2013 NRL Signings

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

As the off season is coming up i thought i would start this thread to talk about other clubs signings.

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

Manly's Stewart signs four year $2.4m deal
nrl.com

Manly fullback Brett Stewart has signed a four-year deal reportedly worth $2.4 million to remain with the NRL defending premiers.

The 27-year-old's deal was tipped weeks ago but confirmed by the Sea Eagles on Wednesday night with Channel Nine reporting the contract value.

Two-time premiership winner Stewart, who made his debut in 2003, has played all of his 155 first grade games with the Sea Eagles and is thrilled to be staying at Brookvale.

"I love Manly. I've never wanted to be anywhere else and it's really satisfying to know I can play out my career here," Stewart said.

"We have a really tight playing group, a really positive culture and I want to be part of that for as long as I can."

Manly coach Geoff Toovey was delighted to keep the NSW State of Origin No.1.

"Brett is a quality player and a quality person and is an integral part of our leadership group," Toovey said.

"Needless to say, he's highly respected by everybody at the club and it's outstanding he remains a one-club player."

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

Hull KR sign stand-off Travis Burns from Penrith for 2013

Hull KR have confirmed the signing of Penrith Panthers half-back Travis Burns on a three-year deal.
The 28-year-old made 127 NRL appearances for the Panthers, North Queensland and Manly and becomes Rovers' fourth signing for 2013.
"I've been watching a lot of the games on TV and I see a young team which is not far off being a real force in the Super League," Burns said.
"Myself and my family are very excited about heading over to Hull KR."
He added: "Opting to join Hull KR was an easy decision for me as I know that the people of Hull are very friendly and love their football."

Burns' arrival coincides with rumours linking current Rovers stand-off Blake Green with a move to Super League leaders Wigan for the next campaign.
In addition the switch reunites the utility back with a familiar face in current Rovers head coach Craig Sandercock.
"Craig was also a big reason why I decided to sign," Burns said of his switch to Super League for 2013.
"He was an assistant coach when I started my NRL career at Manly and I always knew he would coach at the highest level.
"The conversations I've had with him about his plans for me and the club going forward made my decision easy and I can't wait to pull on a Robins' jersey for the first time."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/19486712

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

Wests Tigers are preparing to undergo a player shake-up in the wake of missing the finals, with long-serving lock Chris Heighington poised to shift to Cronulla next season.

In a move guaranteed to create major internal ructions, Heighington - who is still under contract for 2013 - is close to finalising a three-year deal in the Shire to join former Tigers teammates Bryce Gibbs, Andrew Fifita and John Morris as early as November.

Beau Ryan is also being shopped around to rival clubs as the Tigers consider tapping a number of contracted players on the shoulder. Coach Tim Sheens denied any deals had been done, but he admitted "there are some things that are going to happen that might make a few people unhappy".

"There's no doubt that we've got to do something in our recruitment area. We're looking to improve our depth rather than our main roster," said Sheens, who remains defiant that he will remain at the club despite speculation linking him to the Warriors.

"There are some things that are going to happen that might make a few people unhappy.

"But we've got to make some changes. I'm not going to say we have to turn everything upside down.

"That doesn't mean everything is wrong. We've got to analyse everything. What was done right, we stick to - what wasn't, we change.

"Every club prior to the team that runs second will do that this year."

Sheens and the Tigers were forced to endure major internal waves midway through last season when the club was looking to offload popular players Heighington, Ryan, Liam Fulton and Gibbs.

Ultimately, Gibbs and prop Andrew Fifita were squeezed out in a move that threatened to derail the club's 2011 title aspirations.

Gibbs had only just signed a three-year extension before he was released, a position Ryan finds himself in after the outside back recently negotiated a new deal with chief executive Stephen Humphreys.

Dual international Lote Tuqiri, currently off-contract, is also expected to struggle to secure a new deal.

It is understood Manly prop Brent Kite heads a list of players the Tigers are in negotiations with in a bid to bolster a roster as touted premiership favourites in March.

Braith Anasta, Eddy Pettybourne and Bodene Thompson will all join the club over the off-season to offset the departure of English international Ellis.

It is understood has been told Heighington is fuming at the latest move to squeeze him out.

"Chris has been a great servant to this club but we're not looking past next year at this point," Sheens said.

"I'm not saying we won't re-sign him, but at this point we're not looking to extend that contract.

"Our main priority would be Robbie Farah and possibly big Keith Galloway, who both have one year to go. Liam Fulton is another one."

