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The Dragons have rejected skipper Ben Hunt’s request to have his extension deal tied to coach Anthony Griffin’s future as his contract talks hit a stalemate.
The Panthers are trying to offload Charlie Staines in a bid to free up cap space to re-sign Liam Martin and Stephen Crichton long-term.
Meanwhile, Wayne Bennett is reportedly prepared to offer Cameron Munster $1.5 million a season to join the Dolphins over the Storm.
Read on for the latest NRL Transfer whispers.
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DRAGONS REJECT HUNT’S GRIFFIN REQUEST IN EXTENSION STALEMATE
The Dragons have rejected skipper Ben Hunt’s request to have his extension deal tied to coach Anthony Griffin’s future at the embattled club.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Hunt’s bid to have his two-year extension for 2024 and 2025 linked to Griffin’s future, whose deal expires at the end of 2023, was shut down.
Hunt’s management tried to align Hunt’s two year deal with a potential extension for Griffin, but the club said they would not consider the scenario.
The development is a huge sign the Dragons remain unsure if Griffin is the right man to coach the club long-term.
The Dragons only signed Griffin to a one-year extension at the start of the 2022 season and rumours persist the club may go in a different direction after they failed to make the finals for the second straight year under Griffin.
Hunt was recently low-balled with a $700,000 a season extension offer, but reports suggest the club will up that offer to $875,000 in a bid to ward off rival clubs from poaching their captain.
However, it remains to be seen if Hunt will sign with the uncertainty surrounding who will coach the club raging on.
BENNETT HELLBENT ON LANDING MUNSTER WITH $1.5M MEGA OFFER
Wendell Sailor revealed Wayne Bennett is willing to pay Cameron Munster $1.5 million a season to lure him away from the Melbourne Storm.
Reports suggested the Storm were back in the running for Munster after tabling an impressive new offer worth around $1 million a season.
However, Sailor revealed on Triple M that offer is nowhere near what the Dolphins and Bennett are prepared to pay the Origin star in a desperate bid to land a marquee man.
“Every day of the week Cameron Munster is worth $1 million if not more,” Sailor said on Triple M in response to the Storm’s upgraded offer.
“I know if he goes north of the border he will get about $1.5 million at the Dolphins.
“It is up to him he is a Rockhampton boy.
“I know Wayne Bennett. I speak to him once a week. He is red hot. He wants Munster.
“But Braith Anasta is doing the right thing by his client here.
“Part of me wants Munster to go to the Dolphins because they need a marquee player and someone to hang their hat on and I think he would be perfect and him and Wayne Bennett work well together.
“But I can understand if he wants to stay at the Storm. The Storm gave him an opportunity when he was younger.
“If you look at the way he has played this year he is the best player in the game and he is the reason why the Storm can still win the grand final.”
PANTHERS ATTEMPT TO OFFLOAD $500K STAR TO FREE UP CAP SPACE
The Panthers are trying to offload Charlie Staines in a bid to free up cap space to re-sign Liam Martin and Stephen Crichton long-term.
The Daily Telegraph reported the Panthers are happy to let Staines leave before his contract expires in 2023, in a bid to redirect his hefty salary to their off-contract stars.
Staines was signed to a monster extension for 2023 when the club was eyeing him as their long-term fullback in a bid to ward off approaches from rivals.
However, Dylan Edwards’ rise has seen Staines go from a regular starter to a fringe first grader over the last two seasons.
After scoring 20 tries in his first 23 games mostly on the wing, Staines was left out of Penrith’s grand final side and has scored just two tries in 13 games for the Panthers in 2022.
The emergence of Taylan May and Sunia Turuva and the preference to keep Origin star Brian To’o has left Staines on the outer at the club.
Martin has five clubs chasing him after he was left unimpressed with the Panthers’ upgraded offer, while Crichton has been heavily linked to a reunion with Cameron Ciraldo at the Bulldogs.
Staines has been linked to the Wests Tigers as a fullback option in the past and it appears the Panthers will not stand in his way if a rival club comes to the table with the promise of a regular starting spot.
BRONCOS BREAKOUT STAR IN HIGH DEMAND
The Broncos could have a fight on their hands to retain boom playmaker Ezra Mam with Sydney clubs circling the breakout star.
Phil Rothfield revealed on NRL 360 that there are a number of NRL clubs interested in poaching the exciting youngster from the Broncos.
“There are a number of Sydney based clubs really interested in him,” Rothfield said.
“We are talking long-term deals. He is an excitement machine and give him a little bit more experience and another good off-season and he could be anything.”
However, Mam is contracted to the Broncos until the end of 2024 and Brisbane are unlikely to release him after letting go of Tom Dearden, who is braining it at the Cowboys.
Still, the Broncos could have a bidding war on their hands the next time Mam’s contract is up for negotiation.
Braith Anasta believes Mam is a unique talent who has the potential to play in the NRL for the next 10 years at least.
“I’m a huge fan of Ezra Mam and he didn’t have his best game last week, but his debut this year and the way that he has played this year he is a special talent, he is a special kid and he is a 10 year player,” Anasta said.
“He has got X-factor. He can break a game open. He has slick, fast feet. He is a special talent.”
Mam has scored six tries in 12 games for the Broncos after debuting in 2022 and looks set to be the club’s long-term No.6.
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‘IT WAS A GIMMICK’: Storm’s ‘drip feeding’ player signing announcement slammed
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