to best fill that void.

DOGS’ OVERHAUL SET TO BEGIN

Fresh off his recent two-year contract extension, Canterbury coach Des Hasler is set to overhaul his roster ahead of the 2018 season.

According to NRL 360’s Paul Kent, some of the club’s biggest names could be on the way out.

“The Dogs’ clean-up is about to begin,” Kent told the show.

“It includes some very, very big names currently being shopped around in little secret conversations.

“No one is safe. No one.”

MOYLAN BREAKS SILENCE

Penrith skipper Matt Moylan has spoken for the first time since being dropped by the Panthers for their game against South Sydney on Friday.

Moylan, along with Waqa Blake and Peta Hiku will play Intrust Super Premiership after they broke team curfew after their loss to Melbourne last Saturday.

Matt Moylan tackled during the Penrith Panthers training session at Pepper Stadium. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

“I think that’s the most disappointing thing, that I’ve let the club down and my teammates and the fans where I’ve put myself in the position that I’m not playing this weekend,” Moylan told Channel Nine.

“It’s going to be a bitter pill to swallow (watching the team play), but it’s a lesson we’re going to have to learn and grow from.

Moylan said Panthers coach Anthony Griffin made the right decision.

“I think so. We’ve got a culture here and we’ve got standards that we didn’t meet on Saturday,” Moylan said.

Meanwhile, Panthers legend Ryan Girdler also backed the move to drop the trio.

“It’s accountability before results,” Girdler told NRL Tonight.

“They’ve built their club around that over the past five or six years since Gus and Ivan took over.

“They had to do it. They made the tough decision based on other players last year so they had to follow through.”

BLUES NO.9 BOLTERS?

NSW coach Laurie Daley has said the race for the Blues’ hooking jersey will be down to incumbent Robbie Farah and veteran Panther Peter Wallace.

Farah has been dropped to the bench for South Sydney, while 31-year-old Wallace isn’t getting any younger.

The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley believes St George Illawarra’s Cameron McInnes and Manly’s Api Koroisau should be included in the conversation as genuine chances given their current form.

“They’re playing out of their skin. Why aren’t we bringing them into the debate?” Crawley told NRL 360.

Crawley told the show he called Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett to talk about Koroisau.

“He said he’s going great,” Crawley said.

“I asked would he handle Origin. He said ‘mate, he’d do it on his head.’.

“He said ‘this guy is the toughest guy in the club, the players love him, he’s the heart and soul of our team.”

PACKER KEEN TO REMAIN IN RED V

St George Illawarra prop Russell Packer says he’d like to remain at the Dragons beyond this season.

The big bopper is off-contract at the end of the year but wants to repay the faith the club has shown in him since his release from jail due to an assault.

Russell Packer is tackled. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

“Obviously I’d love to stay, the club’s been great to me with everything I’ve gone through and giving me that second chance to come back into the NRL,” Packer told the Illawarra Mercury.

“ ... I’ve got a great manager in George Mimis looking after me and my family’s affairs. I’m looking to get something done in the next couple of months but it’s just the way footy goes. I’d love to stay at the club though, that’s for sure.”

RAIDERS IMMUNE TO CRONK CHAOS

While a bunch of Sydney scramble to assess their playing roster following the news Cooper Cronk will be moving to the harbour city in 2018, Canberra are sitting pretty.

The Raiders have established a settled playing roster with most key members locked in for almost the next two years.

Cooper Cronk of the Melbourne Storm. Source: AAP

“[Cronk’s] certainly not in our calculations. I don’t know that that will have much bearing on what we plan to do,” Raiders CEO Don Furner told The Canberra Times.

“Some of those clubs that will be affected have got players off at the end of ‘17, whereas we haven’t — ours are off at the end of ‘18, nearly two years away.

“Once we have some clarity on the salary cap we will commence our retention program and hopefully push a lot of those guys out to ‘19 and ‘20.”

BOOKIES MAY HAVE HAD PANTHERS TIP-OFF

Fairfax Media has reported bookmakers adjusted markets on the Penrith-South Sydney game hours before news broke the Panthers had dropped three big names.

The club axed skipper Matt Moylan, and outside backs Peta Hiku and Waqa Blake on Tuesday for a boozy post-game session at the weekend.

Fairfax says bookmakers changed the odds on this weekend’s fixture long before the news was made public.

Penrith drifted in some markets from around $1.25 to $1.65 against the Rabbitohs.

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