Sheens wants Royce Simmons to return to the Tigers as an assistant next season but was adamant that it would not cost any of his other support staff at the club - Steve Georgallis, Bryan Hyder, Grant Jones or Warren McDonnell - a job.

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

Beau Ryan has quit the Wests Tigers to sign three-year deal with Cronulla Sharks

THE Cronulla Sharks have signed Wests Tigers winger and Footy Show star Beau Ryan for three years.

Ryan will inform the Wests Tigers later today he will be joining former team mates Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita in the Shire.

His Wests Tigers second-row team mate Heighington is also expected to sign within days.

Remarkably, Ryan agreed to a new three-year contract with the Tigers several months ago.

But the deal fell through at the last minute and no contract was ever signed.

Ryan’s signing is a massive boost for the Sharks, who are desperately need some speed on the wings.

The Wests Tigers star has had his best year in the NRL, winning selection in the Kangaroos PM team to play Papua New Guinea.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1226475856745

[Hail Sezer]

Well..I was late to the party on that one. Ignore this post haha

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

Wests Tigers re-sign Lote Tuqiri for one year despite salary cap pressure causing Beau Ryan's exit

Lote Tuqiri can relax. He won't be thrown to the Sharks just yet after agreeing to a one-year extension.


But Tuqiri's fast becoming the exception at Concord, which has well and truly become Cronulla's surrogate nursery in the past few seasons.

While Sutherland Shire residents are renowned for their reluctance to venture beyond the Georges River, Sharks coach Shane Flanagan is blazing intrepid ground with his "West is Best" recruitment policy.

Head to Toyota Stadium these days and you'll find more cars adorned with fluffy dice than the surfboard racks of yesteryear.

NRL Review: Finals Week 2

Sad: 'Refs' calls overshadowed footy' + 69
The NRL seachange first became noticeable this season when Bryce Gibbs, Andrew Fifita and Isaac de Gois joined former Tigers teammate John Morris at Cronulla.


Related Content
Backflip: Tigers in crisis as Beau walks out + 6 Cronulla: Sharks deny deal for Tigers' Ryan + 6

Now Beau Ryan is on his way too.

It's also certain Chris Heighington - the longest-serving Wests Tigers player - will be next.

Have Wests Tigers shot themselves in the foot for 2013 with too many back-ended contracts? Leave a comment at the bottom to join the debate.
With the addition of Ryan and Heighington, Cronulla will next year field a team almost made up exclusively of ex-players from the Tigers, Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels.

Young guns Chad Townsend and Stewart Mills could be the only local juniors in the top squad, yet it's possible neither will get much game time with so much imported experience now ahead of them.

With limited funds and resources, Flanagan has needed to shrewdly exploit salary cap pain at rival clubs for handy off-cuts.

And Wests Tigers have proved an easy target, with the joint venture shedding established and off-contract players en masse thanks to back-ended contracts putting pressure on their cap.

Their decision to release Gibbs backfired miserably whenever Keith Galloway was unavailable this season.

The Tigers went 0-6 in the absence of their only Origin bookend, but now face an impossible task of replacing the invaluable team chemistry that long-serving players like Heighington and Ryan build.

In fact, Heighington's impending loss is downright gut-wrenching.

The 201-game veteran understands a contract extension beyond 2013 is not available at the Tigers, hence the opportunity to forego his final year for a longer-term deal elsewhere.

But what he can't comprehend is why the scenario wasn't cleared up in time for the round 26 fixture against the Melbourne Storm at Leichhardt Oval?

It will now be his final game at the club's spiritual den - an occasion that surely warranted a farewell befitting the club's first and only double centurion.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/n...-1226476269071

[Boofhead]

Incredible... What a dud Sheens is.

Lote is past it and Beau was improving dramatically.

[thelwall]

beau is going great id have him - lote is terrible and made from the same glacier as champion

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

Broncos Sign Zippy Fullback
http://www.broncos.com.au/news-displ...ullback/64143?

