The Wests Tigers have upped the ante on their recruitment drive.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Tigers met with Raiders centre Joey Leilua on Monday, who still has a year to run on his deal with Canberra.
Joey's younger brother Luciano signed with the Raiders for this season and it is now looming possible that the pair wind up at Concord together.
Joey has already been told by the Raiders that he will not be offered a new deal for 2021 and is set to make around $700,000 on the final year of his contract.
The Tigers are yet to officially make him an offer and also have out-of-favour Rabbitoh Adam Doueih in their sights.
Their pursuit of the Souths fullback will reportedly "get more serious" in the coming days.
Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett told Doueih he was free to explore the market last week to find a starting fullback role, who was given his first opportunity in the league by Tigers coach Michael Maguire.
It is believed that the Tigers have around $800,000 in the salary for this season, which could accommodate for Leilua and Doueih.
The Wests still have three spots to fill on their roster and remain keen to pry Eel Stefano Utoikamanu over a year early.
If they get Doughboy and BJ, then the tigers are looking pretty good.
Those 3 could be the drought breaker.
Geting Stefano Utoikamanu early should be the priority..do it Tigers
Stefano won’t be going to the kittens early.
He is on a development contract with us so we gain absolutely nothing by letting him go.
He will stay in reserve grade for the season as a back up.
Find someone else as you aren’t getting Stefano until next year. END OF STORY.
Kev, and I’m sure you’ll be shocked, but I disagree.
I take it you think we should hold onto him to play RG for $70k (ish) this year instead of letting him go to the Tigers a year early and play FG for $250k (ish).
Yeah, I’m sure he, along with a host of other juniors at Parra, not to mention players from other clubs will think, “fair enough”, they’re legally entitled to.
I’m all for standing your ground/holding players to contracts etc within reason, but I don’t think it’s within reason in this case.
I’d like to think we can something out of his early release, such as a junior from Wests if we’ve got our eye on 1, but I don’t think we should stand is his way otherwise.
P.S, I think we will let him go early.
bj is on 700, douehli is on 500 this year. dount the old clubs are gonna pick up the freight to the level tigers get both for 800.