2022 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[Whats Doing]

I suppose one way of looking at it is that if he has no interest in coming to the Titans he would not have bothered to turn up with his family just for an informal meeting

[psmitty]

Storm star Brandon Smith meets with Titans, Cowboys

The playing future of Melbourne Storm superstar may have been decided as Brandon Smith’s monster Gold Coast offer is revealed.

Travis Meyn
and
Peter Badel
16 min read
November 9, 2021 - 5:25PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

The Titans have ramped up their pursuit of Melbourne hooker Brandon Smith with a $2.4 million poaching bid after the Kiwi Test star was photographed shaking hands with Gold Coast figures at the club’s headquarters.

Photos of Smith and his mother Tirohia with Titans coach Justin Holbrook, football manager Anthony Laffranchi and recruitment boss Ezra Howe at Titans HQ emerged on social media on Tuesday, fuelling speculation he had committed to the Gold Coast.

The Titans are going hard for the Storm ace, tabling a three-year deal worth around $800,000 a season.

Smith’s manager Stan Martin rejected claims a deal had been reached, but confirmed his client had toured the Titans’ setup as the Queensland tug of war for Smith heats up.

Smith was in Townsville recently, raising speculation he was considering a return to North Queensland, and has also held talks with Redcliffe-based expansion club the Dolphins.

The Broncos have also been linked to the match-winning hooker, but it is understood Brisbane do not have the salary-cap funds to table a competitive offer for Smith.

The Roosters are keen on Smith, but could be blown out of the park by offers from Queensland-based clubs.

Smith is off-contract in Melbourne at the end of the 2022 season and is one of the NRL’s most in-demand free agents.

The Storm have conceded they are unlikely to match the big-money offers Smith has attracted from rival clubs.

The Titans have had their eye on Smith for a year and were the first club to make a formal offer when he hit the open market on November 1.

Speaking before Melbourne’s finals loss to Penrith six weeks ago, Smith acknowledged he was happy at the Storm but open to interest from Queensland clubs, including new 17th team the Dolphins.

“Of course it has appeal,” Smith said of potentially moving north to play for a Queensland club.

“My parents just moved to Brissie, so it’s an option. I have put everything aside and come November 1, when I can get formal offers, there will be a lot of discussions between me and my manager.

“I guess any club is a hope, but my preference is to stay here. I want to sort my future out sooner rather than later. I want it done sometime during the pre-season, but before I sign anything, I want to be able to address the Storm if I am leaving.

“I guess any club is a hope, but it’s just whether I can bring myself to leave the Storm.”

The Storm are facing poaching raids on Smith and Queensland prop Christian Welch, with chairman Matt Tripp admitting they were at long odds to retain the duo.

“It’s up to us to put our best foot forward to try and hang on to them,” he said.

“I am really hopeful that both will stay, but am I confident in keeping them both? I’m cautiously optimistic, I won’t say I’m confident.

“There is only so much room in the cap and so much we can offer these guys. I’m hoping it’s good enough but I’m genuinely not sure what offers will be coming their way.

“They might make a bit more money but may have to get used to getting kicked to death on the field each week as opposed to playing in a side that’s had a lot of careful planning gone into its list so we can have sustained success.

“The grass is always greener and Queensland has been very kind to a lot of our boys for the last couple of years because it’s been home for them. But Melbourne is going to be a pretty good place to live next year now that we’ve hopefully broken the back of the lockdowns.

“If we can hold our list together we are genuine contenders again.”

https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...7937d65e565334

[Toads]

Get your **** back here, Bodsy. We're a better crew around here than other platforms. Old School Forums are the go.

Brandon Smith, aye?

[SCoast Titan]

Still a bit worried we haven’t got a lot of experience in the halves. Even someone like Tyrone Roberts would’ve been good just to have around the club, not play first grade just that bit of experience to help these young blokes along at training and give guidance and tips

[DIEHARD]

Get your **** back here, Bodsy. We're a better crew around here than other platforms. Old School Forums are the go.

I have to say it is exciting to have BS visit with his family. We are a real chance. Before this I was just completely poker face. But he has to move somewhere.

And I think the fact that we snuck into the 8 and have room to grow helps when players are considering coming to us.

[Hail Sezer]

CM latest article from Badel and Meyn is suggesting our offer to Brandon Smith is 3 years and 800k per season.

[Hail Sezer]

Updated NRL roster list as per NRL.com: https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/11/10/...-clubs/#titans

Notable:
-Corey Thompson's 2023 is a club option
-Vuna signed for 2022 and 2023
-Will Smith has mutual option for 2023
-Tony Francis signed for 2022 and 2023
-Tom Weaver signed until end of 2024
-Booth on Dev deal and not top 30 (I had this wrong on the front page - have amended).

27 signed, 3 roster spots remaining in top 30. Keep in mind they can always elevate players (such as Booth) and then fill the dev spots instead if they want to.

[Whats Doing]

CM reporting that Titans ars favourites to sign Smith but the Dolphins are likely to offer $900k per season and he is visiting the Dolphins tomorrow’s

[Upthetits]

Strange, I thought tino was a player option for 23...saying he's actually signed to us? Wonder why all this chat about going to dolphins is going on?

[Hail Sezer]

Strange, I thought tino was a player option for 23...saying he's actually signed to us? Wonder why all this chat about going to dolphins is going on?

Good pickup

The previous list has always said PO under 2023. Have you just scooped?

[T0ken]

Good pickup

The previous list has always said PO under 2023. Have you just scooped?

Important to note that this list is a copy of the zero tackle one I believe. Things may not be entered correctly on their spreadsheet

A public contract register would provide much needed transparency

[Hail Sezer]

Important to note that this list is a copy of the zero tackle one I believe. Things may not be entered correctly on their spreadsheet

A public contract register would provide much needed transparency

The NRL list isn’t from Zerotackle. It is provided by the clubs themselves.

Zerotackle make their list from news articles, club announcements etc

[Titslover]

Surely it’s just a mistake on their end, if Tino was under contract for 23 the club would’ve quickly squashed alll the speculation.

[Hail Sezer]

Surely it’s just a mistake on their end, if Tino was under contract for 23 the club would’ve quickly squashed alll the speculation.

Most definitely

But if we speculate enough we’ll force lurkers Badel or Darveniza to waste their time writing an article about it

[NZTITAN]

If we somehow land Brandon Smith, where would the recruitment drive post-Tino signing (very late 2019 technically 2020) rank in modern NRL history? Considering the ghastly contracts and roster we had two years ago? Can't remember anything like it, massive credit to everyone in the Front Office at the Titans.