Oct 29th, 2018

Oct 29th, 2018

The Broncos are poised to lose several players should Wayne Bennett go to Souths next season - with strike centre James Roberts now at the top of the list.

I’m hearing Roberts, a big Bennett fan, will quit the club should the master coach pull up stumps next season and not in 2020 as is currently planned.

But Roberts won’t be following Bennett to the Rabbitohs - he’ll be off to the Gold Coast. The speedy centre played some of his best football in his two year stint with the Titans, winning the Dally M centre of the year award in 2015.

The club has been after a top class centre and has been in talks with both the Storm’s Will Chambers and Brisbane’s Jordan Kahu.

But they prefer Roberts to that pair and if Bennett jumps, they will make their move. Roberts is only on a relatively small contract at the Broncos - around $300,000 - and will get a substantial pay rise on the coast.

As was reported yesterday, star forward Tevita Pangai Junior is also considering quitting the club and following Bennett to Souths, while Matt Lodge is also unsigned.

(AAP)

DUFTY DEPARTING DRAGONS?

The Dragons are trying to offload exciting young fullback Matt Dufty for next season.

Dufty has proved a fan favourite at the Big Red V since debuting late in 2017, with an impressive strike rate of 15 tries in 32 games. At 22, Dufty has a rare knack for breaking the line and should have little trouble picking up a new club.

He has also had some interest from England.

Why have the Dragons gone off him? They believe he is a lazy player off the ball - but it’s a trait in his game that can easily be fixed.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF KLEMMER

So why is David Klemmer so desperate to quit the Bulldogs?

It’s not personal or anything to do with management or coach Dean Pay… it’s all about the money.

Klemmer made a dreadful rookie error negotiating his current four-year deal, doing it himself without an agent.

He sold himself well short of his market value at $550,000 - and now realises he is worth far more than that.

The Knights are offering to double his salary to $1.2 million a year - an offer too good to refuse.

So the Bulldogs must now decide whether to let him walk, give him a pay rise… or have a disgruntled player in their ranks.

(AAP)

WARRIORS SIGN YOUNG PANTHER

The Warriors have signed impressive young utility back Adam Keighran from the Panthers.

A former Australian Schoolboys star, Keighran’s best spot is five-eighth but he was stuck behind the all-star duo of James Maloney and Nathan Cleary at the Panthers.

He will replace Mason Lino, who has gone to Newcastle, at the Warriors and is a more realistic chance of breaking into the top grade there.

Keighran was named in the 2018 Intrust Super Premiership NSW Team Of The Year in the centres - an indication of both his potential and versatility.