REDCLIFFE Dolphins fullback Joe Bond still struggles to believe that Broncos coach Anthony Griffin asked to meet him.
Bond stands only 175cm and weighs 76kg. He never made a representative team growing up and did not take league seriously until he finished high school.
When the Dolphins clash with Wynnum Manly in Sunday's Intrust Super Cup grand final, Bond has the chance to show everyone why Griffin requested a meeting and then signed him to a one-year contract.
"The Broncos stuff all came out of the blue," Bond said. "Anthony Griffin just called me and said he wanted to meet and it went from there.
"We had a good talk and he was honest about what I needed to improve and the task ahead and he made me feel a lot more at ease."
Bond, 24, is a former touch footballer, a Norths Devils junior who was not particularly interested in becoming an NRL player until his late teens.
"I was always the smallest bloke on every team so I never made any schoolboys or underage teams," Bond said.
"I was mainly playing touch footy and mucking around with league a bit but it wasn't until I was 17 or so, after high school, that I started taking it seriously."
Bond left the Devils for the Dolphins at the start of last year seeking greater opportunity.
"I was injured for most of 2010 and I didn't know if there was much chance at the Devils with the backline they had and when John Dixon gave me a call I jumped at the chance," he said.
"We have had a great year and this game will be the highlight of my career so far. The team's been creating space for me and that's helped me a lot."
Redcliffe have handed captaincy duties to Isaak Ah Mau, replacing the injured Chris Farrell, who suffered a broken jaw in the major semi-final 10 days ago.
Wynnum Manly have named Charlie Gubb despite the prop facing a one-week suspension if the QRL judiciary hearing tonight finds him guilty of a dangerous throw charge.
Intrust Super Cup grand final teams
DOLPHINS: 1 J Bond, 2 D Berryman, 3 M Hatfield, 4 A Whitchurch, 5 L Georgetown, 6 M Kennedy, 7 L Capewell, 8 M Handcock, 9 T Butterfield, 10 I Ah Mau (c), 11 T Giess, 12 D Watkins, 13 N Slyney, 14 T Samoa, 15 T Murphy, 16 J Ackerman, 17 P Ivan. Coach: John Dixon.
SEAGULLS: 1 S Loxley, 2 P Gubb, 3 D Wallace, 4 J Moon, 5 N Barnes, 6 J Fauid, 7 M Seamark, 8 B Shea, 9 J Granville, 10 D Carlaw, 11 M Dodds, 12 J Te Reo, 13 L Dalziel-Don (c), 20 T Natusch, 15 M Smith, 16 A Clayton, 17 C Gubb. Coach: Paul Green.

[DIEHARD]

Finch joins Storm for 2013

Brett Finch has signed to play for the Melbourne Storm for the 2013 season, the NRL premiers have announced.

Finch will return from a two-year stint with Super League side Wigan to join the club he won the 2009 grand final with on a one-season deal.

After stints with Canberra, Sydney Roosters and Parramatta the 257-game NRL veteran joined the Storm for the 2009 and 2010 seasons before linking with Wigan.

A part of Wigan's 2011 Challenge Cup winning side Finch, has represented NSW in State of Origin three times and famously kicked the winning field goal in the Blues' 17-16 win over Queensland in game one of the 2006 series.

http://www.nrl.com

[TITAN PETE]

Elliott named new Warriors NRL coach

RSS
AAP Fri, Oct 12, 2012 - 8:19 AM


Former Penrith and Canberra coach Matt Elliott has been unveiled as the new Warriors NRL mentor, signing a two-year deal on Friday.

Elliott arrives at the club under immediate pressure to overturn a disappointing 2012 campaign, in which they went from grand finalists the year prior to missing the top eight entirely.

Elliott, who becomes the eighth head coach at the New Zealand club, brings an experienced head having coached for 14 seasons in the NRL and English Super League.

"We're thrilled to secure a coach of Matthew's calibre," Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said in a statement.

"He's had wide experience and success with a number of clubs, initially making his mark winning titles with Bradford in the English Super League and also taking Canberra and Penrith to the NRL finals a total of five times."

Elliott takes the job from interim coach Tony Iro, who replaced sacked coach Brian McClennan late into the season.

The Warriors reportedly chased Melbourne mentor Craig Bellamy, as well as other NRL coaches, before settling on Elliott.

"While we have spoken to a number of contenders, Matthew consistently impressed us every time we met him with his total vision of how our football program should be structured and run," Scurrah said.

"Through his long association with the game as a player and especially as a coach, he appreciates as much as anyone just what's required to achieve the standards we are striving for.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Matthew as head coach to shape our football department to enable us to become a consistent threat in the NRL.

"Our ultimate goal will always be to win premierships and, in Matthew, we have secured a coach not only capable of achieving this but also with the skills and vision to build a stronger total football club."

[TITAN PETE]

Elliot is a good coach & now has the cattle to prove himself.

[Chaos]

They went for Bellemy and settled for Elliott...big miss there.

[shamus]

Elliot is a good coach & now has the cattle to prove himself.

Sorry Pete, I don't rate him...

Got my wooden team sorted for 2013..

...........and I am sober